Herbs perennial, caulescent or subacaulescent; caudex superficial or aerial. Hairs basifixed. Stems several to many. Stipules distinct or connate. Leaves odd-pinnate, petiolate; leaflets 7–15(–19), terminal leaflet jointed to or confluent with rachis. Racemes loosely flowered, flowers nodding or horizontal. Calyx tubes campanulate. Corollas whitish or lilac-tinged, or lurid, banner recurved through 90°, keel apex rounded or sharply deltate. Legumes ultimately deciduous, subsessile or stipitate, pendulous (sometimes humistrate), linear-oblong or oblong-ellipsoid, decurved or straight, compressed dorsiventrally or laterally, unilocular or bilocular. Seeds 10–29.

Distribution

w United States.

Discussion

Species 2 (2 in the flora).

Section Atrati is known from the Columbia and Great basins, from northeastern Oregon to southwestern Idaho, central Nevada, and southeastern California.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

Astragalus atratus, Astragalus salmonis