Herbs perennial, caulescent; caudex superficial or shallowly subterranean. Hairs basifixed. Stems single or few to many. Stipules distinct. Leaves odd-pinnate, usually petiolate, sometimes short-petiolate or subsessile; leaflets (5–)9–29. Racemes sometimes subcapitate, usually loosely flowered, flowers ascending or spreading to declined. Calyx tubes cylindric or campanulate-cylindric. Corollas usually reddish violet, reddish purple, pink-purple, purplish, ochroleucous, or whitish, sometimes suffused with purple, banner recurved through 30–45°, keel apex obtuse. Legumes deciduous or persistent, stipitate or subsessile, recurved, humistrate and ascending or descending or reclining, or erect, narrowly oblong, oblong-ellipsoid, or cylindric, incurved or ± straight, compressed laterally or dorsiventrally or 3-sided, ± bilocular or subunilocular. Seeds 16–36.
Distribution
w United States.
Discussion
Species 9 (9 in the flora).
Section Malaci consists of four subsections: subsect. Cibarii Barneby (Astragalus cibarius); subsect. Ensiformes Barneby (A. ensiformis, A. malacoides, A. minthorniae); subsect. Vallares (M. E. Jones) Barneby (A. cimae, A. vallaris); and subsect. Malaci (M. E. Jones) Barneby (A. chamaemeniscus, A. holmgreniorum, A. malacus).
Selected References
None.