Plants somewhat coarse, 20–50 cm, strigulose-pilosulous, hairs basifixed; from superficial caudex. Stems erect to ascending, with 3–7 well-developed internodes, strigulose-pilosulous. Leaves 7–19 cm; stipules 3–10 mm, papery-scarious at proximal nodes, subherbaceous at distal nodes; leaflets (17–)23–35(–39), blades oblong-obovate, elliptic, or nearly oblan­ceolate, 5–22 mm, apex retuse, obtuse, or sub­acute, surfaces strigulose-pilosulous abaxially, glabrous adaxially. Peduncles erect, (11–)16–30 cm, together with racemes usually longer than stems. Racemes 10–30(–35)-flowered, flowers nodding; axis (3–)6–16 cm in fruit; bracts 2.5–9 mm; bracteoles 0–2. Pedicels 1.3–6 mm. Flowers 15.5–21.5 mm; calyx short-cylindric, 8.5–12.6 mm, strigulose-pilosulous, tube 5.6–7.5 mm, lobes subulate, 2–5.2(–6) mm; corolla ochro­leucous, white, or creamy white, immaculate; banner recurved through 45°; keel 11.5–14.4 mm. Legumes erect, stramineous, straight or slightly incurved, nar­rowly oblong-ellipsoid, obcompressed, grooved dor­sally, (15–)17–23 × (4–)4.5–6.3 mm, semibilocular, fleshy becoming leathery, usually strigulose, rarely gla­brous; septum 1–1.6 mm wide; stipe 0–1.5 mm. Seeds (20–)24–31. 2n = 24.

Phenology: Flowering May–Jul.
Habitat: Meadows, bunchgrass prairies, with sagebrush, on basaltic substrates.
Elevation: 500–1300 m.

Distribution

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Idaho, Oreg., Wash.

Discussion

Astragalus sheldonii is found near the lower Salmon and Snake rivers in Lewis and Nez Perce counties in Idaho, the Wallowa Mountains, Wallowa County in Oregon, and Asotin County in Washington.

Astragalus sheldonii is one of a group of Columbia Basin species, essentially vicarious, that share a suite of somewhat similar characteristics. These were compared in key form by D. Isely (1998) under A. reventus, and their shifting classification was reviewed by R. C. Barneby (1964) in the introduction to sect. Reventi-arrecti.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.