Plants mostly acaulescent, 10–21 cm, stiffly silvery-strigulose or -strigose, hairs basifixed; from superficial caudex. Stems usually reduced to sessile crowns, rarely to 2.5 cm, inter­nodes concealed by stipules, sometimes with thatch of persistent leaf rachises, hairs silvery. Leaves (4–)6–21 cm; stipules (3–)5–12 mm, thinly herbaceous becoming papery; leaflets 7–17(or 19), blades usually obovate, rhombic-obovate, elliptic-ovate, rarely flabellate, 5–20(–25) mm, apex obtuse or subacute, surfaces strigose. Peduncles 2–15 cm. Racemes loosely (5–)7–16-flowered; axis 1–4(–6) cm in fruit; bracts 4–10 mm; bracteoles 0(–2). Pedicels 1.6–3.4 mm. Flowers (16–)19–22 mm; calyx cylindric or deeply campanulate, (9.4–)11–14.7 mm, villous (not silvery), tube (6.5–)7.6–9.8 mm, lobes lanceolate-subulate, 2.9–5.6 mm; corolla pink-purple; banner recurved through 40°; keel (13–)15.5–17.2 mm. Legumes ascending (humistrate), brown or stramineous then blackish, ± straight in proximal 1/2, obliquely ovoid or ellipsoid, obcompressed, (20–)25–45 × (8–)9–18 mm, unilocular, fleshy becoming woody or very stiffly leath­ery, densely strigulose. Seeds 33–54(–66).

Phenology: Flowering May–Jul.
Habitat: Prairies, dry hilltops, open stony ridges, cobblestone bluffs, on decomposed granite, on sandstone, coarse alluvia of mixed origins.
Elevation: 1500–2800 m.

Distribution

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Colo., Nebr., N.Mex., Wyo.

Discussion

Astragalus shortianus is common on the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains and adjacent plains.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.