Astragalus traskiae
Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci., ser. 3, 1: 102, plate 8, fig. 6. 1898.
Plants 8–25(–45) cm, villous-tomentulose, appearing gray or ashy. Stems decumbent to ascending or spreading, villous-tomentulose or white-pannose. Leaves 4–10 cm; stipules 1.5–4 mm; leaflets 21–29, blades ovate, obovate, oval, or oblong-elliptic, 2.5–15 mm, apex obtuse or emarginate, surfaces villous-tomentulose. Peduncles ascending, drooping or humistrate in fruit, 4–14 cm. Racemes loosely 12–30-flowered; axis 2.5–8 cm in fruit; bracts 1.5–2 mm; bracteoles 2. Pedicels 1–1.5 mm. Flowers 14.2–17.5 mm; calyx short-cylindric, 7.5–9 mm, villous, tube 5.2–6.2 mm, lobes broadly subulate, 2.2–3.5 mm; corolla ochroleucous, concolorous, banner veined or suffused with purple; keel 10.2–12.9 mm. Legumes pendulous but appearing otherwise when humistrate, green-stramineous, straight or slightly incurved, lanceoloid-oblong, semi-ellipsoid, distinctly 3-sided compressed, 8–16 × 3.2–5.5 mm, leathery, villous-tomentulose; septum 1.1–1.8 mm wide; stipe 4–8.5 mm, pubescent. Seeds 12–16.
Phenology: Flowering Mar–Jul.
Habitat: Sandy, windswept ocean bluffs, banks, coastal dunes.
Elevation: 0–300 m.
Discussion
The close relationship of Astragalus traskiae to A. nevinii is clearly evident and the two have sometimes been considered conspecific. Astragalus traskiae is endemic to, and the only perennial Astragalus on, San Nicolas and Santa Barbara islands.
Selected References
None.