Plants short-lived, slender, 2–20 cm, hirsute, hairs spreading-ascending, often spirally twisted, to 1.1–2 mm; from superficial to subterranean branched caudex. Stems prostrate or decumbent, 0–7 cm underground, hirsute. Leaves (1.5–)3–10(–12) cm; stipules rarely connate at prox­imal nodes, 2–8.5 mm, mostly thinly herbaceous, sometimes papery at proximal nodes; leaflets (3–)7–15, blades thin, obovate, broadly oblanceolate, or sub­orbiculate, (2–)5–22 mm, larger ones pinnately veined, apex cuneate to emarginate, surfaces villous-pilose abaxially, glabrous adaxially. Peduncles incurved-ascending, (2–)3–11 cm. Racemes densely (5–)8–24-flowered; axis 1–3(–4) cm in fruit; bracts (2–)2.5–5 mm; bracteoles 0. Pedicels 0.7–2.5 mm. Flowers 8.8–11.2 mm; calyx 5.5–7.8(–8.2) mm, pilose, tube 2.7–3.7 mm, lobes lanceolate to lanceolate-attenuate, (2.7–)3–4.5(–5) mm; corolla pale yellow to greenish ochroleucous, fading yellowish, keel immaculate; banner recurved through 50–80°; keel 7.2–9.7 mm, apex narrowly deltate, acute or subacute, often beaklike. Legumes ascending or spreading (humistrate), pale yellow green becoming stramineous then brownish, incurved or ± straight, slenderly lunate-ellipsoid or semi-ellipsoid, bluntly 3-sided compressed, (15–)17–25 × (2.8–)3.2–5.2 mm, subunilocular, thinly fleshy becoming stiffly papery, densely hirsute, hairs spreading-ascending, to 1.2–1.8 mm, lustrous white; gynophore to 0.8 mm. Seeds 12–18.

Phenology: Flowering late Feb–Jun.
Habitat: Glades, savannas, openings in sandy oak and pine woods, roadsides.
Elevation: 0–100 m.

Distribution

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Ala., Fla., Ga., S.C.

Discussion

Astragalus villosus, as with many astragali, readily grows in secondary habitats. It is especially common in northern Florida and occurs in southern Alabama through eastern and southern Georgia, and just into Aiken County in southern South Carolina.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.