Astragalus egglestonii
J. Wash. Acad. Sci. 29: 484. 1939.
Plants slender, stiff, (15–)20–55 cm, sparsely strigulose; from slightly subterranean caudex. Stems erect or ascending, sparsely strigulose. Leaves (3–)4–12 cm; stipules connate and scarious-papery at proximal nodes, distinct and herbaceous at distal nodes, 1.5–5 mm; leaflets (17–)21–29, blades flat or loosely folded, oblong-oblanceolate or elliptic, 3–13 mm, apex obtuse to subacute, surfaces sparsely strigulose abaxially, glabrate or glabrous adaxially. Peduncles (2–)4–11 cm. Racemes (5–)10–30-flowered; axis (1.5–)3–19 cm in fruit; bracts 1–2 mm; bracteoles 2. Pedicels 0.6–1.5 mm. Flowers 5.8–8 mm; calyx marcescent, 3.4–4.3 mm, strigulose, hairs black and/or white, tube 2.1–2.7 mm, lobes subulate, 1–2 mm; corolla whitish or, sometimes, greenish ochroleucous, immaculate; banner abruptly incurved through 90°; keel 4.2–5.6 mm. Legumes stramineous, straight or slightly incurved or decurved, linear-oblong or linear-oblanceolate, 3-sided compressed, 15–30 × (2.5–)3–4 mm, bilocular, papery, glabrous; valves inflexed as complete septum 1.4–1.9 mm wide; stipe 1.5–2.5 mm. Seeds 12–16.
Phenology: Flowering Jul–Sep(–Oct).
Habitat: Meadows and open pine woods, on basaltic or granitic soils.
Elevation: 1900–2700 m.
Discussion
Astragalus egglestonii is restricted to extreme east-central and northeastern Arizona and west-central New Mexico.
Astragalus egglestonii is the only late-flowering species of the genus in its region with declined, three-sided fruits (R. C. Barneby 1964).
Selected References
None.