OregonFlora: Astragalus albulus vs. Astragalus inflexus

	Astragalus albulus	Astragalus inflexus
		bent milkvetch
Habit		Plants perennial, caulescent, tufted, canescent, densely villous to tomentose, hairs basifixed.
Stems		several, prostrate and radiating with incurved-ascending tips, 10–50 cm.
Leaves		(3)4–12(16) cm; leaflets (9)17–23(27), obovate to broadly oblanceolate; (4)6–16(20) × 2–6 mm; tips acute to shortly acuminate; surfaces pubescent; stipules 5–12(16); free.
Inflorescences		racemes loosely (5)8–18-flowered; peduncles (2)3–8 cm; bracts 4.5–10 mm; pedicels 1.3–3.3 mm; bracteoles 0.
Flowers		ascending at anthesis; calyces (9.4)11.3–16.4 mm, usually purplish, villous with white hairs or rarely some black hairs; tubes (6.2)8.2–10.2 mm; teeth linear-lanceolate, 3.1–7 mm; corollas (16.5)19.5–23 mm, pink-purple; ovules 22–28.
Fruits		unilocular, ascending, obliquely ovoid; lance-ovoid or oblong-ellipsoid,
±		straight proximally, incurved distally, obcompressed and sulcate at least ventrally; (13)15–25(30) × (5)7–9.5 mm, densely villous-hirsute; hairs rarely concealing valve surfaces; valves coriaceous; gynophores 0.5–1.8 mm.
2n		=22.

	Astragalus albulus	Astragalus inflexus
Distribution	[WildflowerSearch map] [BONAP county map]	[WildflowerSearch map] [BONAP county map]
Discussion		Rocky slopes, dry grassy hillsides, river terraces. Flowering May–Jul. 400–900 m. BW, Col. ID, WA; northeast to MT. Native. Astragalus inflexus is generally found along the Snake River and its tributaries in Idaho and Washington. It can be found on the banks of the Columbia River near The Great Bend in Washington, where the Snake enters the Columbia. A specimen from Gilliam County is probably an immigrant by way of seeds brought down by flood waters.
Source		Flora of Oregon, volume 2, page 665 Richard Halse
Sibling taxa	A. accidens, A. agrestis, A. alpinus, A. alvordensis, A. applegatei, A. arthuri, A. atratus, A. australis, A. beckwithii, A. californicus, A. calycosus, A. canadensis, A. caricinus, A. collinus, A. conjunctus, A. curvicarpus, A. cusickii, A. diaphanus, A. drummondii, A. eremiticus, A. filipes, A. gambellianus, A. geyeri, A. hoodianus, A. howellii, A. inflexus, A. iodanthus, A. kentrophyta, A. lemmonii, A. lentiginosus, A. malacus, A. misellus, A. mulfordiae, A. multiflorus, A. newberryi, A. nudisiliquus, A. obscurus, A. peckii, A. platytropis, A. purshii, A. reventus, A. robbinsii, A. salmonis, A. sclerocarpus, A. sheldonii, A. solitarius, A. spaldingii, A. sterilis, A. succumbens, A. tegetarioides, A. tetrapterus, A. toanus, A. tweedyi, A. tyghensis, A. umbraticus, A. vallaris, A. whitneyi	A. accidens, A. agrestis, A. alpinus, A. alvordensis, A. applegatei, A. arthuri, A. atratus, A. australis, A. beckwithii, A. californicus, A. calycosus, A. canadensis, A. caricinus, A. collinus, A. conjunctus, A. curvicarpus, A. cusickii, A. diaphanus, A. drummondii, A. eremiticus, A. filipes, A. gambellianus, A. geyeri, A. hoodianus, A. howellii, A. iodanthus, A. kentrophyta, A. lemmonii, A. lentiginosus, A. malacus, A. misellus, A. mulfordiae, A. multiflorus, A. newberryi, A. nudisiliquus, A. obscurus, A. peckii, A. platytropis, A. purshii, A. reventus, A. robbinsii, A. salmonis, A. sclerocarpus, A. sheldonii, A. solitarius, A. spaldingii, A. sterilis, A. succumbens, A. tegetarioides, A. tetrapterus, A. toanus, A. tweedyi, A. tyghensis, A. umbraticus, A. vallaris, A. whitneyi
Web links	Local Web sites: Flora NW, PNW Herbaria WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) USDA Plants Database LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Plants of the World Online Encyclopedia of Life Wikipedia Google Image Search	Local floras: OR, WA Local Web sites: Flora NW, PNW Herbaria WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) USDA Plants Database LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Plants of the World Online Encyclopedia of Life Wikipedia Google Image Search

Astragalus albulus

Astragalus inflexus

bent milkvetch

Habit

Plants perennial, caulescent, tufted, canescent, densely villous to tomentose, hairs basifixed.

Stems

several, prostrate and radiating with incurved-ascending tips, 10–50 cm.

Leaves

(3)4–12(16) cm;

leaflets (9)17–23(27), obovate to broadly oblanceolate; (4)6–16(20) × 2–6 mm;

tips acute to shortly acuminate;

surfaces pubescent;

stipules 5–12(16); free.

Inflorescences

racemes loosely (5)8–18-flowered;

peduncles (2)3–8 cm;

bracts 4.5–10 mm;

pedicels 1.3–3.3 mm;

bracteoles 0.

Flowers

ascending at anthesis;

calyces (9.4)11.3–16.4 mm, usually purplish, villous with white hairs or rarely some black hairs;

tubes (6.2)8.2–10.2 mm;

teeth linear-lanceolate, 3.1–7 mm;

corollas (16.5)19.5–23 mm, pink-purple;

ovules 22–28.

Fruits

unilocular, ascending, obliquely ovoid; lance-ovoid or oblong-ellipsoid,

straight proximally, incurved distally, obcompressed and sulcate at least ventrally; (13)15–25(30) × (5)7–9.5 mm, densely villous-hirsute;

hairs rarely concealing valve surfaces;

valves coriaceous; gynophores 0.5–1.8 mm.

=22.

Astragalus albulus

Astragalus inflexus

Distribution

[WildflowerSearch map]

[BONAP county map]

[WildflowerSearch map]

[BONAP county map]

Discussion

Rocky slopes, dry grassy hillsides, river terraces. Flowering May–Jul. 400–900 m. BW, Col. ID, WA; northeast to MT. Native.

Astragalus inflexus is generally found along the Snake River and its tributaries in Idaho and Washington. It can be found on the banks of the Columbia River near The Great Bend in Washington, where the Snake enters the Columbia. A specimen from Gilliam County is probably an immigrant by way of seeds brought down by flood waters.

Source

Flora of Oregon, volume 2, page 665
Richard Halse

Sibling taxa