OregonFlora: Astragalus beckwithii vs. Astragalus sheldonii

	Astragalus beckwithii	Astragalus sheldonii
	Weiser's milkvetch	Sheldon's milkvetch
Habit		Plants perennial, caulescent, strigillose-pilosulose, hairs basifixed.
Stems		several–numerous, ascending to erect; in clumps, 20–50 cm.
Leaves		7–19 cm; leaflets (17)23 –35(39), oblong-obovate, elliptic or oblanceolate, 5–22 × 1–4 mm; tips retuse, obtuse or subacute; surfaces abaxially pubescent, adaxially glabrous; stipules 3–10 mm; free.
Inflorescences		racemes loosely 10–30(35)-flowered; peduncles (11)16–30 cm; bracts 2.5–9 mm; pedicels 1.3–6 mm; bracteoles 0–2.
Flowers		spreading to nodding at anthesis; calyces 8.5–12.6 mm, pilosulose with black or mixed black and white hairs; tubes 5.6–7.5 mm; teeth subulate, 2–5.2(6) mm; corollas 15.5–21.5 mm, white or cream, unspotted; ovules (20)24–31.
Fruits		unilocular or semibilocular; erect, narrowly oblong-elliptic; straight, obcompressed; (15)17–23 × 4–6.5 mm, glabrous or minutely strigillose; valves coriaceous; stipes 0–1.5 mm.
2n		=24.

	Astragalus beckwithii	Astragalus sheldonii
Distribution	[WildflowerSearch map] [BONAP county map]	[WildflowerSearch map] [BONAP county map]
Discussion		Prairies, ridges, meadows. Flowering May–Jul. 1100–1700 m. BW. ID, WA. Native. Astragalus sheldonii is closely related to A. reventus from which it differs by its narrower and more nearly bilocular fruits, shorter calyx tube, and usually the presence of a small stipe.
Source		Flora of Oregon, volume 2, page 673 Richard Halse
Sibling taxa	A. accidens, A. agrestis, A. alpinus, A. alvordensis, A. applegatei, A. arthuri, A. atratus, A. australis, 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. 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. solitarius, A. spaldingii, A. sterilis, A. succumbens, A. tegetarioides, A. tetrapterus, A. toanus, A. tweedyi, A. tyghensis, A. umbraticus, A. vallaris, A. whitneyi
Subordinate taxa	A. beckwithii var. weiserensis
Synonyms		Astragalus reventus var. sheldonii
Web links	Local floras: BC, 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	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 beckwithii

Astragalus sheldonii

Weiser's milkvetch

Sheldon's milkvetch

Habit

Plants perennial, caulescent, strigillose-pilosulose, hairs basifixed.

Stems

several–numerous, ascending to erect; in clumps, 20–50 cm.

Leaves

7–19 cm;

leaflets (17)23 –35(39), oblong-obovate, elliptic or oblanceolate, 5–22 × 1–4 mm;

tips retuse, obtuse or subacute;

surfaces abaxially pubescent, adaxially glabrous;

stipules 3–10 mm; free.

Inflorescences

racemes loosely 10–30(35)-flowered;

peduncles (11)16–30 cm;

bracts 2.5–9 mm;

pedicels 1.3–6 mm;

bracteoles 0–2.

Flowers

spreading to nodding at anthesis;

calyces 8.5–12.6 mm, pilosulose with black or mixed black and white hairs;

tubes 5.6–7.5 mm;

teeth subulate, 2–5.2(6) mm;

corollas 15.5–21.5 mm, white or cream, unspotted;

ovules (20)24–31.

Fruits

unilocular or semibilocular; erect, narrowly oblong-elliptic; straight, obcompressed; (15)17–23 × 4–6.5 mm, glabrous or minutely strigillose;

valves coriaceous;

stipes 0–1.5 mm.

=24.

Astragalus beckwithii

Astragalus sheldonii

Distribution

[WildflowerSearch map]

[BONAP county map]

[WildflowerSearch map]

[BONAP county map]

Discussion

Prairies, ridges, meadows. Flowering May–Jul. 1100–1700 m. BW. ID, WA. Native.

Astragalus sheldonii is closely related to A. reventus from which it differs by its narrower and more nearly bilocular fruits, shorter calyx tube, and usually the presence of a small stipe.

Source

Flora of Oregon, volume 2, page 673
Richard Halse

Sibling taxa