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arcane milkvetch

Habit Plants perennial, caulescent, strigillose, hairs basifixed.
Stems

several–numerous, decumbent to ascending, 15–40 cm.

Leaves

(2.5)4–10(12) cm;

leaflets 5–15, oblong-elliptic to lance-oblong or linear-elliptic, 2–15 × 0.5–2.5 mm;

tips obtuse to truncate to shallowly retuse or subacute;

surfaces abaxially strigillose, adaxially thinly pubescent to glabrous;

stipules 1.5–2.5 mm; free.

Inflorescences

racemes compact in early anthesis; soon elongating; (3)6–15-flowered;

peduncles 3–15 cm;

bracts 0.8–2.5 mm;

pedicels 0.5–2.2 mm;

bracteoles 0–2.

Flowers

ascending at anthesis;

calyces 3–5.5 mm, strigillose with black and white hairs;

tubes 2.3–4 mm;

teeth triangular to subulate, 0.4–1.6 mm;

corollas 7–10.5 mm, ochroleucous or whitish, often tinged with dull purple;

ovules 14–23.

Fruits ±

bilocular; erect, linear-oblong; straight, obtusely triquetrous, 10–25 × 2.4–4 mm, finely strigillose;

valves coriaceous to cartilaginous;

stipes 0.

Astragalus obscurus

Distribution
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Sagebrush, ridge tops, talus, hillsides, scabland. Flowering May–Jul. 700–2300 m. BR, BW, ECas, Lava, Owy. CA, ID, NV. Native.

Astragalus obscurus is recognizable by its few leaflets, small, dingy flowers ascending in a close raceme, and erect, sessile, linear-oblong, trigonously compressed fruits. It may be con­fused with the sympatric A. atratus, which is alike in general habit but has pendulous, decurved pods.

Source Flora of Oregon, volume 2, page 670
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. 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
Synonyms Astragalus miser
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