The green links below add additional plants to the comparison table. Blue links lead to other Web sites.
enable glossary links

arcane milkvetch

Astragalus succumbens

Columbia milkvetch, crouching milkvetch

Habit Plants perennial, caulescent, strigillose, hairs basifixed. Plants perennial, caulescent, densely to thinly grayish hirsute, hairs basifixed.
Stems

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

several, decumbent to erect, 2–40(50) 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.

3–10(11) cm;

leaflets (7)9–19, oblong to oblong-ovate, obovate to elliptic, 5–19 × 3–9 mm;

tips acute to obtuse or retuse;

surfaces abaxially hirsute, adaxially hirsute to glabrescent;

stipules (1.5)2.5–8(9) 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.

racemes densely 10–25-flowered;

peduncles 1.5–5.5 cm;

bracts (2.5)4–12 mm;

pedicels 0.5–2.3 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.

spreading-ascending at anthesis;

calyces 9.5–13(15) mm; hirsute to hirsutulous with all white or white with some black hairs;

tubes 7–8.6 mm;

teeth subulate to linear-lanceolate, 2.5–5.5 mm;

corollas 14–20(23) mm, bicolored;

banners pink to white;

wings white;

keels pink to purple;

tips spotted;

ovules 27–38.

Fruits

bilocular, ascending, lunately linear-lanceolate or -oblong, arcuate to straight, triquetrous, strongly compressed, deeply sulcate dorsally; (20)25–40 × 4–8 mm, glabrous;

valves cartilaginous;

stipes 0.

Fruits ±

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

valves coriaceous to cartilaginous;

stipes 0.

2n

=24.

Astragalus obscurus

Astragalus succumbens

Distribution
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
[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.

Sandy hills and dunes, roadbanks, sagebrush. Flowering Apr–Jul. 50–900 m. Col. WA. Native.

Source Flora of Oregon, volume 2, page 670
Richard Halse
Flora of Oregon, volume 2, page 674
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
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. tegetarioides, A. tetrapterus, A. toanus, A. tweedyi, A. tyghensis, A. umbraticus, A. vallaris, A. whitneyi
Synonyms Astragalus miser
Web links