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Astragalus succumbens

Columbia milkvetch, crouching milkvetch

buckwheat milkvetch

Habit Plants perennial, caulescent, densely to thinly grayish hirsute, hairs basifixed. Plants perennial, caulescent, densely gray-villous or -pilose, hairs basifixed or malpighian.
Stems

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

numerous, ascending to erect, clustered; (10)15–30 cm.

Leaves

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.

3.5–9(10.5) cm;

leaflets 11–19(23), narrowly elliptic to lance-elliptic to narrowly oblong; (3)5–18 × 1–4 mm;

tips acute to obtuse or mucronulate;

surfaces villous;

stipules (2)3–8 mm; at least lowermost connate-sheathing.

Inflorescences

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.

racemes lax, not crowded; (5)10–25-flowered;

peduncles 0.5–5(7) cm;

bracts 1–2.5 mm;

pedicels 0.4–1.5 mm;

bracteoles 0.

Flowers

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.

spreading to declined at anthesis;

calyces 3.5–5.5 mm, densely white- or partly black-villosulous;

tubes 1.7–3 mm;

teeth subulate-setaceous, 1.3–3 mm;

corollas 4.5–7 mm; whitish or tinged lilac, drying yellowish;

ovules 6–8.

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.

bilocular, deflexed; lance-elliptic; straight, compressed-triquetrous or laterally compressed, narrowly sulcate dorsally, 6–9 × 2–3 mm, white or gray tomentulose;

valves papery;

stipes 0.

2n

=24.

Astragalus succumbens

Astragalus caricinus

Distribution
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

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

Sand dunes. Flowering May–Jun. 100–1000 m. Col, Owy. ID, WA. Native.

Buckwheat milkvetch is distinguished by its dense gray pubescence, connate lower stipules, small pale flowers, and small, deflexed, densely hairy, bilocular fruits.

Source Flora of Oregon, volume 2, page 674
Richard Halse
Flora of Oregon, volume 2, page 661
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. 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. succumbens, A. tegetarioides, A. tetrapterus, A. toanus, A. tweedyi, A. tyghensis, A. umbraticus, A. vallaris, A. whitneyi
Synonyms Astragalus lyallii, Astragalus lyallii var. caricinus
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