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cibola milkvetch
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timber milk-vetch, weedy milk-vetch
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| Plants forming bushy clumps, robust, 15–85(–120) cm, strigulose to pilose; from branched caudex bearing thick, woody, shortly forked taproot, becoming suffruticose. |
Plants clump-forming, caulescent or shortly caulescent, 1–35 cm, strigose, strigulose-pilosulous, pilosulous, strigulose, or villous, hairs basifixed or malpighian; from ± superficial, branched caudex. |
erect or ascending, strigulose to pilose, cinereous or canescent. |
decumbent to erect, sterile branches forming tuft of sub-basal leaves, strigose, strigulose, or villous. |
3–10(–14) cm; stipules 2.5–10 mm, scarious; leaflet blades linear, linear-oblanceolate, or narrowly elliptic, (2–)4–27(–45) mm, apex acute to subobtuse, surfaces strigose abaxially, glabrous adaxially. |
1.5–20 cm; stipules connate-sheathing (bidentate) at proximal nodes, shortly connate or distinct at distal nodes, 1.5–9 mm, papery-membranous throughout or, sometimes, herbaceous at distal nodes; leaflets 3–21, blades linear, oblong, elliptic, linear-elliptic, linear-oblanceolate, lanceolate, oblong-elliptic, elliptic-lanceolate, or, rarely, filiform-subulate (distally), 2–30(–42) × 0.5–7 mm, apex acute, obtuse, acuminate, apiculate, or, rarely, retuse, surfaces strigose, glabrescent, or glabrous abaxially, glabrous, glabrescent, or sparsely hairy adaxially; terminal leaflet sometimes decurrent distally, not jointed to rachis. |
9–47-flowered; axis (2–)3–15(–20) cm in fruit; bracts (2–)3–7 mm; bracteoles 0–2. |
3–19(–24)-flowered, flowers spreading-declined; axis 1–14 cm in fruit; bracts 0.6–4 mm; bracteoles usually 0. |
erect, 1–4(–5.5) cm, much shorter than subtending leaves. |
usually incurved-ascending, 2–14 cm. |
0.3–1.2 mm. |
0.8–3 mm. |
13–17.2 mm; calyx (7.2–)7.5–11 mm, strigulose to pilose, tube (5.4–)5.7–7.4 mm, lobes lanceolate-subulate, (1.5–)1.8–3.6 mm; corolla banner recurved through 45°; keel 10.4–12.8 mm. |
5.3–10.6 mm; calyx (2.3–)2.4–6 mm, strigose, tube 1.7–4.2 mm, lobes subulate, 0.5–2.6 mm; corolla lilac, pink-purple, ochroleucous, or whitish, often suffused, lined, or veined with purple; banner recurved through 40–90°; keel 5.9–10.7(–11.4) mm, apex beaklike. |
brown-stramineous, gently incurved, dorsiventrally compressed or 3-sided at dehiscence, carinate by ventral suture, beak laterally compressed, 9–12 × 3.3–5 mm, papery, strigose or glabrous; stipe 0.7–2.5 mm. |
declined-pendulous; green, sometimes with purple speckles, becoming brown or stramineous, straight or nearly so, linear, linear-oblong, linear-ellipsoid, or oblanceoloid, laterally compressed, bicarinate by sutures, 11–25 × (1.2–)2–4 mm, papery, usually strigulose, villosulous, or glabrous, rarely with few hairs; stipe 0–1 mm. |
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6–19. |
= 22. |
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| Flowering Jul–Oct. |
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| Gullied badlands, sandy clay talus under cliffs, on seleniferous substrates, with juniper, rabbitbrush, Eriogonum, and saltbush, in salt-seep communities. |
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| 1600–2600 m. (5200–8500 ft.) |
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AZ; CO; NM; TX
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w North America
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Astragalus albulus is mainly a New Mexico plant. At first sight, it resembles a somewhat taller, more robust A. flavus but is easily distinguished by declined or pendulous, stipitate, obcompressed and three-sided legumes (except for the laterally compressed, cuspidate beak). It is the only milkvetch within its region (northeastern Arizona, southwestern Colorado, northwestern New Mexico) that flowers and fruits from mid summer to autumn on a regular basis. Racemes sometimes are borne from below the middle of the stem, with the portion bearing racemes much exceeding the non-flowering lower portion of the plant. It has been reported also from Culbertson County in Texas (D. K. Northington and T. L. Burgess 1979). (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Varieties 8 (8 in the flora). Astragalus miser, widespread in the American West, contains miserotoxin, a nitrogenous compound that is poisonous to cattle and sheep. In the key to varieties the presence of malpighian hairs is important. The point of attachment may be so near the base as to be almost indistinguishable from a basifixed trichome. The key is tentative and will not always reliably separate varieties; nevertheless, morphological trends exist and most plants are identifiable. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
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1. Herbage hairs obscurely malpighian; leaflet blades pubescent. | → 2 |
2. Herbage villosulous or villous and pilosulous, hairs gray or silvery, mostly twisted and loose; legumes minutely villosulous, hairs twisted; ec Idaho, adjoining Montana. | var. crispatus |
2. Herbage strigulose, hairs ± straight; legumes strigulose; Idaho, Montana, Wyoming. | → 3 |
3. Leaflet blades linear to linear-elliptic or oblong-elliptic; corollas whitish, ochroleucous, or stramineous, sometimes brownish-veined, keel apex maculate; seeds 7–11; sw Montana, ec Idaho, nw Wyoming. | var. praeteritus |
3. Leaflet blades narrowly elliptic to elliptic-lanceolate (leaves subtending racemes sometimes broadly elliptic or oblanceolate); corollas usually pink-purple, purplish, bluish, or dull purple, sometimes pallid or whitish, except maculate keel; seeds 12–18; Idaho and s Montana to c Wyoming. | var. decumbens |
1. Herbage hairs basifixed; leaflet blades abaxially pubescent, adaxially pubescent or glabrous. | → 4 |
4. Leaflet blades with pubescent surfaces, hairs silvery or cinereous; calyces (4.2–)4.6–6 mm; corollas lilac or pink-purple, banners (9.5–)9.8–12 mm, keel (7.8–)8.6–10.7 mm; legumes densely strigulose; ne Washington to w Montana and adjacent Canada. | var. miser |
4. Leaflet blades with surfaces pubescent or glabrous abaxially, usually glabrous or glabrate adaxially, sometimes pubescent; calyces 2.4–5.6 mm; corollas usually whitish, rarely ochroleucous, sometimes suffused or lined or veined with purple, banners (5.2–)6–13 mm, keel 5.9–10 mm; legumes strigulose or glabrous; British Columbia and Alberta southward to Washington, Arizona, New Mexico, and South Dakota. | → 5 |
5. Leaflets (3–)7–11; stems 1–11(–15) cm; banners 6–8 mm; legumes linear (in profile), strigulose; seeds 8–12; se Idaho to sw Montana, ne Nevada, n Utah, and w Wyoming. | var. tenuifolius |
5. Leaflets (9 or)11–21; stems 1–35 cm; banners (5.2–)6.5–13 mm; legumes oblanceolate, linear, linear-oblong, -elliptic, or -oblanceolate (in profile), glabrous or strigulose; seeds (6 or)7–19; British Columbia and Alberta southward to Washington, Arizona, New Mexico, and South Dakota. | → 6 |
6. Legumes strigulose; seeds 13–19; Montana to New Mexico, west to Nevada and Arizona. | var. oblongifolius |
6. Legumes glabrous, strigulose, or few hairs present; seeds (6 or)7–11; South Dakota west to British Columbia and Washington. | → 7 |
7. Stems 10–35 cm; banners 7–9.5 mm, keel 6–7.8(–8.4) mm; leaflet blades narrowly elliptic to linear or linear-oblanceolate; legumes glabrous or strigulose; Alberta and British Columbia southward to Montana, Idaho, and Washington. | var. serotinus |
7. Stems 1–15 cm; banners (5.2–)6.5–13 mm, keel (7.1–)8–10(–11.4) mm; leaflet blades narrowly to broadly elliptic, lanceolate, or lanceolate-oblong; legumes usually glabrous, rarely with few, scattered hairs; w Wyoming and Montana, adjoining Idaho, and Black Hills of South Dakota. | var. hylophilus |
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| FNA vol. 11. |
FNA vol. 11. |
| Fabaceae > subfam. Faboideae > Astragalus |
Fabaceae > subfam. Faboideae > Astragalus > sect. Genistoidei |
A. accidens, A. accumbens, A. ackermanii, A. acutirostris, A. adanus, A. aequalis, A. agnicidus, A. agrestis, A. albens, A. allochrous, A. alpinus, A. altus, A. alvordensis, A. amblytropis, A. americanus, A. amnis-amissi, A. amphioxys, A. ampullarioides, A. ampullarius, A. andersonii, A. anisus, A. anserinus, A. applegatei, A. aquilonius, A. aretioides, A. argophyllus, A. aridus, A. arizonicus, A. arrectus, A. arthurii, A. asclepiadoides, A. asotinensis, A. asymmetricus, A. atratus, A. atropubescens, A. atwoodii, A. austiniae, A. australis, A. barnebyi, A. barrii, A. beathii, A. beatleyae, A. beckwithii, A. bernardinus, A. bibullatus, A. bicristatus, A. bisulcatus, A. bodinii, A. bolanderi, A. bourgovii, A. brandegeei, A. brauntonii, A. brazoensis, A. breweri, A. californicus, A. callithrix, A. calycosus, A. camptopus, A. canadensis, A. caricinus, A. casei, A. castaneiformis, A. castetteri, A. ceramicus, A. cerussatus, A. chamaeleuce, A. chamaemeniscus, A. chinensis, A. chloödes, A. chuskanus, A. cibarius, A. cicer, A. cimae, A. claranus, A. clevelandii, A. cliffordii, A. cobrensis, A. coccineus, A. collinus, A. coltonii, A. columbianus, A. concordius, A. congdonii, A. conjunctus, A. consobrinus, A. contortuplicatus, A. convallarius, A. cottamii, A. crassicarpus, A. cremnophylax, A. cronquistii, A. crotalariae, A. curtipes, A. curvicarpus, A. cusickii, A. cutleri, A. cyaneus, A. cymboides, A. deanei, A. debequaeus, A. desereticus, A. desperatus, A. deterior, A. detritalis, A. diaphanus, A. didymocarpus, A. distortus, A. diversifolius, A. douglasii, A. drabelliformis, A. drummondii, A. duchesnensis, A. eastwoodiae, A. egglestonii, A. emoryanus, A. endopterus, A. ensiformis, A. episcopus, A. equisolensis, A. eremiticus, A. ertterae, A. eucosmus, A. eurekensis, A. eurylobus, A. falcatus, A. feensis, A. filipes, A. flavus, A. flexuosus, A. fucatus, A. funereus, A. gambelianus, A. geyeri, A. gibbsii, A. giganteus, A. gilensis, A. gilmanii, A. gilviflorus, A. glycyphyllos, A. gracilis, A. grayi, A. gypsodes, A. hallii, A. hamiltonii, A. harrisonii, A. heilii, A. henrimontanensis, A. holmgreniorum, A. hoodianus, A. hornii, A. howellii, A. humillimus, A. humistratus, A. hyalinus, A. hypoxylus, A. inflexus, A. insularis, A. inversus, A. inyoensis, A. iodanthus, A. iodopetalus, A. iselyi, A. jaegerianus, A. jejunus, A. johannis-howellii, A. kelseyae, A. kentrophyta, A. kerrii, A. knightii, A. laccoliticus, A. lancearius, A. laxmannii, A. layneae, A. leibergii, A. lemmonii, A. lentiformis, A. lentiginosus, A. leptaleus, A. leptocarpus, A. leucolobus, A. limnocharis, A. lindheimeri, A. linifolius, A. loanus, A. lonchocarpus, A. lotiflorus, A. lutosus, A. lyallii, A. macrodon, A. magdalenae, A. malacoides, A. malacus, A. megacarpus, A. michauxii, A. microcymbus, A. microcystis, A. microlobium, A. micromerius, A. miguelensis, A. minthorniae, A. misellus, A. miser, A. missouriensis, A. moencoppensis, A. mohavensis, A. mollissimus, A. molybdenus, A. monoensis, A. montii, A. monumentalis, A. mulfordiae, A. multiflorus, A. musiniensis, A. naturitensis, A. neglectus, A. nelsonianus, A. neomexicanus, A. nevinii, A. newberryi, A. nidularius, A. nothoxys, A. nudisiliquus, A. nutans, A. nutriosensis, A. nuttallianus, A. nuttallii, A. nutzotinensis, A. nyensis, A. obcordatus, A. obscurus, A. oniciformis, A. oocalycis, A. oocarpus, A. oophorus, A. oreganus, A. osterhoutii, A. oxyphysus, A. pachypus, A. palmeri, A. panamintensis, A. pardalinus, A. parryi, A. pattersonii, A. pauperculus, A. paysonii, A. peckii, A. pectinatus, A. perianus, A. phoenix, A. pictiformis, A. pinonis, A. piscator, A. piutensis, A. plattensis, A. platytropis, A. polaris, A. pomonensis, A. porrectus, A. praelongus, A. preussii, A. proimanthus, A. proximus, A. pseudiodanthus, A. pterocarpus, A. pubentissimus, A. pulsiferae, A. puniceus, A. purshii, A. pycnostachyus, A. racemosus, A. rafaelensis, A. rattanii, A. ravenii, A. recurvus, A. reflexus, A. remotus, A. reventiformis, A. reventus, A. riparius, A. ripleyi, A. robbinsii, A. rusbyi, A. sabulonum, A. sabulosus, A. salmonis, A. saurinus, A. scaphoides, A. schmolliae, A. sclerocarpus, A. scopulorum, A. sepultipes, A. serenoi, A. sericoleucus, A. serpens, A. sesquiflorus, A. sheldonii, A. shevockii, A. shortianus, A. siliceus, A. simplicifolius, A. sinuatus, A. solitarius, A. sophoroides, A. soxmaniorum, A. spaldingii, A. sparsiflorus, A. spatulatus, A. speirocarpus, A. straturensis, A. striatiflorus, A. subcinereus, A. subvestitus, A. succumbens, A. tegetarioides, A. tener, A. tennesseensis, A. tephrodes, A. terminalis, A. tetrapterus, A. thurberi, A. tibetanus, A. tidestromii, A. tiehmii, A. titanophilus, A. toanus, A. toquimanus, A. tortipes, A. traskiae, A. tricarinatus, A. trichopodus, A. tridactylicus, A. troglodytus, A. tweedyi, A. tyghensis, A. umbellatus, A. umbraticus, A. uncialis, A. utahensis, A. vaccarum, A. vallaris, A. vexilliflexus, A. villosus, A. wardii, A. waterfallii, A. webberi, A. welshii, A. wetherillii, A. whitneyi, A. williamsii, A. wingatanus, A. wittmannii, A. woodruffii, A. wootonii, A. wrightii, A. xiphoides, A. yoderwilliamsii, A. zionis |
A. accidens, A. accumbens, A. ackermanii, A. acutirostris, A. adanus, A. aequalis, A. agnicidus, A. agrestis, A. albens, A. albulus, A. allochrous, A. alpinus, A. altus, A. alvordensis, A. amblytropis, A. americanus, A. amnis-amissi, A. amphioxys, A. ampullarioides, A. ampullarius, A. andersonii, A. anisus, A. anserinus, A. applegatei, A. aquilonius, A. aretioides, A. argophyllus, A. aridus, A. arizonicus, A. arrectus, A. arthurii, A. asclepiadoides, A. asotinensis, A. asymmetricus, A. atratus, A. atropubescens, A. atwoodii, A. austiniae, A. australis, A. barnebyi, A. barrii, A. beathii, A. beatleyae, A. beckwithii, A. bernardinus, A. bibullatus, A. bicristatus, A. bisulcatus, A. bodinii, A. bolanderi, A. bourgovii, A. brandegeei, A. brauntonii, A. brazoensis, A. breweri, A. californicus, A. callithrix, A. calycosus, A. camptopus, A. canadensis, A. caricinus, A. casei, A. castaneiformis, A. castetteri, A. ceramicus, A. cerussatus, A. chamaeleuce, A. chamaemeniscus, A. chinensis, A. chloödes, A. chuskanus, A. cibarius, A. cicer, A. cimae, A. claranus, A. clevelandii, A. cliffordii, A. cobrensis, A. coccineus, A. collinus, A. coltonii, A. columbianus, A. concordius, A. congdonii, A. conjunctus, A. consobrinus, A. contortuplicatus, A. convallarius, A. cottamii, A. crassicarpus, A. cremnophylax, A. cronquistii, A. crotalariae, A. curtipes, A. curvicarpus, A. cusickii, A. cutleri, A. cyaneus, A. cymboides, A. deanei, A. debequaeus, A. desereticus, A. desperatus, A. deterior, A. detritalis, A. diaphanus, A. didymocarpus, A. distortus, A. diversifolius, A. douglasii, A. drabelliformis, A. drummondii, A. duchesnensis, A. eastwoodiae, A. egglestonii, A. emoryanus, A. endopterus, A. ensiformis, A. episcopus, A. equisolensis, A. eremiticus, A. ertterae, A. eucosmus, A. eurekensis, A. eurylobus, A. falcatus, A. feensis, A. filipes, A. flavus, A. flexuosus, A. fucatus, A. funereus, A. gambelianus, A. geyeri, A. gibbsii, A. giganteus, A. gilensis, A. gilmanii, A. gilviflorus, A. glycyphyllos, A. gracilis, A. grayi, A. gypsodes, A. hallii, A. hamiltonii, A. harrisonii, A. heilii, A. henrimontanensis, A. holmgreniorum, A. hoodianus, A. hornii, A. howellii, A. humillimus, A. humistratus, A. hyalinus, A. hypoxylus, A. inflexus, A. insularis, A. inversus, A. inyoensis, A. iodanthus, A. iodopetalus, A. iselyi, A. jaegerianus, A. jejunus, A. johannis-howellii, A. kelseyae, A. kentrophyta, A. kerrii, A. knightii, A. laccoliticus, A. lancearius, A. laxmannii, A. layneae, A. leibergii, A. lemmonii, A. lentiformis, A. lentiginosus, A. leptaleus, A. leptocarpus, A. leucolobus, A. limnocharis, A. lindheimeri, A. linifolius, A. loanus, A. lonchocarpus, A. lotiflorus, A. lutosus, A. lyallii, A. macrodon, A. magdalenae, A. malacoides, A. malacus, A. megacarpus, A. michauxii, A. microcymbus, A. microcystis, A. microlobium, A. micromerius, A. miguelensis, A. minthorniae, A. misellus, A. missouriensis, A. moencoppensis, A. mohavensis, A. mollissimus, A. molybdenus, A. monoensis, A. montii, A. monumentalis, A. mulfordiae, A. multiflorus, A. musiniensis, A. naturitensis, A. neglectus, A. nelsonianus, A. neomexicanus, A. nevinii, A. newberryi, A. nidularius, A. nothoxys, A. nudisiliquus, A. nutans, A. nutriosensis, A. nuttallianus, A. nuttallii, A. nutzotinensis, A. nyensis, A. obcordatus, A. obscurus, A. oniciformis, A. oocalycis, A. oocarpus, A. oophorus, A. oreganus, A. osterhoutii, A. oxyphysus, A. pachypus, A. palmeri, A. panamintensis, A. pardalinus, A. parryi, A. pattersonii, A. pauperculus, A. paysonii, A. peckii, A. pectinatus, A. perianus, A. phoenix, A. pictiformis, A. pinonis, A. piscator, A. piutensis, A. plattensis, A. platytropis, A. polaris, A. pomonensis, A. porrectus, A. praelongus, A. preussii, A. proimanthus, A. proximus, A. pseudiodanthus, A. pterocarpus, A. pubentissimus, A. pulsiferae, A. puniceus, A. purshii, A. pycnostachyus, A. racemosus, A. rafaelensis, A. rattanii, A. ravenii, A. recurvus, A. reflexus, A. remotus, A. reventiformis, A. reventus, A. riparius, A. ripleyi, A. robbinsii, A. rusbyi, A. sabulonum, A. sabulosus, A. salmonis, A. saurinus, A. scaphoides, A. schmolliae, A. sclerocarpus, A. scopulorum, A. sepultipes, A. serenoi, A. sericoleucus, A. serpens, A. sesquiflorus, A. sheldonii, A. shevockii, A. shortianus, A. siliceus, A. simplicifolius, A. sinuatus, A. solitarius, A. sophoroides, A. soxmaniorum, A. spaldingii, A. sparsiflorus, A. spatulatus, A. speirocarpus, A. straturensis, A. striatiflorus, A. subcinereus, A. subvestitus, A. succumbens, A. tegetarioides, A. tener, A. tennesseensis, A. tephrodes, A. terminalis, A. tetrapterus, A. thurberi, A. tibetanus, A. tidestromii, A. tiehmii, A. titanophilus, A. toanus, A. toquimanus, A. tortipes, A. traskiae, A. tricarinatus, A. trichopodus, A. tridactylicus, A. troglodytus, A. tweedyi, A. tyghensis, A. umbellatus, A. umbraticus, A. uncialis, A. utahensis, A. vaccarum, A. vallaris, A. vexilliflexus, A. villosus, A. wardii, A. waterfallii, A. webberi, A. welshii, A. wetherillii, A. whitneyi, A. williamsii, A. wingatanus, A. wittmannii, A. woodruffii, A. wootonii, A. wrightii, A. xiphoides, A. yoderwilliamsii, A. zionis |
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| Wooton & Standley: Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 16: 136. (1913) |
Douglas in W. J. Hooker: Fl. Bor.-Amer. 1: 153. (1831) |
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BC, 
OR, 
WA
Flora NW, 
PNW Herbaria
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist (observations)
USDA Plants Database
