Flora of North America species comparison

erect or ascending, sparsely strigulose.

(3–)4–12 cm;

stipules connate and scarious-papery at proximal nodes, distinct and herbaceous at distal nodes, 1.5–5 mm;

leaflets (17–)21–29, blades flat or loosely folded, oblong-oblanceolate or elliptic, 3–13 mm, apex obtuse to subacute, surfaces sparsely strigulose abaxially, glabrate or glabrous adaxially.

(5–)10–30-flowered;

axis (1.5–)3–19 cm in fruit;

bracts 1–2 mm;

bracteoles 2.

(2–)4–11 cm.

0.6–1.5 mm.

5.8–8 mm;

calyx marcescent, 3.4–4.3 mm, strigulose, hairs black and/or white, tube 2.1–2.7 mm, lobes subulate, 1–2 mm;

corolla whitish or, sometimes, greenish ochroleucous, immaculate;

banner abruptly incurved through 90°;

keel 4.2–5.6 mm.

stramineous, straight or slightly incurved or decurved, linear-oblong or linear-oblanceolate, 3-sided compressed, 15–30 × (2.5–)3–4 mm, bilocular, papery, glabrous;

valves inflexed as complete septum 1.4–1.9 mm wide;

stipe 1.5–2.5 mm.

12–16.

.

(1983) regarded the widespread Astragalus wootonii as intergradient with A. allochrous, and the two are sympatric over much of the range of the latter.

placed A. wootonii into A. allochrous as var. playanus.

proposal has merit but merely moves the resolution of the problem of distinction to another level.; the plants contain swainsonine and are potentially poisonous to livestock (L.

.

and S.

.

1992).