Astragalus missouriensis var. mimetes
Astragalus missouriensis var. humistratus
horn loco milkvetch, mimic milkvetch
archuleta milkvetch, Missouri milkvetch
to 15 cm.
10–15(–20) cm.
(3–)5–15-flowered.
9–12-flowered.
calyx 5–5.8 mm, tube 4.1–4.8 mm, lobes 0.7–1.1 mm;
corolla bright pink-purple or violet-red, wings darker, banner with pale center;
banner 9.5–11.8 mm;
keel 8.9–10.6 mm.
calyx 7.8–10 mm, tube 6–10 mm, lobes 1.5–3 mm;
corolla lavender, purple, or almost white, wing tips often white;
banner (17–)19–20.5 mm.
ascending, initially subterete or ± dorsiventrally compressed, incurved, subsymmetrically oblong-ellipsoid, somewhat laterally compressed and obtuse-angled when mature, 14–24 × 5–7.5(–9) mm, subunilocular, base obtuse or, sometimes, cuneate, apex abruptly contracted into subulate, pungent beak, sutures prominent, strigulose.
ascending to descending, dorsiventrally compressed, lunately incurved, oblong-ellipsoid, (12–)17–20 × 6–9 mm, unilocular, apex obcompressed proximal to incurved beak, glabrous or sparsely strigulose.
36–46.
33–40.
Astragalus missouriensis var. mimetes
Astragalus missouriensis var. humistratus
Variety mimetes occurs in the Rio Grande Valley in Valencia and Socorro counties, New Mexico, and in northeastern Arizona. In its small flowers and fruits, it resembles Astragalus accumbens, with which it has been confused.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Variety humistratus is locally distributed in Archuleta, Hinsdale, and La Plata counties, Colorado, and adjacent Rio Arriba County, New Mexico. It is anomalous in its strongly caulescent but mat-forming habit, and the slightly or plainly connate stipules. R. C. Barneby (1964) suggested a hybrid origin between Astragalus missouriensis and A. humistratus.
Variety humistratus is in the Center for Plant Conservation’s National Collection of Endangered Plants.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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