Astragalus racemosus var. racemosus
Astragalus racemosus var. treleasei
cream milkvetch
Trelease's alkali milkvetch, Trelease's milkvetch
(11–)17–31, blades 3–12 mm wide.
(9 or)11–19, blades 1.5–9(–12) mm wide.
16–19(–21) mm;
corolla whitish, concolorous, or keel tip lilac, wings and banner sometimes lightly suffused with purple or purple-veined.
12–16 mm;
corolla ochroleucous, keel tip maculate or immaculate.
linear-oblong to narrowly oblong-ellipsoid, (15–)20–30 × 3–5.7 mm.
plump, oblong-ellipsoid or -ovoid, 10–20 × (4–)5–8 mm.
= 24.
Astragalus racemosus var. racemosus
Astragalus racemosus var. treleasei
T. Nuttall (1818) noted the disagreeable garlic odor associated with selenium in his description of Astragalus galegoides Nuttall (an illegitimate name pertaining to A. racemosus). The species often grows intermixed with A. bisulcatus; both are poisonous to livestock, producing so-called alkali disease or the blind-staggers. Variety racemosus does not occur west of the Continental Divide.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
The disjunct western var. treleasei has two geographical races in Utah. Plants with the keel immaculate occur exclusively in the southern portion of the Uinta Basin. Elsewhere, keels are maculate.
Variety treleasei is primarily associated with the Tertiary Uinta and Duchesne River formations in Utah and on equivalent formations in Wyoming. It occurs in Moffat County in Colorado, Duchesne and Uintah counties in Utah, and Lincoln, Sublette, and Uinta counties in Wyoming.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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