Flora of North America species comparison

decumbent to incurved-ascending or almost prostrate, strigulose.

(2–)4–10(12) cm;

stipules usually distinct, very rarely connate at proximal nodes, (1.5–)2.5–7(–10) mm, submembranous becoming papery;

leaflets (7–)11–19[–23], blades narrowly oblanceolate, linear-oblong, or oblong-obovate, 5–20 mm, apex retuse-truncate or obtuse, often callous-apiculate, surfaces strigulose abaxially, strigulose or glabrous adaxially.

[2 or](3–)5–10(–15)-flowered, flowers ascending to spreading or declined;

axis (0.5–)1–4(–5) cm in fruit;

bracts 1–3.2 mm;

bracteoles 2.

incurved-ascending, (0.5–)1.5–5.5(–7) cm.

1–3.5 mm.

4.6–7.5 mm;

calyx campanulate or turbinate-campanulate, 4.3–6.4 mm, strigulose or villosulous, tube 2.1–2.9(–3.2) mm, lobes lanceolate-subulate, 2–3.5 mm;

corolla whitish, sometimes tinged pink or lavender, or pale to vivid reddish lilac;

banner recurved through 50°;

keel (4.1–)4.4–6.4 mm, apex usually broad and blunt, rarely triangular and subacute, sometimes obscurely beaklike.

spreading or declined (usually humistrate), green or purplish-tinged, rarely lightly mottled, becoming stramineous, straight or slightly incurved, broadly and subsymmetrically, or somewhat obliquely, ovoid, ovoid-ellipsoid, ellipsoid, or subglobose, bladdery-inflated, (10–)15–37(–43) × (8–)12–20 mm, beak short and obscure, not well differentiated from body, thin becoming papery, lustrous, sparsely strigulose, hairs straight, [subvillosulous, or glabrate].

(10–)13–21.

.

(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).

= 22.