Stems ascending, 10–50 cm. Leaves 1–7(–10) cm; sessile; leaflets 5–19, blades lin­ear to oblong, lanceolate, or elliptic, 3–27(–35) mm, apex acute to obtuse, surfaces glabrous, strigose, or villous. Peduncles (2–)6.5–15 cm. Racemes densely 6–40-flowered; axis 1.5–15 cm in fruit. Flowers 7–12.5 mm; calyx 4–7 mm, tube 3–4 mm, lobes 1.5–3 mm; corolla whitish to purplish. Legumes obliquely ellipsoid to narrowly oblong, seldom bladdery, 10–30 × 3–7(–9) mm, glabrous or sometimes strigose; stipe 2.5–8 mm. Seeds 8–16. 2n = 16.

Phenology: Flowering May–Aug.
Habitat: Gravel bars, stony shores, talus, ridge crests, meadows.
Elevation: 20–3700 m.

Distribution

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Alta., B.C., Man., N.W.T., Nunavut, Ont., Que., Sask., Yukon, Colo., Idaho, Mont., Nev., N.Mex., N.Dak., Oreg., S.Dak., Utah, Wyo.

Discussion

R. C. Barneby (1964) provided an extensive and detailed overview of the variation within this variety (as Astragalus aboriginorum) and the taxonomy that was applied in an attempt to adequately classify the variation. To the north, distinction from var. muriei is debatable, but to the south, leaves are almost uniformly sessile. Still, along the cordillera are a great many mor­phological variants, some possibly worthy of taxonomic recognition.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.