Plants cespitose, cushion- or mat-forming, (0.5–)1–5 dm wide, acaulescent or subacau­lescent, 0–1.5 cm, silvery-strigose; from branched cau­dex, branches with thatch of marcescent peti­oles and stip­ules; taproot stout. Stems obscured by stipules. Leaves 1–4(–5) cm; stipules 4–8 mm, hyaline, glabrous abaxially; leaflet blades narrowly spatulate to narrowly lanceolate, 3–12 mm, apex acute, surfaces silvery-strigose. Peduncles erect, 0.7–2.2 cm. Racemes (1 or)2–4-flowered; axis 0.5–1.5 cm in fruit; bracts 1.8–3.5 mm; bracteoles 0. Pedicels 0.7–1.5 mm. Flowers (9.5–)10.5–16.7 mm; calyx deeply campanulate to subcylindric, (4.8–)5–7.1 mm, densely strigose to pilose, hairs white, tube 3.6–5.1 mm, lobes subulate to linear-subulate, (1.4–)1.9–5.1 mm; corolla usually pink-purple, rarely white, wing tips white or pale; banner recurved through 40°; keel 7.5–10.5 mm, apex acute-triangular, often somewhat beaklike. Legumes mostly enclosed in marcescent calyx, ascending, lanceoloid-ellipsoid, obscurely 3-sided compressed, 4.5–7.5 × 1.2–2.2 mm, thin becoming papery, densely silver-strigulose. Seeds 2.

Phenology: Flowering (late Apr–)May–Jun.
Habitat: Knolls, buttes, bar­ren hilltops.
Elevation: 900–1800 m.

Distribution

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Mont., S.Dak., Wyo.

Discussion

Astragalus barrii occurs in southeastern Montana, southwestern South Dakota, and northeastern Wyoming.

Astragalus barrii is in the Center for Plant Conservation’s National Collection of Endangered Plants.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.