Plants densely tuft- or mound-forming, 0.5–4+ dm wide, acaulescent or subcaulescent, to 2 cm, silvery-pilose; from branched caudex, branches obscured by marcescent petioles and stipules. Stems obscured by stipules. Leaves palmately trifoliolate, 0.7–3 cm; stip­ules 6–10 mm, hyaline; leaflet blades spatulate to obovate, 2.5–10 mm, apex subacute to obtuse, surfaces silvery-pilose. Peduncles ± obsolete. Racemes 1–3-flowered, subcapitate; axis obsolete; bracts sometimes tridentate, 3–6 mm; bracteoles 0. Pedicels ± subobsolete. Flowers 12.5–17.5 mm; calyx 7.3–10.7 mm, silvery-villous, tube 5.8–7.5 mm, lobes linear to narrowly subulate, 1.5–3.7 mm; corolla whitish to ochroleucous, petals villous abaxially; banner differentiated into blade and claw, with shoulderlike projections at middle; keel 10–13 mm. Legumes straight or slightly decurved, narrowly ellipsoid, 7–10 × 2.5–3.5 mm, fleshy becoming leathery, densely strigose-hirsutulous. Seeds 8 or 9.

Distribution

w c United States.

Discussion

Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

Astragalus hyalinus var. glabratus, Astragalus hyalinus var. hyalinus

Key

1	Petals white, conspicuously villose adaxially; ovules 8 or 9.	Astragalus hyalinus var. hyalinus
1	Petals white tinged or lined with lavender, glabrous adaxially or with short tuft of hair proximally; ovules 6–8.	Astragalus hyalinus var. glabratus