familyFabaceae
subfamilyFabaceae subfam. Faboideae
genusAstragalus
sectionAstragalus sect. Inflati
speciesAstragalus pubentissimus
Astragalus pubentissimus var. pubentissimus
Endemic
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 11.
Stems ascending to erect. Corollas bright pink-purple, fading blue-purple. Legumes 5–8(–9) mm wide.
Phenology: Flowering May–Jul.
Habitat: Pinyon-juniper, sagebrush, and mixed desert shrub communities.
Elevation: 1500–2200 m.
Distribution
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Colo., Utah, Wyo.
Discussion
When precipitation arrives propitiously and abundantly, var. pubentissimus responds in such abundance as to appear similar to an alfalfa patch in openings in pinyon-juniper woodland, or it successfully pioneers areas that have been cleared by mechanical chaining. The plants contain swainsonine (L. F. James and S. L. Welsh 1992) and have been implicated in poisoning of sheep in the Uinta Basin in Utah.
Selected References
None.
Lower Taxa
None.