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Astragalus aretioides

Astragalus aretioides (M.E. Jones) Barneby

Cushion Milkvetch

Fabaceae (Pea family)

Synonym(s): Astragalus sericoleucus var. aretioides, Orophaca aretioides

USDA Symbol: ASAR3

USDA Native Status: L48 (N)

"Technically similar to A. sericoleucus, but pulvinate, the very short stems of the year and the young foliage elevated on repeatedly and closely forking, columnar caudex-branches to form mounded cushions 1-3 dm. in diameter, the herbage commonly more densely silky, satiny-lustrous when young, the longest hairs scarcely over 2 mm. long; stems of the year almost 0 or up to 1.5 cm. long, the internodes mostly concealed by dorsally glabrous (or subglabrous)." (bibref: 1814).

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Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Herb
Leaf Arrangement: Alternate
Fruit Type: Legume
Size Notes: "Mounded cushions 1-3 dm. in diameter." (bibref: 1814).
Leaf: "Ciliate stipules; leaves crowded, 1-2 cm. long, the leaflets 3-6 mm. long." (bibref: 1814).
Flower: "Peduncles ascending, 7-15 mm. long; racemes 2-flowered; calyx 3.3-4.2 mm. long, the tube 2.1-2.3 mm., the teeth 1.2-2 mm. long; petals brilliant pink- or magenta-purple to blue- or reddish- violet, rarely white; banner (5.8) 6.6-8 mm. long, 4-5.3 mm. wide; wings (5.7) 6-6.8 mm. long, the claws 1.7-2.1 mm., the blades 4.3-5.1 mm. long, 1.4-2.1 mm. wide; keel 4.1-4.5 mm. long, the claws 1.8-2.2 mm., the blades 2.5-2.9 mm. long, 1.4-1.7 mm. wide; anthers 0.3-0.4 mm. long." (bibref: 1814).
Fruit: "Pod about 4-4.5 mm, long." (bibref: 1814).

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: White , Red , Pink , Blue , Purple , Violet
Bloom Time: Jun , Jul , Aug
Bloom Notes: "Petals brilliant pink- or magenta-purple to blue- or reddish- violet, rarely white." (bibref: 1814).

Distribution

USA: CO , MT , UT , WY
Native Distribution: "Locally plentiful along the east foothills of the Rocky Mountains in Wyoming, especially along the Wind and Big Horn Rivers, extending north along the latter stream just into Big Horn County, Montana, and south to Bitter Creek in the Red Desert (west of the Continental Divide); also in scattered stations eastward to the North Platte in Carbon County and to Sand Creek in Albany County." (bibref: 1814).
Native Habitat: "Barren clay bluffs and eroded banks, on sandstone or limestone, 4000-5800 feet." (bibref: 1814).

Bibliography

Bibref 1814 - Atlas of North American Astragalus Volume 2 (1964) Barneby, Rupert C.

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Additional resources

USDA: Find Astragalus aretioides in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Astragalus aretioides in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Astragalus aretioides

Metadata

Record Modified: 2020-12-07
Research By: Joseph A. Marcus

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