Astragalus beckwithii var. weiserensis Torr. & A. Gray M.E. Jones
Weiser milk-vetch (Weiser's milkvetch)
Fabaceae (Pea family)

Introduction to Vascular Plants

Photograph

© Reg Newman     (Photo ID #12164)


Map

E-Flora BC Static Map

Distribution of Astragalus beckwithii var. weiserensis
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Species Information

General:
Fleshy perennial herb from a taproot and short-forking stem-base; stems several, tufted to mat-forming, decumbent to ascending, 20-40 cm long/tall, few-branched, glabrous.
Leaves:
Alternate, pinnately compound, 5-15 cm long, stalked; leaflets 11 to 25, elliptic to egg-shaped, rounded or notched at the tip, glabrous or the margins with a few appressed, unbranched hairs, 10-20 mm long; stipules narrowly egg-shaped, 2-7 mm long, not joined.
Flowers:
Inflorescence a loose, axillary raceme of 5-15 spreading, pea-like flowers, the racemes 1-6 cm long, their stalks 3-14 cm long and shorter than the leaves; corollas creamy-white to yellow, 1.5-2 cm long, the banner and wings about equal in length and longer than the rounded keel; calyces glabrous or sparsely blackish-hairy, 7-14 mm long, the awl-shaped teeth equal to the bell-shaped tube.
Fruits:
Pods, ellipsoid, curved, 1.5-3 cm long, erect on stout stalks 1-5 mm long, somewhat inflated, glabrous, sometimes purplish-mottled, rather fleshy becoming leathery, 1-chambered.

SourceThe Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Illustration

If more than one illustration is available for a species (e.g., separate illustrations were provided for two subspecies) then links to the separate images will be provided below. Note that individual subspecies or varietal illustrations are not always available.

Habitat and Range

Mesic to dry grassy slopes, bluffs, river terraces and sagebrush flats in the steppe zone; locally frequent in SC BC; S to ID, UT, NV and NC WA.

SourceThe Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Synonyms

Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Astragalus weiserensis (M.E. Jones) Abrams