Fabaceae

Astragalus speirocarpus

Medick Milkvetch

Spreading from root with many branches, coated with gray, stiff, straight, sharp hairs pressed to surface. Leaves 2–3 in. long, divided into 9–17 linear to oblong leaflets with indented or rounded tips. Flower stems shorter than leaves, flowers on upper stem spreading outward and upward, petals cream to lavender or tinted bluish. Seedpods spirally coiled, pointed at both top and stout tip. Grows in dry plains, sagebrush deserts.

• Rarity: Uncommon
• Flowering Time: Early Spring
• Life Cycle: Perennial
• Height: 8--12 inches
• Habitat: Shrub-Steppe
• Found In:
• Native: Yes