Astragalus mollissimus Torr.

Astragalus mollissimus Torr. Ann. Lye. N. Y. 2: 17S. 1827
Phaca villosa James. Trans. Am. Phil. Soc. II 2: 186. 1825. Not P. vilosa Nutt. 1818. Tragacantha molUssima Kuntze. Rev. Gen. 946. 1891. Astragalus simulans Cockerell, Torreya 2: 154. 1902.
A cespitose perennial, much branched at the base; stems decumbent, usually less than 1 dm. long; leaves ascending, 1-2 dm. long; stipules herbaceous, lance-deltoid, about 5 mm. long; leaflets 21—31, oval or obovate, acutish, obtuse or rounded at the apex, 1—2.5 cm. long, densely silky with long, loosely appressed, yellowish or brownish hairs; peduncles 1-3 cm. long, stout; racemes dense, 5-10 cm. long; bracts subulate, about 5 mm. long; calyx densely silky, the tube 7-10 mm. long, the teeth subulate, 3-4 mm. long; corolla purple, 1 S— 20 mm. long; banner narrowly obovate, moderately arcuate, with the margins reflexed; wings shorter, the blade linear-oblong, falcate, with a large basal auricle; keel-petals 12-15 mm. long, the blade lunate, obtuse, with a large basal auricle; pod glabrous, lance-oblong, acuminate, 15-20 mm. long, 5 mm. thick and 3 mm. wide, decidedly arcuate, slightly sulcate on both sutures.
Type locality: On the Platte [Nebraska or Colorado]. Distribution: Nebraska and Wvoming to Texas and New Mexico.