Astragalus shortianus Nutt. ex Torr. & A. Gray

Xylophacos shortianus (Nutt.) Rydb.; Small, Fl. SE. U. S 1332. 1903.
Astragalus Shortianus Nutt.; T. & G. Fl. N. Am. 1: 331. 1838.
? Astragalus humilis Geyer, Lond. Jour. Bot. 6:211. 1847.
Astragalus cyaneus A. Gray, Proc. Acad. Phila. 1863: 60. 1863. Not A. cyaneus A. Gray. 1849.
Tragacanlha Shortiana Kuntze, Rev. Gen. 948. 1891.
A perennial, with a cespitose caudex; stems short, usually less than 1 dm. high, rarely 2 dm. high, silky-canescent; leaves crowded, 5-10 cm. long; stipules deltoid, scarious, pubescent, 5-6 mm. long; leaflets 7-17, obovate or oval, 8-20 mm. long, 4—8 mm. wide, silvery-silky on both sides, rounded at the apex, often acute at the base; peduncles 4—8 cm. long, strigose; racemes short and headlike; calyx silkyvillous with long white hairs, the tube 8 mm. long, the teeth subulate, 3-4 mm. long; corolla purple, about 18 mm. long; banner obovate, slightly arcuate; wings slightly shorter, the blade about equaling the claw, oblong, slightly arcuate; keel-petals similar, but the blade more arcuate, shorter, rounded at the apex; pod coriaceous, cross-reticulate, strigose, arcuate, obcompressed, sulcate on the lower suture, about 4 cm. long, 8 mm. wide, and 12 mm. thick.
Type locality: Rocky Mountains, towards the plains of the Oregon [probably in Wyoming]. Distribution: Nebraska, Wyoming, Colorado, and New Mexico.

Perennial, Herbs, Stems woody below, or from woody crown or caudex, Taproot present, Nodules present, Stems very short, acaulescent or subacaulescent, Stems less than 1 m tall, Stems solid, Stems or young twigs sparsely to densely hairy, Leaves alternate, Leaves petiolate, Stipules conspicuous, Stipules membranous or chartaceous, Stipules persistent, Stipules free, Leaves compound, Leaves odd pinnate, Leaf or leaflet margins entire, Leaflets opposite, Leaflets 5-9, Leaflets 10-many, Leaves hairy on one or both surfaces, Inflorescences racemes, Inflorescence axillary, Bracts very small, absent or caducous, Flowers zygomorphic, Calyx 5-lobed, Calyx hairy, Petals separate, Corolla papilionaceous, Petals clawed, Petals pinkish to rose, Petals blue, lavander to purple, or violet, Banner petal narrow or oblanceolate, Wing petals narrow, oblanceolate to oblong, Wing tips obtuse or rounded, Keel petals auriculate, spurred, or gibbous, Keel tips obtuse or rounded, not beaked, Stamens 9-10, Stamens diadelphous, 9 united, 1 free, Filaments glabrous, Style terete, Style persistent in fruit, Fruit a legume, Fruit unilocular, Fruit humistrate, lying on the ground, Fruit tardily or weakly dehiscent, Fruit oblong or ellipsoidal, Fruit rugose wrinkled or reticulate, Fruit fleshy, Fruit coriaceous or becoming woody, Fruit exserted from calyx, Fruit beaked, Fruit glabrous or glabrate, Fruit hairy, Fruit 11-many seeded, Seeds cordiform, mit-shaped, notched at one end, Seed surface smooth, Seeds olive, brown, or black.

Astragalus shortianus adalah spesies tumbuhan yang tergolong ke dalam famili Fabaceae. Spesies ini juga merupakan bagian dari ordo Fabales. Spesies Astragalus shortianus sendiri merupakan bagian dari genus Astragalus. Nama ilmiah dari spesies ini pertama kali diterbitkan oleh Torr. & A.Gray.

Astragalus shortianus là một loài thực vật có hoa trong họ Đậu. Loài này được Torr. & A.Gray miêu tả khoa học đầu tiên.