Astragalus crotalariae (Benth.) A. Gray

Phaca crotalariae Benth. PI. Hartw. 307. 1848
Astragalus Crotalariae A. Gray, Proc. Am. Acad. 6: 216. 1864. Tragacantha Crotalariae Knntze. Rev. Gen. 243. 1891. Astragalus limatus Sheldon. Minn. Bot. Stud. 1: 126. 1894. Astragalus Preussii limatus Jepson, Man. Fl. PI. Calif. 566. 1925.
Perennial, with a taproot, but evidently blooming the first year; stems several, 3-6 dm. high, strongly sulcate, pubescent, at least when young, with ascending hairs; leaves 10-15 cm. long, ascending; stipules ovate-deltoid, reflexed, free, 5-6 mm. long; leaflets 11-19, roundedobovate, rounded or retuse at the apex, 1-3.5 cm. long, pubescent beneath with ascending hairs; peduncles 1-1.5 dm. long, ascending; racemes 6-10 cm. long; bracts ovate or ovate-lanceolate, 3 mm. long; pedicels 2 mm. long; calyx strigose, the tube cylindric, about 7 mm. long, the teeth lanceolate, 2 mm. long; corolla purple, about 2 cm. long; banner obovate, retuse, slightly arched; wings shorter, the blade oblong, slightly falcate, longer than the claw, with a large basal auricle; keel-petals similar but broader and more arched; pod short-stipitate, strigulose and crossveined, the stipe 2 mm. long, obconic, the body rounded-ellipsoid or ovoid, 2.5-3 cm. long, 15-18 mm. wide and thick; seeds obliquely reniform, 4 mm. long, 2.5 mm. broad, brown.
Type locality: Monterey, California (that of .4. limatus: Indian Wells, Colorado Desert, California).
Distribution: Southern California and northern Lower California.