Scarlet Milkvetch

Xylophacos coccineus (Parry) A. Heller, Muhlenbergia 2:217. 1906.
Astragalus grandiftorus S. Wats. Proc. Am. Acad. 11: 370. 1882. Not A. grandiflorus L. 1753. Astragalus Purshii coccineus Parry, West Am. Sci. 7: 10. 1890. Astragalus coccineus Brand. Zoe 2: 72. 1891.
A cespitose perennial, with a deep root and woody caudex; stems short and thick, less than 1 dm. long, densely covered with leaf-bases and stipules; leaves ascending, 5-10 cm. long, the rachis shaggy-villous with white hairs; stipules lanceolate, 5-10 mm. long; leaflets 7-15, obovate or oval, 5-15 mm. long, usually rounded or obtuse at the apex, densely white-silkyvillous; peduncles 3-7 cm. long, shaggy-villous ; bracts deltoid to lance-linear, 3-5 mm. long; calyx villous, tinged with red, the tube 12-15 mm. long, 3.5-5 mm. broad, the teeth subulate, about 5 mm. long; corolla crimson, 3.5-4 cm. long; banner oblanceolate, slightly arcuate; wings slightly shorter, the blade linear, with a rounded auricle; keel-petals slightly longer than the wings, about equaling the banner, the blade oblong, scarcely at all falcate, merely rounded on the upper edge at the base, without a distinct auricle; pod 3-3.5 cm. long, densely woolly, 1 cm. broad, only slightly arcuate, slightly sulcate on both sutures towards the base.
Type locality: Inyo Range, California.
Distribution: Mountains from San Diego to Inyo counties, California.

Perennial, Herbs, Stems woody below, or from woody crown or caudex, Taproot p resent, Nodules present, Stems very short, acaulescent or subacaulescent, Stems erect or ascending, Stems less than 1 m tall, Stems solid, Stems or young twigs sparsely to densely hairy, Stems silvery, canescent, tomentose, cobwebby, or wooly, 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, Inflorescences globose heads, capitate or subcapitate, Inflorescence axillary, Bracts very small, absent or caducous, Flowers zygomorphic, Calyx 5-lobed, Calyx glabrous, Petals separate, Corolla papilionaceous, Petals clawed, Petals red, 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 fleshy, Fruit coriaceous or becoming woody, Fruit exserted from calyx, Fruit beaked, Fruit hairy, Fruit 11-many seeded, Seeds cordiform, mit-shaped, notched at one end, Seed surface smooth, Seeds olive, brown, or black.

Astragalus coccineus is a species of milkvetch known by the common name scarlet locoweed or scarlet milkvetch. It is native to the deserts, scrub, and chaparral of the Southwestern United States in Arizona, California, and Nevada, and in northwestern Mexico.