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.