Sandstone Milkvetch

Batidophaca sesquiflora (S. Wats.) Rydberg
Astragalus sesquiflorus S. Wats. Proc. Am. Acad. 10: 346. 1875. Tragacantha sesquiflora Kuntze, Rev. Gen. 948. 1891. Phaca sesquiflora Rydb. Bull. Torrey Club 40: 48. 1913.
A densely tufced perennial, with a deep taproot, and multicipital caudex; stems numerous, 3-10 cm. long, ashy-canescent ; leaves ascending, 2-5 cm. strigose, brownish, 2-5 mm. long; leaflets 7-11, narrowly oblaneeolate or nearly linear, 3-8 mm. long, acute at each end, stngosecanescent; peduncles 1-3 cm. long, slender; lacemes 1-4; bracts subulate, 2 mm. long, longer than the pedicels; calyx strigose, the tube tuibinate, 3 mm. long, the teeth subulate, unequal in length, the lowest fully as long as the tube, the upper shorter, all arcuate; corolla purple, 6-8 mm. long; banner broadly obovate, strongly arched; wings shorter, strongly arcuate, the blades oblaneeolate, obtuse, with a large auiicle; keel-petals shorter, the blade lunate, long-acute; pod semi-obovate, strongly arcuate, broader towards the apex, 1 cm. long, 3 mm. wide, strigose and mottled, abruptly cuspidate, the lower suture sulcate two thirds its length, but acute towards the apex, the cross-section broadly cordate.
Type locality: Southern Utah.
Distribution: Southern Utah and northern Arizona.

Perennial, Herbs, Stems woody below, or from woody crown or caudex, Taproot present, Nodules present, Stems prostrate, trailing, or mat forming, Stems less than 1 m tall, Stems solid, Stems or young twigs sparsely to densely hairy, Stem hairs hispid to villous, Stems silvery, canescent, tomentose, cobwebby, or wooly, Stems with 2-branched hairs, dolabriform, Leaves alternate, Leaves petiolate, Stipules conspicuous, Stipules membranous or chartaceous, Stipules persistent, Stipules connate to each other, forming a tuber or sheath, 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, Flowers in axillary clusters or few-floweredracemes, 2-6 flowers, Inflorescences racemes, Inflorescence axillary, Bracts very small, absent or caducous, Flowers zygomorphic, Calyx 5-lobed, Calyx glabrous, Petals separate, Corolla papilionaceous, Petals clawed, 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 tardily or weakly dehiscent, Fruit oblong or ellipsoidal, Fruit exserted from calyx, Fruit inflated or turgid, Fruit beaked, Fruit glabrous or glabrate, Fruit hairy, Fruit 3-10 seeded, Seeds c ordiform, mit-shaped, notched at one end, Seed surface smooth, Seeds olive, brown, or black.