Astragalus

Tutin, T. G., Heywood, V. H., Burges, N. A., Moore, D. M., Valentine, D. H., Walters, S. M. & Webb, D. A., 1981, Flora Europaea. Volume 2. Rosaceae to Umbelliferae, Cambridge University Press : 116

Subgen. Astragalus (Subgen. Caprinus Bunge ). Perennials, usually densely hairy; hairs simple, usually flexuous or patent and pale brown when dry. Leaves imparipinnate; stipules usually free from each other, sometimes partly adnate to petiole. Flowers pedicellate, suberect. Calyx tubular, not inflated in fruit, the mouth not oblique. Legume semi-bilocular to bilocular.

This subgenus contains many species of narrow geographical range, differing from each other in a combination of minor , often overlapping characters. Most of them have here been aggregated into 3 groups. (45-47). A. dasyanthus group. Leaves 15-35 cm; leaflets 8-20 pairs, 10-30 x 5-12 mm, ovate-oblong to elliptic-lanceolate, sparsely to densely hairy beneath, sparsely hairy above; stipules 12-25 mm, lanceolate to ovate. Peduncles up to | as long as leaves. Calyx 12—15(—25) mm, the teeth about equalling tube. Corolla yellow; standard 17-30 mm, hairy. Legume 13-20x c. 8 mm, ovoid, trigonous, villous, semi-bilocular. 1 Caulescent; standard 17-21 mm 45. dasyanthus 1 Acaulescent with branched stock; standard more than 21 mm

2 Racemes with 4-10 flowers; pedicels 3-6 mm 46. pubiflorus 2 Racemes with 10-30 flowers; pedicels c. 2-5 mm 47. tanaiticus