PUBESCENCE. 
The pubescence of Astragalus is almost always present as straight, 
short and appressed hairs, round in cross section, and tapering to 
tip. That on the. calyx is normally longer and looser than on the 
leaves. The banner is rarely a little hairy at tip. 
Astragalus inflexus, Utahensis, funereus and coccineus and forms 
of Purshii have very delicate kinked hairs variously matted. The 
Mollissimi usually have matted hairs on the pods, but those on the 
leaves though very dense are rarely matted. 
Among the Argophylli the pubescence is mostly dense and straight. 
In A. amphioxys the hairs are flat, echinate, tapering toward both 
ends and fixed at or near the middle. This is also true of Al calyco- 
sus, the Uliginosi, nitidus. Very rarely do the hairs have a pustu- 
late base. 
In A. lentiginosus the pubescence is very variable. One variety 
has flat and very short broad hairs closely appressed and fixed by the 
base. Other varieties have the pubescence almost woolly as in Fre- 
monti, nigricalycis, etc. A. macrodon has much the same pubescence. 
The same is true in the hot climate Inflati along the Coast of 
California, some species have woolly pubescence, others silvery but 
not woolly. 
No species have lepidote or stellate hairs. There is a complete 
transition in the hairs from normal to pick-shaped. About the only 
valuable character distinguishing A. Shortianus from A. amphioxys 
is the pubescence which in the former is of slender hairs fixed by the 
base, and in the other flat hairs fixed by the middle and wide and echi- 
nate, but fhis varies in the species from a flat hair with a mere knob on 
one side at the base to one fixed by the middle. 
There is very little special development of hair as root pro- 
tection except in A. triphyllus, sericoleucus, simplicifolius, Gilensis, 
and in these there is more dores of stipules. 
