86 
TRIPHYLLI 2. 
Densely exspitose and acaulescent plants with large crowns 
and digitate silvery leaves. Flowers elongated and narrow 
2-3 em. long, white. Peduneles none, with flowers sessile 
among the stipules which are large, hyaline and smooth above 
and long-hairy below. Pods about ovate, hoary, very small 
and inelosed in calyx. Much nearer related to the Ocreati than 
the Sericoleuci. 
Flowers smooth. 24 triphyllus 
Flowers hairy. 25 hyalinus 
24. Astragalus triphyllus Pursh Fl. 740 (1814), Phaca caespitosa 
and argophylla Nutt. A. gilviflorus Sheldon. Orophaca caespitosa 
(Nutt) Britton. Leaflets 3-5, oblanceolate, 1-2 em. long, acutish, often 
folded, jointed to the variable petiole, densely pubescent with warty 
straight, slender hairs fixed near the base. Flowers with banner 
oblanceolate to obovate and with a long and narrow claw, a little 
arched at tip ina gentle arc, sides much reflexed, about 9 mm. longer 
than keel. Wings linear to narrowly oblanceolaterounded and obtuse, 
straight, about 3 mm. wide, as wide as keel and 2-7 mm. longer. 
Keel blade broadly linear, straight, about 7 mm. long, purple-tipped, 
but little wider at tip where the lower side is arched in semicircle and 
with the upper corner very obtuse and not produced, general outline 
nearly linear-cuneate. Calyx tube cylindric, often a little inflated, 
1-1.5 cm. long, straight, laterally flattened, with acute and oblique 
base, not 5 mm. wide. appressed-shaggy with white hairs, the teeth 
triangular and about 3 mm. long. Pods 5-7 mm. long, acute, cross 
section nearly round, the ventral suture a trifle arched, little if at all 
sulcate. Ventral suture raised and decidedly thickened. On the 
Plains from Nebraska and northern Colorado to the base of the Rockies 
and northward to the Saskatchewan, apparently not on the Pacific 
Slope. Blooms early in May. 
25. Astragalus hyalinus Jones Cont, 7 648 (1895). Stems loosely 
matted, usually erect 2.5-6 cm. high at the ends of the much branched 
tap root. Stipules very conspicuous, large and much imbricated, at 
least 2 cm. long, smooth except at base. Leaflets narrowly elliptical 
to oblanceolate, about 1 cm. long and 4 mm. wide, 3, densely silvery- 
silky with hairs attached near the middle  Petiole variable. Flowers 
and pods similar to the above but flowers hairy all over. On the 
Plains with A. triphyllus and may be an abnormal form. 
