ASTRAGALUS BARRII 

 BARR'S MILKVETCH 



Barr's Milkvetch is a perennial that grows in low, dense mats. Leaves have 3 narrowly lance-shaped leaflets and are 1-4 

 cm long, densely covered with short white hairs. Stipules at the leaf bases are membranous. Purple or pinkish-purple 

 flowers that are shaped like pea flowers are borne in a narrow, open, few-flowered inflorescence. The petals are 7-17 

 mm long. The calyx is 3-5 mm long and densely covered with long, white hairs. The sparsely white, hairy pod is 

 narrowly elliptical, 4-8 mm long, and 1-2 mm in diameter. 



Flowering in May-early June, fruiting late May-June. 



The only other mat-forming species with 3-leaflets in the range of A. BARRII in Montana are A. GILVIFLORUS and A. 

 HYALINUS. Both have white flowers and a longer calyx tube (6-16 mm) than A. BARRII calyx tube length (2.8-5 

 mm). They also have peduncles which are short (<3.5 mm) or absent compared to A. BARRII peduncle length (7-24 

 mm). 



