Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in the north-central region of Washington; Alaska to northeastern Oregon and northeastern Nevada, east to the Rocky Mountains; circumboreal.
Habitat: Open slopes and rocky areas from upper montane to alpine.
Flowers: June-August
Origin: Native
Growth Duration: Perennial
Conservation Status: Not of concern
Pollination: Bumblebees, bees, butterflies
Silky but greenish perennial with widespread rhizomes, the stems slender, ascending to erect, 5-20 cm. long.
Leaves alternate, pinnate, 5-20 cm. long; stipules 1-3 mm. long, deltoid, mostly fused; leaflets 13-23, ovate to oblong-elliptic, 5-15 mm. long; peduncles equaling or exceeding the leaves.
Racemes closely 10- to 30-flowered, elongate, lax; pedicles about 1 mm. long; flowers 7-12 mm long, pale lilac to purplish, the keel darkest in color, equalling the banner and exceeding the wings; calyx black-hairy, 3-4.5 mm. long, the teeth half the length of the tube.
Pod pendulous, with a stipe about equal to the calyx teeth, the body black-hairy, narrowly ellipsoid, 8-12 mm. long, cordate-triangular in cross-section, the lower suture intruded to form a nearly complete partition.
Publication: Sp. Pl. 2: 760. 1753.
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var. alpinus – alpine milk-vetch
Occurring east of the Cascades crest in the north-central region of Washington; Alaska to northeastern Oregon and northeastern Nevada, east to the Rocky Mountains; circumboreal.
PNW Herbaria: Specimen records of Astragalus alpinus in the Consortium of Pacific Northwest Herbaria database.
WA Flora Checklist: Astragalus alpinus checklist entry.
OregonFlora: Astragalus alpinus information.
E-Flora BC: Astragalus alpinus atlas page.
CalPhotos: Astragalus alpinus photos.
USDA Plants: Astragalus alpinus information.
