Copper Mine Milkvetch

Atelophragma cobrense (A. Gray) Rydb. Bull. Torrey Club 55: 162. 1928.
Astragalus cobrensis A. Gray, PI. Wright. 2: 43. 1853. Tragacantha cobrensis Kuntze, Rev. Gen. 944. 1891.
A cespitose perennial; stems several, decumbent at the base, 1-2 dm. high, sparingly strigose; leaves spreading, 2-4 cm. long, the rachis strigose; stipules ovate, 3 mm. long, at least the lower connate; leaflets 11-18, obovate, cuneate at the base, usually retuse at the apex, 3-8 mm. long, 1.5-4 mm. wide, glabrous above, pilose beneath ; peduncles 2-5 cm. long; racemes 1-3 cm. long; bracts lanceolate, 2 mm. long; pedicels about 2 mm. long; calyx strigose with mixed white and black hairs, the tube 1.5 mm. long, 1 mm. wide, the teeth nearly 1.5 mm. long, subulate; corolla purplish, 7 mm. long; banner obovate, strongly arched at the middle, retuse at the apex; wings much shorter, the blade oblanceolate, falcate; keel-petals still shorter, the blade obliquely obovate; pod grayish-strigose* almost sessile, the body elliptic, 12-15 mm. long, about 6 mm. wide and 4 mm. high, slightly sulcate on the lower suture, the septum fully 1 mm. wide.
Type locality: Santa Rita del Cobre, New Mexico. Distribution: Mountains of southwestern New Mexico.

Perennial, Herbs, Stems woody below, or from woody crown or caudex, Plants with rhizomes or suckers, Nodules present, Stems or branches arching, spreading or decumbent, Stems prostrate, trailing, or mat forming, Stems less than 1 m tall, Stems solid, Stems or young twigs glabrous or sparsely glabrate, Stems or young twigs sparsely to densely hairy, Stem hairs hispid to villous, Leaves alternate, Leaves petiolate, Stipules conspicuous, Stipules membranous or chartaceous, Stipules persistent, Stipules connate to each other, forming a tuber or sheath, Leaves compound, Leaves odd pinnate, Leaf or leaflet margins entire, Leaflets opposite, Leaflets 10-many, Leaves hairy on one or both surfaces, Inflores cences racemes, Inflorescence axillary, Bracts very small, absent or caducous, Flowers zygomorphic, Calyx 5-lobed, Calyx glabrous, Petals separate, Corolla papilionaceous, Petals clawed, Petals white, Petals ochroleucous, cream colored, Petals blue, lavander to purple, or violet, Banner petal narrow or oblanceolate, Wing petals narrow, oblanceolate to oblong, Wing tips obtuse or rounded, Keel petals auriculate, spurred, or gibbous, Keel tips obtuse or rounded, not beaked, Stamens 9-10, Stamens diadelphous, 9 united, 1 free, Filaments glabrous, Style terete, Style persistent in fruit, Fruit a legume, Fruit freely dehiscent, Fruit oblong or ellipsoidal, Fruit exserted from calyx, Fruit beaked, Fruit glabrous or glabrate, Fruit hairy, Fruit 11-many seeded, Seeds cordiform, mit-shaped, notched at one end, Seed surface smooth, Seeds olive, brown, or black.