Rushy Milkvetch

Phaca macrodon H. & A. Bot. Beech. Voy. 333. 1838
Astragalus macrodon A. Gray, Proc. Am. Acad. 6: 216. 1864.
Tragacantha macrodon Kuntze. Rev. Gen. 943. 1891.
Astragalus holoscriceus M. E. Jones, Proc. Calif. Acad. II. S: 638. 1895.
Perennial, with a caudex; stems flexuose, 3-5 dm, high, villous throughout; leaves ascending, 1-1.5 dm. long, the rachis villous; leaflets 11-21, linear to elliptic, acute, 1-2 cm. long, villous on both sides; peduncles 5-10 cm. long, villous; bracts lanceolate, 2 mm. long; calyx 5-6 mm. long, villous, the lobes lance-subulate, equaling the tube; corolla yellowish, S-9 mm. long; banner obovate, rather strongly reflexed; wings nearly as long, the blade oblong, with a large basal auricle; keel-petals lunate, rounded at the apex; pod sessile, obliquely ovoid, 2-3 cm. long, villous-canescent.
Type locality: California (somewhere between Monterey and San Francisco]. Distribution: Monterey, San Luis Obispo, and Fresno counties, California.

Perennial, Herbs, Stems woody below, or from woody crown or caudex, Taproot present, Nodules present, Stems erect or ascending, Stems or branches arching, spreading or decumbent, Stems less than 1 m tall, Stems solid, Stems hollow, or spongy, Stems or young twigs sparsely to densely hairy, Leaves alternate, Leaves petiolate, Stipules conspicuous, Stipules membranous or chartaceous, Stipules persistent, Stipules free, Leaves simple, or appearing so, Leaves compound, Leaves odd pinnate, Leaf or leaflet margins entire, Leaflets opposite, Leaflets 1, Leaflets 2, Leaflets 3, Leaflets 4, Leaflets 5-9, Leaves hairy on one or both surfaces, Inflorescences racemes, Inflorescence axillary, Inflorescence secund, flowers mostly on one side, Bracts very small, absent or caducous, Flowers zygomorphic, Calyx 5-lobed, Calyx hairy, Petals separate, Corolla papilionaceous, Petals clawed, Petals white, Petals ochroleucous, cream colored, Petals orange or yellow, 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 stipitate, Fruit unilocular, Fruit freely dehiscent, Fruit oblong or ellipsoidal, Fruit or valves persistent on stem, Fruit exserted from calyx, Fruit beaked, Fruit glabrous or glabrate, Fruit 11-many seeded, Seeds cordiform, mit-shaped, notched at one end, Seed surface smooth, Seeds olive, brown, or black.