Zion Milkvetch

Xylophacos zionis (M. E. Jones) Rydb. Bull. Torrey Club 40:48. 1913. Astragalus Zionis M. E. Jones, Proc. Calif. Acad. II. 5: 652. 1895.
A perennial, with a rootstock and short eaudex; stems ascending, 1-2 dm. high, strigosecanescent; leaves spreading, 1-1.5 dm. long; stipules deltoid, 3-4 mm. long, strigose; leaflets 11-17, ovate or rhombic-oval, 5-20 mm. long, strigose-canescent on both sides; peduncles S— 10 cm. long; bracts lanceolate, 5 mm. long, longer than the pedicels; calyx black-hairy, the tube 7 mm. long, the teeth subulate, about 1 mm. long; corolla 1.5 cm. long, pink-purple; banner obovate, strongly bent at the middle, the sides reflexed at the middle, with a white spot, purpleveined; wings linear-oblanceolate, obtuse; keel-petals shorter, strongly arcuate, acute at the apex; pod lanceolate in outline, arcuate, acute at each end, 2.5-3 cm. long, 7 mm. wide, somewhat obcompressed, mottled, cross-reticulate, short-pilose.
Type locality: Springdale, Utah. Distribution: Southwestern Utah.

Perennial, Herbs, Stems woody below, or from woody crown or caudex, Taproot present, Nodules present, Stems very short, acaulescent or subacaulescent, Stems prostrate, trailing, or mat forming, Stems less than 1 m tall, Stems solid, Stems or young twigs sparsely to densely hairy, Leaves alternate, Leaves petiolate, Stipules conspicuous, Stipules membranous or chartaceous, Stipules persistent, Stipules clasping stem at the base, 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, Flowers in axillary clusters or few-floweredracemes, 2-6 flowers, Inflorescences racemes, Inflorescence umbel-like or subumbellate, Inflorescence axillary, Bracts very small, absent or caducous, Flowers zygomorphic, Calyx 5-lobed, Calyx hairy, Petals separate, Corolla p apilionaceous, Petals clawed, 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 unilocular, Fruit humistrate, lying on the ground, Fruit freely dehiscent, Fruit oblong or ellipsoidal, Fruit or valves persistent on stem, Fruit fleshy, Fruit coriaceous or becoming woody, 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.

Astragalus zionis is a species of legume known by the common name Zion milkvetch. It is one of the earliest flowers to bloom in Zion canyon.

Its range extends from Zion National Park across southern Utah through Glen Canyon to San Juan County, Utah; at altitudes of 970 to 2200 meters.

Flowers are purple and the foliage is silvery. Pods are rather hairy, somewhat inflated, usually mottled and become nearly one inch long.

Zion Milkvetch bloom, leaves and seed pod, Zion Canyon, April 2016 Astragalus zionis