Astragalus Miser, Timber Milkvetch

Astragalus miser is widespread in the mountains of Utah, Colorado and states to the north, covering a wide range of habitats and elevations, resulting in variable characteristics; there are eight varieties.

Plants produce several stems, angled upwards or curving down, and sparsely covered by short, appressed hairs, simple or branched. Leaves are pinnately divided into a terminal leaflet and up to ten pairs of lateral leaflets, hairy at least underneath. At the base are a pair of thin stipules, fused to form a sheath. Leaflets are up to 1.3 inches long.

Flowers are arranged in a terminal spike of up to 20; they have relatively short (up to 0.2 inches), broad calyces, covered by short black (or white) hairs, and corollas about twice as long, colored white to purple, often with yellow or bluish tints. Even for white-flowered specimens, the keel always has a deep purple tip. The calyx teeth are a little shorter than the calyx tube. Fruits are short-stalked, oblong pods, up to 1 inch long, sparsely hairy to glabrous.