Prostrate stems up to 8 inches long (20 cm) more or less radiate from the center of the plant forming low clumps 4–12 inches tall (10–30 cm). Silvery-white, flat-lying hairs cover the stems and the compound leaves. Short, loose clusters of magenta to purple, pea-like flowers grow on leafless, 6 inch long (15.2 cm) stalks. Note the tubular pods are hairy with a pointed tip. Addictive alkaloids in the foliage cause deadly “locoweed poisoning” in livestock.

FLOWER: March–July. Clusters of 3–15 flowers bloom on erect flower stalks about the same length as the leaves. The pinkish-red, tubular flowers have a 3/8–1 inch long (15–28 mm) upper banner petal with a white center, 2 purplish to white wings on the sides that curve inward, and 2 purplish fused keel petals in the middle; 5 hairy, purple-tinged sepals have 5 narrow teeth. Pods oblong, 1/2–1-inch long (14–27 mm), straight or slightly curved. The dry pods remain on the stem after releasing the seeds.

LEAVES: Alternate, pinnately compound, 1 1/5–5 1/2 inches long (4-14 cm). The 5–21 paired leaflets spaced along the midrib are elliptic to oblong, 1/8–1/2-inch long (3–13 mm); surfaces densely hairy.

HABITAT: Sandy, rocky soils of roadsides, disturbed areas, prairies, sagebrush flats, scrub lands, pinyon-juniper and ponderosa-oak woodlands. Elevation 4,650–8,200 feet (1420–2500 m).

ELEVATION: 4,650–8,000 feet.

RANGE: AZ, CO, MT, ND, NE, NM, OK, SD, TX, UT, WY.

SIMILAR SPECIES: Missouri Milkvetch has 5 named varieties in NM (Allred, 2020) with flowers varying from 4 to 15 mm long. Some are widespread, others limited to 1–2 counties. With more than 75 species, Astragalus is the largest genus in NM, many with similar pea-like flowers. The different pod characteristics distinguish them. The look-alike, Crescent Milkvetch, A. amphioxys, has crescent-shaped pods, pointed at both ends, 3/4–2-inches long (2–5 cm).

NM COUNTIES: Statewide except De Baca, Hidalgo, Luna counties in mid-elevation, dry habitats.