斋桑棘豆 zhai sang ji dou

Astragalus argentatus Pallas, Sp. Astragal. 60. 1800; Oxy­tropis argyraea Candolle; O. argyrophylla Ledebour; O. recog­nita Bunge.

Herbs, 10-15(-20) cm tall, acaulescent, from a multi­headed long-branched caudex. Caudex clothed with persistent petioles and sericeous trichomes. Stipules ovate, membranous, with sparse white trichomes, basal half adnate to petiole and connate. Leaves 3-12(-15) cm, (9-)19-25(-31)-foliolate; peti­ole and rachis with appressed trichomes; leaflet blades oblong to ovate-lanceolate, 5-10(-15) × 2-5 mm, with appressed white trichomes. Racemes lax, many flowered; peduncle as long as to longer than leaves, erect, with appressed to spreading white tri­chomes; bracts lanceolate, almost as long as calyx tube, with white and black trichomes. Calyx broadly cylindric, 8-10(-12) mm, with appressed black and spreading white trichomes; lobes lanceolate to subulate, 1/3-1/2 as long as tube. Corolla white or yellow, sometimes purplish violet; standard 1.7-2 cm, lamina obovate, apex emarginate; wings 1.3-1.6 cm; keel shorter than wings, beak 1-1.5 mm. Legume sessile, ovoid-oblong, 1.7-2.5 × 0.4-0.7 cm, adaxial suture deeply grooved, beak 5-7 mm. Fl. May-Jul, fr. May-Aug.

Shrublands, gravelly slopes. Xinjiang [Russia (Siberia)].