Astragalus filicaulis Fischer & Meyer ex Karelin & Kirilow in Bull. Soc.Nat.Moscou. 15:336. 1842. Fischer & Meyer ex Karelin in Bull.Soc. Nat.Moscou 12:152.1838, nomem nudum; Ledebour, Fl.Ross. 1:637. 1843; Boissier, Fl.Or. 2:227.1872; Gontscharov & Popov in Komarov, Fl. U.R.S.S. 12 :307.1946; Ali in Kew Bull. 1958:305.1958; in Biologia 7:26. 1961.
Annual herb, erect, c. 5-40 cm tall, branches, sparsely pubescent, hairs appressed. Leaf imparipinnately compound, c. 3-8 cm long, petiole and rachis sparsely pubescent, leaflets 13-15, c. 8-10 mm long, oblong, oval-oblong or linear, entire, subobtuse or rarely retuse, sparsely pubescent on both sides, hairs appressed; stipules c. 2-4 mm long, pubescent. Inflorescence a 6-20-flowered pedunculate head, peduncle slightly shorter or slightly longer than the leaves, sparsely pubescent. Bracts c. 1-1.5 mm long. Calyx c. 3-4 mm long, hirsute with appressed white and black hairs, teeth c. 1.5-2.0 mm long. Corolla pale-violet. Vexillum c. 6-8 mm long. Wing c. 5-6 mm long. Keel 4-5 mm long. Fruit c. 7-10 mm long, c. 2-3 mm broad, carinate ventrally, grooved dorsally, pubescent, few-seeded.
Fl.Per.: March-April.
Syntypes: ‘North Turcomania, Karelin (LE); Mt. Arganaty, Songaria, June 1841, Karelin & Kirilow 262 (LE).
Distribution: Pakistan (Baluchistan, N.W.F. Province); Persia, Afghanistan, Russia, (Aralo-Caspia, Balkash,Syr Darya foothills,Tien Shan, Pamir Alai, Mountain Turkemania, Kyzil Kum).
A very valuable forage plant in Russia, suitable for production of spring hay and for improvement of spring pastures (Gontscharov & Popov l.c.).
