[Milkvetches: The Genus Astragalus East of the Cascade Mountains of Oregon and Washington]

Bent Milkvetch, Hairy Milk-vetch

Astragalus inflexus

Bent Milkvetch, Bent Milk-vetch, Hairy Milk-vetch: Astragalus inflexus

Hairy milk-vetch along the Columbia River near Crow Butte State Park, WA..........April 28, 2006.
Bent Milkvetch, Bent Milk-vetch, Hairy Milk-vetch: Astragalus inflexus The photo at right shows a close-up of the banner of hairy milk-vetch along the Columbia River near Crow Butte State Park, WA..........April 28, 2006.
Characteristics:

Hairy milk-vetch is a fairly attractive perennial wildflower with freely branched stems ascending or widely spreading from 10-40 cm long from a woody base. The stems and leaves are densely covered with grayish or white, long, tangled hairs throughout. The pinnately compound leaves bear from 15-29 elliptic-lanceolate, oblong or obovate leaflets which are rounded or tapered to a point at the tip. Individual leaflets measure from 8-14 mm long.

The flower stems are as long as or longer than the upper leaves and capped by a short, compact raceme of 6-19 flowers subtended by awl-shaped bracts. The racemes measure 1-3 cm long in bloom and from 6-8 cm long in fruit. The cylindrical calyx is 11-15 mm long, fairly densely haired (See photo at right.) with narrow teeth from 3-7 mm long. The purple corolla is 18-22 mm long with a white blotch on the banner with purplish veins. The narrow wings are slightly longer than the keel but shorter than the banner. The banner is also hairy on the back (barely visible on the photo at right.). The spreading, densely woolly pods measure from 15-30 mm long and are abruptly curved or arched above the middle.

Similar Species:

Hairy Milk-vetch: Astragalus inflexus - Foliage densely whitish pubescent. Ascending stems from 10-40 cm long. Purplish corolla 18-22 mm long. Found from both shores of the Columbia River to the east of Rock Creek and north into central Washington and east to western Montana.

Newberry's Milk-vetch: Astragalus newberryi - Foliage densely silvery pubescent or with satiny, appressed hairs. Leaflets broadly obovate. Whitish, yellowish, or commonly pink or purplish corolla 20-25 mm long. In our area, found from Crook County in central Oregon south to southeastern Oregon, Nevada and California.

Pursh's Milk-vetch: Astragalus purshii - Foliage densely whitish pubescent. Depressed stems from 0-10 cm long. Purplish corolla 25-30 mm long. Found across much of central and eastern Washington and Oregon.

Habitat:

Hairy milk-vetch is found among sagebrush in the basin valleys and hillsides.

Range:

Hairy milk-vetch is found from central Washington south to northern Oregon and east to western Montana.

Bent Milkvetch, Bent Milk-vetch, Hairy Milk-vetch: Astragalus inflexus

Hairy milk-vetch along the Columbia River near Crow Butte State Park, WA...........April 28, 2006.

Woolly fruit of Bent Milkvetch, Bent Milk-vetch, Hairy Milk-vetch: Astragalus inflexus

The photo above shows the distinctly arched, hairy pod of Astragalus inflexus along the Columbia River near Crow Butte State Park, WA...........May 1, 1998.

Bent Milkvetch, Bent Milk-vetch, Hairy Milk-vetch: Astragalus inflexus

Hairy milk-vetch along the Columbia River near Crow Butte State Park, WA..........April 28, 2006. The similar woolly milk-vetch (Astragalus purshii) would generally be much more compact or smaller in size.

Close-up of a stem leaf of Bent Milkvetch, Bent Milk-vetch, Hairy Milk-vetch: Astragalus inflexus

A stem leaf of hairy milk-vetch.

Bent Milkvetch, Bent Milk-vetch, Hairy Milk-vetch: Astragalus inflexus - Upper stem leaves and inflorescence of Bent Milkvetch, Bent Milk-vetch, Hairy Milk-vetch: Astragalus inflexus

Hairy milkvetch both in bloom and with its hairy pods present as seen on steep slopes along Joseph Creek Road, Chief Joseph Wildlife Area, extreme southeastern Oregon..........May 24, 2010.
Paul Slichter