[Sickle Milk-vetch: Astragalus curvicarpus] - [Milkvetches: The Genus Astragalus East of the Cascade Mountains of Oregon and Washington]

Glabrous Sickle Milkvetch, Sickle Milk-vetch

Astragalus curvicarpus var. subglaber

Synonym: Astragalus subglaber

Flower of Glabrous Sickle Milkvetch, Sickle Milk-vetch: Astragalus curvicarpus var. subglaber (Synonym: Astragalus subglaber)

The photo above shows a close-up of the flower of sickle milk-vetch (var. subglaber) as seen along Oregon Highway 206 at the Mountain Viewpoint several miles to the east of the John Day River...........May 28, 2007.
Fruit of Glabrous Sickle Milkvetch, Sickle Milk-vetch: Astragalus curvicarpus var. subglaber (Synonym: Astragalus subglaber)The photo at right shows the glabrous pod of sickle milkvetch (Astragalus curvicarpus var. subglaber) as seen on the steep grade of Oregon Highway 206 to the west of the John Day River...........May 20, 2000.
Varieties of Sickle Milk-vetch:

variety brachycodon - Ovary and mature pod glabrous. Calyx 6-8.5 mm long. Banner 13.5-15.5 mm long. Keel 9.5-11.5 mm long. leaflets pubescent on the upper surfaces. Found on the upper reaches of the Deschutes River from about 20 miles NE of Madras, OR south into Jefferson, Crook and Deschutes Counties.

variety curvicarpus - Ovary and mature pod pubescent. Banner 16-20 mm long. Keel 12-15 mm long. Upper surface of leaflets pubescent (See photo below.). Found from the southwestern edge of the Blue Mts. of Oregon south to Klamath Falls, OR and east across Lake County to Malheur and Harney Counties and east into the Snake River Plains of southern Idaho and south to California and Nevada.

variety subglaber - Ovary and mature pod glabrous. Calyx 9-13.5 mm long. Banner 13.9-19.5 mm long. Keel 11.5-14.5 mm long. Leaflets nearly glabrous. Found near the lower reaches of the Deschutes and John Day Rivers of Grant and Wasco Counties south to northern Jefferson County.

Leaf of Glabrous Sickle Milkvetch, Sickle Milk-vetch: Astragalus curvicarpus var. subglaber (Synonym: Astragalus subglaber)
Leaf of sickle milk-vetch (var. subglaber) as seen along Oregon Highway 218 to the east of Clarno, OR........4/30/2000.

Inflorescence of Glabrous Sickle Milkvetch, Sickle Milk-vetch: Astragalus curvicarpus var. subglaber (Synonym: Astragalus subglaber)

The photo above shows a close-up of the inflorescence of sickle milk-vetch (var. subglaber) as seen along Oregon Highway 206 at the Mountain Viewpoint several miles to the east of the John Day River...........May 28, 2007.

Inflorescence of Glabrous Sickle Milkvetch, Sickle Milk-vetch: Astragalus curvicarpus var. subglaber (Synonym: Astragalus subglaber) - Glabrous Sickle Milkvetch, Sickle Milk-vetch: Astragalus curvicarpus var. subglaber (Synonym: Astragalus subglaber) - Inflorescence of Glabrous Sickle Milkvetch, Sickle Milk-vetch: Astragalus curvicarpus var. subglaber (Synonym: Astragalus subglaber)

Leaf of Glabrous Sickle Milkvetch, Sickle Milk-vetch: Astragalus curvicarpus var. subglaber (Synonym: Astragalus subglaber)

Glabrous sickle milkvetch as seen along the Pinnacles Trail on the west bank of the John Day River about 2 miles north of the Cottonwood Canyon State Park campground..........April 6, 2015.

Glabrous Sickle Milkvetch, Sickle Milk-vetch: Astragalus curvicarpus var. subglaber (Synonym: Astragalus subglaber) - Inflorescence of Glabrous Sickle Milkvetch, Sickle Milk-vetch: Astragalus curvicarpus var. subglaber (Synonym: Astragalus subglaber)

Glabrous Sickle Milkvetch, Sickle Milk-vetch: Astragalus curvicarpus var. subglaber (Synonym: Astragalus subglaber)

Glabrous sickle milkvetch as seen along the Hard Stone Trail on the west bank of the John Day River about 2 miles south of the Cottonwood Canyon State Park campground..........May 3, 2017.

Flower of Glabrous Sickle Milkvetch, Sickle Milk-vetch: Astragalus curvicarpus var. subglaber (Synonym: Astragalus subglaber) - Leaves of Glabrous Sickle Milkvetch, Sickle Milk-vetch: Astragalus curvicarpus var. subglaber (Synonym: Astragalus subglaber)

Curved fruits ofGlabrous Sickle Milkvetch, Sickle Milk-vetch: Astragalus curvicarpus var. subglaber (Synonym: Astragalus subglaber) - Glabrous Sickle Milkvetch, Sickle Milk-vetch: Astragalus curvicarpus var. subglaber (Synonym: Astragalus subglaber)

Glabrous Sickle Milkvetch, Sickle Milk-vetch: Astragalus curvicarpus var. subglaber (Synonym: Astragalus subglaber) - Glabrous Sickle Milkvetch, Sickle Milk-vetch: Astragalus curvicarpus var. subglaber (Synonym: Astragalus subglaber)

Glabrous sickle milkvetch as observed on balds along the South Prong Trail #821, Black Canyon Wilderness......June 16, 2019.

Flower of Glabrous Sickle Milkvetch, Sickle Milk-vetch: Astragalus curvicarpus var. subglaber (Synonym: Astragalus subglaber)

The photo above shows a close-up of the flower of sickle milk-vetch (var. subglaber) as seen on the steep grade of Oregon Highway 206 to the west of the John Day River...........April 30, 2000.

Inflorescence of Glabrous Sickle Milkvetch, Sickle Milk-vetch: Astragalus curvicarpus var. subglaber (Synonym: Astragalus subglaber)

The photo above shows the tight inflorescence of sickle milk-vetch (variety subglaber) as seen as seen on the steep grade of Oregon Highway 206 to the west of the John Day River...........April 23, 2000. Note that the flowers are strongly deflexed downwards.
Paul Slichter