Astragalus phanothrix Bornm., Magyar Bot. Lapok

Bagheri, Ali, Maassoumi, Ali Asghar & Blattner, Frank R., 2025, Taxonomic reassessment of Astragalus phanothrix (Fabaceae): insights from morphological and molecular data, Phytotaxa 689 (2), pp. 253-261 : 257-258

Astragalus phanothrix Bornm., Magyar Bot. Lapok 14: 52. 1915.

Type: Turkey: Transcaucasica, prov. Kars, distr. Kaghyzman, inter Riul-oghlu et Todan, 2.6.191 3, G. Woronow 12827, holotype: B!, isotype: JE!.

Description: Plants caespitose, perennial, densely covered with subappressed to spreading white hairs. Rootstock branched. Stems short, prostrate, branched, often with secondary non-flowering branches, densely covered with a mix of long, soft white hairs and more flexible, patent-sericeous hairs, creating a woolly indumentum. Stipules connate, broadly triangular, adnate to the petiole at the base, with white hairs, contributing to the plant’s silvery-gray appearance. Leaves cauline, subsessile, 1.5 cm long, and 1 cm wide, pinnately compound, with 5–6 pairs of leaflets; leaflets ovate-oblong, acute to subacute, densely covered on the underside with subappressed white hairs and sparsely hairy or glabrous on the upper side. Peduncles longer than the leaves, 3–6 cm, densely covered with patent white hairs. Inflorescences compact, capitate racemes, 1.5–2.5 cm long, containing multiple flowers. Calyx campanulate, 6–7 mm long, pale-colored, densely covered with white hairs mixed with black hairs; teeth subulate, almost equal to or slightly shorter than the tube, black-hairy at the base. Petals violet or pale purple. Standard glabrous, 11–12 mm long, oblonglinear, obtuse, and slightly recurved. Wings slightly shorter than the standard, 9 mm long, narrowly oblong, obtuse, and distinctly shorter than the keel. Keel petals obovate, ca. 9 mm long, with a curved lower edge. Legumes small, ovate, shortly mucronate at the apex, 5–6 mm long, compressed, and covered with ascending fine hairs; the dorsal side distinctly grooved.