Semi-desert. Woodlands, shrublands, openings. Spring.
Above: Lower Cross Canyon, Utah, April 9, 2021; April 10 and May 2, 2016.
Left: Upper Butler Wash, Utah, April 21, 2015.

Astragalus eastwoodiae, a Colorado Plateau endemic, grows in neat rounded mounds to eight inches tall. It is found in a limited altitudinal range from about 4,000' to 6,000', usually on selendiferous fine-textured soils.

Fabaceae expert, Stanley Welsh, observes that this Astragalus "is closely allied to A. preussii". The two species differ as follows:

Stems of A. eastwoodiae are "decumbent to ascending, forming small bushy clumps" from 8-20 cm tall; stems of A. preussii are erect and incurved-ascending from 12-50 cm tall. 

Leaflets of A. eastwoodiae are generally smaller (1-15 mm long) than those of A. preussii (6-28 mm long).

Pods of A. eastwoodiae are spreading-descending; their peduncles are weakly ascending or reclining. Pods of A. preussii are erect or ascending; their peduncles are erect.

Both are similar in flower color, with the calyx suffused dark purple and similar in color to the petals.

Astragalus eastwoodiae was named and described by Marcus Jones in 1894 from a specimen he collected in Grand County, Utah in 1891. Alice Eastwood was an eminent Colorado and California botanist in the late 19th and 20th centuries. (Click for more biographical information about Eastwood.)

Astragalus eastwoodiae. Synonym: Astragalus preussii var. eastwoodiae. (Eastwood's Milkvetch.)
Fabaceae (Pea Family)

Semi-desert. Woodlands, shrublands, openings. Spring.
Lower Cross Canyon, Utah, April 10, 2016 and
Upper Butler Wash, Utah, April 21, 2015.

As indicated above, foliage, pods, and corolla are glabrous (smooth, not hairy). The calyx has very short, sharp, appressed hairs.

Leaves are a light green, 3-13 cm long, with 13-25 leaflets 1-15 mm long.

Astragalus eastwoodiae. Synonym: Astragalus preussii var. eastwoodiae. (Eastwood's Milkvetch.)
Fabaceae (Pea Family)  

Semi-desert. Woodlands, shrublands, openings. Spring.
Lower Cross Canyon, Utah, April 10, 2016 and April 17, 2020.

Pods are evenly inflated, spread to declined, thin-textured, and have a stipe (stem) 1.5 to 4.5 mm long (most evident in pods on the ground in the top photograph at left and in the photograph above).

Semi-desert, foothills. Woodlands, openings. Spring.
Near the Four Corners, Utah, April 17, 2010.

Astragalus newberryi has silvery soft hairs covering its leaves and large, showy flowers.  Often numerous clusters of the plant occur near each other making a lovely display in its typical sandy location.

Astragalus newberryi was named by Asa Gray in 1876 from a specimen collected by Sereno Watson in Nevada in 1871.

Semi-desert, foothills. Woodlands, openings. Spring.
Near the Four Corners, Utah, April 17, 2010.

Semi-desert, foothills. Woodlands, openings. Spring.
Near the Four Corners, Utah, April 17, 2010.

Range map © John Kartesz,
Floristic Synthesis of North America

State Color Key

Species present in state and native
Species present in state and exotic
Species not present in state

County Color Key

Species present and not rare
Species present and rare
Species extirpated (historic)
Species extinct
Species noxious
Species exotic and present
Native species, but adventive in state
Questionable presence

Range map for Astragalus eastwoodiae

Range map for Astragalus newberryi