Astragalus sempervirens, Lam.

75. A. sempervirens Lam. View in CoL , Encycl. Méth. Bot. 1: 320 (1783).

Sometimes caespitose, spiny; stems 5^40 cm, woody at base, procumbent or ascending. Leaves 2-7 cm, paripinnate, the rhachis ending in a spine; leaflets 4-10 pairs, linear-oblanceolate; stipules adnate to petiole for c. j their length. Peduncles short; racemes with (3—)4—8 flowers; bracts ovate- to linear-lanceolate, acuminate; bracteoles absent. Calyx 7-15 mm, villous, slightly inflated in fruit, the teeth as long as tube. Corolla white to purple, rarely yellow; standard longer than wings. Legume ovoid, densely hairy. Mountains of S. Europe, extending northwards to C. Switzerland. Ga Gr He Hs It.

1 Standard c. li times as long as calyx 2 Not caespitose; standard16-20mm (a) subsp. sempervirens 2 Caespitose; standard 10-12 mm (b) subsp.cephalonicus 1 Standard equalling calyx 3 Corolla pale purplish or yellow; bracts with weak lateral veins

(c) subsp. muticus 3 Corollapurple; bractswithout lateral veins

(d) subsp. nevadensis