Blue/Purple Milkvetch (12)

The Astragalus genus is very large and individual species are identified by their seed pod rather than their flower or leaves. Common names include Milkvetch and Locoweed. Flowers are in clusters and have five petals, a banner, wings and keel. The lower petal, the keel, of the Milkvetch is rounded while the Locoweed is pointed. All of them have leaves divided into leaflets. These are a few of the many that have bluish/lavender/purplish flowers. See Pink Milkvetch and White Milkvetch for more. The identification is not 100% certain on all and I have included one as yet unidentified (UFO).

	Field Milkvetch Astragalus agrestis Family: Pea (Fabaceae) AKA: Purple Milkvetch, Purple Loco Picture taken on: June 9, 2004 Location: Almont, CO Life Zones: Foothills and montane Habitat: Moist meadows, woodlands, openings Grows to 12" in clumps with soft, green leaves. Flowers grow in a tight cluster at the top of the stem and have short, black hairs on the calyx.
	Alpine Milkvetch Astragalus alpinus Family: Pea (Fabacea) AKA: Picture taken on: June 16, 2007 Location: Copper Creek Trail, GV, CO Life Zones: Montane to alpine Habitat: Moist, shady meadows Grows to 10" in patches of many plants. Leaves arch from the base. Flowers are white to purple.
	Freckled Milkvetch Astragalus lentiginosus Family: Pea (Fabaceae) AKA: Speckled Milkvetch Picture taken on: April 26, 2010 Location: White Rock, NM Life Zones: Foothills Habitat: Roadsides, openings Grows to 16" in a sprawling mass of reddish stems, hairless, greyish-green leaves and pink-purple flowers. It is a very variable species. The experts have identified 35-38 varieties. These are two.
	Picture taken on: April 26, 2014 Location: Abiquiui, NM Seed pods are plump, smooth and grooved and not always freckled.
	Slimpod Milkvetch Astragalus leptocarpus Family: Pea (Fabaceae) AKA: Rare Loco Milkvetch, Bodkin Milkvetch Picture taken on: August 8, 2019 Location: Russell Lakes State Wildlife Area, SLV, CO Life Zones: Plains to foothills Habitat: Meadows, open woodlands Grows weakly upright to about 12" high with stems up 10" long. Leaves have few hairs and are divided into 15 pointed or slightly notched lance-shaped leaflets (7mm long). Purple and white flowers are tiny, no more than 3/8" wide and high, and grow in a round cluster of 7 to 12 flowers on erect stems above the leaves. The calyx is white/green with black hairs and pointed teeth. Pod is slender and about ¼" long.
	I am not 100% sure about this identification and went back and forth between this and Astragalus nuttallianus var. nuttallianus. Based on my research and this description from the NYBG which closer described these plants, I decided on this ID. Both plants are native to Texas, not Colorado, but this extensive patch was growing in a moist area near a car park used by horse trailers from Texas. The plants were quite robust and had as many as 15 flowers in the flower head, many more than any variety of A. nuttallianus.
	Missouri Milkvetch Astragalus missouriensis Family: Pea (Fabaceae) AKA: Purple Milkvetch Picture taken on: April 28, 2010 Location: White Rock, NM Life Zones: Plains to foothills Habitat: Dry openings in pinyon- juniper and sagebrush Grows sprawling to 5". Leaflets are silvery-green and oval, arching or laying on the ground. Flowers are up to 1" long and are purple with a white splash. Seedpods are 1" long, slightly hairy and slightly curved.
	Leadville Milkvetch Astragalus molybdenus Family: Pea (Fabaceae) AKA: Picture taken on: July 2, 2010 Location: Cottonwood Pass Rd, CO Life Zones: Subalpine and alpine Habitat: Forest floor Low growing. Tiny lavender flowers have white stripes on the banner. Hairy, small, grayish-green leaves have folded leaflets.
	Many-flowered Milkvetch Astragalus multiflorus (A. tenellus) Family: Pea (Fabaceae) AKA: Picture taken on: June 10, 2006 Location: Jack's Cabin Cutoff, GV, CO Life Zones: Foothills to montane Habitat: Openings, roadsides, woodlands Growing to 1 foot high with bright green, narrow, oblong leaflets and many small purple flowers. The seed pods are small and flat with black sepals.
	Identified from SWColoradoWildflowers. I am unclear whether this is the same species as Loose-flower Milkvetch also named A. tenellus which I identified from Northern Prairie Research Center.
	Small-flowered Milkvetch Astragalus nuttallianus var. austrinus Family: Pea (Fabaceae) AKA: Turkeypeas Picture taken on: April 29, 2010 Location: White Rock Canyon, NM Life Zones: Foothills Habitat: Dry areas, openings Grows to 1 foot high but can be sprawling. It has a few tiny purple and white flowers at the top of the reddish stem. Leaflets are green with hairs on the upper edges. Seed pods are red.
	Turkeypeas Astragalus nuttallianus var. micranthiformis Family: Pea (Fabaceae) AKA: Picture taken on: May 7, 2014 Location: Plaza Blanca, Abiquiu, NM Life Zones: Plains and foothills Habitat: Sandy openings Grows from 1" to several inches in a mat or erect. Leaves are on long stems and have 7-15 leaflets. Tiny flowers have purple banners with a white center. Seed pods are red and slightly curved.
	Bodin's Milkvetch Astragalus bodinii Family: Pea (Fabaceae) AKA: Picture taken on: July 2, 2010 Location: Cottonwood Pass Rd, CO Life Zones: Montane and subalpine Habitat: Moist meadows, forest floors, roadsides Growing just below timberline at the roadside. Low growing forming a mat with spreading reddish stems. Leaves are light green, slightly hairy with 13-15 leaflets. Tiny lavender flowers have white stripes on the banner but are bigger than A. molybdenus which was growing in the same area.
	Torrey's Milkvetch Astragalus calycosus Family: Pea (Fabaceae) AKA: Picture taken on: May 6, 2017 Location: Chaco Culture NHP, NM Life Zones: Foothills and montane Habitat: Open, rocky areas Not strictly from the Southern Rocky Mountains, it is found more to the west. A low growing plant, up to 5" high, forming a round mat. Leaves are silvery and hairy. Flowers are about ½" long and have purple banners and white wings.
	Fisher Towers Milkvetch Astragalus piscator Family: Pea (Fabaceae) AKA: Picture taken on: May 10, 2010 Location: Little Wildhorse Canyon, UT Life Zones: Foothills Habitat: Dry, sandy, rocky areas Grows to three inches high with 5 to 11 pairs of small, hairy leaflets. Flower banner is pale lilac striped, the wings purple. Seed pods are curved and purple speckled. Identified from Colorado Rare Plant Guide.

Blue/Purple Long Clusters | Blue/Purple Round Clusters | Pink Round Clusters