Astragalus ornithorrhynchus Popov

Plants 10-18 cm tall, subacaulescent. Stems up to 2 cm, very densely covered with subappressed to ascending or some­times nearly spreading, ± medifixed, white hairs up to 2 mm. Leaves 5-10 cm; stipules 5-7 mm, nearly free from petiole and from each other, rather densely hairy; petiole 2-3 cm, like rachis loosely to rather densely covered with nearly spreading, symmetrically to strongly asymmetrically bifurcate hairs up to 1.5 mm; leaflets in 5-7 pairs, 5-12 × 2-3.5 mm, both surfaces loosely to rather densely covered with ascending to spreading white hairs up to 2.5 mm. Racemes short, 2-12-flowered; pe­duncle 4-11 cm, loosely to rather densely white hairy; bracts 3-8 mm, predominantly black hairy. Calyx tubular, 13-17 mm, densely covered on ventral side with ± spreading, mostly asym­metrically bifurcate, predominantly white hairs up to 2 mm, on dorsal side with ± appressed, shorter, black hairs 0.5-1 mm; teeth 2-3 mm. Petals purple; standard ovate, ca. 25 × 10 mm, with a short claw, apex emarginate; wings 22-23 mm, limbs bi­lobate; keel 20-21 mm. Legumes sessile, linear, terete, slightly curved, 20-50 mm, 2.5-3 mm in diam., with a straight beak 5-10 mm; valves rather densely covered with strongly asymmetri­cally bifurcate, spreading, white hairs up to 2 mm and with some very short, ± appressed, ± medifixed, white hairs.