Astragalus variabilis Maxim.

Plants 10-20 cm tall; hairs appressed to subappressed, ± medifixed, white, or in inflorescence also a few black, 0.3-0.5 mm. Stems several to many, branched at base, 6-15 cm, rather densely hairy. Leaves 2-4 cm; stipules ca. 2 mm, connate behind stem, sparsely hairy; petiole 1-1.5 cm; leaflets in 3(or 4) pairs, elliptic, 7-13 × 1.5-8 mm, abaxially rather densely hairy, adaxially subglabrous to sparsely hairy, sometimes densely hairy on both surfaces, apex rounded to widely retuse or emarginate. Racemes loosely to rather densely 5-20-flowered; peduncle 2-4 cm, rather densely hairy; bracts 0.5-1 mm, hairy. Calyx 3-5 mm, loosely to rather densely covered with white and sometimes also with a few black hairs; teeth subulate, 1-1.5 mm. Petals pale purplish to purple; standard elliptic, 9-11 × 4-5 mm, apex slightly emarginate to deeply incised; wings 8-8.5 mm, limbs distinctly incised; keel 6-7 mm. Legumes sessile, obliquely erect, slightly curved, slightly to distinctly torulose, 11-16 mm, 3-3.5 mm high and 1.5-2 mm wide, shortly acumi­nate, 2-locular; valves rather densely covered with appressed, symmetrically or asymmetrically bifurcate to partly subbasi­fixed, white hairs 0.3-0.5 mm, partly glabrescent with age.