Astragalus

Meikle, R.D. 1977: Flora of Cyprus 1Podlech, D. & Zarre, S. 2013: A taxonomic revision of the genus Astragalus L. (Leguminosae) in the Old World
but modified
1Plants spinose; leaves paripinnate, the rhachis produced into a rigid spine; flowers in small axillary clusters
1'Plants unarmed; leaves imparipinnate
2Leaves all basal or sub-basal in tufts or rosettes; stems scarcely developed
2'Leaves not all basal or sub-basal; stems well developed
3Inflorescences long-pedunculate; leaflets silvery with adpressed hairs; pods narrowly cylindrical; petals pinkish or yellowish
3'Inflorescences sessile or indistinctly pedunculate; leaflets villose with long spreading hairs; pods oblong, somewhat inflated; petals greenish-yellow turning reddish with age
4Flowers conspicuous; standard 15-30 mm long
4'Flowers inconspicuous; standard less than 15 mm long
5Inflorescences subsessile or very shortly pedunculate; petals bright yellow; pods large, inflated, with a corky or spongy pericarp, 15-20 mm wide
5'Inflorescences distinctly pedunculate; petals creamy-white or purplish; pod without corky or spongy pericarp, 8-13 mm wide
6Pods narrowly oblong, dorsiventrally flattened with coarsely serrate margins
6'Pods not as above, margins not serrate
7Pods cordate-triangular, dorsiventrally compressed; flowers minute
7'Pods not cordate-triangular, nor dorsiventrally compressed
8Pods strongly hamate (sickle-shaped)
8'Pods straight or slightly curved
9Pods triangular in transverse section, not radiating stellately, stiffly chartaceous, somewhat inflated
9'Pods not triangular in transverse section, generally radiating stellately from a central point of attachement
10Pods shortly adpressed-strigose
10'Pods hirsute with at least some spreading hairs
11Leaves sessile; stem with ascending hairs; indumentum with white hairs only (rarely blackish hairs on the calyx teeth)
11'Leaves with 0.5-1.5 cm long petioles; stem mostly with patent, rarely subadpressed hairs; indumentum with whitish and blackish hairs