Astragalus nivalis

Astragalus nivalis Kar. & Kir. (syn: Astragalus nathaliae V.V. Meffert; Astragalus orthanthoides Boriss.; Astragalus orthanthus Freyn; Astragalus thomsonianus Benth. ex Bunge; Tragacantha nivalis (Kar. & Kir.) Kuntze);

Kazakhstan (Alma Ata, Chimkent, Dzhambul, Semipalatinsk), Tajikistan (Dushanbe),
Kyrgyzstan, China (Gansu, Qinghai, Xinjiang), W-Tibet, NE-Afghanistan, Jammu
& Kashmir (Ladakh, Zanskar), India (Himachal Pradesh) as per Catalogue of Life;

Common name: Snow Milk-Vetch

Fwd: Astragalus ?nivalis – new for efi : 1 post by 1 author. Attachments (4)

Here with 4 images of what are understood to be Astragalus nivalis according to a specialist in the genus. The images appear quite distinctive.

They were taken by the Late Krishan Lal on Sarchu plain (which is on the border between Himachal Pradesh and Ladakh on the Manali to Leh route.

This species is not included in ‘Flowers of the Himalaya’ nor its Supplement.

Stewart recorded it from Shyok Valley & Zanskar (which is not far from Sarchu) @ 3900-4900m.

Hartmann recorded it from a couple of locations in Ladakh incl. south of the Fotu La.

Flora of Lahaul-Spiti found it occasional @ Keylong.

Until I have the time to scrutinise the very large genus, I cannot confirm the identification.

When glancing at the first image, its habit and habitat reminded me of parts of the Pensi La on the border between Zanskar and the Suru valley, where a related milk-vetch had a similar habit: Oxytropis humifusa.

It can be difficult to distinguish between some species of Astragalus and some species of Oxytropis.