Single Record

Species: Astragalus allochrous var. playanus [Astragalus wootonii var. wootonii]

PhotoRecords: YES Scotty F. Smith: Conejos Co, 5 km west of Mogote, 2 June 2025

Comments: For vouchers of Astragalus allochrous var. playanus there is only one location in the Watershed: from near Las Mesitas in Conejos Co (about 1 mile W of Antonito) two voucher specimens, 21 June 1987, . These fit the variety playanus, with whitish petals. Recently a plant has been photorecorded close to this location, 5 km west of Mogote (Conejos Co, 2 June 2025—see iNaturalist observation #286527898).These observations would represent the northernmost occurrence of Wooton's milkvetch, a desert Southwest USA plant found mainly in New Mexico and Arizona. It follows the Rio Grande drainage through New Mexico down to the Big Bend country of Texas. Note that the plant is toxic to livestock. Also note that currently (June 2025), POWO names this taxon Astragalus wootonii var. wootonii. POWO distinguishes the taxon from Astragalus allochrous—A. wootonii having symmetrical pods, A. allochrous asymmetrical pods. Allred et al. (2020) and FNA (2024) note that the pod shape of the two taxa intergrade. They recognize only one genus, A. allochrous, with varieties, among them A. allochrous var. playanus and A. allochrous var. wootonii.