Astragalus loanus is a rare species of flowering plant in the legume family

Fabaceae

The Fabaceae or Leguminosae, commonly known as the legume, pea, or bean family, is a large and economically important family of flowering plants. The group is the third largest land plant family, behind only the Orchidaceae and Asteraceae, with 730 genera and over 19,400 species...

 known by the common name Glenwood milkvetch. It is endemic to Utah

Utah

Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...

 in the United States, where it occurs only in Sevier County

Sevier County, Utah

As of the census of 2000, there were 18,842 people, 6,081 households, and 4,907 families residing in the county. The population density was 10 people per square mile . There were 7,016 housing units at an average density of 4 per square mile...

. It is limited to volcanic gravel substrates.

This perennial herb is just a few centimeters tall. It is stemless, with a caudex

Caudex

A caudex is a form of stem morphology appearing as a thickened, short, perennial stem that is either underground or near ground level . It may be swollen for the purpose of water storage, especially in xerophytes...

 covered in the remains of previous seasons' leaves. The leaves are up to 8 centimeters long and are made up of several pairs of small leaflets. The flowers are yellowish or greenish white with purple tips. Blooming occurs in May and June. The fruit is an inflated legume pod covered in shiny hairs. It is up to 3 centimeters long.