​Fringeleaf Necklacepod, Silvery Sophora,Sophora stenophylla,Pea Family (Fabaceae)

Found on sandy slopes, piñon/juniper woodland
Seen blooming in May in Arroyo de los Pinavetes, Santa Fe NF

Flowering plants are few and far between in our parched landscape. In my wanderings in search of blooms I have noticed that some species have not bloomed at all, not surprisingly, while others have bloomed a month earlier than usual. So, it was a very pleasant surprise to find many of these plants in bloom on the sandy bank of the arroyo. The Fringeleaf Necklacepod grows to 16 inches high in colonies from a deep underground root system. Leaves are silvery and narrow. Pea-like flowers are pale blue to purple. Narrow seed pods are 2 to 3 inches long and hairy with 1 to 5 seeds. No traditional uses of the plant were found but it contains alkaloids that are toxic to animals, like another species in this family, the locoweed.
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If you trying to identify a different flower then you can check what other flowers bloom this month. If you cannot identify a flower from the website, send a photo and where you took it to contact@rockymountainsflora.com. Read online for tips.