Bisulcatus: Answers to key questions in Budd's Flora and Flora of Alberta leading to this species. 

	stems evident, erect or decumbent, often branched and leafy; NOT [plants densely caespitose or pulvinate; leaves many, crowded; flowers often included among leaves or barely exceeding them], NOT [plants low, cushion-like, matted or straggling]
	plants up to 60 cm high; NOT [plants low, to 30 cm high]
	plants lacking malpighian hairs
	stem lacking black hairs; NOT [stem generally black hairy]
	leaves not needle-like; NOT [leaves needle-like, about 10 mm long, 1mm wide, distinctly spine-tipped]
	inflorescence an elongated raceme, not head-like; NOT [inflorescence a short, head-like raceme, about as long as wide]
	flowers in a dense raceme; NOT [flowers in a loose, open raceme]
	raceme spike-like
	raceme 4-15 cm long
	raceme much exceeding the leaves
	flowers spreading or reflexed
	some flowers pendent; NOT [flowers all erect]
	flowers 12-30 mm long; NOT [flowers 5-12 mm long]
	flowers reddish, purple or blue; NOT [flowers white, yellow, or greenish], NOT [flowers brick red]
	pods reflexed; NOT [pods all erect]
	pod with two deep grooves on upper side; NOT [pod lacking grooves]
	pods not inflated; NOT [pods strongly inflated]
	pods glabrous; NOT [pods generally black hairy]

Astragalus: Answers to key questions in Budd's Flora and Flora of Alberta leading to this genus. 

	herbs; NOT [shrubs]
	plants NOT climbing
	leafy stems often present; NOT [leafy stems usually absent]
	the terminal leaflet normal; NOT [the terminal leaflet replaced by a tendril]
	leaflets more than 3; NOT [leaflets 3 (rarely 1)]
	leaves pinnate; NOT [leaves palmate]
	leaves NOT glandular-dotted
	keel not truncate; NOT [keel mostly truncate]
	keel rounded or obtuse at the tip; NOT [keel with a sharp point at the tip]
	pods NOT segmented or jointed; NOT [pods segmented or jointed, breaking up at maturity]
	NOT [flowers pinkish to red or purple; calyx-lobes subulate, much longer than the tube; fruit only slightly longer than wide, with short, stout spines, 1-seeded]
	NOT [inflorescence umbel-like; flowers yellow; leaflets 5, pinnately arranged (the lower pair basal and resembling stipules)]

Leguminosae: Answers to key questions in Budd's Flora  leading to this family. 

	herbs; NOT [shrubs or trees]
	plants terrestrial or semi-aquatic; NOT [plants aquatic, leaves submerged or floating]
	plants NOT with colored milky juice
	plants with more than one normal leaf
	some or all leaves alternate; NOT [leaves opposite, whorled, or basal]
	leaves with stipules; NOT [leaves without stipules, or having glands]
	flowers with two floral rings, and with each petal distinct from the others]
	calyx regular; NOT [calyx irregular, some sepals smaller than others]
	flowers irregular in shape; NOT [flowers regular in shape]
	corolla pea-like; NOT [corolla with one petal spurred or sac-like]
	stamens usually separate or partly so, not in a column; NOT [stamens numerous, united into a column]
	fruit a legume; NOT [fruit a 3-valved capsule]