Astragalus casei
| Astragalus casei | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Rosids |
| Order: | Fabales |
| Family: | Fabaceae |
| Genus: | Astragalus |
| Species: | A. casei |
| Binomial name | |
| Astragalus casei A.Gray ex W.H.Brewer & S.Wats. | |
Astragalus casei is a species of milkvetch known by the common name Case's milkvetch. It is native to the Mojave Desert and its sky island woodlands of eastern California and western Nevada.
Description
Astragalus casei is a wiry, branching perennial herb forming an open clump of jagged stems up to 40 centimeters long. Leaves are up to 10 centimeters long and made up of thin, narrow, lance-shaped leaflets. The plant bears an inflorescence of up to 25 pink, lilac, or white flowers. Each flower is between 1 and 2 centimeters long.
The fruit is a hanging legume pod 2 to 5 centimeters long. It is narrow, slightly hairy, and tipped with a sharp beak. It is pulpy when new and it dries to a tough texture.