Astragalus kentrophyta

Astragalus kentrophyta
var. tegetarius
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Rosids
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae
Genus: Astragalus
Species: A. kentrophyta
Binomial name
Astragalus kentrophyta
A.Gray

Astragalus kentrophyta is a species of milkvetch known by the common name spiny milkvetch. It is native to western North America from central to west Canada, to California, to New Mexico. It grows in rocky mountainous areas, such as the Sierra Nevada, and on plateaus.

Description

This perennial herb is somewhat variable in appearance, especially across varieties. It is generally small and low-lying, growing in spiny mats or clumps. The short stems are hairy. The small leaves are made up of smaller oval-shaped or narrow linear, spine-tipped leaflets. The inflorescence bears one to three white to pinkish purple flowers, each less than a centimeter long. The fruit is a hairy, flattened legume pod 4 to 9 millimeters in length.

Varieties

There are several varieties of Astragalus kentrophyta species, including:

References

  1. "Astragalus kentrophyta Gray var. douglasii Barneby" (PDF). Field Guide to Selected Rare Vascular Plants of Washington. Washington Natural Heritage Program and U.S.D.I. Bureau of Land Management. 2005. Retrieved 30 March 2011.

External links