Astragalus austiniae
Encyclopedia
Astragalus austiniae is a species of milkvetch
known by the common name Austin's milkvetch. It is native to the Sierra Nevada of California
and Nevada
in the vicinity of Lake Tahoe
. It is a plant of the alpine climate
of the high mountains, where it tolerates exposed areas.
is a woolly headlike cluster of 4 to 14 pink or purple-tinted white pealike flowers each around a centimeter long.
The fruit is a woolly legume pod less than a centimeter long.
Astragalus
Astragalus is a large genus of about 3,000 species of herbs and small shrubs, belonging to the legume family Fabaceae, subfamily Faboideae. The genus is native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere...
known by the common name Austin's milkvetch. It is native to the Sierra Nevada of California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
in the vicinity of Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe is a large freshwater lake in the Sierra Nevada of the United States. At a surface elevation of , it is located along the border between California and Nevada, west of Carson City. Lake Tahoe is the largest alpine lake in North America. Its depth is , making it the USA's second-deepest...
. It is a plant of the alpine climate
Alpine climate
Alpine climate is the average weather for a region above the tree line. This climate is also referred to as mountain climate or highland climate....
of the high mountains, where it tolerates exposed areas.
Description
Astragalus austiniae is a dwarfed perennial herb forming small clumps in the rock litter no taller than about 11 centimeters. Stems and foliage are coated densely in cottony, silvery hairs. The leaves are up to 5 centimeters long and are made up of several keeled oval-shaped leaflets. The inflorescenceInflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
is a woolly headlike cluster of 4 to 14 pink or purple-tinted white pealike flowers each around a centimeter long.
The fruit is a woolly legume pod less than a centimeter long.