Astragalus californicus
Encyclopedia
Astragalus californicus is a species of milkvetch
known by the common name Klamath Basin milkvetch. It is native to the Klamath Mountains
and surrounding ranges of northern California
and southern Oregon
, where it grows in scrub and woodland habitat.
This is a perennial herb forming a sturdy open clump of upright stems growing up to half a meter-1.5 feet tall. The leaves are several centimeters long and made up of green leaflike leaflets. The inflorescence
is a loose array of light yellow to cream-colored pealike flowers, each between 1 and 2 centimeters long. The fruit is a hanging legume pod 3 or 4 centimeters long. It is flat and narrow, with a hairy surface, and it dries to a thick papery texture.
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 Klamath Basin milkvetch. It is native to the Klamath Mountains
Klamath Mountains
The Klamath Mountains, which include the Siskiyou, Marble, Scott, Trinity, Trinity Alps, Salmon, and northern Yolla-Bolly Mountains, are a rugged lightly populated mountain range in northwest California and southwest Oregon in the United States...
and surrounding ranges of northern 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 southern Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, where it grows in scrub and woodland habitat.
This is a perennial herb forming a sturdy open clump of upright stems growing up to half a meter-1.5 feet tall. The leaves are several centimeters long and made up of green leaflike leaflets. The inflorescence
Inflorescence
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 loose array of light yellow to cream-colored pealike flowers, each between 1 and 2 centimeters long. The fruit is a hanging legume pod 3 or 4 centimeters long. It is flat and narrow, with a hairy surface, and it dries to a thick papery texture.