Astragalus didymocarpus
Encyclopedia
Astragalus didymocarpus is a species of milkvetch
known by the common names dwarf white milkvetch and two-seeded milkvetch. It is native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico, where it can be found in many types of habitat.
is a cluster of up to 30 purple-tinted white flowers, each under a centimeter long. The inflorescence is covered in long black and white hairs.
The fruit is a small, spherical legume pod a few millimeters wide which dries to a stiff 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 names dwarf white milkvetch and two-seeded milkvetch. It is native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico, where it can be found in many types of habitat.
Description
Astragalus didymocarpus is a slender, hairy annual herb growing erect to about 30 centimeters tall, drooping, or flat on the ground in a spreading clump. The leaves are up to 7 or 8 centimeters long and are made up of narrow to oblong 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 cluster of up to 30 purple-tinted white flowers, each under a centimeter long. The inflorescence is covered in long black and white hairs.
The fruit is a small, spherical legume pod a few millimeters wide which dries to a stiff papery texture.
Varieties
There are several varieties of Astragalus didymocarpus:- A. d. var. didymocarpus - erect herb found in western NevadaNevadaNevada 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...
and much of CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia 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... - A. d. var. dispermus - prostrate form native to the desert regions
- A. d. var. milesianus (Miles' milkvetch) - rare variety found only along the Central Coast of CaliforniaCentral Coast of CaliforniaThe Central Coast is an area of California, United States, roughly spanning the area between the Monterey Bay and Point Conception. It extends through Santa Cruz County, San Benito County, Monterey County, San Luis Obispo County, and Santa Barbara County...
- A. d. var. obispoensis - form with ascending stems native to coastal southern California and Baja CaliforniaBaja CaliforniaBaja California officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is both the northernmost and westernmost state of Mexico. Before becoming a state in 1953, the area was known as the North...