Astragalus nutans
Encyclopedia
Astragalus nutans is a species of milkvetch
known by the common name Providence Mountains milkvetch.
of eastern California
, where it was named for the local Providence Mountains
in the Mojave National Preserve
.
The inflorescence
bears 6 to 10 pinkish purple flowers with pale petal tips. The fruit is an inflated legume pod up to 2.5 centimeters long. It dries to a thin papery texture and contains many seeds in its single chamber.
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 Providence Mountains milkvetch.
Distribution
It is endemic to the Mojave DesertMojave Desert
The Mojave Desert occupies a significant portion of southeastern California and smaller parts of central California, southern Nevada, southwestern Utah and northwestern Arizona, in the United States...
of eastern 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...
, where it was named for the local Providence Mountains
Providence Mountains
The Providence Mountains are found in the eastern Mojave Desert of San Bernardino County, California, U.S. The range reaches an elevation of at Edgar Peak and is home to the Mitchell Caverns Natural Preserve in the Providence Mountains State Recreation Area, and the Mojave National...
in the Mojave National Preserve
Mojave National Preserve
Mojave National Preserve is located in the Mojave Desert of San Bernardino County, California, USA, between Interstate 15 and Interstate 40. The preserve was established October 31, 1994 with the passage of the California Desert Protection Act by the US Congress...
.
Description
Astragalus nutans is a small annual or perennial herb growing patchlike and low to the ground or erect to a maximum height near 15 centimeters. Its leaves are a few centimeters long and are made up of several narrow oval-shaped leaflets. Stem and leaves are coated thinly in rough hairs.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...
bears 6 to 10 pinkish purple flowers with pale petal tips. The fruit is an inflated legume pod up to 2.5 centimeters long. It dries to a thin papery texture and contains many seeds in its single chamber.