Astragalus traskiae
Encyclopedia
Astragalus traskiae is a rare species of milkvetch
known by the common name Trask's milkvetch. It is endemic to the southern Channel Islands of California
, where it is known only from Santa Barbara Island
and San Nicolas Island
.
holds 12 to 30 cream-colored flowers.
The fruit is a legume pod which is fleshy when new and dries to a leathery texture. The pod is generally just over 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 Trask's milkvetch. It is endemic to the southern Channel Islands of California
Channel Islands of California
The Channel Islands of California are a chain of eight islands located in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Southern California along the Santa Barbara Channel in the United States of America...
, where it is known only from Santa Barbara Island
Santa Barbara Island
Santa Barbara Island is a small island of the Channel Islands archipelago in California. It is located about off the Southern California coast from the Palos Verdes Peninsula, near Los Angeles in Ventura County, California....
and San Nicolas Island
San Nicolas Island
San Nicolas Island is the most remote of California's Channel Islands. It is part of Ventura County. The 14,562 acre island is currently controlled by the United States Navy and is used as a weapons testing and training facility, served by Naval Outlying Field San Nicolas Island...
.
Description
Astragalus traskiae is is branching perennial herb with hairy stems 10 to 40 centimeters tall. The leaves are up to 10 centimeters long and made up of several hairy 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...
holds 12 to 30 cream-colored flowers.
The fruit is a legume pod which is fleshy when new and dries to a leathery texture. The pod is generally just over a centimeter long.