Astragalus acutirostris

Sharpkeel milkvetch
herbarium specimen
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Rosids
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae
Genus: Astragalus
Species: A. acutirostris
Binomial name
Astragalus acutirostris
S.Watson

Astragalus acutirostris is a species of milkvetch known by the common name sharpkeel milkvetch. It is native to the Mojave Desert and surroundings of California, Nevada, and Arizona, where it grows in dry, sandy, gravelly areas.

Description

Astragalus acutirostris is an annual legume growing a hairy reddish stem no more than 30 centimeters long along the ground or slightly upright. The small leaves are made up of several pairs of small oblong leaflets, each less than a centimeter long and often with notched tips. The inflorescence contains one to six white or pinkish-tinted pealike flowers, each with a banner that curves back.

The fruit is a slightly curved, narrow legume pod 1 to 3 centimeters long. The pod is thin-walled and coated sparsely in white hairs like the rest of the plant.

External links


This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 5/1/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.