Astragalus douglasii is a species of milkvetch known by the common name Douglas's milkvetch. It is native to California and Baja California, where it can be found in many types of desert, valley, chaparral and woodlands, and montane habitats, usually below 8,000 feet (2,400 m) elevation. [1]
Douglas's milkvetch | |
---|---|
Scientific classification ![]() | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Rosids |
Order: | Fabales |
Family: | Fabaceae |
Subfamily: | Faboideae |
Genus: | Astragalus |
Species: | A. douglasii
|
Binomial name | |
Astragalus douglasii |
Description
editAstragalus douglasii is a bushy perennial herb producing a number of erect or prostrate stems up to a meter long. The abundant leaves are up to 18 centimeters long and are made up of oval-shaped leaflets. The open inflorescence holds up to 30 whitish to pale yellow flowers, each about a centimeter long. The calyx is green with 0.7–2.6 mm (0.03–0.10 in) lobes.[2]
The fruit is an inflated legume pod up to 6 centimeters long and 3 wide which dries to a thin, papery texture.[2]
Varieties
editThere are three varieties of Astragalus douglasii:
- A. d. var. douglasii – limited to California
- A. d. var. parishii (Parish's milkvetch) – found throughout the mountain ranges of Southern California
- A. d. var. perstrictus (Jacumba milkvetch) – rare variety limited to San Diego County, California, and northern Baja California
References
edit- ^ Sullivan, Steven. K. (2018). "Astragalus douglasii". Wildflower Search. Retrieved 2018-07-06.
- ^ a b "Astragalus douglasii". in Jepson Flora Project (eds.) Jepson eFlora. Jepson Herbarium; University of California, Berkeley. 2018. Retrieved 2018-07-30.
External links
edit- Media related to Astragalus douglasii at Wikimedia Commons
- Astragalus douglasii – Photo gallery