Astragalus didymocarpus

Astragalus didymocarpus
Astragalus didymocarpus
var. didymocarpus
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Rosids
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae
Genus: Astragalus
Species: A. didymocarpus
Binomial name
Astragalus didymocarpus
Hook. & Arn.

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.

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 inflorescence 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 Nevada and much of California
  • 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 California
  • A. d. var. obispoensis - form with ascending stems native to coastal southern California and Baja California

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