Crescent milkvetch | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Rosids |
Order: | Fabales |
Family: | Fabaceae |
Subfamily: | Faboideae |
Genus: | Astragalus |
Species: | A. amphioxys |
Binomial name | |
Astragalus amphioxys | |
Varieties [2] | |
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Synonyms [2] | |
List
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Astragalus amphioxys, common name crescent milkvetch, is a plant found in the American southwest, including the whole of Utah, the southeast part of Nevada, the north part of Arizona, the western part of Colorado, the northwestern part of New Mexico, and one county in Texas. [3] It was first described by Asa Gray in 1878. [4]
The color of the flowers ranges from pink-purple to reddish-purple. The irregular flowers are in elongated clusters. The bloom period is between the months of March to June. It rarely flowers in its first year of life. [5] The petals are around twice as long as the sepals. The leaf color is green to silvery-white. The compound leaves are round or oval in shape. The smooth leaves have an alternate leaf attachment. The spineless leaves and stem have hair on them. They have the same amount of hair on opposite sides. The fruits are pods. [6] The pods only have one chamber and an lower seam that lies in a groove, distinguishing it from other similar species. [7] It is most commonly found in the months of April, May, and June. [8]
Astragalus amphioxys has 4 subspecies: [9]
Astragalus amphioxys var. amphioxys native to Nevada, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico, secure in all four.
Astragalus amphioxys var. modestus native to Nevada, Utah, and Arizona, critically endangered.
Astragalus amphioxys var. musimonum native to Nevada and Arizona, imperiled in Nevada and critically endangered in Arizona.
Astragalus amphioxys var. vespertinus native to Nevada, Utah, Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico.
It can be found in deserts, arid grasslands, and among piñon and juniper. It occurs in the Desert Scrub, Interior Chaparral, Semidesert Grasslands, Pinyon Juniper Woodland, and Montane Conifer Forest plant communities, at elevations of 2000–7000 feet. [6]
Although most of the observations of the species were in the general range that the species is known for (I.e. Southwestern U.S.), according to GBIF.org, there was one observation of it in Northeastern Alaska. [8]
It can be found in Arches National Park, specifically around the visitor center and on the Portal trail outside the park. [5]
It has a global rank of G5, which means it is very secure. Arizona and Nevada rank it as secure, but Texas ranks it as very endangered in the state. All of the other states don't have a rank for their state. [9]
The Zuni use the plant medicinally. The fresh or dried root is chewed by a medicine man before sucking snakebite and poultice applied to wound. [10]
Astragalus is a large genus of over 3,000 species of herbs and small shrubs, belonging to the legume family Fabaceae and the subfamily Faboideae. It is the largest genus of plants in terms of described species. The genus is native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. Common names include milkvetch, locoweed and goat's-thorn. Some pale-flowered vetches are similar in appearance, but they are more vine-like than Astragalus.
Calochortus nuttallii, also known as the sego lily, is a bulbous perennial plant that is endemic to the Western United States. The common name of sego comes from a similar Shoshone word. It is the state flower of Utah.
Ericameria nauseosa, commonly known as chamisa, rubber rabbitbrush, and gray rabbitbrush, is a shrub in the sunflower family (Aster) found in the arid regions of western North America.
Astragalus canadensis is a common and widespread member of the milkvetch genus in the legume family, known commonly as Canadian milkvetch. The plant is found throughout Canada and the United States in many habitats including wetlands, woodlands, and prairies.
Erysimum capitatum is a species of wallflower known commonly as the sanddune wallflower, western wallflower, or prairie rocket.
Hymenopappus filifolius is a North American species of flowering plant in the daisy family known by the common names fineleaf hymenopappus and Columbia cutleaf. It is native to western and central North America from Alberta and Saskatchewan south as far as Chihuahua and Baja California.
Astragalus lentiginosus is a species of legume native to western North America where it grows in a range of habitats. Common names include spotted locoweed and freckled milkvetch. There are a great number of wild varieties. The flower and the fruit of an individual plant are generally needed to identify the specific variety.
Opuntia basilaris, the beavertail cactus or beavertail pricklypear, is a cactus species found in the southwest United States. It occurs mostly in the Mojave, Anza-Borrego, and Colorado Deserts, as well as in the Colorado Plateau and northwest Mexico. It is also found throughout the Grand Canyon and Colorado River region as well as into southern Utah and Nevada, and in the western Arizona regions along the Lower Colorado River Valley.
Artemisia bigelovii is a North American species of sagebrush known by the common name Bigelow sagebrush or flat sagebrush. It grows in the deserts of the southwestern United States.
Astragalus inyoensis is a species of milkvetch known by the common name Inyo milkvetch.
Astragalus kentrophyta is a species of milkvetch known by the common name spiny milkvetch. It is native to western North America from central to west Canada, to California, to New Mexico. It grows in rocky mountainous areas, such as the Sierra Nevada, and on plateaus.
Astragalus purshii is a species of milkvetch known by the common names woollypod milkvetch and Pursh's milkvetch.
Glossopetalon spinescens, syn. Forsellesia spinescens, is a species of flowering shrub in the family Crossosomataceae known by the common names greasebush, spiny greasebush, Nevada greasewood and spring greasebush.
Dieteria canescens is an annual plant or short lived perennial plant in the family Asteraceae, known by the common names hoary tansyaster and hoary-aster.
Tetraneuris acaulis is a North American species of flowering plants in the sunflower family. Common names include angelita daisy, stemless four-nerve daisy, stemless hymenoxys, butte marigold, and stemless rubberweed.
Castilleja integra, with the common names orange paintbrush, Southwestern paintbrush, and wholeleaf paintbrush, is a partially parasitic herbaceous perennial plant native to the Southwestern United States and Northern Mexico. The species produces a relatively large amount of nectar and is attractive to hummingbirds. It is better suited to cultivation than most other species in the paintbrush genus (Castilleja) and is therefor used in xeriscape gardens and naturalistic meadows, even outside its native range.
Flora of the Colorado Desert, located in Southern California. The Colorado Desert is a sub-region in the Sonoran Desert ecoregion of southwestern North America. It is also known as the Low Desert, in contrast to the higher elevation Mojave Desert or High Desert, to its north.
Astragalus hallii is a species of milkvetch in the family Fabaceae. It is native to Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico.
Thelesperma subnudum, commonly known as Navajo tea, is a perennial species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. It is found from west central Canada to central United States. It grows in openings in pinyon/juniper or yellow pine forests.
Astragalus miser, the timber milkvetch, is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae. A perennial, it is native to western North America, except California. One of the locoweeds toxic to livestock, it contains miserotoxin.
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