Misplaced Pages

Astragalus didymocarpus

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.
Species of legume

Astragalus didymocarpus
var. didymocarpus
Conservation status

Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae
Subfamily: Faboideae
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 cm (12 in) tall, drooping, or flat on the ground in a spreading clump. The leaves are up to 7 to 8 cm (2.8 to 3.1 in) 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 1 cm (0.39 in) long. The inflorescence is covered in long black and white hairs.

The fruit is a small, spherical legume pod 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

Ecology

In the Mojave Desert, Astragalus didymocarpus is foraged on by desert tortoises (Gopherus agassizii) and is a significant part of their diet.

References

  1. Contu, S. (2012). "Astragalus didymocarpus". The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 208. IUCN. e.T19892382A20012561. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2012.RLTS.T19892382A20012561.en.
  2. Boarman, W.I. 2002. Desert Tortoise (Gopherus agassizii). In: Boarman, W.I. and K. Beaman, editors. The sensitive plant and animal species of the Western Mojave Desert. U. S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, Sacramento, CA.
  3. Jennings, William Bryan (1993). Foraging ecology of the desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) in the western Mojave Desert (Thesis). ProQuest 230668827.

External links

Taxon identifiers
Astragalus didymocarpus


Stub icon

This Astragalus-related article is a stub. You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it.

Categories: