Astragalus bicristatus
Encyclopedia
Astragalus bicristatus is a species of milkvetch
known by the common names crested milkvetch and two-crested milkvetch. It is endemic to southern California
, where it grows in the coniferous forests of the San Gabriel
and San Bernardino Mountains
of the Transverse Ranges
.
is a loose array of up to 20 pealike flowers. Each flower is between 1 and 2 centimeters long and is purple-tinted white to light greenish yellow.
The fruit is a hanging capsule 2 to 4 centimeters long and curved or crescent-shaped. It is fleshy when immature and leathery to woody when dried.
Astragalus
Astragalus is a large genus of about 3,000 species of herbs and small shrubs, belonging to the legume family Fabaceae, subfamily Faboideae. The genus is native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere...
known by the common names crested milkvetch and two-crested milkvetch. It is endemic to southern California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, where it grows in the coniferous forests of the San Gabriel
San Gabriel Mountains
The San Gabriel Mountains Range is located in northern Los Angeles County and western San Bernardino County, California, United States. The mountain range lies between the Los Angeles Basin and the Mojave Desert, with Interstate 5 to the west and Interstate 15 to the east...
and San Bernardino Mountains
San Bernardino Mountains
The San Bernardino Mountains are a short transverse mountain range north and east of San Bernardino in Southern California in the United States. The mountains run for approximately 60 miles east-west on the southern edge of the Mojave Desert in southwestern San Bernardino County, north of the...
of the Transverse Ranges
Transverse Ranges
The Transverse Ranges are a group of mountain ranges of southern California, in the Pacific Coast Ranges physiographic region that runs along the Pacific coast from Alaska to Mexico in North America. The Transverse Ranges begin at the southern end of the California Coast Ranges and lie between...
.
Description
Astragalus bicristatus is a perennial herb sprawling outwards with stems to a maximum length approaching half a meter. The leaves are up to 14 centimeters long and are made up of very widely spaced narrow linear leaflets. The stems and foliage have sparse grayish hairs, giving them a rough texture. The inflorescenceInflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
is a loose array of up to 20 pealike flowers. Each flower is between 1 and 2 centimeters long and is purple-tinted white to light greenish yellow.
The fruit is a hanging capsule 2 to 4 centimeters long and curved or crescent-shaped. It is fleshy when immature and leathery to woody when dried.