Astragalus breweri
Encyclopedia
Astragalus breweri is a species of milkvetch
known by the common name Brewer's milkvetch. It is endemic to northern California
, where it is found in several counties surrounding the north edge of the San Francisco Bay Area
. It grows in open habitat in the North Coast Ranges, sometimes on serpentine soil
s.
arises on a rough-haired peduncle and holds up to ten pealike flowers. Each flower is about a centimeter long and colored white, yellow, or pale lavender, sometimes with light purple streaks. The fruit is an oval-shaped legume pod up to a centimeter long armed with a sharp beak. It contains 2 to 6 beanlike seeds.
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 name Brewer's milkvetch. It is endemic to northern 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 is found in several counties surrounding the north edge of the San Francisco Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
. It grows in open habitat in the North Coast Ranges, sometimes on serpentine soil
Serpentine soil
A serpentine soil is derived from ultramafic rocks, in particular serpentinite, a rock formed by the hydration and metamorphic transformation of ultramafic rock from the Earth's mantle....
s.
Description
This is a small annual herb producing stems usually only a few centimeters long. The small leaves are made up of widely-spaced leaflets with notched tips. 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...
arises on a rough-haired peduncle and holds up to ten pealike flowers. Each flower is about a centimeter long and colored white, yellow, or pale lavender, sometimes with light purple streaks. The fruit is an oval-shaped legume pod up to a centimeter long armed with a sharp beak. It contains 2 to 6 beanlike seeds.