Astragalus gambelianus
Encyclopedia
Astragalus gambelianus is a species of milkvetch
known by the common name Gambel's dwarf milkvetch. It is native to California
, with its distribution extending into Oregon
to the north and Baja California
to the south.
It grows in many types of habitat, including chaparral and woodlands
and the Sierra Nevada.
The inflorescence
holds up to 15 purple-tinted white flowers, each generally less than 6 millimeters long. The herbage of the inflorescence is coated in black hairs. The fruit is a tiny rounded or oval legume pod just a few millimeters long.
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 Gambel's dwarf milkvetch. It is native to 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...
, with its distribution extending into Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
to the north and Baja California
Baja California
Baja California officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is both the northernmost and westernmost state of Mexico. Before becoming a state in 1953, the area was known as the North...
to the south.
It grows in many types of habitat, including chaparral and woodlands
California chaparral and woodlands
The California chaparral and woodlands is a terrestrial ecoregion of lower northern, central, and southern California and northwestern Baja California , located on the west coast of North America...
and the Sierra Nevada.
Description
Astragalus gambelianus is an annual herb with slender stems reaching a maximum of 30 centimeters long, but generally remaining shorter. A dwarf milkvetch, it is smaller than most other species of its genus. The leaves are less than 4 centimeters long and are made up of several oblong leaflets, each a few millimeters in length.The inflorescence
Inflorescence
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...
holds up to 15 purple-tinted white flowers, each generally less than 6 millimeters long. The herbage of the inflorescence is coated in black hairs. The fruit is a tiny rounded or oval legume pod just a few millimeters long.