Astragalus panamintensis
Encyclopedia
Astragalus panamintensis is a species of milkvetch
known by the common name Panamint milkvetch.
, where it is native to the Panamint Range
. It grows from cracks in the limestone
cliffs of the desert mountains.
The inflorescence
holds one to four pinkish-purple flowers, each around a centimeter long. The fruit is a roughly hairy legume pod which is somewhat triangular in cross-section and dries to a papery texture. It may be nearly two centimeters 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 Panamint milkvetch.
Distribution
It is endemic to Inyo County, CaliforniaInyo County, California
-National protected areas:* Death Valley National Park * Inyo National Forest * Manzanar National Historic Site-Major highways:* U.S. Route 6* U.S. Route 395* State Route 127* State Route 136* State Route 168* State Route 178...
, where it is native to the Panamint Range
Panamint Range
The Panamint Range is a short rugged fault-block mountain range on the northern edge of the Mojave Desert, in Death Valley National Park, Inyo County, California, United States.-Geography:...
. It grows from cracks in the limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
cliffs of the desert mountains.
Description
Astragalus panamintensis is is a small, brambly perennial herb having wiry, tangled, silvery green stems up to 15 centimeters long. The leaves are up to 12 centimeters long and are made up of a thin central shaft bearing a few widely-spaced, pointed linear leaflets.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 one to four pinkish-purple flowers, each around a centimeter long. The fruit is a roughly hairy legume pod which is somewhat triangular in cross-section and dries to a papery texture. It may be nearly two centimeters long.