Astragalus didymocarpus

Astragalus didymocarpus
var. didymocarpus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Rosids
Order:	Fabales
Family:	Fabaceae
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 centimeters tall, drooping, or flat on the ground in a spreading clump. The leaves are up to 7 or 8 centimeters 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 a centimeter long. The inflorescence is covered in long black and white hairs.

The fruit is a small, spherical legume pod a few millimeters wide 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

External links

• Jepson Manual Treatment - Astragalus didymocarpus
• USDA Plants Profile: Astragalus didymocarpus
• Photo gallery: Astragalus didymocarpus var. didymocarpus