Astragalus desperatus facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Astragalus desperatus |
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Astragalus desperatus is a special plant often called rimrock milkvetch. It's a perennial plant, meaning it lives for more than two years. This plant belongs to the legume family, just like peas and beans! You can find it growing in the Colorado Plateau and Canyonlands region in the southwestern United States.
Contents
About Rimrock Milkvetch
How the Plant Grows
The rimrock milkvetch is a low-growing plant. It usually reaches a height of about 1 to 11 centimeters (0.5 to 4.5 inches) tall.
Leaves and Stems
Its leaves are compound, meaning they are made of several smaller leaflets. Each leaf can be from 1 to 11 centimeters (0.5 to 4.5 inches) long. They have between 7 and 17 small leaflets. These leaflets are shaped like an ellipse or are wider at the tip.
Flowers and Fruits
This plant blooms from March all the way to August. Its flowers grow on stalks that can be up to 13 centimeters (5 inches) tall. Many small flowers grow on short stems along the main stalk.
Each flower is a beautiful ink to purple color. It has a bell-shaped calyx (the outer part of the flower) that can be up to 1.3 centimeters (0.5 inches) long. The petals are about 0.6 centimeters (0.25 inches) long. After the flowers, the plant produces seed pods. These pods can be up to 1.9 centimeters (0.75 inches) long. They are either oval-shaped or slightly curved. The pods are also covered with stiff, tiny hairs.
Where Rimrock Milkvetch Lives
This plant is endemic to the Colorado Plateau. This means it only grows naturally in this specific area. You can find it in different types of desert environments. It grows in mixed desert shrub areas and also in pinyon-juniper forests.
See also
In Spanish: Astragalus desperatus para niños
