Arcane milkvetch facts for kids

Astragalus obscurus is a type of plant known as the arcane milkvetch. It is part of a larger group of plants called milkvetch. This plant grows naturally in the northwestern United States. You can find it in states like Idaho and Oregon. It also grows in the northern parts of Nevada and California.

About the Arcane Milkvetch

The arcane milkvetch is a small plant. It likes to grow in rocky areas. You can often see it in mountains and on high, flat lands called plateaus in the Great Basin region.

What It Looks Like

This plant is a perennial herb. This means it lives for more than two years. It grows in small, dense clumps, forming a mat on the ground. Its stems are usually hairy. They can grow up to about 15 centimeters (about 6 inches) long.

The leaves of the arcane milkvetch can be up to 10 centimeters (about 4 inches) long. Each leaf is made up of several thick, oval-shaped smaller leaves called leaflets.

Flowers and Fruit

The flowers of the arcane milkvetch grow in a tight bunch. This bunch is called an inflorescence. There are usually 5 to 15 flowers in each cluster. The flowers are small, less than a centimeter long. They are usually off-white in color. Sometimes, they have a very light purple or lilac tint.

After the flowers bloom, the plant produces a fruit. This fruit is a narrow, leathery legume pod. It stands upright on the plant. The pod can grow up to 2.5 centimeters (about 1 inch) long. Inside, it usually has two separate sections or chambers.

See also

In Spanish: Astragalus obscurus para niños