Kern County milkvetch facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Astragalus subvestitus |
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The Kern County milkvetch (scientific name: Astragalus subvestitus) is a special kind of plant. It belongs to a group of plants called milkvetch.
Where It Grows
This plant is found only in California, which means it is endemic to that state. It grows in areas with sagebrush plants. You can find it on the slopes of the Sierra Nevada mountains. Specifically, it lives in Kern and Tulare Counties.
What It Looks Like
The Kern County milkvetch is a small plant. It's a perennial herb, which means it lives for more than two years and has soft stems, not woody ones. It grows in a mat shape and is quite hairy. Its stems are usually shorter than 8 centimeters (about 3 inches).
The leaves are a few centimeters long. Each leaf is made up of several small, hairy, oval-shaped parts called leaflets.
When it blooms, the plant has small groups of flowers. These flowers are mostly white but have a pretty purple tint. Each flower is just over a centimeter long.
After the flowers, the plant produces a fruit. This fruit is a papery legume pod. A legume is like a pea pod. This pod is covered in short, curly white hairs. It also has a pointed, triangular tip that looks like a beak.
