Diablo milkvetch facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Astragalus oxyphysus |
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The Astragalus oxyphysus, also known as the Diablo milkvetch, is a special type of plant. It's a kind of milkvetch that grows only in central California. This plant likes to live in dry grasslands and scrub areas. You can find it in places like the Central Valley, the nearby Inner Coast Ranges, and the Sierra Nevada foothills.
About the Diablo Milkvetch
The Diablo milkvetch is a strong plant that lives for many years. It grows in clumps of leafy stems that can stand as tall as 80 centimeters (about 31 inches). Imagine a plant that comes up to your waist or chest!
What Does It Look Like?
Its leaves can be up to 17 centimeters (about 7 inches) long. Each leaf is made up of many small, pointed leaflets.
When the plant flowers, it produces large groups of flowers called inflorescences. Each group can have as many as 65 flowers! The individual flowers are a creamy white color and are at least 2 centimeters (about 0.8 inches) long.
After the flowers, the plant grows a fruit that looks like a hanging pod. This pod is called a legume and can be up to 4 centimeters (about 1.6 inches) long. It starts out a bit puffy, like a small balloon, but it's also narrow. When it dries, it becomes very thin and almost see-through, like papery tissue.
