Gibbs's milkvetch facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Gibbs's milkvetch
Scientific classification

Astragalus gibbsii is a special kind of plant often called Gibbs's milkvetch. It's a type of milkvetch, which is a large group of plants. You can find this plant growing in parts of eastern California, the northern Sierra Nevada mountains, and western Nevada. It likes to live in mountain pine forests and also in the sagebrush areas on plateaus.

What Gibbs's Milkvetch Looks Like

Gibbs's milkvetch is a plant that lives for many years. It grows low to the ground in clumps. Its stems can be up to 35 centimeters (about 14 inches) long. These stems are covered in fine hairs, giving them a gray-green color.

The leaves of this plant are about 9 centimeters (3.5 inches) long. Each leaf is made up of several pairs of small, oval-shaped leaflets.

Flowers and Fruits

This plant produces large groups of flowers called an inflorescence. Each inflorescence can have up to 30 flowers. These flowers are usually yellowish or cream-colored. They are shaped like small pouches or pods and are about 1 to 2 centimeters (0.4 to 0.8 inches) long.

After the flowers bloom, the plant grows a fruit. This fruit is a hanging legume pod. It is about 2 to 3 centimeters (0.8 to 1.2 inches) long. When the pod is new, it feels soft and fleshy. As it gets older, it dries out and becomes hairy and leathery.

See also

In Spanish: Astragalus gibbsii para niños