Gunnison milkvetch facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Gunnison milkvetch |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Astragalus
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| Species: |
anisus
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The Gunnison milkvetch (scientific name: Astragalus anisus) is a special type of flowering plant. It belongs to the legume family, which includes plants like peas and beans. This plant is found only in Colorado, USA, specifically in the Gunnison Basin area of Gunnison and Saguache Counties. When a plant or animal is found only in one specific area, it's called endemic.
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What Does the Gunnison Milkvetch Look Like?
This plant is a small, perennial herb, meaning it lives for more than two years. It grows from a strong, woody taproot that goes deep into the ground. The base of the plant, called the caudex, is covered with old leaves from past years.
Its leaves can grow up to 7 centimeters long. They are compound, which means each leaf is made up of many smaller leaflets, sometimes as many as 15! The whole plant is covered in soft, silvery hairs, giving it a unique look.
Flowers and Fruits
The Gunnison milkvetch has pretty pinkish-purple flowers that bloom in May and June. Each flower can be up to 2 centimeters long. Bees help pollinate these flowers, which means they carry pollen from one flower to another, helping the plant make seeds.
After the flowers, the plant produces a round, fleshy fruit called a legume pod. These pods are usually between 1 and 2 centimeters long. When they are young, they are green and hairy, but they turn brown as they dry. Inside each pod, there are many smooth, black seeds, ready to grow into new plants.
Where the Gunnison Milkvetch Lives
This plant prefers to grow in areas with sagebrush shrubs and open grasslands, sometimes called shrub-steppe habitat. The land where it lives is usually flat or has gentle, rolling hills. The soil is often made of clay.
The Gunnison milkvetch grows at high elevations, from about 7,000 to 10,000 feet above sea level. However, you'll mostly find it in the lower parts of this range, in open spaces between larger shrubs. The area is dominated by different types of sagebrush, especially Artemisia species. Other plants that grow nearby include Phlox hoodii, Bouteloua gracilis, Poa fendleriana, and Stipa pinetorum.
The Gunnison Sage Grouse and Its Habitat
An important bird that shares this habitat is the Gunnison Sage Grouse (Centrocercus minimus gunnisonii). This bird is an indicator species, which means its health tells us a lot about the health of the entire habitat. The Gunnison Sage Grouse uses these areas for its special mating dance, called lekking.
Protecting the Gunnison Milkvetch
Even though the Gunnison milkvetch is rare overall, in some specific places, it is quite common, and its populations are stable. However, there are still some things that can threaten this plant:
- Roads and Off-Road Vehicles: Building roads and using off-road vehicles can damage the plant's habitat.
- Introduced Species: Some plants that are not native to the area, like Bromus tectorum (cheatgrass), can spread quickly and outcompete the milkvetch for space and resources.
- Fire Suppression: Sometimes, natural fires are stopped. While this might seem good, some ecosystems need fire to stay healthy and clear out old growth, which can affect the milkvetch's habitat.
In the past, much of the land where this plant grows was used for rangeland, where livestock like cows grazed. Sometimes, there was heavy grazing, which could impact the plants. Also, some sagebrush was removed, and other grasses and clovers were planted. The Blue Mesa Reservoir was also created when a dam was built in the basin, changing the landscape.
See also
In Spanish: Astragalus anisus para niños
