Mono milkvetch facts for kids

Astragalus monoensis is a special and rare plant often called the Mono milkvetch. It's a type of milkvetch plant. This plant is found only in one specific place: the open, sandy plains of central Mono County, California. This means it's endemic to that area, so you won't find it growing naturally anywhere else in the world!

What is the Mono Milkvetch?

The Mono milkvetch is a perennial herb. This means it's a plant that lives for more than two years. It grows from underground stems called rhizomes. These rhizomes help the plant spread out. The stems of the plant grow partly underground and then pop up to lie flat on the sand.

Leaves and Stems

The leaves of the Mono milkvetch are quite small, usually about 3 cm (1.2 in) long. Each leaf is made up of several tiny, oval-shaped leaflets. Both the stems and the leaflets have small hairs on them, which can give the plant a soft, fuzzy feel.

Flowers and Fruit

The flowers of the Mono milkvetch grow in a cluster, with about 6 to 12 flowers in each group. They are very pale pink or yellowish and are about one centimeter long. After the flowers bloom, they turn into a type of fruit called a legume pod. This pod is curved or bent in shape. When it dries, it becomes papery and still has hairs on it. Each pod is about 1.5 to 2 cm (0.59 to 0.79 in) long and has two sections inside. These sections usually hold around 18 to 20 seeds, ready to grow into new Mono milkvetch plants.