Providence Mountains milkvetch facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Providence Mountains milkvetch |
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Astragalus chuckwallae |
Astragalus nutans is a type of plant known as a milkvetch. Its common name is the Providence Mountains milkvetch. This small plant is special because it only grows in one specific area.
Where It Grows
The Providence Mountains milkvetch is found only in the Mojave Desert. This desert is located in eastern California. The plant gets its name from the Providence Mountains, which are part of the Mojave National Preserve. This means it is endemic to this area, which means it naturally lives nowhere else in the world.
What It Looks Like
Astragalus nutans is a small plant. It can be an annual plant, meaning it lives for only one year, or a perennial plant, meaning it lives for more than two years. It often grows close to the ground in patches. Sometimes, it can stand up straight, reaching about 15 centimeters (about 6 inches) tall.
Its leaves are a few centimeters long. Each leaf is made up of several small, narrow, oval-shaped parts called leaflets. Both the stems and the leaves of the plant are covered with a thin layer of rough hairs.
Flowers and Fruits
The plant produces clusters of 6 to 10 flowers. These flowers are usually pinkish-purple with lighter tips on their petals.
After the flowers bloom, they turn into fruits. The fruit is a puffy, inflated pod, like a small balloon. It can grow up to 2.5 centimeters (about 1 inch) long. When the pod dries, it becomes thin and feels like paper. Inside this single chamber, there are many seeds.
