Whited's milkvetch facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Whited's milkvetch |
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Astragalus sinuatus, also known as Whited's milkvetch, is a special kind of flowering plant. It belongs to the legume family, which includes plants like peas and beans. This plant is very rare because it is only found in a small area of Washington in the United States. It grows near a creek on the western side of the Columbia Basin. This area is about ten square miles in Chelan and Kittitas Counties.
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About Whited's Milkvetch
Whited's milkvetch is a plant that lives for many years. It has stems that can grow up to about 45 centimeters (about 18 inches) long.
What It Looks Like
In the spring, usually in April and May, this plant grows beautiful flowers. These flowers are yellowish or cream-colored. They often have a hint of purple on their "keels," which are like the bottom petals of the flower.
After the flowers, the plant makes a fruit called a legume pod. This pod is very strong and tough. It can be so hard that you might even need pliers to open it! Each pod is about 2.4 to 2.7 centimeters long (about 1 inch).
Where It Lives
Whited's milkvetch likes to grow in tough, dry, and rocky places. This type of land is called a shrubsteppe. A shrubsteppe is an area with dry soil and many shrubs.
Other plants that grow in the same area include:
- Lupinus sulphureus
- Erigeron linearis
- Phlox longifolia
- Woodsia oregana
- Balsamorhiza sagittata
- Lomatium dissectum
- Lithophragma bulberifera
- Astragalus purshii
The area where this plant lives does not get much rain. It only gets about 9 inches of rain each year.
Why It Needs Help
There are only about 8 groups, or populations, of Whited's milkvetch left. In total, there are about 5,000 individual plants. This plant faces several dangers that could make it disappear.
Dangers to the Plant
- Fire problems: For a long time, people have stopped small fires from burning naturally. This has caused a lot of dead plants and leaves to build up. Now, when fires do happen, they burn much hotter and can harm the milkvetch.
- Losing its home: As people build more or use land differently, the places where the milkvetch grows can be destroyed.
- Invading plants: Some plants, like Bromus tectorum (cheatgrass), are not native to the area. They grow very fast and take over the space and resources that the milkvetch needs.
- Herbicides: These are chemicals used to kill unwanted plants. Sometimes, they can accidentally harm the milkvetch too.
- Bugs eating seeds: Insects sometimes eat the seeds inside the milkvetch pods. This makes it harder for new plants to grow.
Because of these threats, Whited's milkvetch is a plant that needs our help to survive.
