Astragalus amphioxys
| Crescent milkvetch | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Fabales |
| Family: | Fabaceae |
| Subfamily: | Faboideae |
| Genus: | Astragalus |
| Species: | A. amphioxys
|
| Binomial name | |
| Astragalus amphioxys | |
| Varieties[2] | |
| |
| Synonyms[2] | |
|
List
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Astragalus amphioxys,common namecrescent milkvetch,is a plant found in theAmerican southwest,including the whole of Utah, the southeast part of Nevada, the north part of Arizona, the western part of Colorado, the northwestern part of New Mexico, and one county in Texas.[3]It was first described byAsa Grayin 1878.[4]
Description[edit]
The color of the flowers ranges from pink-purple to reddish-purple. The irregular flowers are in elongated clusters. The bloom period is between the months of March to June. It rarely flowers in its first year of life.[5]The petals are around twice as long as the sepals. The leaf color is green to silvery-white. The compound leaves are round or oval in shape. The smooth leaves have an alternate leaf attachment. The spineless leaves and stem have hair on them. They have the same amount of hair on opposite sides. The fruits are pods.[6]The pods only have one chamber and an lower seam that lies in a groove, distinguishing it from other similar species.[7]It is most commonly found in the months of April, May, and June.[8]
Astragalus amphioxyshas 4 subspecies:[9]
Astragalus amphioxys var. amphioxysnative to Nevada, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico, secure in all four.
Astragalus amphioxys var. modestusnative to Nevada, Utah, and Arizona, critically endangered.
Astragalus amphioxys var. musimonumnative to Nevada and Arizona, imperiled in Nevada and critically endangered in Arizona.
Astragalus amphioxys var. vespertinusnative to Nevada, Utah, Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico.
Distribution and habitat[edit]
It can be found in deserts, arid grasslands, and among piñon and juniper. It occurs in theDesert Scrub,Interior Chaparral, Semidesert Grasslands,Pinyon Juniper Woodland,and Montane Conifer Forest plant communities, at elevations of 2000–7000 feet.[6]
Although most of the observations of the species were in the general range that the species is known for (I.e.Southwestern U.S.), according to GBIF.org, there was one observation of it in Northeastern Alaska.[8]
It can be found inArches National Park,specifically around the visitor center and on the Portal trail outside the park.[5]
It has a global rank of G5, which means it is very secure. Arizona and Nevada rank it as secure, but Texas ranks it as very endangered in the state. All of the other states don't have a rank for their state.[9]
Uses[edit]
TheZuniuse the plant medicinally. The fresh or dried root is chewed by a medicine man before sucking snakebite and poultice applied to wound.[10]
References[edit]
- ^NatureServe (2024)."Astragalus amphioxys".Arlington, Virginia.RetrievedApril 12,2024.
- ^ab"Astragalus amphioxysA.Gray ".Plants of the World Online.Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.RetrievedApril 12,2024.
- ^"Southwest Colorado Wildflowers, Astragalus amphioxys".www.swcoloradowildflowers.com.RetrievedFebruary 20,2023.
- ^"Hortipedia - Astragalus amphioxys".en.hortipedia.com.RetrievedJuly 30,2023.
- ^abMoab, Mailing Address: PO Box 907; Us, UT 84532 Phone: 435 719-2299 Contact."Crescent Milkvetch - Arches National Park (U.S. National Park Service)".www.nps.gov.RetrievedJuly 30,2023.
{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ab"Species Detail Forb".cals.arizona.edu.RetrievedJuly 29,2023.
- ^"Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center - The University of Texas at Austin".www.wildflower.org.RetrievedJuly 30,2023.
- ^ab"Astragalus amphioxys A.Gray".www.gbif.org.RetrievedJuly 30,2023.
- ^ab"NatureServe Explorer 2.0".explorer.natureserve.org.RetrievedJuly 29,2023.
- ^Camazine, Scott; Bye, Robert A. (January 1, 1980)."A study of the medical ethnobotany of the Zuni Indians of New Mexico".Journal of Ethnopharmacology.2(4): 375.doi:10.1016/S0378-8741(80)81017-8.ISSN0378-8741.PMID6893476.
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