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Astragalus chamaemeniscus
Astragalus chamaemeniscus Barneby
Ground-crescent Milkvetch
Fabaceae (Pea family)
Synonym(s):
USDA Symbol: ASCH5
USDA Native Status: L48 (N)
"Low but relatively slender, densely or sometimes thinly villous-hirsutulous with fine, spreading and incumbent hairs up to 0.7-1.1 mm. long, the herbage canescent or greenish-cinereous, the leaflets bicolored, glabrous above; stems several, decumbent and radiating, 3-13 cm. long, simple or sparingly branched at base, the 2-4 lowest nodes subterranean, pallid, nearly glabrous." (bibref: 1813).
"The ground-crescent milk-vetch is a low and inconspicuous astragalus, but at close quarters a delightful one, with pronounced individuality. It flowers at the onset of spring weather, and the rapidly developing fruits reach their full size, although not full maturity within a few weeks. The rather slender peduncles are quickly crescent-shaped pods which lie in a ring on the ground, often largely concealed by leaves, and tend to fall at random angles to the raceme-axis. It is therefore difficult to say whether the fruits are by nature ascending or declined. The pod of A. chamaemeniscus is quite similar to that of A. malacus in shape and size, but it is more prominently reticulate when ripe, villosulous with much shorter hairs, and never mottled. The flowers are commonly of moderate size, the high measurements for the petals given in parentheses above being taken from a single plant which was growing with the ordinary form in western White Pine County. The petals vary from reddish-violet, the color of A. malacus, to a clear rosy-pink, but the pigment fades rapidly in pressed specimens." (bibref: 1813).
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Plant Characteristics
Duration: PerennialHabit: Herb
Leaf Arrangement: Alternate
Fruit Type: Legume
Size Notes: "Stems several, decumbent and radiating, 3-13 cm. long." (bibref: 1813).
Leaf: "Stipules membranous, 3-7 mm. long, the lower ones ovate, obtuse, semi- or almost fully amplexicaul-decurrent, the upper ones progressively narrower, the uppermost lanceolate, acute; leaves 2-8 cm. long, all petioled, with (9) 15-19 (21) obovate, oblong-obovate, rarely oblanceolate, obtuse or emarginate, flat or loosely folded leaflets 3-11 mm. long." (bibref: 1813).
Flower: "Peduncles 1.5-5 cm. long, incurved-ascending at anthesis, reclinate in fruit; racemes loosely but shortly (3) 5-10-flowered, the flowers ascending, the axis little elongating, 0.5-2 cm. long in fruit; bracts membranous, ovate- or lance-acuminate, 2.5-4.5 mm. long; pedicels at anthesis about 1.5 mm. long, in fruit thickened, 1.5-3 mm. long; bracteoles 2, minute; calyx 5.8-8 (10) mm. long, the disc 0.7-1 mm. deep, the deeply campanulate or cylindric tube 4.7-7 mm. long, 2.8-3.2 (3.5) mm. in diameter, the subulate teeth 1.1-2 (3) mm. long, the ventral pair shortest and broadest; petals reddish-violet or clear rosy-pink, with a pale, striate lozenge in the banner, the color fugacious; banner recurved through about 40 degrees, rhombic-ovate, 13.5-16 (19) mm. long, 6.8 7.5 (9) mm. wide; wings 13-15 (17) mm. long, the claws about 6 (6.5) mm., the oblanceolate, obtuse or obscurely emarginate, nearly straight blades 7.6-8.5 (9.5) mm. long, 1.9-2.2 (3) mm. wide; keel 10.2-11.5 (15) mm. long, the claws about 6 mm., the half-obovate blades 5.2-5.6 (7.3) mm. long, 2.5-2.7 (3.2) mm. wide, incurved through about 65 degrees to the rounded apex; anthers 0.65-0.75 mm. long." (bibref: 1813).
Fruit: "Pod loosely spreading, ascending, or declined (humistrate), narrowly crescentic in profile, incurved through 1/6-1/3-circle, (2) 2.5-4.5 cm. long, 5-8 mm. in diameter, cuneately contracted at base into a stout, necklike stipe 1-2.5 mm. long (this concealed by the marcescent calyx), abruptly acute or acuminate and cuspidate at apex, triquetrously compressed, with acute ventral and obtuse lateral angles, widely and openly sulcate dorsally, the green, scarcely fleshy valves becoming stramineous, leathery, prominently cross-reticulate, thinly villosulous, inflexed as a complete septum 3.5-4.2 mm. wide; seeds pale brown, pitted, about 3 mm. long." (bibref: 1813).
Bloom Information
Bloom Color: Red , Pink , VioletBloom Time: Apr , May , Jun , Jul
Bloom Notes: "Petals reddish-violet or clear rosy-pink, with a pale, striate lozenge in the banner, the color fugacious." (bibref: 1813).
Distribution
USA: NV , UTNative Distribution: "Local but forming colonies, known only from eastcentral Nevada, in northeastern Lincoln, White Pine, and adjoining Nye Counties." (bibref: 1813).
Native Habitat: "Low knolls, gently sloping gullied hillsides, and valley floors, in deep, sometimes alkaline sands derived from limestone, often scattered among and taking shelter under sagebrush, 4900—6500." (bibref: 1813).
Bibliography
Bibref 1813 - Atlas of North American Astragalus (1964) Barneby, Rupert C.Search More Titles in Bibliography
Additional resources
USDA: Find Astragalus chamaemeniscus in USDA PlantsFNA: Find Astragalus chamaemeniscus in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Astragalus chamaemeniscus
Metadata
Record Modified: 2020-12-07Research By: Joseph A. Marcus