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Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Beckwith's Milkvetch - Astragalus beckwithii var. purpureus

 The Astragalus are a little intimidating because there are so many, but this one only took half an hour to figure out. Hopefully that means I will remember it better! It's Beckwith's milkvetch (Astragalus beckwithii var. purpureus). Identifying characteristics are glabrous (smooth) leaves (for the most part), and flowers in a loose head. This variety is found in Utah and Nevada on gravelly soils.

 Later a freckled, curved pod will appear.
For a little more info about Beckwith's Milkvetch from the USDA Plants Database, click here.

1 comment:

Watcher said...

You are a better man/woman than I for IDing an Astragalus species! Nice job.

Glad to see you at it for another season BTW. I've always enjoyed this project of yours. Keep up the good work.