Astragalus oophorus

Astragalus oophorus
pods of var. clokeyanus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Rosids
Order:	Fabales
Family:	Fabaceae
Genus:	Astragalus
Species:	A. oophorus
Binomial name
Astragalus oophorus S.Wats.

Astragalus oophorus is a species of milkvetch known by the common name egg milkvetch. It is native to the western United States, mainly California and Nevada, though one variety can be found as far east as Colorado. It is a plant of sagebrush and other dry habitat.

Description

Astragalus oophorus is a perennial herb with a stout, mostly hairless stem reaching up to about 30 centimeters in length. Leaves are up to 15 centimeters long and are made up of many oval to rounded leaflets. The inflorescence is an array of 4 to 10 flowers each up to 2 or 2.5 centimeters long. The flowers are cream-colored or reddish purple with white tips. The fruit is an inflated legume pod, oval in shape and bladder-like, reaching 2 to over 5 centimeters long.

Varieties

There are several varieties of Astragalus oophorus, including:

• A. o. var. caulescens - native to the western US from Nevada to Colorado
• A. o. var. clokeyanus - endemic to Nevada
• A. o. var. lavinii (Lavin's milkvetch) - native to Nevada and known from California

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Astragalus oophorus

• Jepson Manual Treatment - Astragalus oophorus
• USDA Plants Profile: Astragalus oophorus
• Photo gallery: Astragalus oophorus var. levinii