Astragalus wingatanus

Astragalus wingatanus

Secure (NatureServe)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Embryophytes
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Spermatophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae
Subfamily: Faboideae
Genus: Astragalus
Species:
A. wingatanus
Binomial name
Astragalus wingatanus
Synonyms[2]
  • Homalobus wingatanus (S.Watson) A.Heller
  • Astragalus acerbus E.Sheld.
  • Astragalus dodgeanus M.E.Jones
  • Astragalus tenellus f. acerbus (E.Sheld.) J.F.Macbr.
  • Astragalus wingatanus var. dodgeanus (M.E.Jones) M.E.Jones
  • Homalobus acerbus (E.Sheld.) Rydb.
  • Homalobus dodgeanus (M.E.Jones) Rydb.

Astragalus wingatanus, commonly known as the Fort Wingate milkvetch, is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae. It is a perennial herb with white and purple flowers, and black or dark brown seeds.

The species is native to the deserts and dry shrublands of the south-western United States, and was described in 1883. Its conservation status is Secure.

Taxonomy

The species was described by Sereno Watson in 1883.[2]

The type locality is Glenwood Springs, Colorado.[3]

Distribution

Astragalus wingatanus is native to the deserts and dry shrublands of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah, in the western United States.[2] It grows on sandy hills, below cliffs, on open flats, and in oak thickets and pinyon–juniper woodlands. The species is present at elevations of 5,000–7,500 feet (1,500–2,300 m).[4]

Description

Astragalus wingatanus is a perennial herb.[5] It grows 30–35 centimetres (0.98–1.15 ft) high. The stems have white hairs.[3]

The leaves are 2.5–6.5 centimetres (0.98–2.56 in) long, and range in shape from linear-oblanceolate to narrowly elliptic, or sometimes oblong-elliptic.[4] The plant has five to seven leaflets. The lateral leaflets are 4–8 millimetres (0.16–0.31 in) long, and the terminal leaflet is 15–20 millimetres (0.59–0.79 in) long.[3]

The corolla is white, and has a greenish hue. The calyx is a 2.5–3.7 millimetres (0.098–0.146 in) long tube, with black or white hairs. The petals are white and purple.[3][4]

The seeds are black or dark brown, and pitted or wrinkled. The seeds are oblong to kidney-shaped, around 2.8–3.6 millimetres (0.11–0.14 in) long, and around 1.5 millimetres (0.059 in) wide.[3][4]

Ecology

The leaves host the mould Peronospora trifoliorum.[6]

Conservation

In 1984, NatureServe classified the species as Secure. It does not have a status in the Endangered Species Act of 1973.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b "Astragalus wingatanus Fort Wingate Milkvetch". Explorer.NatureServe.org. NatureServe. Retrieved 6 June 2026.
  2. ^ a b c "Astragalus wingatanus". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 2026-06-06.
  3. ^ a b c d e Rydberg, Per Axel (1905). North American flora. Vol. 24. New York Botanical Garden. p. 262.
  4. ^ a b c d "Astragalus wingatanus S.Watson". WorldFloraOnline.org. World Flora Online. Retrieved 6 June 2026.
  5. ^ "Astragalus wingatanus S. Watson". Plants.sc.egov.usda.gov. Natural Resources Conservation Service. Retrieved 6 June 2026.
  6. ^ "Cornell University Plant Pathology Herbarium (CUP)". MycoPortal.org. Retrieved 6 June 2026.

Data related to Astragalus wingatanus at Wikispecies