Astragalus mollissimus

Astragalus mollissimus
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Rosids
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae
Genus: Astragalus
Species: A. mollissimus
Binomial name
Astragalus Mollissimus

Astragalus millissimus (common name - wooly locoweed) is a perennial plant in the legume family (Fabaceae) found in the Colorado Plateau and Canyonlands region of the southwestern United States.[1]:121

Description

Growth pattern

It is hairy a perennial plant growing from 2 to 34 inches (5.1 to 86.4 cm) tall, from a very short stem.[1]:121

Leaves and stems

It has hairy stems and leaves.[1]:121 "Mollissumus" means "most soft", referring to the hairy covering of the leaves and stems.[1]:121 Compound pinnate leaves are from 34 to 11 inches (1.9 to 27.9 cm) long, with 15–35 elliptical to oval and wooly leaflets.[1]:121

Inflorescence and fruit

It blooms from March to August.[1]:121 The inflorescence are from 34 to 10 inches (1.9 to 25.4 cm) stalks with 7–20 flowers per stalk.[1]:121 Each pink to purple or bicolored with white flower has a 14 to 12 inch (0.64 to 1.27 cm) hairy calyx with 5 pointed teeth, around a 34 inch (1.9 cm) corolla with upper petal flares at the end.[1]:121 13 to 1 inch (0.85 to 2.54 cm) seed pods are egg shaped and densely hairy.[1]:121

Habitat and range

It grows from grasslands to Pinyon juniper woodland communities ranging from Wyoming to Arizona.[1]:121

Ecological and human interactions

It derives its common name from its wooly stems and leaves, and because it makes livestock "go loco" or die from an alkaloid it contains called Iocoine.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Canyon Country Wildflowers, Damian Fagan, 2nd ed., 2012, Morris Bush Publishing, LLC. in cooperation with Canyonlands Natural History Association, ISBN 978-0-7627-7013-7
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