''Astragalus gibbsii'' is a species of

milkvetch ''Astragalus'' is a large genus of over 3,000 species of herbs and small shrubs, belonging to the legume family Fabaceae and the subfamily Faboideae. It is the largest genus of plants in terms of described species. The genus is native to tempe ...

known by the common name Gibbs's milkvetch. It is native to eastern California, the north-central

Sierra Nevada The Sierra Nevada () is a mountain range in the Western United States, between the Central Valley of California and the Great Basin. The vast majority of the range lies in the state of California, although the Carson Range spur lies primarily ...

, and western Nevada, where it grows in the pine forest habitat of the mountains and the sagebrush of the plateaus.

Description

''Astragalus gibbsii'' is low-lying perennial herb forming clumps of hairy, gray-green stems up to 35 centimeters long. Leaves are up to about 9 centimeters long and are made up of several pairs of oval to oblong leaflets. The large inflorescence bears up to 30 yellowish or cream-colored pouched, podlike flowers, each between 1 and 2 centimeters long. The fruit is a hanging

legume A legume () is a plant in the family Fabaceae (or Leguminosae), or the fruit or seed of such a plant. When used as a dry grain, the seed is also called a pulse. Legumes are grown agriculturally, primarily for human consumption, for livestock f ...

pod 2 to 3 centimeters long. It is fleshy when new and dries to a hairy, leathery texture.

References

External links

Jepson Manual Treatment – ''Astragalus gibbsii''USDA Plants Profile''Astragalus gibbsii'' – Photo gallery
gibbsii Flora of California Flora of Nevada Flora of the Sierra Nevada (United States) Flora of the Great Basin {{Astragalus-stub