Species Detail Forb

Flower		Yavapai County Native & Naturalized Plants Astragalus nuttallianus - smallflowered milkvetch Plant Form: Forb or Subshrub Family: Fabaceae
Flower


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Flowers Max Licher @http://swbiodiversity.org, Usage Rights: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (CC BY-SA)	Leaves Max Licher @http://swbiodiversity.org, Usage Rights: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (CC BY-SA)	Plant Anthony Mendoza @http://swbiodiversity.org, Usage Rights: Attribution-Non-Commercial (CC BY-NC)	Fruit Patrick Alexander @http://swbiodiversity.org, Usage Rights: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (CC BY-SA)

Forb Plant Description

Origin: Native Life Cycle: Annual
General Desc: Annual plant covered with slender, stiff, closely appressed hairs. Stem is prostrate or weakly ascending.
Identification notes: Plants have an evident stem. Flowers are 18 to 23 mm long. Calyx is less than 2/3 as long as the flower tube. Leaflets are 4mm wide.
Height: 2 to 18 inches

Habitat

Habitat Description: Open grasslands, gravel and sand, rocky ledges.
Plant Communities: Desert Scrub, Interior Chaparral, Semidesert Grasslands
Elevation: Below 4500 feet

Flower Characteristics

Color: Purplish-blue Shape: Irregular in elongated clusters Tubular: Y Flowering Period: Feb - May
Description: Tiny flowers have a white center with an arching, spreading purple banner. There are from 1 to 7 flowers per cluster.

Leaf and Stem Characteristics

Leaf Color: Grayish-green Leaf Type: Compound Leaf Shape: Pinnatifid Leaf Margin: Smooth Leaf Attachment: Alternate Leaves Clasp: N
Hairs: Leaves and stems Spines: N
Leaf Description: Leaves are generally compound, alternate, and stipuled.

Fruit and Seed Characteristics

Fruit Color: Green turning red
Fruit Type: Pod
Fruit Notes: Elongated pods curve moderately inward as they dry. They have a groove along the outside suture and the suture on the inward side of the curve is slightly raised. They are 1/2 to 3/4 inch long.
Seed Notes: There are 12 to 16 bean shaped seeds per pod.


	Arizona Cooperative Extension Yavapai County 840 Rodeo Dr #C Prescott, AZ 86305 (928) 445-6590	Version 8.0 http://cales.arizona.edu/yavapaiplants/SpeciesDetailForb.php Last Updated: Dec 13, 2022 Content Questions/Comments: Email Matt Halldorson Legal Disclaimer