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bent milkvetch
Scientific Name: Astragalus inflexus
Family: Fabaceae
Category: Dicot
Growth: Forb/herb
Duration: Perennial
Other Names:
Astragalus inflexus: Bent Milkvetch
Astragalus inflexus, commonly known as Bent Milkvetch, is a forb/herb within the genus Astragalus. It's a non-woody plant, meaning it's not a grass.
Considerations for Pets
- Some milkvetch species are referred to as "locoweed," particularly in the western US.
Taxonomy and Nomenclature
- Scientific Name: Astragalus inflexus Douglas ex Hook.
- Common Names: Bent Milkvetch, Hairy Milk-vetch, Summer Milkvetch
- Family: Fabaceae (Pea family)
- Kingdom: Plantae
Distribution and Habitat
- Astragalus inflexus is native to Oregon.
- Astragalus distortus specimens have been found in the ISM Herbarium.
- Horseshoe milkvetch occurs in a 9000-acre region immediately east of the Horseshoe Bend.
Morphological Characteristics
- Astragalus inflexus v. vexilliflexus is a perennial forb.
- Leaves are pinnate with 7-13 leaflets.
- Inflorescences are racemes, dense, many-flowered, and 1 to 8 inches long, terminal on stalks from leaf axils. Stalks are stiffly upright, and flowers are bent.
- Flowers bloom in June and July.
- Fruits are hairless, drooping pods.
- Stems of young plants are upright but tend to bend over as the plant matures.
Related Species
- Astragalus purshii (Pursh's Milk-vetch) is common throughout much of the West and has densely matted stems.
- Astragalus vexilliflexus var. vexilliflexus (Bent-flowered milkvetch)
- Other milkvetch species include: Astragalus grayi (Slender milkvetch, Gray's milkvetch), Astragalus hyalinus, Astragalus kentrophyta (Mat milkvetch), Astragalus australis (American milk-vetch), Astragalus filipes (Russian sickle milk-vetch), Astragalus distortus (Ozark or bent milk vetch), Astragalus columbianus (Columbia milk-vetch), and Astragalus cicer (Cicer milkvetch).
Further Information
- Discover Life offers information about the biology, natural history, ecology, identification, and distribution of Astragalus inflexus.
- Dave's Garden provides tips and ideas for gardens, along with seeds and plants.
- ResearchGate has information on the status and distribution of Astragalus vexilliflexus var. vexilliflexus.
- Oregon Flora Project has information about Astragalus inflexus.