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sleeping Ute milkvetch
Scientific Name: Astragalus tortipes
Family: Fabaceae
Category: Dicot
Growth: Forb/herb
Duration: Perennial
Other Names:
Sleeping Ute Milkvetch
The Sleeping Ute milkvetch, a rare perennial forb/herb, has garnered attention due to its limited distribution and conservation status.
Scientific Name and Common Names
- Scientific Name: Astragalus tortipes J.L. Anderson & J.M. Porter
- Common Name: Sleeping Ute Milkvetch
- Synonyms: Tortipes
Taxonomy and Nomenclature
- Kingdom: Plantae
- Family: Not explicitly mentioned, but inferred to be Fabaceae (Leguminosae) based on the genus Astragalus
- Rank: Species
Distribution and Habitat
- Endemic to Colorado, specifically the Ute Mountain Ute Reservation and Montezuma County.
- It grows on the Smokey Hills layer of the Mancos Shale Formation on Ute Mountain.
- Also found on the lower slopes of Sleeping Ute Mountain.
- Observed near Mesa Verde National Park.
Morphological Characteristics and Growth Habits
- The Sleeping Ute milkvetch is a perennial forb/herb, meaning it is a non-woody plant that lives for more than two years.
Ecological Role
- It is listed as a Tier 1 species, G1/S1, indicating it is critically imperiled.
Conservation Status
- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has removed the Sleeping Ute milkvetch from a list of candidates for protection.
Further Information
- Western Colorado Ecological Services Field Office
- Idaho Fish and Wildlife Information System