Hamilton's Milkvetch
Astragalus hamiltonii
NatureServe conservation status
Global (G-rank): G2
State (S-rank): S2
Utah Wildlife Action Plan status
- SGCN
External links
General information
Astragalus hamiltonii is a candidate species for federal listing known from Uintah County, Utah where it is fund only in the Unita Basin. This species grows on gullied bluffs and barren hilltops in desert shrub and juniper communities. Hamilton's Milkvetch is an upright herb topped with faint yellow flowers and pendulous hanging fruit. This species has thin leaves and an overall slender-stemmed form that brightens up the dry desert landscape with a burst of life wherever it grows.
Description
Astragalus hamiltonii is a candidate species for federal listing known from Uintah County, Utah where it is fund only in the Unita Basin. This species grows on gullied bluffs and barren hilltops in desert shrub and juniper communities. Hamilton's Milkvetch is an upright herb topped with faint yellow flowers and pendulous hanging fruit. This species has thin leaves and an overall slender-stemmed form that brightens up the dry desert landscape with a burst of life wherever it grows.
Phenology
This species flowers between May and June.
Diagnostic characteristics
Astragalus hamiltonii can be look similar to Astragalus lonchocarpus and is essentially a more pronouced version of Astragalus lonchocarpus which is more slender and and has narrower leaflets and fruit.
Astragalus hamiltonii has petals that are light yellow, the fruit is 25-35 mm long and 4-7.5 mm thick, the leaflets are 2-7 mm wide
Astragalus lonchocarpus has flowers that are almost white to light yellow, the fruit is 22–50 mm long and 3.3–6.2 mm wide, the leaflets are 0.5-4 mm wide.
Species range
A Uintah Basin endemic, found in Uintah County, Utah
Threats or limiting factors
Threats include grazing, recreation and drought.
Taxonomy
No, this species does not have taxonomic discrepancies