Guard Milkvetch
Astragalus zionis var. vigulus
NatureServe conservation status
Global (G-rank): G4?T1
State (S-rank): S1
Utah Wildlife Action Plan status
- SGCN
External links
General information
Astragalus zionis var. vigulus is known from Washington County, Utah where it is found only on the east slope of the Pine Valley Mountains. This species is often associated with pinyon-juniper, mountain mahogany and oak-Garrya plant communities. Guard Milkvetch is a matforming plant with pinkish purple flowers blooming on top of tall leafy stem up above the leaves.
Description
Astragalus zionis var. vigulus is known from Washington County, Utah where it is found only on the east slope of the Pine Valley Mountains. This species is often associated with pinyon-juniper, mountain mahogany and oak-Garrya plant communities. Guard Milkvetch is a matforming plant with pinkish purple flowers blooming on top of tall leafy stem up above the leaves.
Diagnostic characteristics
Astragalus zionis var. vigulus is distinguished from Astragalaus zionis var. zionis by its larger pods (25-35 mm long, 9-12 mm wide for var. vigulus vs. 15-25 mm long, 5.5-9 mm wide for var. zionis) and overall plant size, both are matforming, (var. vigulus is up to 1m across, var. zionis is up to 25 cm across). These varieties can occur in the same general region.
Species range
Endemic to the east slope of the Pine Valley Mountains of Washington County, Utah.
Threats or limiting factors
The main threats are from habitat degradation due to grazing, invasive species, and drought. Potential threats that occur on forest managed lands include improper grazing and recreation (Franklin 2005).
Taxonomy
No, this species does not have taxonomic discrepancies