Fabaceae
Legume Family
Astragalus crassicarpus Nutt.
- Stem: perennial; sprawling, sometimes 2’ tall; often multistemmed from a common root crown; sparsely hairy.
- Leaves: alternate; pinnately compound; 2 1/2” by 3/4”; basal leaflets (stipules) round, 1/8” long; leaflets oval, with rounded bases and tips; 3/8” by 1/8”; hairy above and below.
- Inflorescence: racemes of crowded flowers, 3” long; from the lower leaf axils; stem growth continues leaving the flowers and fruits near the ground.
- Flowers: corolla purple (to whitish); protruding 1/2” beyond calyx; calyx 1/4” long, with dark hairs; flowers from early to late May.
- Fruits: roundish pod, 3/4” long by 1/2” in diameter, smooth; tan and wrinkled at maturity; central membrane divides the pod into two cavities; seeds black, 1/16” long; fruiting begins in late May.
- Habitat: frequent on dry to gravelly prairies and Loess Hills prairies.
- Notes: Seedpods do not seem to have predators or dispersal mechanisms. Often fruits from several years’ production can be found beneath a plant.
- Bibliography from Biodiversity Heritage Library
- Vascular Plants of Iowa
Can be found in these counties:
