Astragalus bisulcatus (Two-Grooved Milk-Vetch) - photos and description
Origin: Native.
General: Plants form a dense clump of many stems from a central taproot. Stems are reddish coloured and are finely pubescent. Plants have a heavy, unpleasant smell.
Flowers: Flowers are showy, purple-red in colour, pendulous, and grow in spikes from leaf axils. Flowers were measured to 15 mm long.
Fruit: The pods are pendant, with the upper side of the pod having two deep grooves. We measured pods to 12 mm long.
Leaves: Leaves are alternate, pinnate, I counted up to 29 leaflets. Leaflets ovate to oblanceolate, measured at 22 mm long by 10 mm wide. Bottom of leaves pubescent.
Height: Height listed in Budd's Flora to 80 cm, we've measured plants to 60 cm tall.
Habitat: Habitat is dry prairie grassland.
Abundance: Common.
When and where photographed: Photos taken May 28th, prairie slopes of the Qu'Appelle Valley, Crooked Lake provincial park about 150 km east Regina, SK, June 12th, grassy area outskirts of the city of Regina, SK, June 28th prairie hillside in the Big Muddy, about 175 km south of Regina, SK, and July 21st shore of saline lake in prairie, about 400 km southwest of our home in Regina, SK.