Astragalus phoenix
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| Barneby |
Astragalus phoenix (in English as Ash Meadows Milkvetch = Ash-Meadows-Tragant) is a rare plant species of the genus tragacanth ( Astragalus ) within the legume family (Fabaceae). It is native to Ash Meadows , Nevada .
features
Astragalus phoenix is a perennial plant that forms dense hemispheres or leaf mats from over 100 leaf rosettes with a diameter of 40 to 50 cm. The stems are repeatedly branched and tower above the leaves. The 1.5 to 3.5 cm long leaves are divided into 1 to 4 leaflets. The coat consists of relatively coarse, spreading hairs. The pea-shaped flowers sit individually or in pairs on 5 mm long, permanently erect stems. They often hardly protrude beyond the opposite stipules. The petals are pinkish-purple. The up to 1.8 cm long and up to 1 cm wide pod is egg-shaped and pointed. The flowering time is from April to the beginning of May. Astragalus phoenix presumably descends from Astragalus newberryi .
distribution and habitat
The range of Astragalus phoenix covers an area of 7 × 3 miles. Populations are restricted to 13 sites in the Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge , Nye County , Nevada. The species grows exclusively on soils with a mineral crust and is not found in disturbed areas. The habitat includes dry, hard, white wastelands, arroyos and knolls of calcareous, alkaline soils.
status
Astragalus phoenix was included in the Endangered Species Act on June 16, 1976 in the endangered category. The main threats come from grazing cattle, grazing rabbits, dust from disturbed soils and the trampling of horses in open terrain. Since 1969, the range of the species has shrunk by half.
literature
- Gren Lucas, Hugh Synge, International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources. Threatened Plants Committee: The IUCN plant red data book: comprising red data sheets on 250 selected plants threatened on a world scale . IUCN, 1978. ISBN 9782880322021
