Astragalus crassicarpus Nutt.

  • Authority

    Gleason, Henry A. & Cronquist, Arthur J. 1991. Manual of vascular plants of northeastern United States and adjacent Canada. lxxv + 910 pp.

  • Family

    Fabaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Astragalus crassicarpus Nutt.

  • Description

    Species Description - Stems clustered on a stout taproot and caudex, 1–6 dm, decumbent with ascending tip, strigose; stipules 3–10 mm; lfls 15–29, oblanceolate to elliptic, 8–15 mm, appressed-hairy on both sides or glabrous above; fls 17–25 mm; cal-tube 6–8 mm; fr subglobose, abruptly pointed, indehiscent, glabrous, bilocular, the walls 2–5 mm thick at maturity; 2n=22. Prairies and plains; Apr., May. Var. crassicarpus, with purple fls, with the pubescence of the cal appressed or ascending, partly or wholly of black hairs, and with the fr 1.5–2.5 cm, occurs from Wis. to Alta., s. to n. Mo., Okla., Tex., and N.M. (Geoprumnon c.; Astragalus caryocarpus) Var. trichocalyx (Nutt.) Barneby, with ochroleucous fls (sometimes purple-tipped), with the cal densely villous- tomentulose, and with frs 2.5–3 cm, occurs from c. Ill. to Mo., Ark., Okla., and Tex. (Geoprumnon t.; Astragalus mexicanus, misapplied) Three other vars. are more western.

  • Common Names

    ground-plum, prairie-plum