Crescent Milkvetch

Crescent Milkvetch (Astragalus amphioxys)

Natural History

Crescent Milkvetch is a member of the Pea Family.

It grows to 10 inches in height and has grayish-green oval leaflets, covered with fine hairs, which grow in curving pairs of 7-21 each to 0.75 inches in length. It grows in sandy or gravelly soil in deserts, arid grasslands, and among pinyon and juniper trees at elevations between 4400 - 6000 feet.

Crescent Milkvetch can be distinguished from many similar species by its pod, which has only one chamber and a lower seam that lies in a groove rather than forming a prominent ridge.

Crescent Milkvetch blooms between March - June and produces lavender, pea-like flowers in a short cluster to 1 inch in length. Flowers are followed by a curved pod to 1 inch in length.

Back to Flora & Fauna