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| Astragalus |
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Astragalus (Milkvetch) is a most intriguing plant, with its colorful seed pods strung in clusters. The late 19th - early 20th century botanist, Marcus E. Jones, identified 141 species in the west-southwest USA. In 1923 Jones moved to Claremont, California and moved his herbarium to Pomona College. Claremont woud remain his home for the rest of his life. 1923 was also the year of the publication of his monograph of Astragalus. The eminent botanist and student of Astragulus, Rupert Barneby, wrote, |
| Jones's Revision initiated a new era in the systematics of Astragalus, an era in which a search for natural evolutionary relationships between species and between groups of species began to replace emphasis on similarities in a small arbitrarily chosen set of morphological characters. |
| Astragalus has about 97 species in California. Some with several varieties. |
| Click on the photograph to view a larger size in a new Tab. In the new Tab, click on the photograph to switch between fit-to-screen, and full size, where you can scroll around to look at details. |
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Astragalus lentiginosus var. variabilis, Barneby.
Phototographed in the western Mojave Desert along Hwy 395, north of Kramer Junction. astragalus, from the Greek meaning "ankle bone" referring to the shape of the seed pods. lentiginosus = freckled, referring to freckled seed pods |
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Astragalus lentiginosus var. variabilis, Barneby.
Photographed at Walker Pass, Kern County: on the slope above the historical markers. |
Historical Markers Walker Pass, Hwy 178, Kern County 5200' Elevation |
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Astragalus trichopodus var. trichopodus, A. Gray.
Photographed at the junction of Hwy 58 and Bealville Road: the turnoff to Caliente in southern Kern County. CalFlora Location: cch:LA205766 |
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