[Milk-vetches: The Genus Astragalus in the Columbia River Gorge of Oregon and Washington]

Curvepod Milk-vetch, Curve-pod Milk-vetch, Medic Milk-vetch, Spiral-pod Milk-vetch, Threadstalk Milkvetch, Threadstalk Milk-vetch

Astragalus speirocarpus

Curvepod Milk-vetch, Curve-pod Milk-vetch, Medic Milk-vetch, Spiral-pod Milk-vetch, Threadstalk Milkvetch, Threadstalk Milk-vetch: Astragalus speirocarpus

Curvepod milk-vetch as seen in upland prairie atop the Roosevelt Grade, Roosevelt, WA.................April 18, 2010.
Characteristics:

Curvepod milk-vetch is a tufted, numerous branched, prostrate perennial with spreading to ascending stems from 10-40 cm long. Its herbage is gray, with numerous short microscopic hairs that are sharp, stiff and appressed to the stems and leaves. The pinnately compound leaves are 3 to 6 cm in length, with 9 to 17 leaflets which are oblong and rounded to obovate with blunt or notched tips.

The flower stems are shorter than or about equal to the upper leaves. The spreading or ascending flowers are found in loose to closely flowered racemes of ten to forty flowers. The flowers are white to lavender in color, often with a bluish tinge (especially the keel). Individual flowers are 14 to 20 mm in length. The wings are two to four mm longer than the keel.

The tubular calyx is grayish, hairy, and 6 to 9 mm in length. The calyx teeth have short, triangular teeth less than one-fourth the length of the tube.

The distinctive seed pods are pendulous, with strongly compressed bodies, and usually coiled 1.5 to 2.5 turns. The surface of the pods is marked with reddish specks and bears a fair amount of appressed, stiff hairs.

Habitat:

Curvepod milk-vetch is found on rocky sagebrush slopes near the Columbia River.

Range:

Curvepod milk-vetch is found in central Washington in Yakima, Kittitas, Klickitat, and Benton counties.

- -

The photos above show several views of curvepod milk-vetch as seen on slopes above Washington Highway 14 about one-half mile east of Roosevelt, WA..........June 2, 2008. Click on each photo to see an enlarged view of each.

Inflorescence of Curvepod Milk-vetch, Curve-pod Milk-vetch, Medic Milk-vetch, Spiral-pod Milk-vetch, Threadstalk Milkvetch, Threadstalk Milk-vetch: Astragalus speirocarpus

Close-up of the flowers of curvepod milk-vetch as seen in upland prairie atop the Roosevelt Grade, Roosevelt, WA...........April 18, 2010.

Curvepod Milk-vetch, Curve-pod Milk-vetch, Medic Milk-vetch, Spiral-pod Milk-vetch, Threadstalk Milkvetch, Threadstalk Milk-vetch: Astragalus speirocarpus - Curvepod Milk-vetch, Curve-pod Milk-vetch, Medic Milk-vetch, Spiral-pod Milk-vetch, Threadstalk Milkvetch, Threadstalk Milk-vetch: Astragalus speirocarpus - Curvepod Milk-vetch, Curve-pod Milk-vetch, Medic Milk-vetch, Spiral-pod Milk-vetch, Threadstalk Milkvetch, Threadstalk Milk-vetch: Astragalus speirocarpus

Prostrate growth pattern of curvepod milk-vetch as seen in upland prairie atop the Roosevelt Grade, Roosevelt, WA..........April 18, 2010.

Flower of Curvepod Milk-vetch, Curve-pod Milk-vetch, Medic Milk-vetch, Spiral-pod Milk-vetch, Threadstalk Milkvetch, Threadstalk Milk-vetch: Astragalus speirocarpus - Sideview of the corolla and calyx of Curvepod Milk-vetch, Curve-pod Milk-vetch, Medic Milk-vetch, Spiral-pod Milk-vetch, Threadstalk Milkvetch, Threadstalk Milk-vetch: Astragalus speirocarpus - Curvepod Milk-vetch, Curve-pod Milk-vetch, Medic Milk-vetch, Spiral-pod Milk-vetch, Threadstalk Milkvetch, Threadstalk Milk-vetch: Astragalus speirocarpus

Leaf of Curvepod Milk-vetch, Curve-pod Milk-vetch, Medic Milk-vetch, Spiral-pod Milk-vetch, Threadstalk Milkvetch, Threadstalk Milk-vetch: Astragalus speirocarpus

Close-up views of curvepod milk-vetch as seen along Alderdale Road about 3 miles north of its junction with Washington Highway SR14 in eastern Klickitat County..........April 25, 2010.

Sideview of the flower of Curvepod Milk-vetch, Curve-pod Milk-vetch, Medic Milk-vetch, Spiral-pod Milk-vetch, Threadstalk Milkvetch, Threadstalk Milk-vetch: Astragalus speirocarpus - Stipule of Curvepod Milk-vetch, Curve-pod Milk-vetch, Medic Milk-vetch, Spiral-pod Milk-vetch, Threadstalk Milkvetch, Threadstalk Milk-vetch: Astragalus speirocarpus - Stem leaf of Curvepod Milk-vetch, Curve-pod Milk-vetch, Medic Milk-vetch, Spiral-pod Milk-vetch, Threadstalk Milkvetch, Threadstalk Milk-vetch: Astragalus speirocarpus

Upper stem leaves of Curvepod Milk-vetch, Curve-pod Milk-vetch, Medic Milk-vetch, Spiral-pod Milk-vetch, Threadstalk Milkvetch, Threadstalk Milk-vetch: Astragalus speirocarpus - Curvepod Milk-vetch, Curve-pod Milk-vetch, Medic Milk-vetch, Spiral-pod Milk-vetch, Threadstalk Milkvetch, Threadstalk Milk-vetch: Astragalus speirocarpus - Curvepod Milk-vetch, Curve-pod Milk-vetch, Medic Milk-vetch, Spiral-pod Milk-vetch, Threadstalk Milkvetch, Threadstalk Milk-vetch: Astragalus speirocarpus

Additional close-up photos of curvepod milk-vetch as seen on the shrub-steppe along Sixprong Road several miles east of the Roosevelt Grade Road, eastern Klickitat County..........April 25, 2010.

Curvepod Milk-vetch, Curve-pod Milk-vetch, Medic Milk-vetch, Spiral-pod Milk-vetch, Threadstalk Milkvetch, Threadstalk Milk-vetch: Astragalus speirocarpus - Curvepod Milk-vetch, Curve-pod Milk-vetch, Medic Milk-vetch, Spiral-pod Milk-vetch, Threadstalk Milkvetch, Threadstalk Milk-vetch: Astragalus speirocarpus

Curvepod milkvetch blooming along Washington Highway 14 about mile east of Roosevelt, WA.......May 2, 2019.

Pods of Curvepod Milk-vetch, Curve-pod Milk-vetch, Medic Milk-vetch, Spiral-pod Milk-vetch, Threadstalk Milkvetch, Threadstalk Milk-vetch: Astragalus speirocarpus - Curvepod Milk-vetch, Curve-pod Milk-vetch, Medic Milk-vetch, Spiral-pod Milk-vetch, Threadstalk Milkvetch, Threadstalk Milk-vetch: Astragalus speirocarpus

Curvepod milk-vetch as seen along Washington Highway 14 about one mile east of Roosevelt, Washington..........May 16, 2011.
Paul Slichter