ASTRAGALUS BOETICUS

Family and Genus:- See- LEGUMINOSAE/Subgen. TRIMENIAEUS

Common Name:- Yellow milk-vetch

Homotypic Synonyms:- None

Meaning:- Astragalus (Gr) Ankle-bone, (a plant with knotted roots).

Boeticus (L) Derived from Baetica (= Andalusia), and not from the

Greek province of Boeotia (Viotia).

General description:- Hairy prostrate to suberect annual.

Stem:-

1) Rather stout (c. 5 mm in diam.), sparsely pubescent with simple or unequally

medifixed white hairs.

Leaves:-

1) 5-20 cm, imparipinnate.

2) Leaflets, 8-12 pairs, narrowly elliptical, truncate to emarginate. sparsely hairy

beneath, glabrous above, rarely some hairs medifixed.

Flowers:-

1) Peduncle, 3-7(-10) cm, erecto-patent.

2) Raceme short, dense, 2-5(-l0)-flowered.

3) Calyx, 6-8 mm, narrowly campanulate, teeth as long as the tube, with mostly

black hairs.

4) Corolla, cream, sometimes tinged purple, standard 12-14 mm; wings longer than

the keel.

Fruit:-

1) Legume, suberect, 20-35 x c. 7 mm, broadly cylindrical, triangular in transverse

section, grooved beneath, beak hooked, valves keeled, sparsely pubescent with

short, appressed white hairs.

2) Seeds, few, 5-6 x 4-4.5 mm, olive brown, smooth.

Key features:-

1) Legume, not forming a complete ring, not blackish; usually more than 6 mm

wide.

2) Valves, of the legume with a distinct keel.

3) Leaflets, 10-15 pairs.

Click here for a glossary of terms used.

Habitat:- Cultivated and fallow fields most in coastal areas, olive groves, sandy and

stony beaches, dry streambeds, ruderal habitats, 0 - 400 m.

Distribution:- Widespread in the Mediterranean area, to Madeira and the Canary

Islands in the west and W Iran in the east Iran. Rare on Crete mainly to the

northeast and northwest.

Flowering time:- Apr-May.

Photo by:- Dr.Armin Jagel