Fabaceae : Astragalus ceramicus var. filifolius
Family Name
Fabaceae
Common Name
Painted milkvetch
Description
Astragalus ceramicus var. filifolius is a perennial herb from buried, spreading rhizomatous caudex. The solitary stems are lax to ascending, 3-40 cm long with silvery, stiff, appressed hairs. The compound leaves are alternate, odd pinnate, 2–17 cm long, often reduced to just the rachis, with the lower most leaves having 3-5 leaflets, with slender petioles and lanceolate stipules, 2–6 mm long, and often united basally. The inflorescence is comprised of axillary racemes of 2-7 white to light purple, papilionaceous flowers on peduncles of 1.5-7 cm in length. The hairy calyx tube is 2-3 mm long with teeth ~1 mm long. The banner is 6-9 mm long, the wings 6-8 mm long and the keel 6-8 mm long, all of the petals narrowed near the base. The fruit are legumes, each pod has a stipe of 1-3 mm in length, is inflated, red mottled, 3-5 cm long and 1.4-2.6 cm in diameter. Painted milkvetch blooms in June and July in sand dunes and sandy prairies in south central and northwest South Dakota.
Horticulture Notes
Seed Collection: Collect seed pods in mid to late summer.
Germination: The seed coat prevents germination. Fall sowing or scarification, by chipping the seedcoat with the point of a sharp small knife, and then spring sowing will allow germination.
Soils: Sandy soils.
Light: Full sun.
Water: Dry to mesic.
Additional Notes
Painted milkvetch is an interesting plant to grow in a native plant garden, if you have sandy soils. The mottled pods provide a stark contrast to the unimpressive foliage.