ASTRAGALUS ECHINATUS

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

Common Name:- None

Homotypic Synonyms:- Astragalus dasyglottis, Astragalus dasyglottis var.

pentaglottis, Astragalus echinatus var. pentaglottis, Astragalus pentaglottis

Glottis echinata, Glottis pentaglottis, Tragacantha pentaglottis

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

Echinatus (L) Covered with prickles, hedgehog-like.

General description:- Hairy short to medium annual.

Stems:-

1) 5-20(-45) cm, sparsely to densely villous.

Leaves:-

1) Imparipinnate, leaflets 5-9 pairs, 4-11 x 2-5 mm, glabrous, above, sparsely white

-pubescent beneath.

Flowers:-

1) Flowering peduncles equalling the subtending leaf, elongating in fruit.

2) Raceme, very dense, globose, c. 10 mm at anthesis, 15-20 mm in fruit, 10-16

flowered.

3) Calyx, 4-6 mm, broadly campanulate. pilose.

4) Corolla, pale yellow or suffused purple, standard c. 8 mm.

Fruit:-

1) Legume, sessile, 7-9 x 5-6 mm, tapering to a hooked beak, white-villous and

especially on the upper back covered with conspicuous, contorted, flattened and

sometimes branched protuberances 1-2 mm.

2) Seeds, 2.

Key features:-

1) Standard, c. 8 mm

2) Upper back of the legume covered with conspicuous, flattened and contorted

protuberances.

3) Legume, ± cylindrical, at least 2.5 times as long as wide.

Click here for a glossary of terms used.

Habitat:- Fallow fields, olive groves, open dry shrubby vegetation and wasteland.

0-700 m. on various substrates.

Distribution:- Widespread but scattered in the Mediterranean area from Spain and

Morocco to Greece. Rare on Crete currently known from only two locations.

Flowering time:- Apr-May.

Photos by:- Charalambos Chiotelis