ASTRAGALUS NUMMULARIUS

Family and Genus:- See- LEGUMINOSAE/A. NUMMULARIUS group

Common Names:- None

Homotypic Synonyms:- Myobroma nummularia, Tragacantha nummularia.

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

Nummularius (L) Money-like-wort, having leaves like small coins.

General description:- Small, acaulescent perennial herb.

Leaves:-

1) 6-10(-15) cm long, prostrate, imparipinnate, with a slender rhachis.

2) Leaflets, 7-13, 4-12 x 3-8 mm, obovate to suborbicular, truncate to emarginate,

sparsely pilose.

Flowers:-

1) Racemes, 1-3-flowered, a few crowded in the leaf rosette.

2) Calyx tube, 5-8 mm, narrowly campanulate.

3) Corolla, lemon yellow;

a) standard, 15-22 mm, glabrous.

b) wings. 10-18 mm.

c) keel. 7-15 mm.

Fruit:-

1) Legume, 12-20 mm, oblong-ovate, laterally compressed, keeled on the back,

stramineous or pale brown,sparsely pilose, sometimes glabrescent in the lower

part.

Key features:-

1) Calyx-teeth shorter than the tube.

2) Legume keeled on the back.

3) Leaflets, truncate to emarginate.

Click here for a glossary of terms used.

Habitat:- Stony open dry shrubby vegetation, open pine forest, dry meadows and

thorn-cushion communities. (300-)600-1400(-2100) m.

Distribution:- Endemic to the Dikti and Afendis Kavousi massifs.

Flowering time:- Apr-May.

Photos by:- Steve Lenton

Status:-

Conservation status (for threatened species): Rare (R) according to IUCN 1997.

Protection status (for threatened species): Greek Presidential Decree 67/1981.