SimplePlant

Fabaceae

Spiny milkvetch

Astragalus kentrophyta A.Gray

Family
Fabaceae
Genus
Astragalus

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Spiny milkvetch: Astragalus kentrophyta growing on top of Table Mountain. The marginal hairs of each leaflet are oriented radially seemingly to act as a moisture trap.
Photo: Matt Lavin from Bozeman, Montana, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons

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Common names

By language (2)
English
Spiny milkvetch
nv
Mąʼii náʼoołjił azeeʼ

Synonyms

  • Astragalus kentrophyta var. kentrophyta
  • Astragalus montanus (Nutt.) M.E.Jones
  • Homalobus montanus (Nutt.) Britton
  • Kentrophyta montana Nutt. ex Torr. & A.Gray
  • Kentrophyta montana Nutt.
  • Tragacantha montana (Nutt.) Kuntze

Characteristics

Growth habit
Forb/herb, Subshrub
Lifespan
Perennial
In the US and Canada
Canada: native, Lower 48 states: native

Photos

More in Astragalus

Sources: classification, synonyms from World Flora Online Plant List (2026-06, CC0 1.0); common names, popularity from Wikidata (2026-10-26, CC0 1.0); common names, US characteristics from USDA PLANTS Database (2025-05-29, CC0 1.0). About our plant data.