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Mancos Milkvetch
While most others in its genus take only one year to bloom, the lavender-to-purple flowers of the Mancos milkvetch don’t appear until its third or fourth year.
About This Species
The Mancos milkvetch is a low-growing legume endemic (found nowhere else on Earth) to the Four Corners region and one of 12 federally listed endangered plants in Colorado. Many species in its genus, Astragalus, are well-adapted to harsh desert conditions and, like the Mancos milkvetch, grow on very particular soils. Astragalus is the largest plant genus in Colorado.
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Physical Characteristics
This very small perennial forms low, cushion-like mats up to 12 inches across. Like many of its relatives in the Astragalus genus (the milkvetches), its leaves are pinnately compound, which means its leaves are made up of smaller leaflets which grow in symmetrical rows on either side of the leaf stem. In late April and early May, lavender-to-purple flowers appear in short clusters called racemes, and each small flower has a lighter-colored spot in its center. When the flowers are pollinated, they develop tiny, egg-shaped seed pods (which are legumes) less than a quarter of an inch long, but the most notable characteristic of the plant is the stiff, spine-like stalks that stick out from the base, which are the remains of previous seasons' leaves.
Range
The Mancos milkvetch is found only in the Four Corners region of Colorado and New Mexico. In Colorado, it is found within 11 square miles in Montezuma County on Tribal land. This species' elevation range is 5,240 to 6,166 feet.
Threats to Species
The Mancos milkvetch is thought to be extremely vulnerable to climate change, which is the main threat that it faces in Colorado. Populations in New Mexico have been impacted by energy development.