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Plant Profile

Brunet's Milkvetch (Astragalus alpinus)

Global Rank: T3 - Vulnerable
Legal Status: N/A
Family: Fabaceae
State: ME, NB, NF, NH, QC, VT
Nature Serve ID: 157852
Lifeform: Forb/herb
Date Inducted in National Collection:

Description:

There are two varieties of Alpine Milkvetch: the common Astragalus alpinus var alpinus, and the much less common Astragalus alpinus var brunetianus. Both are low growing, perennial legumes that grow carpet-like in large colonial patches. They both produces nodding, white or white and purple flowers in the typical pea-flower shape from April to August. The two varieties are distinguished by the dark hairs covering the pods, which are shorter and pressed onto the stem (appressed) on A. alpinus var brunetianus. (Brzeskiewicz 2003). Both varieties of Alpine Milkvetch are of conservation concern. Astragalus alpinus var brunetianus has a small total range size and, despite being common throughout much of its range, A. alpinus var alpinus is considered rare in the Midwestern and Northeastern United States where its populations are isolated from the main range. (Brzeskiewicz 2003). This taxon is included in the MWRTF Action Plan.

Where is Brunet's Milkvetch (Astragalus alpinus) located in the wild?

Habitat:

Range-wide, A. alpinus var alpinus is found on moderately well-drained gravelly or rocky soil, in disturbed, cool sites. Its typical habitats are: rocky barrens, mountain meadows, tundra and river and lakeshores. It is a facultative wetland species in much of its range (USDA and NRCS 2017). In the Midwest (MN & WI), A. alpinus var alpinus is only found on gravelly, disturbed beaches of lakes. (Brzeskiewicz 2003).

Distribution:

Astragalus alpinus var alpinus is commonly found throughout the USA, Canada and Greenland. It becomes rare at its range edges, Utah and New Mexico to the South and Minnesota and Wisconsin to the East. It has state-level Endangered status in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Astragalus alpinus var brunetianus is only found in the Northeastern USA and Eastern Canada. It is listed as a species of Special Concern in Maine, and is extirpated from New Hampshire and Vermont. (Brzeskiewicz 2003).

States & Provinces:

Brunet's Milkvetch can be found in Maine, New Brunswick, New Hampshire, Newfoundland, Quebec, Vermont

Which CPC Partners conserve Brunet's Milkvetch (Astragalus alpinus)?

Native Plant Trust

Not Sponsored

Assigned 06/09/17

CPC's Plant Sponsorship Program provides long term stewardship of rare plants in our National Collection. We are so grateful for all our donors who have made the Plant Sponsorship Program so successful. We are in the process of acknowledging all our wonderful plant sponsorship donors on our website. This is a work in progress and will be updated regularly.

Conservation Actions

10/09/2020

Several studies have attempted to use A. alpinus as a part of revegetation projects, although only where it is common. One successfully transplanted seedlings onto coal mine spoils (Smyth 1997). Two successfully transplanted seedlings onto disturbed sites in Alaska (Bishop and Chapin 1998; Densmore 1992). Lastly, another unsuccessfully attempted to transplant seedlings onto oil-sand tailings (Li et. al. 1998)

Holly Bernardo

06/20/2017

The main threats to A. alpinus var alpinus the Midwest USA are habitat loss, mechanical damage from recreational actives on the shoreline, competition from non-native species and hydrological changes. (Brzeskiewicz 2003).

Holly Bernardo

06/20/2017

The total number of individuals for either variety A. alpinus in unknown. Again, A. alpinus var alpinus is common throughout much of its range. However, as of 2003, there were only 4 known element occurrences of A. alpinus var alpinus in the disjunct Midwestern region of its range (2 in MN and 2 in WI). The number of individuals in these Midwestern populations has been observed to vary greatly from year to year. As of the same report, there were 37 known element occurrences of A. alpinus var brunetianus in Maine. There were an additional 17-40 element occurrences of A. alpinus var brunetianus in New Brunswick, CAN, 10 on Newfoundland Island, CAN, and it is known to occur, but has not been quantified, in Labrador, CAN. (Brzeskiewicz 2003).

Holly Bernardo

06/20/2017

Holly Bernardo

06/20/2017

All four populations of A. alpinus var alpinus in MN and WI occur in National Forests, and are thus protected to some extent since both states list it as Endgangered. For example, recreation use of the beaches on which these populations occur is limited, such as prohibiting ATV access. All four of these populations are also regularly monitored. (Brzeskiewicz 2003).

Holly Bernardo

06/20/2017

Little is known about A. alpinus' basic biology or ecology for either variety, therefore, many types of research would aid in developing conservation plans. For example, optimal hydrology patterns for shoreline populations, seed germination requirements, monitoring to determine population trends, and determining minimum viable population sizes.