Search / Plant Profile / Astragalus tortipes

Plant Profile

Sleeping Ute Milkvetch (Astragalus tortipes)

Global Rank: G1 - Critically Imperiled
Legal Status: N/A
Family: Fabaceae
State: CO
Nature Serve ID: 149331
Lifeform: Forb/herb
Date Inducted in National Collection:

Description:

Astragalus tortipes J.L. Anderson and J.M. Porter, the Sleeping Ute Milkvetch, is a very rare endemic plant known from 2 populations in southwestern Colorado. It is a relatively new species, described in 1994 by J.L. Anderson and J.M. Porter. It is distinguishable from other Astragalus species by the hyper-twisting of pedicels, which causes the pods to be erect. A. tortipes flowers from April to early May.

Where is Sleeping Ute Milkvetch (Astragalus tortipes) located in the wild?

Habitat:

Astragalus tortipes is found in mixed desert scrub at 1700-1740 meters. It is generally in scattered populations on the lower slopes of ridges and knolls. The parent material is Cretaceous Mancos Shale.

Distribution:

Astragalus tortipes is known from two occurrences which are both found in an area of 25 square kilometers in Motezuma County, Colorado, within the Ute Mountain Reservation.

States & Provinces:

Sleeping Ute Milkvetch can be found in Colorado

Which CPC Partners conserve Sleeping Ute Milkvetch (Astragalus tortipes)?

Denver Botanic Gardens

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

Nature Serve Biotics

05/02/2017

Astragalus tortipes is currently known only from an area of about 10 square kilometers in extreme southwestern Colorado. According to Anderson and Porter (1994), the nearest similar edaphic and elevational habitat occurs 160 km away from the known occurrences, and recent botanical investigations there failed to note any populations of Astragalus tortipes. Many plants were lost during construction of canals for McPhee Reservoir and there may be some continued impacts from increased vehicle accessibility. Agricultural development is another potential threat.

Laura Smith

01/01/2010

Off-road vehicle impacts and agricultural development may threaten Astragalus tortipes. Cattle grazing and prairie dogs do not appear to threaten this species.

Laura Smith

01/01/2010

Approximately 3,000 to 4,000 plants were documented in 2000 (Colyer 2000).

Laura Smith

01/01/2010

Not Available

Laura Smith

01/01/2010

Not Available

Laura Smith

01/01/2010

Inventory work is needed to survey for more populations. Protection is needed for known populations and habitat.

Laura Smith

01/01/2010

Not Available