Sandhills Milkvetch / Center For Plant Conservation
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Plant Profile

Sandhills Milkvetch (Astragalus michauxii)

Photo Credit: M. Kunz
  • Global Rank: G3 - Vulnerable
  • Legal Status: N/A
  • Family: Fabaceae
  • State: AL, GA, NC, SC
  • Nature Serve ID: 159221
  • Lifeform: Forb/herb
  • Date Inducted in National Collection:
Description:

Astragalus michauxii is an herbaceous, long-lived perennial producing one to several erect stems to 1 m (3.3 ft) in height,  flowering in axillary racemes from April – June, and fruiting as dehiscent pods June – October.  In the most recent taxonomic treatment, Barneby (1964) places A. michauxii as the sole species in a phalanx, noting the differences from other southeastern species of Astragalus.

Where is Sandhills Milkvetch (Astragalus michauxii) located in the wild?

Habitat:

are found in the pine/scrub oak sandhill and xeric sandhill scrub communities of the longleaf pine ecosystem, part of the greater Coastal Plain physiographic province

Distribution:

Astragalus michauxii is endemic to the Fall-line Sandhills of North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia (Sorrie and Weakley 2001) with most remaining populations having fewer than 20 individuals (Wall et al. 2012).  There are approximately 46 populations remaining in NC and only 3 in SC.  In GA,  of 22 documented populations in only 8 remain with 4 on protected land (Chafin 2007).

States & Provinces:

Sandhills Milkvetch can be found in Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina

Which CPC Partners conserve Sandhills Milkvetch (Astragalus michauxii)?

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

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Nomenclature
Taxon Astragalus michauxii
Authority (Kuntze) F.J. Herm.
Family Fabaceae
CPC Number 8626
ITIS 25577
USDA ASMI2
Duration Perennial
Common Names Sandhills Milk-vetch | sandhill's milk-vetch | sandhills milkvetch
Associated Scientific Names Astragalus michauxii | Tium michauxii | Astragalus apilosus | Astragalus glaber | Tium apilosum | Tragacantha michauxii
Distribution Astragalus michauxii is endemic to the Fall-line Sandhills of North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia (Sorrie and Weakley 2001) with most remaining populations having fewer than 20 individuals (Wall et al. 2012).  There are approximately 46 populations remaining in NC and only 3 in SC.  In GA,  of 22 documented populations in only 8 remain with 4 on protected land (Chafin 2007).
State Rank
State State Rank
Alabama S1
Georgia S2
North Carolina S3
South Carolina S3
Ecological Relationships

Photos
Newsletters
Reintroduction
Lead Institution State Reintroduction Type Year of First Outplanting
North Carolina Botanical Garden and US Army Corps of Engineers CERL North Carolina Reintroduction 2012

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