About Astragalus lentiginosus Douglas ex Hook.
Its scientific name is Astragalus lentiginosus Douglas ex Hook. Astragalus lentiginosus is a perennial herb, and occasionally grows as an annual. Its leaves reach up to 15 centimetres (5.9 inches) long, divided into many pairs of small leaflets. The plant grows in a form ranging from prostrate to erect, and its texture ranges from quite woolly to nearly hairless. The inflorescence holds up to 50 pea-like flowers that may be purplish, whitish, or a mix of both colors. Most varieties share one unifying characteristic: an inflated, beaked legume pod with a groove along its side. When the pod dries, it develops a papery texture, and splits open starting at the beak to release its seeds. The species epithet lentiginosus refers to the red mottling commonly found on the pods, which resembles freckles. The plant's bloom period falls between the months of March, April, and May. As a whole species, Astragalus lentiginosus is distributed throughout the Great Basin of North America, ranging west from the Rocky Mountains to the California Coast Ranges, south into Mexico, and north to British Columbia. Its varieties are largely limited to marginal habitats such as disturbed sites in the arid regions of the continent. This group also contains a number of edaphic specialists that grow at desert seeps, which frequently have high levels of calcium carbonate. Astragalus lentiginosus is currently not cultivated commercially. Propagation from seed requires scarification of the seed coat to allow the embryo to absorb water. The Zuni people eat the pods of the diphysus variety fresh, boiled, or salted. These pods are also dried and stored for use during the winter.
