Astragalus plattensis Nutt.

Nomenclature and Taxonomy

Astragalus plattensis, commonly known as the Platte River milkvetch, is a species of flowering plant belonging to the legume family, Fabaceae, that is native to North America. This species was first described and named in 1838.

Native Range

Its native range covers the Great Plains region of the United States, extending from southern Montana and North Dakota in the north down to central Texas in the south.

Common Name Synonymy

Astragalus plattensis is also sometimes referred to by the common name ground plum, a name that it shares with several other species in the genus Astragalus, most notably Astragalus crassicarpus.

Species Distinction

These two species are sometimes confused with one another, but they can generally be distinguished by their fruiting pods: the fruiting pods of A. crassicarpus are glabrous, meaning hairless, while the fruiting pods of A. plattensis are hairy.