| Astragalus neglectus | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Fabales |
| Family: | Fabaceae |
| Subfamily: | Faboideae |
| Genus: | Astragalus |
| Species: | A. neglectus |
| Binomial name | |
| Astragalus neglectus | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Astragalus neglectus, or Cooper's milkvetch, is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae native to northeastern North America.
Astragalus neglectus is a perennial, herbaceous plant growing 30 to 90 cm tall. [2] The alternate, compound leaves have 11 to 25 leaflets. [3] The 10 to 20 white or creamy flowers form a cluster arising from the upper leaf axils. [3] The fruit is in the form of an inflated pod. [3]
The first published description of the species (as Phaca neglecta) was in A Flora of North America by John Torrey and Asa Gray in 1838. [4] The species is called Cooper's milkvetch after a William Cooper who discovered the plant described by Gray in 1856 as Astragalus cooperi (which ultimately was considered to be the same entity as A. neglectus). [5]
The range of Astragalus neglectus is centred around the Great Lakes, [3] but it also occurs from Manitoba and South Dakota east to Massachusetts and Virginia. [6] It is rare throughout most of its range. [3] It is found in wet to dry, open, often rocky habitats, especially those that are calcareous. [7] Natural disturbance is required to maintain these open habitats. [2]
Although ranked globally as apparently secure (G4), this species is considered to be a rare and potentially vulnerable species within most of the states and provinces where it occurs. [1] It is classified as endangered in Wisconsin. [8] It was formerly considered to be at risk in Minnesota but was delisted after the discovery of numerous new populations in the 1990s. [3]
