Cicer milkvetch Astragalus cicer L. is a cool season, perennial legume introduced to North America from Europe. In wellmanaged stands, the plant is long lived and competitive. Cicer milkvetchs rooting system consists of a short,branched taproot and a dense mass of thick rhizomes. Roots do not penetrate the soil as deeply as those of alfalfa generally extending less than 1 m vertically. Rhizomatous growth permits new roots to emerge from nodes along the rhizomes but independent plants do not develop from the rhizomes. Cicer milkvetch plants will spread horizontally to 120 cm in diameter under favorable conditions. Cicer milkvetch stems are hollow,succulent and grow upright early in the season. As plants mature stem growth begins to bend over or trail,leaving the plant decumbent or prostrate. When grown in mixtures with grasses,stem growth tends to be more upright. Crop height is around 70 cm although stems can reach a length of 1.2 m by the flower stage. Cicer milkvetch is multifoliate with a single leaf consisting of 10 to 13 pairs of leaflets attached to a midrib,plus one terminal leaflet. The leaftostem ratio is generally higher than in alfalfa,and the retention of leaves is also better in mature plants. The inflorescence is a spike of up to 60 pale yellow to white flowers. Seedpods change from a pale yellow to black with maturity. Cicer milkvetch flowers are crosspollinated by bumblebees,honeybees or leaf cutter bees. Seeds are almost twice the size of alfalfa and covered with a naturally thick coating that protects them from the environment. Consequently, recommended seeding rates for a pure stand should be double those of a comparable seeding of alfalfa.

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