Astragalus deanei

Dean's milkvetch, Dean's milk-vetch, Dean's milk-vetch

Family: Fabaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.1

Dean's milkvetch is a rare (CNPS 1B.1) California native perennial found in the southwestern San Diego County region of the Peninsular Ranges in open shrubby chaparral slopes at elevations of 250 to 800 meters. Flowering from March to May, this plant produces white flowers with banners 9.5 to 15.2 millimeters long that curve back at a 45-degree angle. Growing with erect stems 30 to 60 centimeters tall, it has a coarse, nearly hairless habit. Its compound leaves are 8 to 18 centimeters long, composed of 19 to 29 lanceolate to oblong leaflets with raised midribs, each 4 to 21 millimeters long. The fruit is a distinctive bladdery pod 15 to 30 millimeters long, ascending and drying to a papery texture.

Habitat: Open shrubby slopes in chaparral

Bloom period: Mar-May

Elevation: 250-800 m

Bioregions: PR (sw San Diego Co.).

California counties: San Diego, Riverside

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.