Astragalus gambelianus
Gambel milkvetch, little blue loco, Little Blue Loco
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Family: Fabaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Astragalus gambelianus (Gambel milkvetch) is a native California herb in the Fabaceae family, recognized by distinctive very small flowers and round fruits.
Gambel milkvetch is a California native annual found in the Central California Floristic Province in open, grassy areas and scrub at elevations below 1,450 meters. Flowering from March to July, this plant produces white flowers with purple-tinged petals in small clusters, with banner petals curving slightly. Growing with slender, erect to somewhat decumbent stems 2 to 30 centimeters tall, it has a delicate, open structure. Its leaves are composed of 7 to 15 small leaflets, each 1 to 9 millimeters long, with blunt or slightly notched tips that are approximately oblanceolate in shape. The fruit is small, ovate to round, and slightly wrinkled, with minute hairs covering its surface.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 93 sympatric species; distinctive very small flowers and round fruits
Habitat and range
Habitat: Open, grassy areas, scrub
Elevation: < 1450 m
California counties: Mendocino, San Luis Obispo, Fresno, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, Santa Barbara, San Diego, Ventura, Kern, San Bernardino, Tulare, Monterey, El Dorado, San Mateo, Placer, Calaveras, Siskiyou, Contra Costa, Lake, Madera, Glenn, Tehama, Shasta, Santa Clara, Colusa, Mariposa, Amador, San Francisco, Santa Cruz, Alameda, Butte, Napa, Tuolumne, San Benito, Sonoma, San Joaquin, Marin, Humboldt, Merced, Nevada, Stanislaus, Sutter, Sacramento, Yolo, Solano, Trinity, Yuba
Outside California: southwestern Oregon, northern Baja California
Bloom period
Astragalus gambelianus blooms Mar-Jul.
How to tell it apart
vs Vicia: Astragalus has racemes of flowers; vetches (Vicia) have tendrils at leaf tips and climbing or sprawling habit.; vs Oxytropis: Astragalus keel tip is rounded to slightly pointed; Oxytropis keel has a pronounced pointed beak.; vs Cleomella: Astragalus has pea-shaped flowers; Cleomella has 4-petaled cruciform flowers with long stamens.; vs Lupinus: Astragalus has pinnate compound leaves; lupines have palmate leaves (leaflets radiating from one point).; vs Dalea: Astragalus has typical pea flowers; Dalea has tiny flowers with petals attached to the stamen tube.
Frequently asked questions
Is Astragalus gambelianus native to California?
Yes. Astragalus gambelianus is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Astragalus gambelianus bloom?
Astragalus gambelianus blooms Mar-Jul.
Where in California does Astragalus gambelianus grow?
Astragalus gambelianus occurs in Mendocino, San Luis Obispo, Fresno, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, Santa Barbara, San Diego and other counties, at elevations of < 1450 m.
What plant family does Astragalus gambelianus belong to?
Astragalus gambelianus is in the Fabaceae family, genus Astragalus.
What habitat does Astragalus gambelianus grow in?
Astragalus gambelianus grows in Open, grassy areas, scrub.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.