Astragalus johannis-howellii

Long valley milkvetch, Long Valley Milkvetch, Long Valley milk-vetch, Long Valley milk-vetch

Family: Fabaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.2

Long valley milkvetch is a rare (CNPS 1B.2) California native perennial found in southwestern Mono County in the Southeastern Desert bioregion, inhabiting sandy areas and sagebrush scrub at elevations of 2,050 to 2,550 meters. Flowering from June to August, this plant produces white flowers with a banner petal that curves back at a 90-degree angle, creating a distinctive reflexed appearance. Growing with slender, prostrate or decumbent stems 3 to 20 centimeters long and widely branched, it forms an open, delicate structure. Its compound leaves feature 13 to 23 narrow, obovate leaflets each 2 to 6 millimeters long, with glabrous upper surfaces. The fruit is a half-ellipsoid, three-sided pod 7 to 11 millimeters long, hanging pendently with a thin, papery texture.

Habitat: Sandy areas, sagebrush scrub

Bloom period: Jun-Aug

Elevation: 2050-2550 m

Bioregions: SNE (sw Mono Co.)

California counties: Mono

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