Astragalus lentiginosus var. fremontii
Fremont's milkvetch
(c) Hadley Paul Garland, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · licence
Family: Fabaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Astragalus lentiginosus var. fremontii (Fremont's milkvetch) is a native California herb in the Fabaceae family, recognized by very widespread with variable characteristics.
Fremont's milkvetch is a California native perennial herb found in the Tehachapi, San Joaquin Valley, south coastal ranges, western Transverse Ranges, eastern Sierra Nevada, and eastern Mojave Desert regions in open sandy flats and gravelly areas at elevations of 400 to 2,900 meters. Flowering from April to July, this plant produces purple flowers in clusters with 8 to 30 blooms, with banner petals 9 to 12 millimeters long. Growing with decumbent to erect stems 10 to 50 centimeters tall, it has a sparsely to densely hairy appearance. Its compound leaves feature 9 to 19 obovate leaflets, each 5 to 19 millimeters long, arranged along stems up to 12 centimeters. The distinctive fruit is a bladdery pod 14 to 36 millimeters long with a slightly incurved 2 to 10 millimeter beak.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 83 sympatric species; very widespread with variable characteristics
Habitat and range
Habitat: Open sandy flats, gravel
Elevation: 400-2900 m
California counties: San Bernardino, Inyo, Kern, Ventura, Mono, Riverside, Los Angeles
Outside California: southern Nevada
Bloom period
Astragalus lentiginosus var. fremontii blooms Apr-Jul(Oct, at lower elevations, DMoj).
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 lentiginosus var. fremontii native to California?
Yes. Astragalus lentiginosus var. fremontii is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Astragalus lentiginosus var. fremontii bloom?
Astragalus lentiginosus var. fremontii blooms Apr-Jul(Oct, at lower elevations, DMoj).
Where in California does Astragalus lentiginosus var. fremontii grow?
Astragalus lentiginosus var. fremontii occurs in San Bernardino, Inyo, Kern, Ventura, Mono, Riverside, Los Angeles, at elevations of 400-2900 m.
What plant family does Astragalus lentiginosus var. fremontii belong to?
Astragalus lentiginosus var. fremontii is in the Fabaceae family, genus Astragalus.
What habitat does Astragalus lentiginosus var. fremontii grow in?
Astragalus lentiginosus var. fremontii grows in Open sandy flats, gravel.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Astragalus lentiginosus var. idriensis — Freckled milkvetch
- Astragalus lentiginosus var. ineptus — Freckled milkvetch
- Astragalus lentiginosus var. kernensis — Kern plateau milkvetch
- Astragalus lentiginosus var. lentiginosus — Freckled milkvetch
- Astragalus lentiginosus var. micans — Shining milkvetch
- Astragalus lentiginosus var. nigricalycis — Black hair milkvetch
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.