Astragalus lentiginosus var. lentiginosus

Freckled milkvetch

Family: Fabaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Freckled milkvetch is a California native perennial found in the Modoc Plateau in dry, open areas with sagebrush or pine forests at elevations of 900 to 1,800 meters. Flowering from May to July, this plant produces cream-colored flowers with lilac-tinged wing bases, ranging 8 to 22 blossoms per inflorescence. Growing with prostrate or decumbent stems 10 to 50 centimeters long, it spreads in a low, sprawling form. Its compound leaves have 5 to 19 widely obovate leaflets, each 5 to 18 millimeters long, giving the plant a delicate, textured appearance. The fruit is a distinctive lanceolate pod 10 to 23 millimeters long, strongly curved and stiff-papery.

Habitat: Dry, open areas, sagebrush or pines

Bloom period: May-Jul

Elevation: 900-1800 m

Bioregions: MP

California counties: Plumas, Lassen, Modoc, Mono, San Bernardino, Siskiyou, Shasta

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