Astragalus lentiginosus var. nigricalycis
Black hair milkvetch
(c) Hadley Paul Garland, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · licence
Family: Fabaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Astragalus lentiginosus var. nigricalycis (Black hair milkvetch) is a native California herb in the Fabaceae family, recognized by distinctive black hairs and large inflated fruits.
Black hair milkvetch is a California native perennial found in southern Sierra Nevada Foothills, San Joaquin Valley, south Coast Ranges, and western Transverse Ranges in dry, grassy areas and roadcuts at elevations of 100 to 1,250 meters. Flowering from March to May, this plant produces cream to yellow flowers with banner petals 12 to 18.5 millimeters long in clusters of 10 to 32 blooms. Growing with stout ascending stems 25 to 50 centimeters tall, it has distinctive spreading, curly or wavy black hairs among its flowers and fruits. Its compound leaves are 4 to 16 centimeters long, featuring 19 to 25 oblong to obovate leaflets measuring 6 to 25 millimeters. The fruit is a greatly inflated, bladdery papery pod 20 to 35 millimeters long with a 4 to 8 millimeter beak.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 30 sympatric species; distinguished by distinctive black hairs and large inflated fruits
Habitat and range
Habitat: Dry, grassy areas, roadcuts
Elevation: 100-1250 m
California counties: Kern, Santa Barbara, Ventura, Fresno, San Luis Obispo, Kings, San Benito, Tulare, San Diego
Bloom period
Astragalus lentiginosus var. nigricalycis blooms Mar-May(fall).
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. nigricalycis native to California?
Yes. Astragalus lentiginosus var. nigricalycis is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Astragalus lentiginosus var. nigricalycis bloom?
Astragalus lentiginosus var. nigricalycis blooms Mar-May(fall).
Where in California does Astragalus lentiginosus var. nigricalycis grow?
Astragalus lentiginosus var. nigricalycis occurs in Kern, Santa Barbara, Ventura, Fresno, San Luis Obispo, Kings, San Benito, Tulare and other counties, at elevations of 100-1250 m.
What plant family does Astragalus lentiginosus var. nigricalycis belong to?
Astragalus lentiginosus var. nigricalycis is in the Fabaceae family, genus Astragalus.
What habitat does Astragalus lentiginosus var. nigricalycis grow in?
Astragalus lentiginosus var. nigricalycis grows in Dry, grassy areas, roadcuts.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Astragalus lentiginosus var. piscinensis — Fish slough milkvetch
- Astragalus lentiginosus var. salinus — Sagebrush milkvetch
- Astragalus lentiginosus var. semotus — Freckled milkvetch
- Astragalus lentiginosus var. sesquimetralis — Sodaville milkvetch
- Astragalus lentiginosus var. sierrae — Big bear valley milkvetch
- Astragalus lentiginosus var. variabilis
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.