Astragalus lentiginosus var. sierrae

Big bear valley milkvetch, Big Bear Valley Milkvetch

Family: Fabaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.2

Big bear valley milkvetch is a rare (CNPS 1B.2) California native perennial found in the Transverse Ranges in rocky meadows and pine woodland at elevations of 1,700 to 3,200 meters. Flowering from May to July, this plant produces predominantly white flowers with pink-tinged tips in clusters of 5 to 15 blossoms. Growing with loosely matted, prostrate stems that are widely branched and 10 to 35 centimeters long, it spreads across the ground in an open, delicate pattern. Its compound leaves feature 15 to 21 crowded leaflets, each 3 to 8 millimeters long and distinctively obovate with gently arched midribs. The fruit is a papery, bladdery pod 15 to 22 millimeters long, sparsely covered with stiff hairs and tapering to a short 3 to 6 millimeter beak.

Habitat: Rocky meadows, pine woodland

Bloom period: May-Jul

Elevation: 1700-3200 m

Bioregions: TR.

California counties: San Bernardino, Mono, Ventura, Inyo

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