Astragalus monoensis

Mono milkvetch, Mono Milkvetch

Family: Fabaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.2

Mono milkvetch is a rare (CNPS 1B.2) California native perennial found in the eastern Sierra Nevada in Mono and northern Inyo counties, inhabiting open areas with pumice sand and gravel at elevations of 2,100 to 3,400 meters. Flowering from June to August, this plant produces pale pink-tinged flowers that dry to yellow, with petals arranged in dense head-like clusters. Growing with decumbent stems 7 to 20 centimeters long, partially buried underground and adorned with dense, silky, wavy hairs, the plant emerges from a subterranean rhizome. Its leaves feature 9 to 15 crowded, small ovate leaflets measuring 2 to 8 millimeters long, with prominent underground stipule sheaths. The fruit is a papery, widely incurved-lanceolate pod 15 to 20 millimeters long, containing 18 to 20 ovules and covered in short, wavy hairs.

Habitat: Open areas, pumice sand, gravel

Bloom period: Jun-Aug

Elevation: 2100-3400 m

Bioregions: SNE (Mono, n Inyo cos.).

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.