Astragalus nutans
Providence mountains milkvetch, Providence Mountains Milkvetch
(c) Steve Matson, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Steve Matson · licence
Family: Fabaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Conservation status: CNPS 4.3
Astragalus nutans (Providence mountains milkvetch) is a native California herb in the Fabaceae family, recognized by strongly recurved banner and triangular fruit beak.
Providence mountains milkvetch is a rare (CNPS 4.3) California native perennial found in southeastern Mojave Desert Mountains and Desert Southern California in sandy flats and washes of desert foothills at elevations of 450 to 2,000 meters. Flowering from March to June, this plant produces pink-purple flowers with paler wing tips, the banner recurving almost 90 degrees and measuring 7.8 to 10.4 millimeters long. Growing with prostrate to erect stems 6 to 15 centimeters tall and minutely strigose throughout, it develops a delicate herbage with subtle texture. Its compound leaves feature 7 to 13 leaflets, each 5 to 15 millimeters long, narrowly elliptic or obovate with acute or shallowly notched tips. The fruit is a distinctive spreading, bladdery pod 15 to 25 millimeters long, ovate in shape and sparsely hairy with a widely triangular compressed beak.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 19 sympatric species; distinguished by strongly recurved banner and triangular fruit beak
Habitat and range
Habitat: Sandy flats, washes of desert foothills, with
Elevation: 450-2000 m
California counties: San Bernardino, Riverside, Inyo, Imperial
Bloom period
Astragalus nutans blooms Mar-Jun(Oct).
Conservation status
CNPS 4.3
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 nutans native to California?
Yes. Astragalus nutans is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Astragalus nutans bloom?
Astragalus nutans blooms Mar-Jun(Oct).
Where in California does Astragalus nutans grow?
Astragalus nutans occurs in San Bernardino, Riverside, Inyo, Imperial, at elevations of 450-2000 m.
What plant family does Astragalus nutans belong to?
Astragalus nutans is in the Fabaceae family, genus Astragalus.
Is Astragalus nutans rare or endangered?
Astragalus nutans carries California Rare Plant Rank 4.3, state rank S3.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Astragalus nuttallianus — Small-flowered milkvetch
- Astragalus nuttallianus var. austrinus — Smallflowered milkvetch
- Astragalus nuttallianus var. cedrosensis — Cedros milkvetch
- Astragalus nuttallianus var. imperfectus — Turkey peas
- Astragalus nuttallii — Nuttall's milkvetch
- Astragalus nuttallii var. nuttallii — Ocean bluff milkvetch
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CNPS Rare Plant Inventory · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos · CDFW CNDDB
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.