Astragalus nyensis
Nye milkvetch
Family: Fabaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Conservation status: CNPS 1B.1
Astragalus nyensis (Nye milkvetch) is a native California herb in the Fabaceae family.
Nye milkvetch is a rare (CNPS 1B.1) California native annual found in desert mountain foothills at elevations of 800 to 1,520 meters. Flowering from April to May, this plant produces white flowers with faint lilac-purple veining, with petals measuring 4 to 5 millimeters and slightly recurved. Growing with slender, nearly erect stems, it forms a delicate annual herb with distinctive leaf characteristics. Its leaves feature 7 to 13 small leaflets, each 2 to 7 millimeters long, crowded and loosely folded with blunt, shallowly notched tips. The fruit is a linear-oblong pod 13 to 18 millimeters long, reflexed and incurved in a quarter circle, with a pale to brownish papery texture.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: Geographically isolated, no sympatric species
Habitat and range
Habitat: Gravelly outwash fans and flats, in foothills of desert mountains
Elevation: 800-1520 m
Outside California: to southwest Utah, northwest Arizona
Bloom period
Astragalus nyensis blooms Apr-May.
Conservation status
CNPS 1B.1
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 nyensis native to California?
Yes. Astragalus nyensis is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Astragalus nyensis bloom?
Astragalus nyensis blooms Apr-May.
What plant family does Astragalus nyensis belong to?
Astragalus nyensis is in the Fabaceae family, genus Astragalus.
Is Astragalus nyensis rare or endangered?
Astragalus nyensis carries California Rare Plant Rank 1B.1, state rank S1.
What habitat does Astragalus nyensis grow in?
Astragalus nyensis grows in Gravelly outwash fans and flats, in foothills of desert mountains.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
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.