Astragalus oophorus var. lavinii

Lavin's milkvetch

Family: Fabaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.2

Lavin's milkvetch is a rare (CNPS 1B.2) California native perennial found in the eastern Sierra Nevada in the Bodie Hills and Sweetwater Mountains of Mono County in dry, open sagebrush and pinyon pine areas at elevations of approximately 2,000 meters. Flowering from June to July, this plant produces white to cream-colored flowers in small clusters characteristic of the milkvetch genus. Growing with slender stems up to 30 centimeters tall, it forms a compact, low-growing habit typical of high-elevation legumes. Its pinnately compound leaves have multiple small leaflets, creating a delicate, feathery appearance that helps the plant blend into its arid mountain habitat. The plant's distribution extends beyond California into western and central Nevada, highlighting its adaptation to harsh, high-elevation environments.

Habitat: Dry, open areas, often sagebrush, pinyon pine

Bloom period: Jun-Jul

Elevation: +- 2000 m.

Bioregions: SNE (Bodie Hills, possibly Sweetwater Mtns, Mono Co.)

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.