Astragalus oophorus var. oophorus

Egg milkvetch, Egg Milkvetch

Family: Fabaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 4.3

Egg milkvetch is a rare (CNPS 4.3) California native perennial found in the eastern Sierra Nevada and northern Desert Mountains in dry, open sagebrush and pinyon pine areas at elevations of 1,500 to 3,300 meters. Flowering from May to June, this plant produces delicate white to pale yellow flowers in clusters. Growing with spreading stems 20 to 40 centimeters tall, it forms loose, somewhat sprawling clusters. Its compound leaves have numerous small leaflets, typically 7 to 11 leaflets per leaf, each oval-shaped and soft green. The plant produces distinctive egg-shaped seed pods, reflecting its evocative common name.

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

Bloom period: May-Jun

Elevation: 1500-3300 m

Bioregions: SNE, n DMtns.

California counties: Mono, Inyo

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