Astragalus purshii
Pursh's milkvetch, Pursh's Milkvetch
(c) Steve Matson, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Fabaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Astragalus purshii (Pursh's milkvetch) is a native California herb in the Fabaceae family.
Pursh's milkvetch is a California native perennial herb found in rocky alpine and subalpine habitats at high elevations. Flowering from April to August, this plant produces delicate white, cream, or pink-purple flowers with petals that curve gently at about 40 degrees. Growing in dense, tangled clumps with stems 0 to 14 centimeters tall, it has a distinctive silvery-gray appearance from its fine, cottony hairs. Its leaves are 1 to 15 centimeters long, featuring 3 to 17 small leaflets that are narrowly elliptic to rounded with blunt or notched tips. The distinctive fruits resemble tiny cotton balls, ascending with dense white hairs and measuring 7 to 27 millimeters long.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: Geographically isolated, no sympatric species
Habitat and range
California counties: Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Kern, Inyo, Sierra, Ventura, Riverside, Mono, Modoc, Nevada, Siskiyou, Lassen, Plumas, Mendocino, Shasta, Alpine, Trinity, Humboldt, Fresno, Placer, Tuolumne
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 purshii native to California?
Yes. Astragalus purshii is native to California (recorded as native).
Where in California does Astragalus purshii grow?
Astragalus purshii occurs in Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Kern, Inyo, Sierra, Ventura, Riverside, Mono and other counties.
What plant family does Astragalus purshii belong to?
Astragalus purshii is in the Fabaceae family, genus Astragalus.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Astragalus purshii var. lagopinus — Pursh's milkvetch
- Astragalus purshii var. lectulus — Pursh's milkvetch
- Astragalus purshii var. purshii — Pursh's milkvetch
- Astragalus purshii var. tinctus — Pursh's milkvetch
- Astragalus pycnostachyus — Loco weed
- Astragalus pycnostachyus var. lanosissimus — Ventura marsh milkvetch
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
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.