Astragalus purshii var. tinctus
Pursh's milkvetch
Photo: parent species Astragalus purshii · (c) Steve Matson, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Fabaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Astragalus purshii var. tinctus (Pursh's milkvetch) is a native California herb in the Fabaceae family, recognized by cotton ball fruits diagnostic but flower color helps separate from var. purshii.
Pursh's milkvetch is a California native perennial found in the Klamath Ranges, northern Coast Ranges, high Cascades, Sierra Nevada, Tehachapi Mountains, southern Coast Ranges, western Transverse Ranges, San Bernardino Mountains, Great Basin, and Mojave Desert regions in gravelly and sandy flats and slopes, often among pines or sagebrush at elevations of 450 to 3,000 meters. Flowering from April to June, this plant produces pink-purple to purple flowers with a banner 14.6 to 25 millimeters long and delicate petals clustered in small groups of 3 to 11 blossoms. Growing with low-spreading stems zero to 10 centimeters tall, it forms compact cushion-like clumps across open, dry landscapes. Its compound leaves extend 2 to 11 centimeters long, comprising 3 to 17 small leaflets each 2 to 14 millimeters in length. The distinctive fruit is an elongated pod 13 to 27 millimeters long, often with two chambers, containing 18 to 46 seeds.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 118 sympatric species; cotton ball fruits diagnostic but flower color helps separate from var. purshii
Habitat and range
Habitat: Gravelly, sandy flats, slopes, often with pines or sagebrush
Elevation: 450-3000 m
California counties: Kern, San Bernardino, Mono, Los Angeles, Alpine, Inyo, Ventura, Modoc, Siskiyou, Tehama, Lassen, Butte, Plumas, Mendocino, Fresno, Shasta, San Benito, Nevada, Tulare, Sierra, Lake, Trinity, Tuolumne, Riverside, Monterey, Placer, Amador, Colusa
Outside California: Oregon, Nevada
Bloom period
Astragalus purshii var. tinctus blooms Apr-Jun.
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 var. tinctus native to California?
Yes. Astragalus purshii var. tinctus is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Astragalus purshii var. tinctus bloom?
Astragalus purshii var. tinctus blooms Apr-Jun.
Where in California does Astragalus purshii var. tinctus grow?
Astragalus purshii var. tinctus occurs in Kern, San Bernardino, Mono, Los Angeles, Alpine, Inyo, Ventura, Modoc and other counties, at elevations of 450-3000 m.
What plant family does Astragalus purshii var. tinctus belong to?
Astragalus purshii var. tinctus is in the Fabaceae family, genus Astragalus.
What habitat does Astragalus purshii var. tinctus grow in?
Astragalus purshii var. tinctus grows in Gravelly, sandy flats, slopes, often with pines or sagebrush.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Astragalus pycnostachyus — Loco weed
- Astragalus pycnostachyus var. lanosissimus — Ventura marsh milkvetch
- Astragalus pycnostachyus var. pycnostachyus — Coastal marsh milkvetch
- Astragalus rattanii — Rattan's milkvetch
- Astragalus rattanii var. jepsonianus — Jepson's milkvetch
- Astragalus rattanii var. rattanii — Rattan's 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.