Astragalus sabulonum

Gravel milkvetch

Family: Fabaceae · Type: annual · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 2B.2

Gravel milkvetch is a rare (CNPS 2B.2) California native annual found in southern California deserts in sandy and gravelly habitats at elevations from 50 meters below sea level to 900 meters. Flowering from February to July, this plant produces dingy cream flowers with lilac tints, with banner petals 5.2 to 7.2 millimeters long that curve back 50 to 70 degrees. Growing low and leafy with erect or decumbent stems 2 to 26 centimeters tall, it has dense ascending or spreading wavy hairs. Its compound leaves are 1.5 to 6.5 centimeters long with 5 to 15 oblanceolate leaflets 2 to 13 millimeters long, featuring blunt tips that are slightly notched. The distinctive leathery fruit is 9 to 20 millimeters long, ovate in shape, with stiff spreading wavy hairs and often abruptly incurved near the tip.

Habitat: Sand, gravel

Bloom period: Feb-Jul(Nov--Apr in se California)

Elevation: -50-900 m

Bioregions: D

California counties: Imperial, Riverside, San Diego, Inyo

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