Peteria thompsoniae

Spine-noded milkvetch

Family: Fabaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 2B.1

Spine-noded milkvetch is a rare (CNPS 2B.1) California native perennial found in the California Valley and southeastern Inyo County Mountains in sandy alluvial fans at elevations of 800 to 1,800 meters. Flowering from May to June, this plant produces small flowers with a pale yellow to white corolla approximately 15 to 20 millimeters long. Growing with spreading stems 20 to 100 centimeters tall and tuberous roots, it forms an open, delicate structure. Its compound leaves feature 13 to 31 elliptic or obovate leaflets, giving the plant a fine, intricate appearance. The fruit is a glabrous pod 4 to 6 centimeters long, with dark glandular-puberulent calyces adding textural interest.

Habitat: Sandy alluvial fans

Bloom period: May-Jun

Elevation: 800-1800 m

Bioregions: DMtns (California Valley, se Inyo Co.)

California counties: Inyo

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