Astragalus mohavensis
Desert-dwelling annual or perennial legume native to the Mojave Desert of California and Nevada, forming gray-green clumps with erect stems 35–40 cm tall, leaves up to 12 cm long with many leaflets, pinkish-purple pea-like flowers, and hairy leathery pods up to 3 cm long, blooming from late February to early July in desert scrub and Joshua Tree Woodland habitats.
Common Names
Mojave Milkvetch
Summary
Mojave milkvetch is an annual or perennial herb native to the Mojave Desert of California and Nevada. It forms clumpy gray-green patches with upright stems up to 35 cm tall; leaves reach about 12 cm long with many oval leaflets, and the inflorescences bear up to 15 pinkish-purple flowers about 1 cm long, followed by a hairy, leathery legume pod up to 3 cm long. Two varieties exist, including var. hemigyrus, which is rare and restricted to Nevada with curved or coiled seed pods.
Desert rocky habitats host this native plant, reflecting its desert adaptation. The varietal distinction includes var. hemigyrus as rare and extirpated from the California side.
Lifecycle
Annual, Perennial
Height
2-14 inches
Soil Type
Rocky desert soil
Bloom Color
Pink to Purple
Bloom Time
Spring
Foliage Color
Gray-green
Growth Rate
Not specified
Seasons of Interest
Winter, Spring, Summer
Attracts Wildlife
Attracts butterflies and moths
Taxonomy
- Taxonomic Rank
- Species
- Author
- S.Watson
- Publication
- Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 20: 361 (1885)
Superior Taxa
- Kingdom
- Plantae
- Subkingdom
- Pteridobiotina
- Phylum
- Angiosperms
- Order
- Fabales
- Family
- Fabaceae
- Subfamily
- Papilionoideae
- Genus
- Astragalus
Inferior Taxa
Astragalus mohavensis var. mohavensis Astragalus mohavensis var. hemigyrus