Astragalus bernardinus
A slender, wiry perennial herb in the Fabaceae native to desert and dry mountain slopes of Southern California, with stems 10–50 cm long, leaves up to 14 cm long with lance-shaped leaflets, a loose inflorescence of up to 25 pale purple pea-like flowers and pale legume pods up to 3 cm long, blooming April–June in the San Bernardino Mountains and Mojave Desert sky islands, growing in pinyon–juniper and Joshua Tree woodlands, and listed as vulnerable and endemic California rarity 1B.2 at elevations of 900–2,000 m.
Common Names
San Bernardino Milkvetch, Lesser Three-Keeled Milkvetch
Summary
San Bernardino milkvetch is a slender, wiry perennial herb in the Fabaceae native to California and Nevada, occurring in Joshua Tree Woodland and Pinyon–Juniper Woodland at elevations of about 900–2300 m. It forms ascending to scrambling clumps with stems 10–50 cm long; leaves up to 14 cm with widely spaced leaflets; an inflorescence that is a loose cluster of up to 25 light purple flowers, and a pale legume pod up to 3 cm as the fruit; blooms April–June.
Cultivation and practical considerations center on dry, well-drained soils in desert and dry mountain habitats, such as gravelly washes and rocky mesas in granitic soils; native range includes California and Nevada; the plant is toxic and not edible; it supports wildlife including caterpillars and butterflies; conservation status includes global rank G3 and California Rare Plant Rank 1B.2, with threats from mining, development, grazing, and recreation.
Lifecycle
Perennial
Height
4-20 inches
Soil Type
Granitic and carbonate soils, including granitic, gravelly soils (gravelly washes) and rarely calcareous
Soil Drainage
Well-drained
Bloom Color
Purple
Bloom Time
Spring
Foliage Color
Greenish, Purple
Growth Rate
Perennial
Seasons of Interest
Spring and Summer
Attracts Wildlife
Attracts butterflies
Taxonomy
- Taxonomic Rank
- Species
- Author
- M.E.Jones
- Publication
- Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci. , ser. 2, 5: 611 (1895)
Superior Taxa
- Kingdom
- Plantae
- Subkingdom
- Pteridobiotina
- Phylum
- Angiosperms
- Order
- Fabales
- Family
- Fabaceae
- Subfamily
- Papilionoideae
- Genus
- Astragalus