Astragalus pulsiferae

Common Names

Ames' Milkvetch, Pulsifer's Milk Vetch

Summary

Ames' milkvetch is native to California and Nevada with rare occurrences in Washington, where it inhabits mountains and plateaus in Sagebrush Scrub and Yellow Pine Forest plant communities. It is a very small perennial herb that forms mats or patches, with hairy stems under 3 cm long and leaves up to about 5 cm bearing several oval leaflets; the inflorescence carries 3–13 small white flowers with purplish veins and tips, and the fruit is a rounded legume pod 1–2 cm long that dries to a very thin papery texture with hairs. Some populations are prostrate to decumbent with subterranean or superficial caudex, and variation includes leaves with 7–13 leaflets and white or yellowish corollas with lilac veins, plus bladdery-inflated pods.

In cultivation terms, most populations occur in northeastern California and adjacent Nevada, with an outlying population in south-central Washington, and three varieties exist—coronensis, pulsiferae, and suksdorfii—differences linked to caudex position, stipule morphology, legume hair length, and underground stem dimensions.

Lifecycle

Perennial

Height

0.5-12 inches

Bloom Color

White with purplish veins and purple tips

Attracts Wildlife

Attracts butterflies