Astragalus casei
Wiry, branching perennial herb in the pea family native to the Mojave Desert and sky island woodlands of eastern California and western Nevada, with stems up to 40 cm long, leaves up to 10 cm long with narrow leaflets, an inflorescence of up to 25 pink, lilac, or white flowers that bloom April–June, and hanging 2–5 cm legume pods; toxic—do not eat any part.
Common Names
Case's Milkvetch
Summary
Native to the Mojave Desert and sky island woodlands of eastern California and western Nevada, this wiry, branching perennial forms an open clump with jagged stems up to 40 cm tall. Leaves reach about 10 cm with thin, narrow leaflets; an inflorescence carries up to 25 flowers in pink, lilac, or white, each 1–2 cm long. The fruit is a hanging legume pod 2–5 cm long, narrow, slightly hairy, and beaked; pods are pulpy when new and dry to a tough texture.
Habitat is dry desert or shrubland; cultivation and landscape use include features such as pink, lilac, or white flowers and dangling pods, and the plant provides wildlife habitat by supporting caterpillars and butterflies.
Lifecycle
Perennial
Height
4-16 inches
Spread
16 inches
Bloom Color
Pink, lilac, or white
Bloom Time
Spring
Growth Rate
Not specified
Seasons of Interest
Spring and Summer
Attracts Wildlife
Attracts butterflies
Taxonomy
- Taxonomic Rank
- Species
- Author
- A.Gray
- Publication
- Bot. California 1: 154 (1876)
Superior Taxa
- Kingdom
- Plantae
- Subkingdom
- Pteridobiotina
- Phylum
- Angiosperms
- Order
- Fabales
- Family
- Fabaceae
- Subfamily
- Papilionoideae
- Genus
- Astragalus