Astragalus inyoensis

Common Names

Inyo Milkvetch, Inyo Milk Vetch, Locoweed

Summary

Inyo milkvetch is native to the Great Basin region, including the White and Inyo Mountains of eastern California and western Nevada, where it forms low mats with slender, prostrate stems up to 60 cm long. Leaves are a few centimeters long with several small oval leaflets; flowers appear May–July in white, pink, or purple, with 6–15 blooms per inflorescence and blossoms about 1 cm long; fruit is a hanging legume pod just over 1 cm long. Habitat includes gravelly or sandy substrates among sagebrush and pinyon pine on igneous bedrock at elevations around 1500–2400 m; growth habit is prostrate to mat-forming, yielding a distinctive gray-green appearance.

Cultivation considerations include preference for gravelly, sandy, or clay soils in pinyon-juniper woodland settings and a restricted distribution in desert mountains east of Owens Valley in Inyo County, CA, and Lincoln and Nye counties, NV, at elevations 1500–2400 m. The species is listed Near Threatened by the IUCN, with California Rare Plant Rank 4.2 and a stable population trend, and faces potential threats from roadsides and mining, underscoring conservation importance and the need for habitat protection.

Lifecycle

Perennial

Height

4-24 inches

Spread

2 feet

Soil Type

Gravelly soil with sandy or clay components

Bloom Color

White, Pink, or Purple

Bloom Time

Spring and Summer

Foliage Color

Gray-green

Growth Rate

Stable

Seasons of Interest

Spring and Summer