Freckled Milkvetch, Freckled Milk-vetch, Specklepod Milkvetch, Specklepod Milk-vetch

Freckled milk-vetch is a low growing, often prostrate perennial, with many stems arising to perhaps 15 cm in height. Throughout its range, it shows a wide variety of form, especially in the shape of its pods. Currently there are about 19 recognized varieties, several of which are found in Oregon and Washington. The leaves range from 1-17 cm long, most frequently with 11-27 leaflets. One variety has only 3-5 leaflets, others from 7-13. The leaflets are obovate, oblong-elliptic, obtuse, or sometimes narrowly oblanceolate or linear. Length of the leaflets varies from 2-21 mm.

The racemes are at the ends of the stems, barely poking out from the leaves. They may be 5-40 flowered. The calyx varies from 4-12.5 mm long. The petals vary from bright pink-purple pale lilac, white, or whitish-yellow. The banner varies from 7.5-21.5 mm long and the keel 6-16.5 mm long. The wing petals are intermediate in length between the keel and banner. The pods are ascending to spreading, ovoid or globose, bladdery-inflated, with a triangular, laterally compressed beak. Flowering occurs from May through July.

Broadleaf Milkvetch, Papery Freckled Milkvetch: Astragalus lentiginosus var. chartaceus (Synonym: Astragalus lentiginosus var. platyphyllidius) - Flowers larger, the banner measuring 13-23 mm long. Petals white except lilac blotches on the tip of the keel and some lilac veins in the middle of the banner.

Floriferous Freckled Milkvetch: Astragalus lentiginosus var. floribundus - Flowers smaller, the banner measuring 9-13 mm long. Racemes stay dense both in flower and in fruit.

Freckled Milkvetch, Freckled Milk-vetch, Specklepod Milk-vetch: Astragalus lentiginosus var. lentiginosus (Synonym: Astragalus lentiginosus var. carinatus) - Flowers smaller, the banner measuring 9-13 mm long. Pod only moderately inflated, never glabrous, stiffly papery, opaque with green or red freckling. Pods 10-23 mm long and 4-10 mm wide. Racemes lax with the flowers and pods not crowded into heads. Common in the Columbia Basin of central Washington and northern Oregon and southto the Klamath Basin and east to the Snake River Plains and further south to northwestern Nevada and California.

Salty Freckled Milkvetch, Salty Loco Milkvetch: Astragalus lentiginosus var. salinus (Synonyms: Astragalus lentiginosus var. macrolobus, Astragalus salinus) - Flowers smaller, the banner measuring 9-13 mm long. Pod papery.

Freckled milk-vetch may be found in a variety of habitats, but in our area may be found in sandy areas, alkaline flats, sagebrush plains, and in sagebrush-ponderosa pine habitats.

Freckled milk-vetch is found throughout much of the Great Basin, and northward in the intermountain west to central Washington and southwestern Montana.