Santa Barbara Milkvetch

Phaca trichopoda Nutt.; T. & G. Fl. N. Am. 1 ; 343. 1838
Astragalus trichopodus A. Gray, Proc. Am. Acad. 6: 218. 1864. Tragacantha trichopoda Kuntze, Rev. Gen. 948. 1891.
Perennial; stem 3-6 dm. high, sparingly strigose, angled; leaves 6-10 cm. long, ascending; stipules lanceolate, acuminate, 3-5 mm. long; petioles about 1 cm. long, as well as the rachis slightly strigose; leaflets 25-37, oblong, 1-2 cm. long, 3-5 mm. wide, strigose beneath, glabrous above, rounded at the apex ; peduncles 5-10 cm. long; racemes 3-5 cm., in fruit up to 8 mm. long; bracts lanceolate, 1-2 mm. long; calyx strigose, the tube 3-3.5 mm. long, the hairs on the lobes usually blackish, the lobes subulate, 1 mm. long; corolla ochroleucous; banner obovate, gradually tapering below, 10-12 mm. long; wings somewhat shorter, the blade oblong-lunate, obtuse, about equaling the narrow claw, with an acute basal auricle; keel-petals similar but broader; pod glabrous, except the stipe, the stipe 8-10 mm. long, the body ellipsoid, 1.5-2 cm. long, 8-9 mm. wide.
Type locality: Borders of woods near the sea, Santa Barbara, California. Distribution: Southern California and Lower California.

Phaca capillipes (M. E. Jones) Rydberg
Astragalus capillipes M. E. Jones, Rev. Astrag. 117. 1923.
Perennial; stem 3-8 dm. high, sparingly strigose; leaves about 1 dm. long, ascending or spreading; stipules deltoid, 3-5 mm. long; leaflets 25-35, oblong or elliptic, 8-15 mm. long, obtuse or retuse, strigose beneath, glabrate above; peduncles 10-12 cm. long; racemes 6-10 cm. long; bracts subulate, 2-3 mm. long; calyx strigose, the tube 3 mm. long, the teeth subulate, 1 5 mm. long; corolla ochroleucous; banner obovate, 12 mm. long; wings shortei, the blade oblong-lunate, obtuse; keel-petals similar but broader; pod glabrous, the stipe 8-10 mm. long, the body semi-obovoid, tapering gradually at the base, more abruptly at the apex, about 2.5 cm. long, 8 mm. wide, the lower suture strongly convex, the uppei nearly straight.
Type locality: Santa Catalina Island, California. Distribution: Santa Catalina Island.

Perennial, Herbs, Stems woody below, or from woody crown or caudex, Taproot present, Nodules present, Stems erect or ascending, Stems less than 1 m tall, Stems solid, Stems or young twigs sparsely to densely hairy, Stem hairs hispid to villous, Stems silvery, canescent, tomentose, cobwebby, or wooly, Leaves alternate, Leaves petiolate, Stipules conspicuous, Stipules membranous or chartaceous, Stipules persistent, Stipules free, Leaves compound, Leaves odd pinnate, Leaf or leaflet margins entire, Leaflets opposi te, Leaflets 10-many, Leaves hairy on one or both surfaces, Inflorescences racemes, Inflorescence axillary, Bracts very small, absent or caducous, Flowers zygomorphic, Calyx 5-lobed, Calyx glabrous, Petals separate, Corolla papilionaceous, Petals clawed, Petals white, Petals ochroleucous, cream colored, Petals greenish yellow, Banner petal narrow or oblanceolate, Wing petals narrow, oblanceolate to oblong, Wing tips obtuse or rounded, Keel petals auriculate, spurred, or gibbous, Keel tips obtuse or rounded, not beaked, Stamens 9-10, Stamens diadelphous, 9 united, 1 free, Filaments glabrous, Style terete, Style persistent in fruit, Fruit a legume, Fruit stipitate, Fruit unilocular, Fruit freely dehiscent, Fruit oblong or ellipsoidal, Fruit or valves persistent on stem, Fruit exserted from calyx, Fruit inflated or turgid, Fruit beaked, Fruit glabrous or glabrate, Fruit hairy, Fruit 11-many seeded, Seeds cordiform, mit-shaped, notched at one end, Seed surface smooth, Seeds oliv e, brown, or black.

Astragalus trichopodus is a species of legume known by the common name Santa Barbara milk vetch. It is native to southern California and Baja California, where it grows in several types of open habitat, including in the Transverse Ranges and Mojave Desert.