Taxon Report

Astragalus allochrous Gray var. playanus (Jones) Isely

playa milk-vetch

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Taxon Summary

Astragalus allochrous var. playanus, commonly known as playa milk-vetch, is a perennial herb in the Fabaceae that is found in California and elsewhere. It occurs within Mojavean desert scrub, growing at elevations from 800 to 800 meters. Astragalus allochrous var. playanus is ranked 2B.2, Plants Rare, Threatened, or Endangered in California, But More Common Elsewhere; Moderately threatened in California.

Classification


Scientific Name:	Astragalus allochrous Gray var. playanus (Jones) Isely
Common Name:	playa milk-vetch
Family:	Fabaceae
Element Code:	PDFAB0F0C1
USDA Plants Symbol:
Synonyms/Other Names:

Ecology and Life History


Lifeform:	perennial herb
Blooming Period: Apr	Apr
Elevation:	800-800 (2625-2625)
General Habitats:	Mojavean desert scrub
Microhabitat:
Microhabitat Details:

Conservation Status


CA Rare Plant Rank:	2B.2
Global Rank:	G4T4
State Rank:	S2
State List:	None
Fed List:	None
Other Status:
CRPR Changes:	changed from 2.2 to 2B.2 on 2013-06-12

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB


Total Occurrences:	8
Element Occurrence Ranks:
Excellent (A)	0
Good (B)	0
Fair (C)	0
Poor (D)	0
None (X)	0
Unknown (U)	8

Location


California Endemic: False
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
San Bernardino (SBD)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Goffs (3411581), Homer (3411488), Ivanpah (3511533), Pinto Valley (3511523)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB


Threat List Total:	1
EOs with Threat Listed:	Total EOs	% of EOs
	1	13 %
Road/trail construction/maint.	1	12%

Notes



Known in CA only from two occurrences near Goffs. Includes A. wootoni var. wootoni. See Contributions to Western Botany 8:6 (1898) for original description.
Threats:

Taxonomy:

Selected References

Citation California Native Plant Society, Rare Plant Program. 2025. Rare Plant Inventory (online edition, v9.5.1). Website https://www.rareplants.cnps.org [accessed 5 November 2025].