Taxon Report
Astragalus lentiginosus Hook. var. sierrae JonesBig Bear Valley milk-vetch |
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Taxon Summary
Astragalus lentiginosus var. sierrae, commonly known as Big Bear Valley milk-vetch, is a perennial herb in the Fabaceae that is found only in California. It occurs within Meadows and seeps, Mojavean desert scrub, Pinyon and juniper woodland, and Upper montane coniferous forest, growing at elevations from 1800 to 2600 meters. Astragalus lentiginosus var. sierrae is ranked 1B.2, Plants Rare, Threatened or Endangered in California and Elsewhere; Moderately threatened in California.Classification
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Scientific Name: |
Astragalus lentiginosus Hook. var. sierrae Jones |
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Common Name: |
Big Bear Valley milk-vetch |
| Family: | Fabaceae |
| Element Code: | PDFAB0FB9L |
| USDA Plants Symbol: | ASLES5 |
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Synonyms/Other Names: |
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Ecology and Life History
| Lifeform: | perennial herb |
| Blooming Period: Apr-Aug | Apr-Aug |
| Elevation: | 1800-2600 (5905-8530) |
| General Habitats: | Meadows and seeps, Mojavean desert scrub, Pinyon and juniper woodland, Upper montane coniferous forest |
| Microhabitat: | Gravelly (sometimes), Rocky (sometimes) |
| Microhabitat Details: |
Conservation Status
| CA Rare Plant Rank: | 1B.2 |
| Global Rank: | G5T2 |
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State Rank: |
S2 |
| State List: | None |
| Fed List: | None |
| Other Status: | SB_CalBG/RSABG; USFS_S |
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CRPR Changes: |
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Occurrence Data from the CNDDB
| Total Occurrences: | 68 |
| Element Occurrence Ranks: | |
| Excellent (A) | 2 |
| Good (B) | 5 |
| Fair (C) | 12 |
| Poor (D) | 4 |
| None (X) | 0 |
| Unknown (U) | 45 |
| California Endemic: True | |
| California Counties and Islands: Name (Code) | |
| San Bernardino (SBD) | |
| Quads: Name (Quad Code) | |
| Big Bear City (3411637), Big Bear Lake (3411628), Butler Peak (3411731), Fawnskin (3411638), Moonridge (3411627), Onyx Peak (3411626), Rattlesnake Canyon (3411636) | |
Threat List Data from the CNDDB
| Threat List Total: | 11 | |
| EOs with Threat Listed: | Total EOs | % of EOs |
| 22 | 32 % | |
| ORV activity | 11 | 16% |
| Foot traffic/trampling | 7 | 10% |
| Mining | 6 | 8% |
| Road/trail construction/maint. | 6 | 8% |
| Logging | 3 | 4% |
| Non-native plant impacts | 3 | 4% |
| Recreational use (non-ORV) | 3 | 4% |
| Development | 2 | 2% |
| Erosion/runoff | 1 | 1% |
| Grazing | 1 | 1% |
| Wood cutting or brush clearing | 1 | 1% |
Notes
| Known only from Big Bear Valley and the Baldwin Lake region. Threatened by urbanization, illegal dumping, mining, road construction, vegetation/fuel management activities, road maintenance, and recreational activities. See Revision of North American Species of Astragalus, p. 124 (1923) by M. E. Jones for original description, and Memoirs of the New York Botanical Garden 13:925 (1964) for taxonomic treatment. |
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Threats: |
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Taxonomy: |
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 February 2025].