Taxon Report

Astragalus pulsiferae Gray var. pulsiferae

Pulsifer's milk-vetch

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Taxon Summary

Astragalus pulsiferae var. pulsiferae, commonly known as Pulsifer's milk-vetch, is a perennial herb in the Fabaceae that is found in California and elsewhere. It occurs within Great Basin scrub, Lower montane coniferous forest, and Pinyon and juniper woodland, growing at elevations from 1300 to 1800 meters. Astragalus pulsiferae var. pulsiferae is ranked 1B.2, Plants Rare, Threatened or Endangered in California and Elsewhere; Moderately threatened in California.


  Classification

Scientific Name:
Astragalus pulsiferae Gray var. pulsiferae
Common Name:
Pulsifer's milk-vetch
Family: Fabaceae
Element Code: PDFAB0F783
USDA Plants Symbol: ASPUP5
Synonyms/Other Names:

Ecology and Life History

Lifeform: perennial herb
Blooming Period: May-Aug(Sep) May-Aug(Sep)
Elevation: 1300-1800 (4265-5905)
General Habitats: Great Basin scrub, Lower montane coniferous forest, Pinyon and juniper woodland
Microhabitat: Granitic (usually), Rocky (sometimes), Sandy (sometimes)
Microhabitat Details:

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB

Total Occurrences: 27
Element Occurrence Ranks:
   Excellent (A) 5
   Good (B) 3
   Fair (C) 4
   Poor (D) 0
   None (X) 0
   Unknown (U) 15
California Endemic:  False
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
Lassen (LAS), Plumas (PLU)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Beckwourth Pass (3912071), Chilcoot (3912072), Constantia (3912081), Frenchman Lake (3912082), Genesee Valley (4012016), Reconnaissance Peak (3912073), Susanville (4012046)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB

Threat List Total: 8
EOs with Threat Listed: Total EOs % of EOs
17 63 %
Other 7 25%
Road/trail construction/maint. 7 25%
Grazing 5 18%
Logging 2 7%
Foot traffic/trampling 2 7%
ORV activity 2 7%
Non-native plant impacts 1 3%
Vandalism/dumping/litter 1 3%

Notes

Need quads for SIE Co. Threatened by grazing and development. Considered critically imperiled in NV. See Proceedings of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences 10:69 (1874) for original description, and Memoirs of the New York Botanical Garden 13:970-972 (1964) and Rhodora 104(919):271-279 (2002) for taxonomic treatment.
Threats:
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 13 May 2025].