Taxon Report

Astragalus inyoensis Sheld.

Inyo milk-vetch

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Taxon Summary

Astragalus inyoensis, commonly known as Inyo milk-vetch, is a perennial herb in the Fabaceae that is found in California and elsewhere. It occurs within Great Basin scrub, and Pinyon and juniper woodland, growing at elevations from 1500 to 3050 meters. Astragalus inyoensis is ranked 4.2, Plants of Limited Distribution, A Watch List; Moderately threatened in California.

Classification


Scientific Name:	Astragalus inyoensis Sheld.
Common Name:	Inyo milk-vetch
Family:	Fabaceae
Element Code:	PDFAB0F4B0
USDA Plants Symbol:	ASIN8
Synonyms/Other Names:

Ecology and Life History


Lifeform:	perennial herb
Blooming Period: May-Jul	May-Jul
Elevation:	1500-3050 (4920-10005)
General Habitats:	Great Basin scrub, Pinyon and juniper woodland
Microhabitat:	Carbonate (sometimes), Volcanic (usually)
Microhabitat Details:

Conservation Status


CA Rare Plant Rank:	4.2
Global Rank:	G3
State Rank:	S3
State List:	None
Fed List:	None
Other Status:
CRPR Changes:

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB


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

Location


California Endemic: False
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
Inyo (INY)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Big Pine (3711823), Bishop (3711834), Blackrock (3611882), Blanco Mtn. (3711842), Cerro Gordo Peak (3611757), Cowhorn Valley (3711821), Fish Springs (3711813), Jackass Canyon (3611755), Last Chance Mtn. (3711736), Lee Wash (3611745), Mazourka Peak (3611881), Tinemaha Reservoir (3711812), Uhlmeyer Spring (3711822), Waucoba Mtn. (3711811), Westgard Pass (3711832)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB


Threat List Total:	0
EOs with Threat Listed:	Total EOs	% of EOs
	0	0 %

Notes



Known in CA only from the White and Inyo mountains. On watch list in NV. See Memoirs of the New York Botanical Garden 13:483-484 (1964) for taxonomic treatment.
Threats:
Potentially threatened by mining.
Taxonomy:

Selected References

Contributions from the U.S. National Herbarium 4:86 (1893)

Citation California Native Plant Society, Rare Plant Program. 2026. Rare Plant Inventory (online edition, v9.5.1). Website https://www.rareplants.cnps.org [accessed 23 May 2026].