Taxon Report

Astragalus lemmonii Gray

Lemmon's milk-vetch

Print Report

Taxon Summary

Astragalus lemmonii, commonly known as Lemmon's milk-vetch, is a perennial herb in the Fabaceae that is found in California and elsewhere. It occurs within Great Basin scrub, Marshes and swamps (lake margins), and Meadows and seeps, growing at elevations from 1007 to 2200 meters. Astragalus lemmonii is ranked 1B.2, Plants Rare, Threatened or Endangered in California and Elsewhere; Moderately threatened in California.

Classification


Scientific Name:	Astragalus lemmonii Gray
Common Name:	Lemmon's milk-vetch
Family:	Fabaceae
Element Code:	PDFAB0F4N0
USDA Plants Symbol:	ASLE6
Synonyms/Other Names:

Ecology and Life History


Lifeform:	perennial herb
Blooming Period: May-Aug(Sep)	May-Aug(Sep)
Elevation:	1007-2200 (3305-7220)
General Habitats:	Great Basin scrub, Marshes and swamps, Meadows and seeps
Microhabitat:
Microhabitat Details:

Conservation Status


CA Rare Plant Rank:	1B.2
Global Rank:	G2
State Rank:	S2
State List:	None
Fed List:	None
Other Status:	BLM_S; SB_CalBG/RSABG; USFS_S
CRPR Changes:

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB


Total Occurrences:	12
Element Occurrence Ranks:
Excellent (A)	0
Good (B)	2
Fair (C)	0
Poor (D)	2
None (X)	0
Unknown (U)	8

Location


California Endemic: False
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
Lassen (LAS), Modoc (MOD), Mono (MNO), Plumas (PLU), Shasta (SHA), Sierra (SIE)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Antelope Valley (3912063), Ash Valley (4112016), Big Swamp (4112121), Dixie Peak (4012181), Fall River Mills (4112114), Loyalton (3912062), Perez (4112163), Reconnaissance Peak (3912073), Toms Place (3711856), Whitmore Hot Springs (3711867)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB


Threat List Total:	5
EOs with Threat Listed:	Total EOs	% of EOs
	4	33 %
Grazing	2	16%
Insufficient population/stand size	1	8%
Non-native plant impacts	1	8%
Road/trail construction/maint.	1	8%
Development	1	8%

Notes



Threatened by land conversion and pipeline construction. See Proceedings of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences 8:627 (1873) for original description, and Memoirs of the New York Botanical Garden 13:1109-1111 (1964) for taxonomic treatment.
Threats:

Taxonomy:

Selected References

Astragalus lemmonii account for potential Species of Conservation Concern evaluation (2022)

Citation California Native Plant Society, Rare Plant Program. 2025. Rare Plant Inventory (online edition, v9.5.1). Website https://www.rareplants.cnps.org [accessed 30 October 2025].