Taxon Report
Astragalus pycnostachyus A. Gray var. pycnostachyuscoastal marsh milk-vetch |
 Neal Kramer |
Taxon Summary
Astragalus pycnostachyus var. pycnostachyus, commonly known as coastal marsh milk-vetch, is a perennial herb in the Fabaceae that is found only in California. It occurs within Coastal dunes (mesic), Coastal scrub, Marshes and swamps (coastal salt, and streamsides), growing at elevations from 0 to 55 meters. Astragalus pycnostachyus var. pycnostachyus is ranked 1B.2, Plants Rare, Threatened or Endangered in California and Elsewhere; Moderately threatened in California.Classification
|
Scientific Name: |
Astragalus pycnostachyus A. Gray var. pycnostachyus |
|
Common Name: |
coastal marsh milk-vetch |
| Family: | Fabaceae |
| Element Code: | PDFAB0F7B2 |
| USDA Plants Symbol: | ASPYP |
|
Synonyms/Other Names: |
|
Ecology and Life History
| Lifeform: | perennial herb |
| Blooming Period: (Apr-May)Jun-Oct | (Apr-May)Jun-Oct |
| Elevation: | 0-55 (0-180) |
| General Habitats: | Coastal dunes, Coastal scrub, Marshes and swamps |
| Microhabitat: | |
| Microhabitat Details: |
Conservation Status
| CA Rare Plant Rank: | 1B.2 |
| Global Rank: | G2T2 |
|
State Rank: |
S2 |
| State List: | None |
| Fed List: | None |
| Other Status: | |
|
CRPR Changes: |
|
Occurrence Data from the CNDDB
| Total Occurrences: | 25 |
| Element Occurrence Ranks: | |
| Excellent (A) | 0 |
| Good (B) | 11 |
| Fair (C) | 3 |
| Poor (D) | 1 |
| None (X) | 2 |
| Unknown (U) | 8 |
| California Endemic: True | |
| California Counties and Islands: Name (Code) | |
| Humboldt (HUM), Marin (MRN), San Mateo (SMT) | |
| Quads: Name (Quad Code) | |
| Bolinas (3712286)*, Cape Mendocino (4012444), Capetown (4012443), Drakes Bay (3812218), Eureka (4012472), Half Moon Bay (3712244), Inverness (3812217), La Honda (3712233), Montara Mountain (3712254), Petrolia (4012433), Pigeon Point (3712224)(?), San Gregorio (3712234), San Mateo (3712253), Woodside (3712243) | |
Threat List Data from the CNDDB
| Threat List Total: | 16 | |
| EOs with Threat Listed: | Total EOs | % of EOs |
| 20 | 80 % | |
| Non-native plant impacts | 10 | 40% |
| Foot traffic/trampling | 7 | 28% |
| Grazing | 7 | 28% |
| Road/trail construction/maint. | 7 | 28% |
| Erosion/runoff | 6 | 24% |
| Other | 4 | 16% |
| Recreational use (non-ORV) | 3 | 12% |
| ORV activity | 2 | 8% |
| Altered flood/tidal/hydrologic regime | 2 | 8% |
| Waterway bank protection/maintenance | 2 | 8% |
| Wood cutting or brush clearing | 1 | 4% |
| Surface water diversion | 1 | 4% |
| Vandalism/dumping/litter | 1 | 4% |
| Degraded water quality | 1 | 4% |
| Development | 1 | 4% |
| Insufficient population/stand size | 1 | 4% |
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 January 2025].