Taxon Report

Astragalus albens Greene

Cushenbury milk-vetch

Print Report

Taxon Summary

Astragalus albens, commonly known as Cushenbury milk-vetch, is a perennial herb in the Fabaceae that is found only in California. It occurs within Joshua tree "woodland", Mojavean desert scrub, and Pinyon and juniper woodland, growing at elevations from 1095 to 2000 meters. Astragalus albens is ranked 1B.1, Plants Rare, Threatened or Endangered in California and Elsewhere; Seriously threatened in California.

Classification


Scientific Name:	Astragalus albens Greene
Common Name:	Cushenbury milk-vetch
Family:	Fabaceae
Element Code:	PDFAB0F0A0
USDA Plants Symbol:	ASAL4
Synonyms/Other Names:

Ecology and Life History


Lifeform:	perennial herb
Blooming Period: Mar-Jun	Mar-Jun
Elevation:	1095-2000 (3595-6560)
General Habitats:	Joshua tree "woodland", Mojavean desert scrub, Pinyon and juniper woodland
Microhabitat:	Carbonate (usually), Granitic (rarely)
Microhabitat Details:

Conservation Status


CA Rare Plant Rank:	1B.1
Global Rank:	G1
State Rank:	S1
State List:	None
Fed List:	FE
Other Status:	SB_CalBG/RSABG
CRPR Changes:

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB


Total Occurrences:	23
Element Occurrence Ranks:
Excellent (A)	2
Good (B)	9
Fair (C)	5
Poor (D)	0
None (X)	0
Unknown (U)	7

Location


California Endemic: True
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
San Bernardino (SBD)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Big Bear City (3411637), Cougar Buttes (3411647), Fawnskin (3411638), Rattlesnake Canyon (3411636)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB


Threat List Total:	9
EOs with Threat Listed:	Total EOs	% of EOs
	18	78 %
Mining	14	60%
ORV activity	9	39%
Road/trail construction/maint.	7	30%
Vandalism/dumping/litter	3	13%
Foot traffic/trampling	2	8%
Grazing	2	8%
Other	2	8%
Recreational use (non-ORV)	2	8%
Development	1	4%

Notes



See Bulletin of the California Academy of Sciences 1:156 (1885) for original description, and Fremontia 16(1):20-21 (1988) for discussion of mining threats.
Threats:
Threatened by carbonate mining, grazing, energy development, road construction, and vehicles.
Taxonomy:

Selected References

Citation California Native Plant Society, Rare Plant Program. 2025. Rare Plant Inventory (online edition, v9.5.1). Website https://www.rareplants.cnps.org [accessed 24 October 2025].