Taxon Report

Astragalus cimae Jones var. cimae

Cima milk-vetch

Print Report

Taxon Summary

Astragalus cimae var. cimae, commonly known as Cima milk-vetch, is a perennial herb in the Fabaceae that is found in California and elsewhere. It occurs within Great Basin scrub, Joshua tree "woodland", and Pinyon and juniper woodland, growing at elevations from 890 to 1850 meters. Astragalus cimae var. cimae is ranked 1B.2, Plants Rare, Threatened or Endangered in California and Elsewhere; Moderately threatened in California.

Classification


Scientific Name:	Astragalus cimae Jones var. cimae
Common Name:	Cima milk-vetch
Family:	Fabaceae
Element Code:	PDFAB0F231
USDA Plants Symbol:	ASCIC3
Synonyms/Other Names:

Ecology and Life History


Lifeform:	perennial herb
Blooming Period: Apr-May	Apr-May
Elevation:	890-1850 (2920-6070)
General Habitats:	Great Basin scrub, Joshua tree "woodland", Pinyon and juniper woodland
Microhabitat:	Clay
Microhabitat Details:

Conservation Status


CA Rare Plant Rank:	1B.2
Global Rank:	G3T2T3
State Rank:	S2?
State List:	None
Fed List:	None
Other Status:	SB_CalBG/RSABG
CRPR Changes:

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB


Total Occurrences:	27
Element Occurrence Ranks:
Excellent (A)	0
Good (B)	0
Fair (C)	1
Poor (D)	0
None (X)	0
Unknown (U)	26

Location


California Endemic: False
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
San Bernardino (SBD)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Castle Peaks (3511532), Cima (3511525), Cima Dome (3511535), Columbia Mtn. (3511514), Hayden (3511515), Ivanpah (3511533), Marl Mountains (3511526), Mescal Range (3511545), Mid Hills (3511524), Pinto Valley (3511523)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB


Threat List Total:	5
EOs with Threat Listed:	Total EOs	% of EOs
	7	26 %
Grazing	3	11%
Mining	1	3%
Other	1	3%
Recreational use (non-ORV)	1	3%
Foot traffic/trampling	1	3%

Notes



Threatened by grazing. On watch list in NV. See Memoirs of the New York Botanical Garden 13:505-508 (1964) for taxonomic treatment.
Threats:

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 30 October 2025].