Taxon Report

Astragalus claranus Jeps.

Clara Hunt's milk-vetch

Print Report

Taxon Summary

Astragalus claranus, commonly known as Clara Hunt's milk-vetch, is a annual herb in the Fabaceae that is found only in California. It occurs within Chaparral (openings), Cismontane woodland, and Valley and foothill grassland, growing at elevations from 75 to 275 meters. Astragalus claranus is ranked 1B.1, Plants Rare, Threatened or Endangered in California and Elsewhere; Seriously threatened in California.

Classification


Scientific Name:	Astragalus claranus Jeps.
Common Name:	Clara Hunt's milk-vetch
Family:	Fabaceae
Element Code:	PDFAB0F240
USDA Plants Symbol:
Synonyms/Other Names:

Ecology and Life History


Lifeform:	annual herb
Blooming Period: Mar-May	Mar-May
Elevation:	75-275 (245-900)
General Habitats:	Chaparral, Cismontane woodland, Valley and foothill grassland
Microhabitat:	Clay, Rocky, Serpentine (sometimes), Volcanic (sometimes)
Microhabitat Details:

Conservation Status


CA Rare Plant Rank:	1B.1
Global Rank:	G1
State Rank:	S1
State List:	CE
Fed List:	FE
Other Status:
CRPR Changes:

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB


Total Occurrences:	6
Element Occurrence Ranks:
Excellent (A)	0
Good (B)	3
Fair (C)	2
Poor (D)	0
None (X)	0
Unknown (U)	1

Location


California Endemic: True
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
Napa (NAP), Sonoma (SON)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Calistoga (3812255), Mark West Springs (3812256), Rutherford (3812244), Santa Rosa (3812246), St. Helena (3812254)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB


Threat List Total:	12
EOs with Threat Listed:	Total EOs	% of EOs
	6	100 %
Non-native plant impacts	4	66%
Foot traffic/trampling	2	33%
Grazing	2	33%
Other	2	33%
Recreational use (non-ORV)	2	33%
Road/trail construction/maint.	1	16%
Surface water diversion	1	16%
Vandalism/dumping/litter	1	16%
Agriculture	1	16%
Development	1	16%
Feral pigs	1	16%
ORV activity	1	16%

Notes



See Manual of the Flowering Plants of California, p. 578 (1925) by W.L. Jepson for original description, and Systematic Botany 17(3):367-379 (1992) for distributional information.
Threats:
Threatened by urbanization, recreational development, grazing, and non-native plants.
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 21 November 2025].