Taxon Report

Astragalus lentiformis Gray

lens-pod milk-vetch

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Taxon Summary

Astragalus lentiformis, commonly known as lens-pod milk-vetch, is a perennial herb in the Fabaceae that is found only in California. It occurs within Great Basin scrub, and Lower montane coniferous forest, growing at elevations from 1460 to 1910 meters. Astragalus lentiformis is ranked 1B.2, Plants Rare, Threatened or Endangered in California and Elsewhere; Moderately threatened in California.

Classification


Scientific Name:	Astragalus lentiformis Gray
Common Name:	lens-pod milk-vetch
Family:	Fabaceae
Element Code:	PDFAB0F4P0
USDA Plants Symbol:	ASLE7
Synonyms/Other Names:

Ecology and Life History


Lifeform:	perennial herb
Blooming Period: May-Jul	May-Jul
Elevation:	1460-1910 (4790-6265)
General Habitats:	Great Basin scrub, Lower montane coniferous forest
Microhabitat:	Sandy, Volcanic
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; USFS_S
CRPR Changes:

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB


Total Occurrences:	59
Element Occurrence Ranks:
Excellent (A)	6
Good (B)	20
Fair (C)	10
Poor (D)	2
None (X)	0
Unknown (U)	21

Location


California Endemic: True
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
Plumas (PLU)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Babcock Peak (4012015), Blairsden (3912075), Crocker Mtn. (3912084), Dixie Mountain (3912083), Frenchman Lake (3912082), Grizzly Valley (3912085), Portola (3912074), Squaw Valley Peak (4012014)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB


Threat List Total:	12
EOs with Threat Listed:	Total EOs	% of EOs
	51	86 %
Logging	25	42%
Road/trail construction/maint.	25	42%
Grazing	20	33%
Improper burning regime	5	8%
Other	3	5%
Wood cutting or brush clearing	2	3%
Foot traffic/trampling	2	3%
ORV activity	2	3%
Non-native plant impacts	1	1%
Dam/Inundation	1	1%
Development	1	1%
Vandalism/dumping/litter	1	1%

Notes



Threatened by road maintenance and logging.
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 5 February 2025].