Taxon Report

Astragalus lentiginosus Hook. var. coachellae F. Shreve & Wiggins

Coachella Valley milk-vetch

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Taxon Summary

Astragalus lentiginosus var. coachellae, commonly known as Coachella Valley milk-vetch, is a annual/perennial herb in the Fabaceae that is found only in California. It occurs within Desert dunes, and Sonoran desert scrub (sandy), growing at elevations from 40 to 655 meters. Astragalus lentiginosus var. coachellae is ranked 1B.2, Plants Rare, Threatened or Endangered in California and Elsewhere; Moderately threatened in California.

Classification


Scientific Name:	Astragalus lentiginosus Hook. var. coachellae F. Shreve & Wiggins
Common Name:	Coachella Valley milk-vetch
Family:	Fabaceae
Element Code:	PDFAB0FB97
USDA Plants Symbol:	ASLEC2
Synonyms/Other Names:

Ecology and Life History


Lifeform:	annual/perennial herb
Blooming Period: Feb-May	Feb-May
Elevation:	40-655 (130-2150)
General Habitats:	Desert dunes, Sonoran desert scrub
Microhabitat:
Microhabitat Details:

Conservation Status


CA Rare Plant Rank:	1B.2
Global Rank:	G5T1
State Rank:	S1
State List:	None
Fed List:	FE
Other Status:	SB_CalBG/RSABG; SB_USDA
CRPR Changes:

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB


Total Occurrences:	71
Element Occurrence Ranks:
Excellent (A)	0
Good (B)	10
Fair (C)	14
Poor (D)	9
None (X)	2
Unknown (U)	36

Location


California Endemic: True
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
Riverside (RIV)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Beaumont (3311688), Cabazon (3311687), Cathedral City (3311674), Desert Hot Springs (3311685), Indio (3311662), La Quinta (3311663), Mecca (3311651), Morongo Valley (3411615), Myoma (3311673), Palm Springs (3311675), Seven Palms Valley (3311684), White Water (3311686)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB


Threat List Total:	12
EOs with Threat Listed:	Total EOs	% of EOs
	41	58 %
Development	25	35%
ORV activity	18	25%
Road/trail construction/maint.	12	16%
Vandalism/dumping/litter	11	15%
Non-native plant impacts	8	11%
Other	6	8%
Altered flood/tidal/hydrologic regime	3	4%
Recreational use (non-ORV)	2	2%
Surface water diversion	1	1%
Biocides	1	1%
Foot traffic/trampling	1	1%
Improper burning regime	1	1%

Notes



Protected in part in Coachella Valley Preserve System. Threatened by urbanization, vehicles, road widening, non-native plants, flood control projects, and wind energy development. See Memoirs of the New York Botanical Garden 13:951-952 (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 5 February 2025].