Taxon Report

Astragalus lentiginosus Hook. var. kernensis (Jeps.) Barneby

Kern Plateau milk-vetch

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Taxon Summary

Astragalus lentiginosus var. kernensis, commonly known as Kern Plateau milk-vetch, is a perennial herb in the Fabaceae that is found in California and elsewhere. It occurs within Meadows and seeps, and Subalpine coniferous forest, growing at elevations from 2240 to 2750 meters. Astragalus lentiginosus var. kernensis is ranked 1B.2, Plants Rare, Threatened or Endangered in California and Elsewhere; Moderately threatened in California.

Classification


Scientific Name:	Astragalus lentiginosus Hook. var. kernensis (Jeps.) Barneby
Common Name:	Kern Plateau milk-vetch
Family:	Fabaceae
Element Code:	PDFAB0FB98
USDA Plants Symbol:	ASLEK2
Synonyms/Other Names:

Ecology and Life History


Lifeform:	perennial herb
Blooming Period: Jun-Jul	Jun-Jul
Elevation:	2240-2750 (7350-9025)
General Habitats:	Meadows and seeps, Subalpine coniferous forest
Microhabitat:	Sandy
Microhabitat Details:

Conservation Status


CA Rare Plant Rank:	1B.2
Global Rank:	G5T2?
State Rank:	S2S3
State List:	None
Fed List:	None
Other Status:	BLM_S; SB_CalBG/RSABG; USFS_S
CRPR Changes:

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB


Total Occurrences:	47
Element Occurrence Ranks:
Excellent (A)	5
Good (B)	6
Fair (C)	8
Poor (D)	0
None (X)	0
Unknown (U)	28

Location


California Endemic: False
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
Tulare (TUL)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Bonita Meadows (3611813), Crag Peak (3611812), Kern Lake (3611834), Kern Peak (3611833), Monache Mountain (3611822), Sacatar Canyon (3511881), Templeton Mtn. (3611832)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB


Threat List Total:	6
EOs with Threat Listed:	Total EOs	% of EOs
	20	43 %
Grazing	15	31%
Foot traffic/trampling	9	19%
ORV activity	8	17%
Recreational use (non-ORV)	2	4%
Road/trail construction/maint.	2	4%
Other	1	2%

Notes



See Memoirs of the New York Botanical Garden 13:929 (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 7 November 2025].