Taxon Report

Astragalus monoensis Barneby

Mono milk-vetch

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Taxon Summary

Astragalus monoensis, commonly known as Mono milk-vetch, is a perennial herb in the Fabaceae that is found only in California. It occurs within Great Basin scrub, and Upper montane coniferous forest, growing at elevations from 2110 to 3355 meters. Astragalus monoensis is ranked 1B.2, Plants Rare, Threatened or Endangered in California and Elsewhere; Moderately threatened in California.

Classification


Scientific Name:	Astragalus monoensis Barneby
Common Name:	Mono milk-vetch
Family:	Fabaceae
Element Code:	PDFAB0F5N0
USDA Plants Symbol:	ASMO9
Synonyms/Other Names:	Astragalus monoensis Barneby var. monoensis

Ecology and Life History


Lifeform:	perennial herb
Blooming Period: Jun-Aug	Jun-Aug
Elevation:	2110-3355 (6925-11010)
General Habitats:	Great Basin scrub, Upper montane coniferous forest
Microhabitat:	Gravelly (sometimes), Sandy (sometimes)
Microhabitat Details:	Pumice

Conservation Status


CA Rare Plant Rank:	1B.2
Global Rank:	G2
State Rank:	S2
State List:	CR
Fed List:	None
Other Status:	BLM_S; SB_CalBG/RSABG; USFS_S
CRPR Changes:

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB


Total Occurrences:	29
Element Occurrence Ranks:
Excellent (A)	1
Good (B)	11
Fair (C)	3
Poor (D)	3
None (X)	0
Unknown (U)	11

Location


California Endemic: True
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
Inyo (INY), Mono (MNO)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Crestview (3711878), Dexter Canyon (3711877), Glass Mountain (3711876), June Lake (3711971), Lundy (3811912), Mono Mills (3711888), Mt. Morgan (3711846), Old Mammoth (3711868), Toms Place (3711856), Whitmore Hot Springs (3711867)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB


Threat List Total:	8
EOs with Threat Listed:	Total EOs	% of EOs
	19	66 %
Road/trail construction/maint.	12	41%
ORV activity	9	31%
Grazing	6	20%
Foot traffic/trampling	3	10%
Other	3	10%
Recreational use (non-ORV)	1	3%
Development	1	3%
Logging	1	3%

Notes



Threatened by road maintenance, vehicles, and sheep grazing. See Leaflets of Western Botany 4:55 (1944) for original description, and Systematic Botany 8(4):423 (1983) for revised nomenclature.
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 3 November 2025].