Taxon Report

Astragalus serenoi (Kuntze) Sheld. var. shockleyi (Jones) Barneby

Shockley's milk-vetch

Print Report

Taxon Summary

Astragalus serenoi var. shockleyi, commonly known as Shockley's milk-vetch, is a perennial herb in the Fabaceae that is found in California and elsewhere. It occurs within Chenopod scrub, Great Basin scrub, and Pinyon and juniper woodland, growing at elevations from 1500 to 2320 meters. Astragalus serenoi var. shockleyi is ranked 2B.2, Plants Rare, Threatened, or Endangered in California, But More Common Elsewhere; Moderately threatened in California.

Classification


Scientific Name:	Astragalus serenoi (Kuntze) Sheld. var. shockleyi (Jones) Barneby
Common Name:	Shockley's milk-vetch
Family:	Fabaceae
Element Code:	PDFAB0F802
USDA Plants Symbol:	ASSES4
Synonyms/Other Names:

Ecology and Life History


Lifeform:	perennial herb
Blooming Period: (Apr)May-Jul	(Apr)May-Jul
Elevation:	1500-2320 (4920-7610)
General Habitats:	Chenopod scrub, Great Basin scrub, Pinyon and juniper woodland
Microhabitat:	Alkaline
Microhabitat Details:	granitic alluvium

Conservation Status


CA Rare Plant Rank:	2B.2
Global Rank:	G4T3
State Rank:	S3
State List:	None
Fed List:	None
Other Status:
CRPR Changes:	changed from 2.2 to 2B.2 on 2013-06-12

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB


Total Occurrences:	25
Element Occurrence Ranks:
Excellent (A)	0
Good (B)	1
Fair (C)	2
Poor (D)	1
None (X)	0
Unknown (U)	21

Location


California Endemic: False
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
Inyo (INY), Mono (MNO)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Aberdeen (3611883), Big Pine (3711823), Blanco Mtn. (3711842), Cerro Gordo Peak (3611757), Chocolate Mtn. (3711748), Cowhorn Valley (3711821), Crooked Creek (3711841), Deep Springs Lake (3711831), Dolomite (3611758), Dyer (3711861), Juniper Mtn. (3711862), Last Chance Mtn. (3711736), New York Butte (3611768), Poleta Canyon (3711833), Soldier Pass (3711738), Station Peak (3711851), Tinemaha Reservoir (3711812), Uhlmeyer Spring (3711822), Union Wash (3611861), Waucoba Mtn. (3711811), Waucoba Spring (3711718), Westgard Pass (3711832), White Top Mtn. (3611774)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB


Threat List Total:	5
EOs with Threat Listed:	Total EOs	% of EOs
	5	20 %
ORV activity	4	16%
Recreational use (non-ORV)	1	4%
Erosion/runoff	1	4%
Mining	1	4%
Non-native plant impacts	1	4%

Notes



Possibly threatened by vehicles. See Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences II 5:659 (1895) for original description, and Brittonia 36(2):167-173 (1984) 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 5 February 2025].