Taxon Report

Astragalus tener Gray var. titi (Eastw.) Barneby

coastal dunes milk-vetch

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Taxon Summary

Astragalus tener var. titi, commonly known as coastal dunes milk-vetch, is a annual herb in the Fabaceae that is found only in California. It occurs within Coastal bluff scrub (sandy), Coastal dunes, and Coastal prairie (mesic), growing at elevations from 1 to 50 meters. Astragalus tener var. titi is ranked 1B.1, Plants Rare, Threatened or Endangered in California and Elsewhere; Seriously threatened in California.

Classification


Scientific Name:	Astragalus tener Gray var. titi (Eastw.) Barneby
Common Name:	coastal dunes milk-vetch
Family:	Fabaceae
Element Code:	PDFAB0F8R2
USDA Plants Symbol:	ASTET
Synonyms/Other Names:

Ecology and Life History


Lifeform:	annual herb
Blooming Period: Mar-May	Mar-May
Elevation:	1-50 (5-165)
General Habitats:	Coastal bluff scrub, Coastal dunes, Coastal prairie
Microhabitat:	Mesic (often), Vernally Mesic (often)
Microhabitat Details:

Conservation Status


CA Rare Plant Rank:	1B.1
Global Rank:	G2T1
State Rank:	S1
State List:	CE
Fed List:	FE
Other Status:	SB_CalBG/RSABG
CRPR Changes:

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB


Total Occurrences:	6
Element Occurrence Ranks:
Excellent (A)	0
Good (B)	1
Fair (C)	0
Poor (D)	0
None (X)	3
Unknown (U)	2

Location


California Endemic: True
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
Los Angeles (LAX)*, Monterey (MNT), San Diego (SDG)(?)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Beverly Hills (3411814), Del Mar (3211782)(?), Inglewood (3311883), Monterey (3612158), Oceanside (3311724)(?), Point Loma (3211762), Topanga (3411815)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB


Threat List Total:	6
EOs with Threat Listed:	Total EOs	% of EOs
	4	67 %
Development	3	50%
Foot traffic/trampling	1	16%
Military operations	1	16%
Non-native plant impacts	1	16%
Recreational use (non-ORV)	1	16%
Road/trail construction/maint.	1	16%

Notes



Known from fewer than 10 occurrences. Threatened by urbanization, recreational activities, and non-native plants. See Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club 32:195-196 (1905) for original description, and Memoirs of the New York Botanical Garden 13:1048 (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 November 2025].