Taxon Report

Astragalus sabulonum A. Gray

gravel milk-vetch

Print Report

Taxon Summary

Astragalus sabulonum, commonly known as gravel milk-vetch, is a annual/perennial herb in the Fabaceae that is found in California and elsewhere. It occurs within Desert dunes, Mojavean desert scrub, and Sonoran desert scrub, growing at elevations from -60 to 930 meters. Astragalus sabulonum is ranked 2B.2, Plants Rare, Threatened, or Endangered in California, But More Common Elsewhere; Moderately threatened in California.

Classification


Scientific Name:	Astragalus sabulonum A. Gray
Common Name:	gravel milk-vetch
Family:	Fabaceae
Element Code:	PDFAB0F7R0
USDA Plants Symbol:	ASSA2
Synonyms/Other Names:

Ecology and Life History


Lifeform:	annual/perennial herb
Blooming Period: Feb-Jun	Feb-Jun
Elevation:	-60-930 (-195-3050)
General Habitats:	Desert dunes, Mojavean desert scrub, Sonoran desert scrub
Microhabitat:	Flats, Gravelly (sometimes), Roadsides, Sandy (usually), Washes
Microhabitat Details:

Conservation Status


CA Rare Plant Rank:	2B.2
Global Rank:	G4G5
State Rank:	S2
State List:	None
Fed List:	None
Other Status:
CRPR Changes:	changed from 2.2 to 2B.2 on 2013-06-12 added to 2.2 on 2011-10-19

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB


Total Occurrences:	19
Element Occurrence Ranks:
Excellent (A)	2
Good (B)	1
Fair (C)	3
Poor (D)	0
None (X)	1
Unknown (U)	12

Location


California Endemic: False
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
Imperial (IMP), Inyo (INY), Riverside (RIV), San Diego (SDG)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Borrego Palm Canyon (3311634), Borrego Sink (3311623), Calexico (3211564), Calvada Springs (3511588), Clark Lake (3311633), Harpers Well (3311518), Heber (3211565), Hopkins Well (3311458), Indio (3311662), Kane Spring (3311517), Kane Spring NE (3311527), Last Chance Range SW (3711716), Mecca (3311651)*, Mortmar (3311558), Mound Spring (3611518), Mount Signal (3211566), Niland (3311525), Roosevelt Mine (3311457), Stump Spring, Nev. (3511587), The Dunes (3611744), Tubb Canyon (3311624), Wister (3311535), Yuha Basin (3211567)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB


Threat List Total:	5
EOs with Threat Listed:	Total EOs	% of EOs
	8	42 %
Development	5	26%
Non-native plant impacts	5	26%
ORV activity	2	10%
Recreational use (non-ORV)	1	5%
Agriculture	1	5%

Notes



Threatened by solar energy development. Possibly threatened by vehicles, recreational activities, and non-native plants. See Proceedings of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences 13:361-374 (1878) for original description.
Threats:

Taxonomy:

Selected References

Proposed New Add to CRPR 2.2, G5 / S2

Citation California Native Plant Society, Rare Plant Program. 2025. Rare Plant Inventory (online edition, v9.5.1). Website https://www.rareplants.cnps.org [accessed 27 February 2025].