Taxon Report

Astragalus agrestis G. Don

field milk-vetch

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Taxon Summary

Astragalus agrestis, commonly known as field milk-vetch, is a perennial herb in the Fabaceae that is found in California and elsewhere. It occurs within Great Basin scrub (vernally mesic), and Meadows and seeps (vernally mesic), growing at elevations from 1560 to 1650 meters. Astragalus agrestis is ranked 2B.2, Plants Rare, Threatened, or Endangered in California, But More Common Elsewhere; Moderately threatened in California.

Classification


Scientific Name:	Astragalus agrestis G. Don
Common Name:	field milk-vetch
Family:	Fabaceae
Element Code:	PDFAB0F090
USDA Plants Symbol:	ASAG2
Synonyms/Other Names:

Ecology and Life History


Lifeform:	perennial herb
Blooming Period: Apr-Jul(Aug)	Apr-Jul(Aug)
Elevation:	1560-1650 (5120-5415)
General Habitats:	Great Basin scrub, Meadows and seeps
Microhabitat:	Vernally Mesic
Microhabitat Details:

Conservation Status


CA Rare Plant Rank:	2B.2
Global Rank:	G5
State Rank:	S2
State List:	None
Fed List:	None
Other Status:	BLM_S
CRPR Changes:	added to 2B.2 on 2001-01-01

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB


Total Occurrences:	14
Element Occurrence Ranks:
Excellent (A)	0
Good (B)	2
Fair (C)	2
Poor (D)	0
None (X)	0
Unknown (U)	10

Location


California Endemic: False
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
Lassen (LAS), Sierra (SIE)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Anderson Mtn. (4012085), Cleghorn Flat (4012075), Evans Canyon (3912061), McDonald Peak (4012084)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB


Threat List Total:	4
EOs with Threat Listed:	Total EOs	% of EOs
	5	36 %
Agriculture	2	14%
Grazing	2	14%
Other	1	7%
Foot traffic/trampling	1	7%

Notes



See Memoirs of the New York Botanical Garden 13:618-622 (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 25 September 2025].