Taxon Report

Peteria thompsoniae Wats.

spine-noded milk vetch

Print Report

Taxon Summary

Peteria thompsoniae, commonly known as spine-noded milk vetch, is a perennial herb in the Fabaceae that is found in California and elsewhere. It occurs within Mojavean desert scrub (alluvial fans, and sandy), growing at elevations from 800 to 825 meters. Peteria thompsoniae is ranked 2B.1, Plants Rare, Threatened, or Endangered in California, But More Common Elsewhere; Seriously threatened in California.

Classification


Scientific Name:	Peteria thompsoniae Wats.
Common Name:	spine-noded milk vetch
Family:	Fabaceae
Element Code:	PDFAB32020
USDA Plants Symbol:	PETH5
Synonyms/Other Names:

Ecology and Life History


Lifeform:	perennial herb
Blooming Period: May-Jun	May-Jun
Elevation:	800-825 (2625-2705)
General Habitats:	Mojavean desert scrub
Microhabitat:
Microhabitat Details:

Conservation Status


CA Rare Plant Rank:	2B.1
Global Rank:	G4
State Rank:	S1
State List:	None
Fed List:	None
Other Status:
CRPR Changes:	changed from 2.1 to 2B.1 on 2013-06-12 changed from 2.3 to 2.1 on 2012-02-14

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB


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

Location


California Endemic: False
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
Inyo (INY)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Calvada Springs (3511588), North of Tecopa Pass (3511681)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB


Threat List Total:	1
EOs with Threat Listed:	Total EOs	% of EOs
	1	50 %
ORV activity	1	50%

Notes



Threatened by vehicles. Possibly threatened by solar energy development. Endangered in ID. See Madroño 34(4):381 (1987) for the historical CA record.
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].