Search / Plant Profile / Astragalus lentiginosus var. piscinensis

Plant Profile

Fish Slough Milkvetch (Astragalus lentiginosus var. piscinensis)

Global Rank: T1 - Critically Imperiled
Legal Status: Federally Threatened
Family: Fabaceae
State: CA
Nature Serve ID: 140533
Lifeform: Forb/herb
Date Inducted in National Collection:

Description:

Astragalus lentiginosus var. piscinensis is a threatened variation of the milk-vetch whose geographic distribution is today reduced to a 10-mile stretch along the Fish Slough in Mono County, CA. Named after said slough, the Fish Slough Milk-vetch is restricted to the alkali flats that naturally occur along the slough. For a brief period during the summer months, A. l. var. piscinensis produces clusters of lavender flowers. In their region, they are especially threatened by local herbivores that graze there (cattle, rodents, insects, rabbits, etc.).

Where is Fish Slough Milkvetch (Astragalus lentiginosus var. piscinensis) located in the wild?

Habitat:

This variation of A. lentiginosus prefers wetlands with alkali flats that are seasonally moist. In the springtime, they are supported by the seasonal rainfall and can be found growing alongside species of cord grass. After the rain, an ideal habitat would dry out to form alkali crusts at the surface.

Distribution:

A. l. var. piscinensis is endemic to Mono County, California

States & Provinces:

Fish Slough Milkvetch can be found in California

Which CPC Partners conserve Fish Slough Milkvetch (Astragalus lentiginosus var. piscinensis)?

California Botanic Garden

Not Sponsored

Conservation Actions

Assigned 06/09/17

CPC's Plant Sponsorship Program provides long term stewardship of rare plants in our National Collection. We are so grateful for all our donors who have made the Plant Sponsorship Program so successful. We are in the process of acknowledging all our wonderful plant sponsorship donors on our website. This is a work in progress and will be updated regularly.

Conservation Actions

09/01/2020

Based on an September 2020 extract of the California Plant Rescue Database, California Botanic Garden holds 2 accessions of Astragalus lentiginosus var. piscinensis in orthodox seed collection. There are as many as 2989 seeds of this species in their collection - although some may have been used for curation testing or sent to back up.

01/01/2010

military exercises recreational activities off-road vehicles cattle grazing competition with alien plants urbanization stochastic extinction agriculture predation by rabbits possibly groundwater pumping

01/01/2010

8 populations totaling ca. 700 plants in Fish Slough in Inyo and Mono Counties, CA