Listing
Dec 15, 1980
Dec 15, 1980 Listing
Review of Plant Taxa for Listing as Endangered or Threatened Species
- Publication type: CNOR
Item 1
FWS Focus
Overview
Characteristics
Overview
Peirson’s milk-vetch is endemic to the sand dunes of eastern Imperial County, California, and Sonora, Mexico. It was listed as threatened in 1998, and ongoing threats to the species include climate change climate change
Climate change includes both global warming driven by human-induced emissions of greenhouse gases and the resulting large-scale shifts in weather patterns. Though there have been previous periods of climatic change, since the mid-20th century humans have had an unprecedented impact on Earth's climate system and caused change on a global scale.
Learn more about climate change and off-highway vehicle use.
Scientific Name
Astragalus magdalenae var. peirsonii
Common Name
Peirson's milkvetch
Peirson's milk-vetch
FWS Category
Flowering Plants
Identification Numbers
Characteristics
Characteristic category
Physical Characteristics
Characteristics
Color & Pattern
It has pale purple flowers, and stems and leaves are covered with fine, silky appressed hairs. Leaflets are small and widely spaced, giving the plant a brushy appearance.
Size & Shape
Peirson’s milk-vetch is a short-lived perennial in the legume family, Fabaceae, that has a long tap root, enabling it to grow in shifting sands. It can reach 8 to 35 inches in height.
Characteristic category
Behavior
Characteristics
Behavior
Plants may flower in their first year and produce relatively few fruits, while older plants produce significantly more fruits.
Timeline
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