''Astragalus pycnostachyus'' var. ''lanosissimus'', the Ventura marsh milk-vetch, is a short-lived, herbaceous perennial in the pea family

Fabaceae The Fabaceae or Leguminosae,International Code of Nomenc ...

,Calflora
/ref>

Description

''Astragalus pycnostachyus'' var. ''lanosissimus'' has dense clusters of small light yellow flowers. It has silvery white, pinnately compound leaves and flowers from June through October. The species was listed as endangered in 2001 by the

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS or FWS) is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior dedicated to the management of fish, wildlife, and natural habitats. The mission of the agency is "working with oth ...

Distribution

Historically, ''Astragalus pycnostachyus'' var. ''lanosissimus'' or Ventura marsh milk-vetch occurred in back dune habitat and

coastal meadow Coastal meadows are Meadow, meadows in the coastal zone, influenced by the sea. Under this definition, the salinity of the air and wind is usually high and the flora is dominated by salt-tolerant species. Some coastal meadows may be flooded by s ...

s, and near coastal salt marshes from Ventura County to Orange County. Over the last century seven historical occurrences were known to exist. The species was extirpated from these sites and was therefore thought to be extinct until it was rediscovered in June 1997 by a USFWS biologist at a proposed development site. It had only been seen twice in the last century. Today, only this one population is known to exist near the City of

Oxnard Oxnard () is a city in Ventura County, California, United States. On California's South Coast, it is the most populous city in Ventura County and the 22nd-most-populous city in California. Incorporated in 1903, Oxnard lies approximately west ...

Ventura County Ventura County () is a county in the southern part of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 843,843. The largest city is Oxnard, and the county seat is the city of Ventura. Ventura County comprises the Oxnar ...

, all within a area (less than 0.6 of an acre).CPC Plant Profile - National Collection of Endangered Plants
The population occurs on disturbed coastal backdunes at the edge of the

Oxnard Plain The Oxnard Plain is a large coastal plain in southwest Ventura County, California, United States surrounded by the mountains of the Transverse ranges. The cities of Oxnard, Camarillo, Port Hueneme and much of Ventura as well as the unincorpora ...

on fill material at a closed oil-waste dump site.

Conservation

Since 1997 between 192 and 374 individual plants have been observed on the site. Most of these individuals are seedlings or small juveniles.

Southern California Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and Cultural area, cultural region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. It includes the Los Angeles metropolitan area, the second most po ...

coastal wetland habitats have declined by 80–90% and those remaining are frequently degraded. Very little is known about the ecological requirements of this species. This only known population of Ventura marsh milk-vetch is threatened by

predation Predation is a biological interaction where one organism, the predator, kills and eats another organism, its prey. It is one of a family of common feeding behaviours that includes parasitism and micropredation (which usually do not kill the ...

and potential habitat modification and may be susceptible to alterations in its hydrologic regime and competition from non-native plant species. The California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG) (now California Department of Fish and Wildlife - CDFW) is working closely with the landowner, the

USFWS The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS or FWS) is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior dedicated to the management of fish, wildlife, and natural habitats. The mission of the agency is "working with othe ...

and other interested parties to identify areas that may be suitable for introducing Ventura marsh milk-vetch as part of recovery for the species. Greenhouse studies on this species are ongoing, as well as research to learn more about the ecological requirements of this species.California Dept. of Fish & Game "Assessment Of Experimental Outplantings Of The Endangered Ventura Marsh Milkvetch"
/ref> In late 1998, David Magney, on behalf of the California Native Plant Society, submitted a petition to the California Fish and Game Commission to list the Ventura Marsh Milkvetch as an endangered species pursuant to the California Endangered Species Act. The petition was accepted as complete and the variety was formally listed as Endangered by the California Fish and Game Commission in 2000. It was subsequently formally listed by the USFWS as Endangered pursuant to the federal Endangered Species Act in 2001.

References

External links

ILDIS LegumeWeb

U.S. Dept. of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service
{{Taxonbar, from=Q4811287 pycnostachyus var. lanosissimus Endemic flora of California Natural history of the California chaparral and woodlands Natural history of Ventura County, California Oxnard, California Flora without expected TNC conservation status