Download Sclerocactus wetlandicus

Chorizanthe valida
(Sonoma spineflower)
Salomon Garcia
Plant Ecology 398-04
April 26, 2010
Outline
• Taxonomy
• Facts
• Location of Chorizanthe
Valida
• Physiological features
and flowering pattern
• Endangered species list
• References
Chorizanthe valida
Taxonomy
• Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Caryouphyllales
Family: Polygonaceae
Genus: Chorizanthe
Species: Chorizanthe valida
Facts about Chorizanthe valida
• C. valida is a coastal plant found in sandy soil
• C. valida is of the buckweed family
• There are many species of chorizanthe
– 31 species are found in North America
– 19 are found in South America
• Known as forb/herb- non-woody plant that is not a grass
• Only one known population of C. valida, it is only found in
Point Reyes National Seashore.
• At one time this species was believed to be extinct until it
was found in the 1980s
Where is chorizanthe valida found?
• It is endemic to Sonoma
county.
• Meaning that this
particular plant is only
found in the northern
part of California
• It is a colony within a
coastal grassland
• Very rare!
Ecology and seedling dispersal
• Seedlings establish in areas that are relatively free from
other competing native species.
• C. valida found mild maritime climate, which usually
means that there is fog in the summer and rain in the
winter
• Flowers between June and August based on weather
patterns
• Has a peak blooming period of 3 weeks
– During this time it emits a floral scent which attracts
honeybees, bumblebees, and wasps
– Also during this time the flower begins to disintegrate and
the spiny seeds are disperse
Physiological and anatomical features
•
•
•
•
They are annuals meaning that they
grow for one year
This plant is a dicot
Root system consists of a slender taproot with small lateral roots
Stems- are either erect or prostrate
and are one to several from the base
branched at the first node.
– Stems could be from half to 5 dm long
and are usually stiff
•
Leaves – are basal
– Usually 2 to 10 cm long
– Leaves are prone to fall in mature plants
•
Pubescence – is seen when
unicellular white hairs begin to show
Problems chorizanthe valida is
challenged with
• This species of chorizanthe is subject to cattle
grazing. Which causes for the depletion in
numbers.
– Cattle trampling of seedlings is another cause for
the depletion of numbers in the species.
– Changes in weather patterns
– Land development could have led to the depletion
of mainland species of C.valida.
Organizations that have classified
Chorizonthe valida as endangered
• The United States Fish and Wildlife Service has
listed this species as endangered as of 1992
• IUCN Red list categorized this species as
endangered
Recovery plans
• In June of 1992 The United States Fish and Wildlife service
implemented a recovery plan which:
– Stated that yearly monitoring would occur
– Change in grazing patterns to a lesser amount
– Seeds were introduced to three 2 x 2 meter plots within 100—
200 meters to create a higher amount of the species
• Then in March of 2009 they began a 5 year review of C.
valida and 57 other species that are found in CA, AZ, UT, NV.
– This is to see if it still belongs in the endangered species list or if
the species still exists for that matter.
– This has to occur based on the Endangered Species Act of 1973
References
• http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/comm
ons/thumb/e/e8/Chorizanthe_rigida_1.jpg/25
0px-Chorizanthe_rigida_1.jpg
• http://www.calflora.org/cgibin/species_query.cgi?where-calrecnum=2059
• http://www.jstor.org/stable/2394227?cookieS
et=1
• http://www.fws.gov/ecos/ajax/docs/recovery
_plan/980930d.pdf