''Aliciella caespitosa'' (
syn.
The Botanical and Zoological Codes of nomenclature treat the concept of synonymy differently.
* In botanical nomenclature, a synonym is a scientific name that applies to a taxon that (now) goes by a different scientific name. For example, Linnae ...
''Gilia caespitosa'') is a species of flowering plant in the
phlox family known by the common names Rabbit Valley gilia and Wonderland Alice-flower. It is
endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...
to
Utah
Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to it ...
, where it is known only from
Wayne County.
[''Gilia caespitosa''.]
The Nature Conservancy.[''Gilia caespitosa''.]
Center for Plant Conservation.
This perennial herb has a thick basal clump of sticky leaves growing just a few centimeters tall. The flowers are
scarlet to blue-purple
[ in color, sometimes fading ]maroon
Maroon ( US/ UK , Australia ) is a brownish crimson color that takes its name from the French word ''marron'', or chestnut. "Marron" is also one of the French translations for "brown".
According to multiple dictionaries, there are var ...
or purple.[ Flowering occurs in June and July,][ and seeds are produced in July and August.][
This species was collected in 1875 and not reported again for 90 years. There are about 6 populations spread across 40 sites, for a total of 15,000 to 25,000 individuals. All are within 90 square kilometers in one Utah county. The plant grows on the ]Navajo
The Navajo (; British English: Navaho; nv, Diné or ') are a Native American people of the Southwestern United States.
With more than 399,494 enrolled tribal members , the Navajo Nation is the largest federally recognized tribe in the United ...
and Wingate Sandstone
The Wingate Sandstone is a geologic formation in the Glen Canyon Group of the Colorado Plateau province of the United States which crops out in northern Arizona, northwest Colorado, Nevada, and Utah.
Geology
Wingate Sandstone is particularly pro ...
s in sandy rock crevices, rocky slopes, and arroyos
Arroyo often refers to:
* Arroyo (creek), an intermittently dry creek
Arroyo may also refer to:
People
* Arroyo (surname)
Places United States
;California
* Arroyo Burro Beach, a public beach park in Santa Barbara County, California
* Arroyo ...
.[ The habitat is often pinyon-juniper woodland, sometimes with sagebrush or Ponderosa pine.][
Threats to this species include poaching for the ]horticultural
Horticulture is the branch of agriculture that deals with the art, science, technology, and business of plant cultivation. It includes the cultivation of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, herbs, sprouts, mushrooms, algae, flowers, seaweeds and no ...
trade; however, most plants are located on inaccessible terrain. Widening of highways may be a threat.[ Sand and sandstone mining may be a threat.][
]
References
External links
USDA Plants Profile
{{Taxonbar, from=Q15389952
caespitosa
Flora of Utah
Wayne County, Utah