''Phacelia argillacea'' is a rare species of flowering plant in the
borage family known by the common names clay phacelia and Atwood's phacelia. It is
endemic to
Utah in the United States, where it is known only from one
canyon
A canyon (from ; archaic British English spelling: ''cañon''), or gorge, is a deep cleft between escarpments or cliffs resulting from weathering and the erosion, erosive activity of a river over geologic time scales. Rivers have a natural tenden ...
in
Utah County.
[''Phacelia argillacea''.]
Center for Plant Conservation. It is "one of Utah's most endangered species"; it is "one of the nation's rarest plants" and is federally listed as an
endangered species
An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and inv ...
of the United States.
[Van Keuren, D]
Uinta National Forest Introduction Program to Recover Clay Phacelia, ''Phacelia argillacea'', One of Utah’s Most Endangered Species.
US Forest Service.
This plant is an annual herb growing up to 36 to 40 centimeters in height. It has a rosette of leaves around the base of the stem. The leaf blades are oblong with deep lobes along the edges, and measure up to 5 centimeters in length. The
inflorescence is a
cyme with several branches that are scorpioid in shape, curving into a curl like the tail of a
scorpion;
[ tp://ftp-fc.sc.egov.usda.gov/ID/programs/plant/phacelia_atwoods.pdf ''Phacelia argillacea''.USDA Plant Guide.] this inflorescence is hairy and glandular. Each flower has a bell-shaped purple-blue corolla about long and wide, with the long
stamen
The stamen (plural ''stamina'' or ''stamens'') is the pollen-producing reproductive organ of a flower. Collectively the stamens form the androecium., p. 10
Morphology and terminology
A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filame ...
s and
style protruding from the mouth of the corolla. The fruit of the plant is a capsule about a quarter of a centimeter in length. This plant is generally considered to be a winter annual; it
germinates
Germination is the process by which an organism grows from a seed or spore. The term is applied to the sprouting of a seedling from a seed of an flowering plant, angiosperm or gymnosperm, the growth of a sporeling from a spore, such as the spor ...
and produces a basal rosette, then develops slowly through the winter beneath the snow. Its erect stem grows up by May. Blooming usually occurs in July, but early blooming can take place in May and June and some flowers can persist into October. One plant can produce up to 8000 seeds. This species is closely related to, and has been mistaken for, ''
Phacelia glandulosa''.
[''Phacelia argillacea''.]
The Nature Conservancy.
This plant is known only from Spanish Fork Canyon in central Utah.
[ It has been on the US Endangered Species List since 1978,][USFWS]
Determination of Five Plants as Endangered Species.
''Federal Register'' September 28, 1978. at which time there were only nine individuals known.[ Within two years this tiny population had dwindled to four plants.][ In 1980 a second population was found, putting the total global population around 200.][ In 1987 some sheep were bedded at the main locality for three days, and only a single plant survived. Twenty to thirty new plants had germinated the following year.]shale
Shale is a fine-grained, clastic sedimentary rock formed from mud that is a mix of flakes of clay minerals (hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates, e.g. kaolin, Al2 Si2 O5( OH)4) and tiny fragments (silt-sized particles) of other minerals, especial ...
originating from the Green River Formation.[ The habitat is pinyon-juniper woodland dominated by '' Pinus edulis'' (Colorado pinyon) and '' Juniperus osteosperma'' (Utah juniper) and other plants in the vicinity include '']Berberis repens
''Berberis repens'' commonly known as creeping mahonia, creeping Oregon grape, or creeping barberry, is a species of ''Berberis'' native to most of the western United States and two western provinces of Canada. It has found use as a xeric orname ...
'' (creeping barberry), ''Mentzelia laevicaulis
''Mentzelia laevicaulis'' is a showy wildflower native to western North America. Its common names include giant blazingstar and smoothstem blazingstar.
This is a widespread plant which can be found in sandy, rocky, and disturbed areas, such as r ...
'' (giant blazingstar), '' Oenothera caespitosa'' (evening primrose), '' Marrubium vulgare'' (horehound), '' Cynoglossum officinale'' ( houndstongue), '' Amelanchier alnifolia'' (serviceberry), '' Rhus trilobata'' (skunkbush), ''Atriplex canescens
''Atriplex canescens'' (or chamiso, chamiza, four-wing saltbush) is a species of evergreen shrub in the family Amaranthaceae native to the western and midwestern United States.
Description
''Atriplex canescens'' has a highly variable form, and ...
'' (fourwing saltbush), '' Artemisia tridentata'' (sagebrush), '' Chrysothamnus nauseosus'' (rabbitbrush), '' Cercocarpus montanus'' (mountain mahogany), and ''Rosa woodsii
''Rosa woodsii'' is a species of wild rose known by the common names Woods' rose, interior rose, common wild rose, mountain rose, pear-hip rose, and prairie rose.
Distribution and habitat
It is native to North America including much of Canada an ...
'' (Woods' rose).[
The species faces a number of threats. Its small numbers put it at risk for extinction.][ Sheep graze in the immediate vicinity of the plants,][ in addition the plants may be eaten by native animals such as mule deer and ]rock squirrel
The rock squirrel (''Otospermophilus variegatus'') is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae and is native to Mexico and the Southwestern United States, including southern Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, West Texas, and the panh ...
s.[ One occurrence is next to railroad tracks, and the construction and maintenance of the rails has disturbed the habitat.][ ]Highway 6
Route 6, or Highway 6, may refer to routes in the following countries:
International
* Asian Highway 6
* European route E6
* European route E006
Albania
* National Road SH6
Argentina
* Buenos Aires Provincial Route 6
Australia New ...
runs directly through another occurrence, and road maintenance may disturb the plants as well as the habitat that supports their potential pollinator
A pollinator is an animal that moves pollen from the male anther of a flower to the female stigma of a flower. This helps to bring about fertilization of the ovules in the flower by the male gametes from the pollen grains.
Insects are the maj ...
s.[ Introduced species of plants, such as horehound and houndstongue, may compete with the phacelia.][
Conservation activities include the propagation of plants and collection of seeds. Both natural populations occur on private land, where they are difficult to protect. Seeds grown in cultivation will be used to establish thirteen populations on federal land in Uinta National Forest, where they can be protected.][ As of 1988, The Nature Conservancy was attempting to acquire the species, without success.][
]
References
External links
USDA Plants Profile
{{Taxonbar, from=Q3377932
argillacea
Flora of Utah
Utah County, Utah
Plants described in 1973