''Lilium pardalinum'' subsp. ''pitkinense'', the Pitkin Marsh lily, is an

endangered 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 inva ...

perennial A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also wide ...

herb In general use, herbs are a widely distributed and widespread group of plants, excluding vegetables and other plants consumed for macronutrients, with savory or aromatic properties that are used for flavoring and garnishing food, for medicinal ...

of the family

Liliaceae The lily family, Liliaceae, consists of about 15 genera and 610 species of flowering plants within the order Liliales. They are monocotyledonous, perennial, herbaceous, often bulbous geophytes. Plants in this family have evolved with a fair ...

that 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 certain

wetland A wetland is a distinct ecosystem that is flooded or saturated by water, either permanently (for years or decades) or seasonally (for weeks or months). Flooding results in oxygen-free (anoxic) processes prevailing, especially in the soils. The ...

areas in the northern

California Coast Ranges The Coast Ranges of California span from Del Norte or Humboldt County, California, south to Santa Barbara County. The other three coastal California mountain ranges are the Transverse Ranges, Peninsular Ranges and the Klamath Mountains. P ...

Sonoma County, California Sonoma County () is a county (United States), county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 United States Census, its population was 488,863. Its county seat and largest city is Santa Rosa, California, Santa Rosa. It is to the n ...

, United States.U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service plant profile for the Pitkin Marsh lily
It is a

subspecies In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all species ...

of ''

Lilium pardalinum ''Lilium pardalinum'', also known as the leopard lily or panther lily, is a flowering bulbous perennial plant in the lily family, native to Oregon, California, and Baja California. It usually grows in damp areas. Its range includes California c ...

''.

Distribution

''Lilium pardalinum'' subsp. ''pitkinense'' is found in the narrow elevation range of above mean sea level. The Pitkin Marsh lily is found only in freshwater

marsh A marsh is a wetland that is dominated by herbaceous rather than woody plant species.Keddy, P.A. 2010. Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation (2nd edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 497 p Marshes can often be found at ...

es and wet

meadow A meadow ( ) is an open habitat, or field, vegetated by grasses, herbs, and other non-woody plants. Trees or shrubs may sparsely populate meadows, as long as these areas maintain an open character. Meadows may be naturally occurring or artifi ...

s in western Sonoma County,

Northern California Northern California (colloquially known as NorCal) is a geographic and cultural region that generally comprises the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. Spanning the state's northernmost 48 counties, its main population centers incl ...

.''Jepson Manual'', University of California Press (1993)
/ref> There are only three known colonies of this rare species in the vicinity, including the Pitkin Marsh situated near State Route 116 between

Sebastopol Sevastopol (; uk, Севасто́поль, Sevastópolʹ, ; gkm, Σεβαστούπολις, Sevastoúpolis, ; crh, Акъя́р, Aqyár, ), sometimes written Sebastopol, is the largest city in Crimea, and a major port on the Black Sea ...

and

Forestville, California Forestville is a census-designated place (CDP) in Sonoma County, California, United States. It was settled during the late 1860s and was originally spelled Forrestville after one of its founders. The spelling long ago became standardized with one ...

. A land development proposal has been proposed which would infringe upon this

, which contains a second rare plant species, the white sedge, ''

Carex albida ''Carex lemmonii'', or Lemmon's sedge, is a plant in the sedge family, and is endemic to California. ''Carex albida'' (binomial authority L.H.Bailey) is now considered a synonym, but was previously thought to be a separate species; such plants h ...

''. The historic range is thought to have been throughout a slightly wider portion of the wetlands of Sonoma County, with much higher densities of organisms, possibly ranging into the

Laguna de Santa Rosa The Laguna de Santa Rosa is a wetland complex that drains a watershed encompassing most of the Santa Rosa Plain in Sonoma County, California, United States. The California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment has issued a safe eat ...

Description

''Lilium pardalinum'' subsp. ''pitkinense'' attains a height of . The leaves of the Pitkin Marsh lily are typically about long and in width. The whorled leaves of the Pitkin Marsh lily are staggered along the stem, and are generally elliptical to oblanceolate in shape.Flora of North America: Profile of the Pitkin Marsh lily
/ref> Near the Pitkin Marsh, individuals are found which seem to be hybrids with the closely related Panther lily. The plant blooms in the months of June and July.

Petal Petals are modified Leaf, leaves that surround the reproductive parts of flowers. They are often advertising coloration, brightly colored or unusually shaped to attract pollinators. All of the petals of a flower are collectively known as the ''c ...

s are red at their outer margins, transitioning to yellow at the centers, with small dark maroon dots. The

anther 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 filam ...

s are purplish-brown. This

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

is distinguished from its more common lookalike, the Leopard lily (''Lilium pardalinum''), by shorter petals and anthers.

Conservation

The U.S. Federal Government undertook hearings on listing the Pitkin Marsh lily as early as 1996. In 1997 this species was placed on the United States list of

plants, and the State of California classified the plant as ''California Endangered'' in 1978. The habitat of this rare plant has been greatly reduced from historic levels primarily through

cattle Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, cloven-hooved, herbivores. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus ''Bos''. Adult females are referred to as cows and adult mal ...

overgrazing Overgrazing occurs when plants are exposed to intensive grazing for extended periods of time, or without sufficient recovery periods. It can be caused by either livestock in poorly managed agricultural applications, game reserves, or nature res ...

; additional losses have been sustained by collectors seeking this plant for its rarity and beauty. Ongoing threats to this species are deemed to be cattle grazing and alteration of

hydrology Hydrology () is the scientific study of the movement, distribution, and management of water on Earth and other planets, including the water cycle, water resources, and environmental watershed sustainability. A practitioner of hydrology is calle ...

and

water quality Water quality refers to the chemical, physical, and biological characteristics of water based on the standards of its usage. It is most frequently used by reference to a set of standards against which compliance, generally achieved through tr ...

. ;Five colonies status There are three known extant colonies of the Pitkin Marsh lily in wetland areas of western Sonoma County.Center for Plant Conservation: Profile for Pitki Marsh lily
The owner of the first property has denied researchers access to the colony since 1975. It is presumed that the plants still exist, but there is no confirmation of the number of organisms remaining. The second site is the Pitkin Marsh, which was nearly extirpated by land development in 1960s, but approximately 200 plants remain. A major subdivision is planned in the surrounding area, but a "conservation easement" agreement between the California Department of Fish and Game and the landowner will mitigate in preserving this population. The recent threat to the Pitkin Marsh colony occurred when a parcel, including part of the marsh, was proposed for development as a 29-bed residential care facility. This zoning application is pending with the County of Sonoma. At the third known site, where this had once been a common species, only two individuals remain. This loss was due to wetland filling, but was primarily caused by the collection of specimens and bulbs for horticultural use. Owners of the latter two sites entered into voluntary protection agreements with The Nature Conservancy in 1989. The fourth site is Ragle Ranch Regional Park in Sabastopol Ca. There are several individuals but they are in decline due to being in a well traveled area of the park. The fifth site is a forest north east of the town of Bodega. Their status is unknown.

References

External links

Jepson Manual Treatment: ''Lilium pardalinum'' subsp. ''pitkinense''''Lilium pardalinum'' subsp. ''pitkinense'' (and closely related species) - U.C. Photo Gallery
{{Taxonbar, from=Q1825104 pardalinum subsp. pitkinense Endemic flora of California Plant subspecies Critically endangered flora of California Sebastopol, California Natural history of Sonoma County, California Endemic flora of the San Francisco Bay Area

Distribution

Description

Conservation

See also

References

External links