223

 Chapter 5

Chapter 5 – Potentially Vulnerable

Species: Plants

The earth never tires:

The earth is rude, silent, incomprehensible at first—Nature is rude and

 incomprehensible at first;

Be not discouraged—keep on—there are divine things, well enveloped;

I swear to you there are divine things more beautiful than words can tell.

— Walt Whitman (1856)

Key Questions

• Which plant species are rare or at risk

in the coastal mountains and

foothills of southern California?

• What is known about the status and

distribution of each?

• What factors threaten their continued

persistence?

Using the fine-filter screening criteria (see

description in the first section of chapter 4),

we identified 256 plants occurring within or

near the assessment area which warrant individual consideration. Thirty of these species

are listed as threatened or endangered (table

5.1) and thus legally protected under the federal Endangered Species Act. Two additional

species are proposed for federal listing (table

5.1). Most of the other identified plants are

Forest Service Region 5 Sensitive Species. The

Forest Service Sensitive (FSS) list is intended

as an early alert system, to institute conservation measures before a species declines to levels

that necessitate it becoming listed as threatened or endangered. FSS plants are protected

through the implementation of Forest Plans

and the biological evaluation (BE) process,

which considers the potential effects of Forest

Service activities on these species.

A few plant species considered in the assessment are neither federally listed nor Forest

Service Sensitive species. These are plants

which currently do not warrant FSS designation, but information is still gathered about

them because they are either locally rare, disjunct occurrences, or information is lacking

about their distribution and abundance. Some

forests have developed a “watch list” to track

these plants.

With few exceptions, the plants addressed

in this assessment are higher vascular plants

and nomenclature follows the Jepson Manual

(Hickman 1993). Virtually no evaluation was

done of the ferns, fern allies, bryophytes, lichens, basidiomycetes, and ascomycetes in the

study area; however, their importance in forest ecosystems is well recognized.

Our primary objective was to use the available information on the 256 identified plants

to assess their current status and vulnerability

within the assessment area, and, where possible, identify their conservation needs. This

information can then be used when developing management priorities.

Evaluating Status and

Conservation Potential

The potential for conservation, and the

actions needed to conserve, vary considerably

depending on the individual characteristics of

each species. To assess those characteristics, we

compiled information on species-habitat relationships. As with the animals, we structured

the evaluation process by grouping the plants

based on primary habitat associations. The

groupings are clearly generalizations and few

of the species fit perfectly within the described
Table 5.1. Federally listed plant species occurring within or near the assessment area and their distribution

by national forest (y = occurs, p = potential to occur).

Federal

 Common Name Scientific Name Status

C

N

F

SB

N

F

A

N

F

LP

N

F

Cushenbury milk-vetch Astragalus albens Endangered y

Braunton’s milk-vetch Astragalus brauntonii Endangered p y

California jewelflower Caulanthus californicus Endangered p

Slender-horned spineflower Dodecahema leptoceras Endangered y y p

Kern mallow Eremalche parryi kernensis Endangered p

Santa Ana River woollystar Eriastrum densifolium sanctorum Endangered p

Cushenbury buckwheat Eriogonum ovalifolium vineum Endangered y

San Bern. Mtns. bladderpod Lesquerella kingii bernardina Endangered y

Cushenbury oxytheca Oxytheca parishii goodmaniana Endangered y

Gambel’s watercress Rorippa gambellii Endangered p p

Bird-footed checkerbloom Sidalcea pedata Endangered y

Slender-petaled thelypodium Thelypodium stenopetalum Endangered y

Encinitas baccharis Baccharis vanessae Threatened y

Santa Monica Mtns. dudleya Dudleya cymosa ovatifolia Threatened y p

Hoover’s eriastrum Eriastrum hooveri Threatened y

Parish’s daisy Erigeron parishii Threatened y

San Diego thorn-mint Acanthomintha ilicifolia Threatened y

Munz’s onion Allium munzii Endangered y

Coachella Valley milk-vetch Astragalus lentiginosus coachellae Endangered p

Triple-ribbed milk-vetch Astragalus tricarinatus Endangered p

Nevin’s barberry Berberis nevinii Endangered y p y

Mexican flannelbush Fremontodendron mexicanum Endangered p

San Bernardino blue grass Poa atropurpurea Endangered y y

California dandelion Taraxacum californicum Endangered y

Big Bear Valley sandwort Arenaria ursina Threatened y

Thread-leaved brodiaea Brodiaea filifolia Threatened y p p

Ash-gray Indian paintbrush Castilleja cinerea Threatened y

Vail Lake ceanothus Ceanothus ophiochilus Threatened y

La Graciosa thistle Cirsium loncholepis Proposd. End. y

Southern mountain buckwheat Eriogonum kennedyi austromontanum Threatened y

Camatta Canyon amole Chlorogalum purpureum reductum Proposed Th. y

Marsh sandwort Arenaria paludicola Endangered p
225

 Chapter 5

habitat. Many of these species are extremely

limited in their distribution and thus occupy

only a small portion of the defined habitat association. Still, it is useful to organize species

based on general factors that help predict their

occurrence. The groups are defined primarily

by associations with vegetation types, but soil,

geology, moisture, and elevation were also used

as habitat indicators.

Many of the focal species are endemic to

(i.e., only occur in) one or several mountain

ranges and, in some cases, are restricted to

portions of a single watershed. Some species

continue their distributions into northern Baja

California, the Mojave and Sonoran deserts,

and the mountains of Arizona and Nevada.

The mapped distribution of all species reveals

several key areas of rare plant concentration

in the assessment area: the eastern San Bernardino Mountains and the mountains of

southern San Diego County (fig. 5.1).

Figure 5.1. Concentrations of rare plant species across the assessment area (by USGS 7.5-minute quad map).

Current and historic occurrences of most

of the focal plant species were compiled and

stored in a GIS database. In addition, a database was developed to track life-history

requirements for many of these plants. Information was captured on (1) occurrence by

mountain range, national forest, and watershed; (2) associated soils and vegetation types;

and (3) information on the effects of fire, grazing, ground disturbance, and exotic species.

Base information was obtained from
226

individuals to supply distributional information so that our maps can be updated.

Riparian Plants

General Riparian Associates

Six rare plants are typically found in riparian habitats, but the association is general

and the plants tend to occur across a wide

elevational range. Summary information is

shown in table 5.2.

Boykinia rotundifolia

(round-leaved boykinia)

Boykinia rotundifolia is distributed

throughout the San Bernardino, San Gabriel,

San Jacinto, Santa Ana, Elsinore, Palomar, and

Volcan mountains. There are known occurrences on the San Bernardino and Angeles

national forests. Occurrences are also reported

for the Cuyama Valley, north of the southern

Los Padres region, and there are historic occurrences on the Los Padres National Forest

(D. Wilken, Santa Barbara Botanic Garden,

pers. comm.). The species is found in lower

and upper montane conifer habitats—at mesic

places in canyons surrounded by chaparral or

yellow pine, and on stream banks in riparian

woodlands. The species is predicted to be more

common than previously thought due to the

abundance of potential habitat yet to be surveyed.

Hemizonia mohavensis

(Mojave tarplant)

Hemizonia mohavensis is state listed as endangered. It is known from three historic

occurrences, including one in the San Jacinto

Mountains and another along the Mojave

River near Deep Creek at the foot of the San

Bernardino Mountains. The species was

thought to be extirpated, but several new occurrences have recently been discovered; plants

were found along Twin Pines and Brown

creeks on the northern slopes of the San Jacinto

Mountains, including an estimated six thousand plants counted in the fall of 1994 in the

Twin Pines Creek drainage (Sanders, Banks,

and Boyd 1997). Additional populations were

CALFLORA (Dennis 1995) and PLANTS

(1994). The database is an effort to track information that currently exists and to help

identify areas where more data are needed. In

general, there is more information on woody

species and the communities they define than

on herbaceous plants.

We also placed each plant species into conservation categories based on criteria that (1)

consider their conservation needs, (2) assess

the ability to meet those needs on public lands

within the assessment area, and (3) evaluate

the type of actions needed. Determinations

were made for each species after analyzing

available information on life-history characteristics, degree of rarity or endemism, regional

context, response to land use, extant population size and trend, and other variables as

necessary. A complete listing of all plant species and their assigned conservation categories

is located in appendix A. The findings from

our evaluations are summarized in the following species accounts.

Species Accounts

In addition to the sources cited in chapter

1, much of the baseline information reported

in the following tables and species accounts

was obtained from the California Native Plant

Society’s Inventory of Rare and Endangered Vascular Plants of California (Skinner and Pavlik

1994) and the Jepson Manual (Hickman

1993).

The acres of known habitat listed in the

tables for each species are based on mapped

occurrences within national forest system

boundaries. For plants which we have no

mapped information or where it was determined that our information was clearly

inaccurate, a y or p is listed to denote if the

plant occurs or potentially occurs within a

particular national forest. Even when acres are

listed it does not necessarily provide an accurate portrayal of the plants’ distribution; rather,

it reflects the state of the Forest Service’s

mapped information. We hope that if inaccuracies are noticed here, it will help spur
227

 Chapter 5

Boykinia rotundifolia p y 5 h unkn. unkn. San Bernardino, San Gabriel, San

(round-leaved boykinia) Jacinto, Santa Ana, Elsinore, Palomar,

& Volcan mtns., Cuyama Valley; (low)

Hemizonia mohavensis 72 y p stable1 low San Bernardino, San Jacinto, & Pal-

(Mojave tarplant) omar mtns., S Sierra Nevada; (moder

 state endangered ate)

Lilium humboldtii ssp. y y y y unkn. low Santa Lucia Ranges, S Los Padres &

ocellatum Castaic regions, Peninsular Ranges in

(ocellated Humboldt lily) SD Co., E San Gabriel, San Bernardino,

San Jacinto, Santa Ana, & Santa

Monica mtns., Channel Islands;

(moderate)

Muhlenbergia californica y y unkn. unkn. San Bernardino, San Gabriel, & San

(California muhly) Jacinto mtns. (low)

Scutellaria bolanderi y y unkn. low on San Bernardino & San Jacinto mtns.,

ssp. austromontana CNF, Peninsular Ranges in SD Co. (low)

(southern skullcap) unkn.

 FS sensitive on SBNF

Thelypteris puberula var. y p y unkn. unkn. coastal to foothills in LA, Riverside, San

sonorensis Bernardino, & Santa Barbara cos.,

(Sonoron maiden fern) Baja & Sonora, Mexico, AZ; (low)

found in the Poppet Flat area one year later

and, in 1997, in the Baldy Mountain area. In

1996, occurrences were discovered in Cutca

Valley and adjacent areas of the Long Creek

drainage on the north side of Palomar Mountain in San Diego County. Other San Diego

County populations were discovered in the

vicinity of Indian Flats and in Chihuahua

Valley, north of Warner Springs. The species

was also recently documented in the southern

Sierra Nevada (CNPS 1999).

Lilium humboldtii ssp. ocellatum

(ocellated Humboldt lily)

Lilium humboldtii ssp. oscellatum is an uncommon though wide-ranging subspecies,

distributed in the southern Santa Lucia

Ranges, the southern Los Padres and Castaic

regions, the Peninsular Ranges in San Diego

County, the eastern San Gabriel, San Bernardino, San Jacinto, Santa Ana, and Santa

Monica mountains, and the Channel Islands

(McAuley 1985). Occurrences are known on

all four southern California national forests.

The plant is included in a conservation strategy for coastal sage scrub (USFS/USFWS/

CDFG 1997).

Plants on the Cleveland and San Bernardino national forests are found in

low-elevation riparian areas and seeps of chaparral canyons. On the Angeles National Forest

the taxon is found in riparian areas with

Table 5.2. Rare plants found in riparian habitats (general). y = the taxon occurs on the forest; p = has

potential to occur; h = is known historically. Trend, knowledge of distribution, and vulnerability information

was determined by forest botanists/biologists and generally refers to occurrences on national forest system

lands (unkn. = unknown; decl. = declining; incr. = increasing).

1

Sanders, Banks and Boyd 1997

Scientific Name

(common name)

listing status

Overall Distribution

Trends (Knowledge of distribution on NFS lands)

Vulnerability

on NFS

lands

Acres of Known Habitat

CNF SBNF ANF LPNF

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228

big-leaf maple or in mixed evergreen forest.

Occurrences are known from Lucas Creek

(near the Big Tujunga narrows) and Trail and

Wilson canyons (Bramlet and Boyd 1998).

Occurrences on the Los Padres National Forest range from the Casitas Pass area to San

Julian Creek in the Santa Ynez Mountains, and

inland to mountainous areas along Sespe

Creek and at Thorn Meadows (Smith 1976).

The plant generally grows on gravelly soils, in

drainages and canyon bottoms. These areas are

subject to natural flooding and erosion, and

plant occurrences are vulnerable to activities

that affect natural water flows. Altered fire regimes in some areas have led to stand

densification upslope of riparian areas, which

in turn has caused reduced base flows. The plant

is also vulnerable to horticultural collecting.

Muhlenbergia californica

(California muhly)

Muhlenbergia californica is a perennial

grass found along streams in the San Bernardino, San Gabriel, and San Jacinto mountains.

Occurrences are known mainly from coastalflowing drainages and canyons, but some

plants have been found at the southeastern end

of the San Bernardino Mountains near the

desert interface. Plants grow in perennially

mesic areas within chaparral, coastal sage

scrub, and lower montane coniferous forest.

Most occurrences are found in the chaparral

zone between 3,000 and 4,000 feet. Five occurrences are recorded in the CNDDB, all

from 1951 or earlier. Other more recent occurrences are known on the San Bernardino

and Angeles national forests, where the species is protected through management of

riparian areas and wetlands. The species is vulnerable to flooding and erosion.

Scutellaria bolanderi ssp. austromontana

(southern skullcap)

Scutellaria bolanderi ssp. austromontana is

a Forest Service Sensitive Species. It is known

from extant occurrences in the Peninsular

Ranges of San Diego County and the San

Jacinto Mountains. One historic occurrence

is known from near the San Bernardino

Mountains. The CNDDB lists sixteen occurrences, some on the Cleveland National Forest.

At least two more occurrences are known on

the San Bernardino National Forest in the San

Jacinto Mountains. The plant grows in gravelly soils (sometimes gabbro) along streams.

Thelypteris puberula var. sonorensis

(Sonoran maiden fern)

Thelypteris puberula var. sonorensis is an

uncommon fern distributed in Los Angeles,

Riverside, San Bernardino, and Santa Barbara

counties. Occurrences are also known from

Arizona and Baja and Sonora, Mexico. The

plant grows in meadows, seeps, and along

streams, in coastal and inland valley areas, and

up to around 2,000 feet in the foothills. The

CNDDB contains records for twelve occurrences and at least one additional location is

known on the San Bernardino National Forest. The Hemlock Fire of 1997 occurred at

this same location but it is still unclear what

effects the fire and subsequent flooding and

erosion had on this occurrence. Smith (1976)

lists six canyons where this fern occurs on the

Los Padres National Forest.

Low-Elevation Riparian Associates

Eleven rare plants are found or have potential to occur in low-elevation riparian

habitats within the assessment area. Summary

information is shown in table 5.3. Three federally endangered species and one proposed

endangered species are included in this group.

Artemisia palmeri

(San Diego sagewort)

Artemisia palmeri occurs in moist ravines

in southwestern San Diego County (McMinn

1951). The shrub is occasional along perennial coastal drainages and in mesic areas of

chaparral farther inland. It grows with willow,

sycamore, and cottonwood in riparian areas,

and chaparral whitethorn, scrub oak, and coast

live oak in areas of chaparral. Reiser (1994)

lists numerous historic and extant occurrences,
Artemisia palmeri y decl.1 low coastal & cismontane San Diego Co.;

(San Diego sagewort) (high)

Astragalus deanei 27 stable/ low Peninsular Ranges in San Diego Co.;

(Dean’s milk-vetch) decl.2

(moderate)

 FS sensitive

Cirsium loncholepis y decl. low S central coast (Monterey Coast,

(La Graciosa thistle) Guadalupe Dunes); (high)

 proposed endangered

Dodecahema leptoceras 8 10 p unkn./ mod.4/ Peninsular Ranges of SD Co., base of

(slender-horned spineflower) decl. high5San Bernardino & San Gabriel mtns.,

 federally endangered San Jacinto Mtns.; (high)

Dudleya densiflora 9 mod. along San Gabriel River in San Gabriel

(San Gabriel Mtns. dudleya) Mtns.

 FS sensitive

Eriastrum densifolium h/p decl.3 base of San Bernardino Mtns.;

ssp. sanctorum (moderate)

(Santa Ana River woollystar)

 federally endangered

Ericameria palmeri p decl.1 coastal and foothill San Diego Co.,

ssp. palmeri Baja; (low)

(Palmer’s goldenbush)

Hemizonia floribunda p stable1 San Diego Co., Baja; (low)

(Tecate tarplant)

 FS sensitive

Hemizonia pungens p decl.1 SD, LA, Orange, Riverside, San

ssp. laevis Bernardino, & Kern cos., Baja; (low)

(smooth tarplant)

Pedicularis dudleyi 224 stable mod. Monterey, Santa Cruz

(Dudley’s lousewort) to incr. (historically), SLO, & San Mateo cos.;

 FS sensitive (moderate)

Rorippa gambellii p p p unkn. W Santa Barbara & SLO cos., Baja, h

(Gambel’s water cress) in San Diego and San Bernardino cos.;

 federally endangered (low)

Table 5.3. Rare plants found in low-elevation riparian habitats. y = the taxon occurs on the forest; p =

has potential to occur; h = is known historically). Trend, knowledge of distribution, and vulnerability information

was determined by forest botanists/biologists and generally refers to occurrences on national forest system

lands (unkn. = unknown; decl. = declining; incr. = increasing).

1

 Reiser 1994 (refers to all known occurrences)

2 stable on national forest system lands, declining on private lands

3 White 1990

4 on the Cleveland National Forest

5 on the San Bernardino National Forest

Scientific Name

(common name)

listing status

Overall Distribution

Trends (Knowledge of distribution on NFS lands)

Vulnerability

on NFS

lands

Acres of Known Habitat

CNF SBNF ANF LPNF

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230

Dodecahema leptoceras

(slender-horned spineflower)

Dodecahema leptoceras is a federally endangered species found along sandy stream

terraces. Occurrences are known from Arroyo

Seco and Temescal creeks in the mountains of

San Diego County, on the east side of the Santa

Ana Mountains, along the Santa Ana River at

the foot of the San Bernardino Mountains,

along Lytle Creek at the foot of the San Gabriel

Mountains, and in Bautista Canyon and along

the San Jacinto River near the San Jacinto

Mountains (fig. 5.3). There are close to a dozen

recorded occurrences in all, many of them

small, and an estimated one-third to one-half

of them are located on federal or state lands.

D. leptoceras occupies alluvial fan scrub habitat, which is declining in Los Angeles, San

Bernardino, and Riverside counties due to

urban and agricultural development, sand and

gravel mining, and flood control measures

(USFWS 1987). In some areas, off-road vehicle activity and trash dumping have

degraded the habitat. Plants are typically found

in areas with no exotic species or obvious

ground disturbance. In the San Jacinto Mountains, plants occur on relatively young alluvial

benches and are affected by erosion (M.

Lardner, San Bernardino NF, in litt. 1999).

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service uses the

name Centrostegia leptoceras when referring to

this species. An interim species management

guide was developed for occurrences on the

Cleveland National Forest (L. Croft, Cleveland NF, unpubl. doc. 1989) and the plant is

included in a conservation strategy for coastal

sage scrub (USFS/USFWS/CDFG 1997).

This occurrence in not noted in the proposed

rule for federal listing (USFWS 1998n). Habitat in Monterey County consists of serpentine

seeps surrounded by maritime or coastal chaparral that receives exposure to coastal fog.The

one known occurrence on national forest system land is found near Willow Creek, just

north of Cape San Martin.

ranging from sea level to approximately 2,000

feet in elevation. A small amount is known to

occur on the Cleveland National Forest.

Astragalus deanei (Dean’s milk-vetch)

Astragalus deanei is a Forest Service Sensitive Species. It is distributed in the upper Otay

River and Sweetwater River drainages in southwestern San Diego County (Reiser 1994).

There are close to ten recorded occurrences,

some located on the Cleveland National Forest. The plant is associated with coastal sage

scrub and chaparral vegetation. It grows in

low-elevation riparian habitat and sandy

washes. A conservation strategy for coastal sage

scrub includes this species (USFS/USFWS/

CDFG 1997).

Cirsium loncholepis

(La Graciosa thistle)

Cirsium loncholepis is proposed for federal

listing as endangered. It is a short-lived plant

(one to two years) found along the southern

central coast. Approximately nine occurrences

are known in western and northern Santa Barbara and southern San Luis Obispo counties

(fig. 5.2). These occurrences are found in back

dunes and coastal wetlands, which are part of

the Guadalupe Dune system located at the

mouth of the Santa Maria River. The habitat

is described as areas where free water is available along dune lakes and swales, marshes, and

the edges of willow thickets. The species grows

with rush, tule, willow, poison oak, salt grass,

and coyote brush. These occurrences are located on private lands and are vulnerable to

groundwater pumping and development associated with oil production. The historic

distribution of this species has been significantly reduced by the conversion of wetland

habitat for agricultural use and other development (USFWS 1998n). In addition, coastal

dune habitat where this species is found has

been invaded by non-native plants such as

veldt grass, European beach grass, iceplant, and

crystalline ice plant.

One occurrence is known in Monterey

County on the Los Padres National Forest.
231

 Chapter 5

Figure 5.2. Known distribution of Cirsium loncholepis, the La Graciosa thistle.

Dudleya densiflora

(San Gabriel Mountains dudleya)

Dudleya densiflora is a Forest Service Sensitive Species. It is known from approximately

five occurrences along the San Gabriel River:

at Fish Canyon, Roberts Canyon, and the

mouth of San Gabriel River Canyon. Close

to 1,750 plants were counted at these three

sites during surveys in 1989 (Mistretta and

Brown 1989). Most of these plants occur on

the Angeles National Forest. Since the 1940s

there has been a decline in the number of

plants at San Gabriel River Canyon and Fish

Creek Canyon, especially at lower canyon sites.

This decline is attributed mainly to rock quarrying operations on private lands below the

forest boundary (Mistretta and Brown 1989).

Eriastrum densifolium ssp. sanctorum

(Santa Ana River woollystar)

Eriastrum densifolium ssp. sanctorum is federally and state listed as endangered. It is found

along gravelly riverbeds and floodplain terraces

in alluvial fan scrub habitat at the base of the

San Bernardino Mountains. An estimated 90

percent of its original habitat has been eliminated

Like many Dudleyas, San Gabriel Mountains

dudleya grows on granitic substrates—on

cliffs, from crevices in rocks, and on steep canyon walls. The Angeles National Forest has

written a management guide for this species

(Mistretta and Brown 1989).
232

Figure 5.3. Known distribution of Dodecahema leptoceras (slender-horned spineflower) and Eriastrum

densifolium ssp. sanctorum (Santa Ana River woollystar).

by flood control projects, sand and gravel mining, urbanization, and farming (White 1990).

Historic occurrences covered about 60 miles

from Rancho Santa Ana in Orange County

to near Highland in San Bernardino County;

however, the subspecies is now extirpated at

many locations. Extant occurrences are recorded at Lytle Creek and along the floodplain

of the Santa Ana River (and its tributaries),

between the city of Colton and the mouth of

Santa Ana Canyon (fig. 5.3). The CNPS Inventory notes these occurrences as one

extended but fragmented population (Skinner and Pavlik 1994). The amount of occupied

habitat was estimated to be 1,800 acres in 1986

(USFWS 1987). One occurrence, located on

an inholding of the San Bernardino National

Forest, was extirpated in 1993 during the construction of Seven Oaks Dam (M. Lardner,

San Bernardino NF, pers. comm.). Periodic

natural flooding appears to be a requirement

for successful regeneration of this taxon.

Ericameria palmeri ssp. palmeri

(Palmer’s goldenbush)

Ericameria palmeri ssp. palmeri is an evergreen shrub distributed in the Peninsular

Ranges of San Diego County and Baja California, Mexico. The subspecies is located

mainly at lower elevations outside of the
233

 Chapter 5

Pedicularis dudleyi

(Dudley’s lousewort)

Pedicularis dudleyi is a Forest Service Sensitive Species. It is a riparian species of concern

on the Los Padres National Forest (Los Padres

NF 1994) and is listed by the state of California as rare. The plant occupies coastal habitats

in Monterey, Santa Cruz (historically), San

Luis Obispo, and San Mateo counties. Occurrences are found in serpentine chaparral,

grasslands, and shaded areas in redwood or

mixed evergreen forest. The CNPS Inventory

cites fewer than fifteen known occurrences in

all (Skinner and Pavlik 1994). Three occurrences are located on the Los Padres National

Forest, another occurs within a state park, and

some are located on private land owned by

the Hearst Corporation. The species is vulnerable to trampling and trail maintenance

activities. There is potential for occurrences

to be affected by logging, road building, and

development projects.

Rorippa gambellii

(Gambel’s water cress)

Rorippa gambellii is a federally endangered

species known from occurrences outside the

assessment area in the dune lakes of western

Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties,

as well as locations in Baja California, Mexico

(D. Wilken, Santa Barbara Botanic Garden,

pers. comm; Reiser 1994; Mason 1957). Historically, the species was reported from about

a dozen locations in southern California, including interior wetland areas of San Diego,

San Bernardino, and Los Angeles counties

(USFWS 1993c). Habitat for the species is described as freshwater or brackish marshes and

swamps, at the margins of lakes, or along slowflowing streams. Extant occurrences in San

Luis Obispo County are known from a series

of small freshwater marshes found in association with beach dune habitat. These marshes

extend from Oceano south to the Oso Flaco

Lakes area, and inland to Black Lake Canyon

(USFWS 1993c). Other plants found in the

same habitat include cattails, bulrushes, and

bur-reeds.

assessment area—in coastal sage scrub, riparian scrub, and chaparral communities. In San

Diego County, its known range is located adjacent to urban development and there is

potential for the species to be extirpated in

the United States (Reiser 1994). Reiser (1994)

lists eleven occurrences, five of these either extirpated or on land proposed for development

projects. The plant is found in significant

numbers scattered along the Otay River drainage and appears to tolerate ground disturbance

from local dredging operations. Subspecies

identification needs to be confirmed at this

site as well as others because the plant is difficult to identify and can be confused with other

genera.

Hemizonia floribunda (Tecate tarplant)

Hemizonia floribunda is a Forest Service

Sensitive Species. It is an annual species known

from the Peninsular Ranges of San Diego

County and Baja California, Mexico. The

CNDDB contains records for seventeen occurrences, some in the assessment area. The

plant inhabits sandy washes in desert habitats.

Hemizonia pungens ssp. laevis

(smooth tarplant)

Hemizonia pungens ssp. laevis is known

from occurrences in San Diego, Los Angeles,

Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, and Kern

counties. The plant is also documented in Baja

California, Mexico. Reiser (1994) cites occurrences along Temecula Creek, near Lake Perris,

along the San Jacinto River, north of Tucalota

Creek, and along Potrero and Lytle creeks. The

annual grows on seasonally mesic alkaline substrates, in grasslands or sites with minimal

shrub cover. In San Diego County, occurrences

are close to being extirpated (Reiser 1994).

Plants in western Riverside County are affected

by flood control measures and development

along drainages. Sixty-one occurrences in all

are listed in the CNDDB. A conservation

strategy for coastal sage scrub includes this

taxon (USFS/USFWS/CDFG 1997).
234

One historic occurrence is noted for San

Diego County, in freshwater habitat near the

town of Julian and close to the Cleveland

National Forest. Another historic occurrence

is reported for Arrowhead Hot Springs near

the San Bernardino National Forest (S.

Eliason, San Bernardino NF, pers. comm.).

Other historic occurrences are reported for Los

Angeles County at “Cienega” and “Kurtz

Street Marsh” (G. Wallace, USFWS, pers.

comm.). These occurrences are believed to

have been extirpated due to habitat alteration

(USFWS 1993c), and it is unknown whether

any potential habitat occurs on national forest system lands in the assessment area.

Wetland habitats where this species is found

have declined significantly in California due

to urbanization and agricultural conversion.

Foothill Woodland, Savanna, and

Grassland Plants

Nine rare plants are found or have potential to occur in foothill woodland, savanna, or

grassland habitat within the assessment area.

Summary information is shown in table 5.4.

One federally endangered species, one federally threatened species, and one proposed

threatened species are included in this group.

Calycadenia villosa

(dwarf calycadenia)

Calycadenia villosa is an annual species

known from occurrences in the Santa Lucia

Ranges of Monterey and San Luis Obispo

counties. It was known historically in Kern

County but is now believed to be extirpated.

The plant occurs on dry hills and ridges with

rocky soils, at low elevations (below 3,600 feet)

in chaparral, cismontane woodlands, dry

meadows, and valley-foothill grasslands. The

CNDDB contains records for twelve occurrences, most of them historic. The species

appears to be declining; the CNPS Inventory

notes that it was at one time known from

twelve USGS 7.5-minute quad maps but now

has been extirpated from all but two. One

unrecorded occurrence is located along with

Chlorogalum purpureum var. reductum at an

area near La Panza on the Santa Lucia Ranger

District of the Los Padres National Forest (D.

Wilken, Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, in litt.

1998). Four recent occurrences are known east

of the forest within Fort Hunter Liggett. These

occurrences are affected by military training

activities and grazing to some extent, although

grazing pressures have been reduced. Overgrazing in other areas continues to be a hazard

along with urban development projects, road

development, off-highway vehicles, and nonnative invasive plants. Some occurrences were

lost when the San Antonio Reservoir was constructed. Fire suppression is also a threat

because the species appears to be a fire follower.

Chlorogalum purpureum var. reductum

(Camatta Canyon amole)

Chlorogalum purpureum var. reductum is

proposed for federal listing as threatened. It is

narrowly distributed on the northeast side of

the La Panza Range in San Luis Obispo

County (fig. 5.4). Plants occur in two discrete

locations separated by approximately 3 miles.

The larger of the two occurrences is found on

both private and national forest system lands

(Santa Lucia Ranger District of the Los Padres National Forest) and occupies between

10 and 12 acres of habitat bisected by Highway 58. Several hundred thousand plants are

estimated to occur at this location and, despite being partially fenced by the Forest

Service, the area is still used as an informal

staging area for off-highway vehicles and cattle.

The second occurrence covers about onequarter of an acre and is estimated to contain

several hundred plants. This site is located

entirely on private land and has been registered by the property owners with The Nature

Conservancy’s (TNC) private land owner protection program.

At both locations, the plants grow in various size patches and are not uniformly

distributed throughout the habitat, which is

described as sparsely vegetated annual grasslands surrounded by blue oak woodland and

gray/foothill pines. Other native species found

in the area include Brodiaea coronaria,
Calycadenia villosa 26 decl. unkn. Santa Lucia Ranges (Monterey & SLO

(dwarf calycadenia) cos.), h in Kern Co.; (low)

Chlorogalum purpureum 40 stable low La Panza Range (SLO Co.); (high)

var. reductum

(Camatta Canyon amole)

 proposed threatened

Eremalche parryi p unkn. San Joaquin Valley (W Kern Co.);

ssp. kernensis (high)

(Kern mallow)

 federally endangered

Eriastrum hoover 67 stable1 low Fresno, Kern, Kings, San Benito, SLO,

(Hoover’s eriastrum) & Santa Barbara cos. (e.g., Carrizo

 federally threatened Plain, Elkhorn Plain, Temblor Range,

Caliente Mtns., Cuyama Valley, & Sierra

Madre Mtns.); (high)

Eriophyllum lanatum 13 stable low- Sierra Madre Mtns., S Tehachapi

var. hallii mod. Mtns. (Santa Barbara & Kern cos.);

(Ft. Tejon woolly sunflower) (moderate)

 FS sensitive

Holocarpha virgata y decl.2 low coastal areas of central and southern

ssp. elongata CA; (low)

(graceful tarplant)

Lupinus ludovicianus 49 decl. low Santa Lucia Ranges (endemic to SLO

(S. Luis Obispo Co. lupine) Co.); (moderate)

 FS sensitive

Pentachaeta exilis 48 unkn. unkn. Santa Lucia Ranges

ssp. aeolica (Santa Barbara, Monterey, & San

(slender pentachaeta) Benito cos.); (moderate)

 FS sensitive

Sibaropsis hammittii y unkn. mod.3 Peninsular Ranges of S. CA (Santa

(Hammitt’s clay-cress) Ana & Cuyamaca mtns.); (moderate)

 FS sensitive

Table 5.4. Rare plants found in foothill woodland, savanna, and/or grassland habitats. y = the taxon

occurs on the forest; p = has potential to occur. Trend, knowledge of distribution, and vulnerability information

was determined by forest botanists/biologists and generally refers to occurrences on national forest system

lands (decl. = declining; unkn. = unknown).

Scientific Name

(common name)

listing status

Overall Distribution

Trends (Knowledge of distribution on NFS lands)

Vulnerability

on NFS

lands

Acres of Known Habitat

CNF SBNF ANF LPNF

1 stable or increasing on nation forest system lands; declining on private lands

2 Reiser 1994 (refers to all known occurrences)

3

 based on Boyd and Ross 1997

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236

Eremalche parryi ssp. kernensis

(Kern mallow)

Eremalche parryi ssp. kernensis is a federally endangered taxon known only from the

San Joaquin Valley in western Kern County.

There are no known occurrences on or adjacent to national forest system lands (fig. 5.4).

However, plants of uncertain taxonomic affinity assumed to be E. parryis ssp. parryi are

found in and adjacent to the Los Padres National Forest (M. Foster, Los Padres NF, pers.

comm.). These two subspecies together form

a complex whose taxonomy is currently unresolved. The range, distribution, abundance,

habitat requirements, and taxonomy of E.

parryi ssp. kernensis are described in detail in a

draft recovery plan (USFWS 1998l). This

document also discusses the taxonomy and

physical characteristics of the E. parryi ssp.

kernensis/E. parryi ssp. parryi complex. If understanding of the taxonomy of this complex

should change, it may be determined that

some of the populations on national forest

system lands are Eremalche parryi ssp. kernensis.

See the final rule for federal listing for more

information (USFWS 1990).

Eriastrum hooveri (Hoover’s eriastrum)

Eriastrum hooveri is a federally threatened

species known from six California counties:

Fresno, Kern, Kings, San Benito, San Luis

Obispo, and Santa Barbara. The plant was

once wide ranging but many populations have

been extirpated due to conversion of habitat

for agriculture. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife

Service has grouped all of the known occurrences into four metapopulations plus several

small, scattered populations. Surveys by Lewis

(1992) documented 629 occurrences covering an estimated 2,239 acres of occupied

habitat. Six occurrences are found on the

Mount Pinos Ranger District of the Los Padres National Forest; they are part of one

metapopulation that covers the Carrizo Plain,

Elkhorn Plain, Temblor Range, Caliente

Mountains, Cuyama Valley, and Sierra Madre

Mountains. The occurrences are located in the

foothills of Sierra Madre Ridge, just south of

Cuyama Valley in Castro, Goode, and

Tennison canyons (fig. 5.4). In 1993, more

than thirteen thousand plants were estimated

to occur at these six locations. Within

metapopulations, E. hooveri forms scattered

groups of plants with each group typically

occupying less than one acre. The density of

plants within a group is variable between sites

and years, with higher densities observed in

years of higher precipitation.

Habitat for this species extends across a

wider range of environmental conditions than

is typical for narrow endemics. The plant has

been found on ridgetops, hillsides, benches,

alluvial fans, flats, washes, along roadways, and

in pastures, from north-facing to southfacing slopes, and from 280 to 2,770 feet in

elevation (Lewis 1992). Danielsen (1993)

characterized habitat on the Los Padres National Forest as juniper woodland often in

association with California buckwheat. E.

hooveri has also been found in alkali sinks,

valley saltbush scrub, interior coast range

Clarkia purpurea, Crassula erecta, Dichellostemma capitatum, and another focal species,

Calycadenia villosa (dwarf calycadenia). Plants

grow on clay soils with substantial amounts

of pebbles and gravels. The taxon appears to

be restricted to areas with rocky, nutrient-poor

soils that tend to prevent herbivory from

pocket gophers. In areas with better soils, nonnative annuals (e.g., red brome, filaree,

Mediterranean grass, and slender wild oat) appear to be outcompeting C. purpureum var.

reductum for space, light, nutrients, and water.

The Los Padres National Forest has been

monitoring the population dynamics of this

taxon by tracking the number and age-class

of plants in eleven 0.5-square-meter plots. The

study began in 1991 and data were collected

until 1997. Analysis of the data has not yet

been completed, but preliminary findings suggest the abundance of this taxon is relatively

static with some variation on an annual basis

due to dormancy, mortality, and recruitment,

with recruitment of seedlings generally occurring in years with above-average precipitation.

See the proposed rule for federal listing for

more information (USFWS 1998h).
237

 Chapter 5

Figure 5.4. Distribution of Chlorogalum purpureum var. reductum (Camatta Canyon amole), Eriastrum hooveri

(Hoover’s eriastrum), and Eremalche parryi ssp. kernensis (Kern mallow).

saltbush scrub, and in grasslands. Lewis (1992)

reports that matchweed is a good indicator of

habitat for E. hooveri throughout its range and

winged ragweed is an accurate indicator specifically in the Cuyama Valley. High-quality

habitat for E. hooveri is thought to include stabilized silty to sandy soils, a low cover of

competing vegetation, and the presence of

cryptobiotic crusts. Moderate-quality habitat

is provided by loamy soils that lack

cryptobiotic crusts and support fairly dense

stands of vegetation.

The species appears to be somewhat tolerant of disturbance. Plants have been

observed invading soil surfaces within one year

after disturbances cease. In areas of dense vegetation, the species may benefit from light to

moderate soil disturbance if it reduces the

abundance of competing non-native plants.

On the Los Padres National Forest all of the

six known occurrences are found near lightly

used roads.

The range, distribution, abundance, and

habitat requirements of this annual species are

described in detail in a draft recovery plan

(USFWS 1998l). This report can be referred

to for more detailed information, particularly

in regards to off-forest distribution, abundance, and threats. Lewis (1992) also provides

extensive information on E. hooveri. The final
238

rule for federal listing also has additional information (USFWS 1990).

Eriophyllum lanatum var. hallii

(Fort Tejon woolly sunflower)

Eriophyllum lanatum var. hallii is a Forest

Service Sensitive Species known from the

southern Tehachapi and Sierra Madre mountains (Kern and Santa Barbara counties

respectively). The taxon occurs at Sierra Madre

Ridge on the Los Padres National Forest and

is included in a conservation strategy (USFS/

USFWS 1996). Generally the perennial occupies dry sites within chaparral and

cismontane woodlands, at elevations of 3,900

to greater than 4,900 feet. Livestock grazing

is cited as a primary threat to the plant although occurrences on national forest system

lands appear stable. The occurrence at Sierra

Madre Ridge is fenced and a second occurrence is located in steep terrain believed to be

inaccessible to cattle. Road construction and

maintenance, erosion associated with roads,

and competition from non-native annuals are

also thought to adversely affect this plant.

Lupinus ludovicianus

(San Luis Obispo County lupine)

Lupinus ludovicianus is a Forest Service

Sensitive Species. It is endemic to (and the

official flower of) San Luis Obispo County.

The CNDDB contains records for sixteen

occurrences. The species is thought to be declining; at least four historic occurrences may

now be extirpated. One extant occurrence is

located on the Los Padres National Forest and

others are somewhat protected by occurring

in remote places. The perennial has been found

in chaparral and in open grassy areas in foothill oak woodlands. Plants typically grow in

sandy soils associated with the Santa Margarita

formation, but one occurrence is found on

limestone soil. Habitat conversion for agricultural use and urban development, livestock

grazing and trampling, and off-highway vehicle activities are factors believed to be

negatively affecting this species.

Pentachaeta exilis ssp. aeolica

(slender pentachaeta)

Pentachaeta exilis ssp. aeolica is a Forest Service Sensitive Species. It is an annual taxon

known from locations in Santa Barbara,

Monterey, and San Benito counties. Two occurrences are located on the Los Padres

National Forest, where they are vulnerable to

fire suppression and the invasion of nonnative grasses. The plant is found below 2,200

feet elevation in foothill grasslands or grassy

openings within foothill pine woodlands.

Sibaropsis hammittii

(Hammitt’s clay-cress)

Sibaropsis hammittii is a Forest Service Sensitive Species. It is a newly described taxon

discovered recently on three mountains in the

Peninsular Ranges of southern California

(Boyd and Ross 1997). The first known collections were made on Elsinore Peak in the

Santa Ana Mountains in the spring of 1992.

The following spring, collections were made

75 miles to the south on Poser and Viejas

mountains. All of these occurrences are located

on the Cleveland National Forest, although

some spill over onto Indian reservation and

private lands. The occurrences are vulnerable

to urbanization close to the forest boundary,

increased fire frequencies, non-native invasive

species, trampling, and habitat damage by offroad vehicles (Boyd and Ross 1997). It appears

that a constant supply of moisture and low

levels of competition from other plants are required by S. hammittii for successful growth.

At all locations the annual is found on vernally saturated clay soils, in purple needlegrass

grassland surrounded by chamise chaparral.

Occurrences at the Elsinore Peak locale are

found on clay soils derived from basalt outcrops or marine sediments. Associated species

include blue-eyed-grass, Lomatium

dssycarpum, Dichelostemma pulchellum, purple

sanicle, foothill needlegrass, Allium

haematochiton, chocolate lily, California-aster,

and the federally endangered Allium munzii.

On Poser and Viejas mountains, S. hammittii

is found on clay soils derived from gabbro.

More occurrences of S. hammittii are expected
239

 Chapter 5

to be found on gabbro and metavolcanic soils

in the mountains of San Diego County and

northwestern Baja California, Mexico (e.g.,

Otay, Tecate, San Miguel, Jamul, Cerro Bola,

Cuyamaca, McGinty, Guatay, Iron, and Agua

Tibia). Basalt outcrops on the Santa Rosa Plateau may also harbor this species.

Scrub and Chaparral Plants

Plants of Both Scrub and Chaparral

Eleven rare plants are found or have potential to occur in both scrub and chaparral

habitats within the assessment area. Summary

information is shown in table 5.5. Two federally endangered species and two federally

threatened species are included in this group.

Allium munzii (Munz’s onion)

Allium munzii is a federally endangered

and state threatened species distributed within

the Santa Ana and Elsinore mountains, and

Gavilan Hills of western Riverside County. It

grows in clay soils, usually in grassy openings

between shrubs on mesas and slopes. It also

grows in mesic grasslands (e.g., southern

needlegrass grassland), vernal pools, and other

wetlands. In the Gavilan Hills the perennial

grows with California juniper (R. Minnich,

UC Riverside, in litt. 1998).

There are thirteen known occurrences, two

located partly on the Cleveland National Forest in the Elsinore Mountains (fig. 5.5). Five

populations occur in the Gavilan Hills—three

on private lands, one at Harford Springs

County Park, and one on land managed by

the Riverside County Habitat Conservation

Agency (RCHCA). Other populations occur

on private lands in the Temescal Valley, north

of Walker Canyon, and in or near the Paloma

Valley. Some locations in the Paloma Valley

are managed by the Reserve Management

Committees (Domenigoni Hills and Bachelor

Mountain) for the Riverside County

multispecies plans. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service estimates a total of twenty thousand

to seventy thousand plants at all known locations (USFWS 1998m).

An estimated 90 percent of the potential

habitat for this plant has been extirpated by

development projects and clay mining (K.

Winter, Cleveland NF, unpubl. doc. 1992).

The species is sensitive to ground-disturbing

activities in general; discing of habitat for weed

abatement or dry land farming, off-road vehicle activity, trampling/grazing from

livestock, and displacement by non-native

annual grasses are cited as threats by the U.S.

Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS 1998m).

Some occurrences are known from the slopes

of Elsinore Peak on the Trabuco Ranger District, Cleveland National Forest. They are

located near a Forest Service road and an electronic site. A species management guide was

written by the Cleveland National Forest in

1992 to address threats to the species on forest system lands (K. Winter, Cleveland NF,

unpubl. doc. 1992). Munz’s onion is also included in a conservation strategy for coastal

sage scrub (USFS/USFWS/CDFG 1997).

Arctostaphylos edmundsii

(Little Sur manzanita)

Arctostaphylos edmundsii is a Forest Service

Sensitive Species. It is a shrub that occurs in

Monterey County, from Garrapata Creek

south to Pfeiffer Point. There are eight known

occurrences, two located on the Monterey

Ranger District of the Los Padres National

Forest. Another occurrence is found on land

managed by the U.S. Coast Guard, and the

rest occur on private lands. The species occupies habitat described as coastal bluffs and

terraces with sandstone soils. The taxon A.

edmundsii var. parvifolia is state-listed rare, but

recent taxonomic work calls into question the

validity of this variety.

Astragalus brauntonii

(Braunton’s milk-vetch)

Astragalus brauntonii is a federally endangered species endemic to foothill habitats in

the Santa Ana, San Gabriel, and Santa Monica

mountains (White 1990). The species is found

on small limestone outcrops in gaps or disturbed places within chaparral, coastal sage
Allium munzii 23 decl. mod. Santa Ana & Elsinore mtns., Gavilan

(Munz’s onion) Hills (W Riverside Co.); (high)

 federally endangered

Arctostaphylos edmundsii 7 unkn. mod. Monterey Coast; (high)

(Little Sur manzanita)

 FS sensitive

Astragalus brauntonii p p decl. foothills of Santa Ana, San Gabriel, &

(Braunton’s milk-vetch) Santa Monica mtns.; (moderate)

 federally endangered

Baccharis vanessae 1 decl. low coastal & foothill San Diego Co.,

(Encinitas baccharis) Santa Margarita Mtns.; (moderate)

 federally threatened

Berberis nevinii 1 h/p y decl. low foothills, San Gabriel Mtns. to Santa

(Nevin’s barberry) Ana Mtns. (Los Angeles, San Bernar

 federally endangered dino, Riverside cos.); (moderate)

Chorizanthe parryi p unkn. valley-floor & foothills, Los Angeles,

var. parryi San Bernardino, & Riverside cos.

(Parry’s spineflower)

 FS sensitive

Chorizanthe rectispina 40 stable low Santa Lucia Ranges; (low)

(straight-awned spineflower)

 FS sensitive

Dudleya cymosa y p decl. mod. Santa Ana & Santa Monica mtns.;

ssp. ovatifolia (moderate)

(S. Monica Mtns. dudleya)

 federally threatened

Lepidium virginicum y unkn. San Diego Co.

var. robinsonii

(Robinson’s pepper-grass)

Nolina cismontana y decl. low from Ventura to San Diego cos.,

(chaparral beargrass) foothills of Santa Ynez Mtns., Santa

 FS sensitive Ana Mtns., Simi Hills, foothills W of

Palomar & Cuyamaca mtns.; (high)

Quercus dumosa y decl. mod. Orange, Santa Barbara, San Diego

(Nuttall’s scrub oak) cos., Baja; (moderate)

 FS sensitive

Table 5.5. Rare plants which occur in both scrub and chaparral habitats. y = the taxon occurs on the

forest; p = has potential to occur. Trend, knowledge of distribution, and vulnerability information was determined

by forest botanists/biologists and generally refers to occurrences on national forest system lands (decl. =

declining; unkn. = unknown).

Scientific Name

(common name)

lisitng status

Overall Distribution

Trends (Knowledge of distribution on NFS lands)

Vulnerability

on NFS

lands

Acres of Known Habitat

CNF SBNF ANF LPNF

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241

 Chapter 5

scrub, and closed-cone conifer forest. Much of

the potential habitat for this plant occurs on private lands with potential to be developed, and

all of the protected habitat is located near expanding urban areas where alteration of

natural fire regimes is likely to occur.

The total number of plants at all known

locations was estimated in 1997 to be less than

one hundred (USFWS 1997a). Occurrences

are known from the Simi and Chino hills,

Santa Ynez Canyon (Santa Monica Mountains), and Coal and Gypsum canyons (Santa

Ana Mountains). Potential habitat occurs on

the Trabuco Ranger District of the Cleveland

National Forest. Occurrences are documented

in the San Gabriel Mountains on private lands

adjacent to the Angeles National Forest, and

it is highly probable that the species occurs on

the forest (P. Krueger, Angeles NF, pers.

comm.). Potential habitat occurs near the

lower Clam Shell Truck Trail, the Van Tassel

Truck Trail, and near the city of Monrovia (G.

Wallace, USFWS, pers. comm; P. Krueger,

Angeles NF, pers. comm.). These areas are relatively inaccessible and the only management

activities taking place are prescribed burns.

Occurrences on private land near the Clam

Shell Truck Trail are vulnerable to road maintenance and invasion of exotic species. All of

the occurrences in the San Gabriel Mountains

are located in an urban interface area with a

history of human-caused fires. This species is

a short-lived (two to three years) fire follower

and, depending on fire-return intervals, may

appear only once in twenty to fifty or more

years (USFWS 1997a). After the Gypsum

Canyon Fire in 1982, several populations (approximately four hundred plants) appeared on

the divide between Gypsum and Coal canyons

(White 1990). This species is included in a

conservation strategy for coastal sage scrub

(USFS/USFWS/CDFG 1997) and the US

Fish and Wildlife Service has developed a draft

recovery plan (USFWS 1998o).

Baccharis vanessae

(Encinitas baccharis)

Baccharis vanessae is a federally threatened

species found in coastal and foothill habitats

of San Diego County (fig. 5.5). The shrub is

distributed from the coast (near the city of

Encinitas) east to Iron Mountain and the

Mount Woodson area, where it grows in dense

southern mixed chaparral. The bulk of known

occurrences, however, are associated with

southern maritime chaparral, a habitat type

which has declined between 82 and 93 percent due to urban development and

conversion of land for agriculture (USFWS

1996a). There are fourteen known extant occurrences containing an estimated two

thousand plants, most located on private lands

fragmented by development. Four of these occurrences contain fewer than six plants each.

Some occurrences are protected within the San

Mateo Wilderness Area (Santa Margarita

Mountains) on the Cleveland National Forest. Other occurrences are protected in the

Elfin Forest Reserve, managed in part by the

BLM, and within Oak Crest Park in Encinitas.

The species is included in a conservation strategy for coastal sage scrub (USFS/USFWS/

CDFG 1997).

Berberis nevinii (Nevin’s barberry)

Berberis nevinii is a federally endangered

species known from Riverside, San Bernardino, and Los Angeles counties. Its current

range extends from the foothills of the San

Gabriel Mountains to near the foothills of the

Santa Ana Mountains (fig. 5.6). Plants occur

as discrete, localized occurrences in two types

of habitat—sandy and gravelly places along

the margins of dry washes, and on coarse soils

in chaparral (USFWS 1995a). Extant native

occurrences include those at Dripping Springs

(near Aguanga), Scott Canyon, and the largest known occurrence in the Vail Lake/Oak

Mountain area. Other occurrences appear to

be introduced (e.g., at Arroyo Seco). Occurrences on national forest system lands are

located near the Agua Tibia Wilderness Area

of the Cleveland National Forest, and in San

Francisquito and Lopez canyons on the Angeles National Forest. Surveys of potential

habitat on the San Bernardino National Forest have found no new occurrences.
242

This species is known historically from

fewer than thirty scattered occurrences

(USFWS 1998g). At least seven occurrences

are known to have been extirpated, probably

due to factors associated with urban development. Currently, there are 500 to 1,000 plants

estimated to occur at all known sites (Mistretta

and Brown 1989b; USFWS 1998g). Most of

these are found on private lands; however, a

few are protected on land managed by the

BLM and the Forest Service. The Vail Lake/

Oak Mountain occurrence contains approximately 200 plants. The San Francisquito

Canyon occurrence is estimated to contain

130 to 250 plants.

Figure 5.5. Distribution of Allium munzii (Munz’s onion), Baccharis vanessae (Encinitas baccharis), and

Dudleya cymosa ssp. ovatifolia (Santa Monica Mountains dudleya).

B. nevinii continues to be threatened by

development projects on private lands. The

species is naturally restricted to areas with alluvial or sedimentary-based substrates, in

chaparral or scrub plant communities. The loss

of alluvial scrub habitats is estimated to now

be over 90 percent (USFWS 1998g). In addition, the species appears to have naturally low

rates of regeneration due to sporadic viable

seed production (Mistretta and Brown 1989b).

Fire suppression and brush clearing activities

are further expected to reduce abundance of

this species by altering the natural fire regime

necessary for its long-term survival. The species is included in a conservation strategy for

coastal sage scrub (USFS/USFWS/CDFG
243

 Chapter 5

Figure 5.6. Distribution of Berberis nevinii (Nevin’s barberry).

Chorizanthe parryi var. parryi

(Parry’s spineflower)

Chorizanthe parryi var. parryi is a Forest

Service Sensitive Species. It occurs in valleyfloor and foothill habitats in San Bernardino,

Riverside, and Los Angeles counties. There are

twenty-three recorded occurrences, all on private lands; however, some of them are located

close to the San Bernardino National Forest

and suitable habitat exists on the forest. The plant

grows in dry, sandy soils within coastal sage scrub

and chaparral. Most occurrences are vulnerable

to flooding or development projects.

Chorizanthe rectispina

(straight-awned spineflower)

Chorizanthe rectispina is endemic to the

Santa Lucia Ranges and has been found in

Monterey, San Luis Obispo, and Santa Barbara counties. The CNPS Inventory cites about

twenty known occurrences (Skinner and Pavlik

1994). One occurrence is located on the Los

Padres National Forest and three are found on

BLM lands. Another occurrence on private

land is proposed for development. The annual

has been found in woodland habitat in addition to scrub and chaparral.

1997) and the Angeles National Forest has

developed a species management guide for occurrences on the forest (Mistretta and Brown

1989b).
244

Dudleya cymosa ssp. ovatifolia

(Santa Monica Mountains dudleya)

Dudleya cymosa ssp. ovatifolia is a federally threatened and state endangered taxon

distributed within the Santa Monica and Santa

Ana mountains. The perennial occupies habitat consisting of unstable talus slopes and

north-facing cliffs in chaparral. The substrate

is further defined as rock outcrops with forms

specific to sedimentary conglomerate or volcanic breccia (USFWS 1997a). In the

assessment area, plants are found in Modjeska

Canyon, on the western flank of the Santa Ana

Mountains (fig. 5.5). These occurrences represent a range disjunction of approximately

60 miles from populations in the Santa

Monica Mountains, which are outside the

assessment area.

Fewer than ten occurrences of this taxon

are known. While the major portion of its distribution occurs on private lands affected by

development projects, the disjunct occurrences

located in the Santa Ana Mountains are not

especially threatened at this time. Like many

Dudleyas however, D. cymosa ssp. ovatifolia is

vulnerable to horticultural collecting. The

plant is included in a conservation strategy for

coastal sage scrub (USFS/USFWS/CDFG

1997).

Lepidium virginicum var. robinsonii

(Robinson’s pepper-grass)

Lepidium virginicum var. robinsonii is distributed within chaparral and coastal sage

scrub communities in San Diego County.

Some local botanists believe this taxon to be

more widespread and common than originally

thought. A number of occurrences are on the

Cleveland National Forest. On private lands

the taxon may be unprotected and threatened

by development projects that remove its

habitat.

Nolina cismontana

 (chaparral beargrass)

Nolina cismontana is a Forest Service Sensitive Species. It is distributed in coastal

drainages below 3,000 feet from Ventura to

San Diego counties. Occurrences are known

from the foothills of the Santa Ynez Mountains, south through the Simi Hills and Santa

Ana Mountains to the foothills west of the

Palomar and Cuyamaca mountains (Hess and

Dice 1995). Its habitat is described as chaparral vegetation with sandstone and

gabbro-derived substrates.Throughout its

range, the species is threatened by residential

and commercial land development. Protected

occurrences of significant size exist at Viejas

Mountain on the Cleveland National Forest,

in the Coal Canyon Ecological Reserve in the

Santa Ana Mountains, and at scattered locations on the Trabuco Ranger District of the

Cleveland National Forest (Santa Ana Mountains). This species appears to be a fire follower;

it has been observed in greater abundance in

burned Tecate cypress stands at Coal Canyon

than in unburned stands (Scott 1990). The

species is included in the conservation strategy for coastal sage scrub (USFS/USFWS/

CDFG 1997).

Quercus dumosa (Nuttall’s scrub oak)

Quercus dumosa is a Forest Service Senstive

Species. It is a rare evergreen shrub known

from occurrences in southern Santa Barbara,

Orange, and San Diego counties, and northwestern Baja California, Mexico (Roberts

1995). Scattered occurrences are found on the

south-facing slopes of the Santa Ynez Mountains. At least one occurrence is known on

Santa Cruz Island. Another occurrence is

found in Torrey Pines State Reserve. One occurrence is known on the Los Padres National

Forest and another is located on land managed by the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden.

The species grows in low-elevation habitat

close to the coast (i.e., chaparral, coastal sage

scrub, maritime succulent scrub, and closedcone conifer forest) on sandstone or clay loam.

Some occurrences are vulnerable to development projects and fuels modification

(mechanical thinning, spring burning, and fire

suppression). The species hybridizes with Q.

berberidifolia (Hickman 1993).
245

 Chapter 5

Dudleya multicaulis

(many-stemmed dudleya)

Dudleya multicaulis is a Forest Service Sensitive Species. It is distributed in coastal and

foothill areas of Los Angeles, Orange, western Riverside, and San Diego counties.

Occurrences are known from the Santa Ana

and San Gabriel mountains, and San Onofre

Mountain in San Diego County. The

CNDDB contains records for ninety-four

occurrences and sixteen general locations.

Most are located on private lands with potential for development. The species forms

vegetative parts and inflorescences above

ground each year and then dies back in late

spring leaving just the underground corm. If

surveys are done between approximately July

and the following March, the species will probably be missed (White 1990).

Occurrences are found on the Cleveland

National Forest near Lucas Canyon and Oak

Flat in the San Mateo Wilderness Area. Other

occurrences are known from the Angeles National Forest and Camp Pendleton. In addition

to openings in scrub and chaparral vegetation,

the species has been found in grasslands and

occupies the same habitat as Chorizanthe

staticoides ssp. chrysacantha at some coastal locations (Reiser 1994). It grows on dry, stony

soils, often with a high clay content. This species is included in a conservation strategy for

coastal sage scrub (USFS/USFWS/CDFG

1997).

Dudleya viscida (sticky dudleya)

Dudleya viscida is a Forest Service Sensitive Species. It is a perennial species found in

coastal, foothill, and mountain areas of Orange, Riverside, and San Diego counties. In

coastal areas, the species occupies bluffs, while

farther inland it usually grows in steep and

rocky riparian canyons and is sometimes found

on a gabbro substrate. An estimated thirty

occurrences are known, about half located on

federal or state lands. A significant occurrence

containing an estimated ten thousand plants

is found at Devil’s Gorge, where Devil’s Canyon and San Mateo Creek meet, in the

northeastern corner of Camp Pendleton

(Reiser 1994). Other occurrences are documented on the Cleveland National Forest,

Plants of Coastal Sage Scrub

Three rare plants are found or have potential to occur in coastal sage scrub habitat

within the assessment area. Summary information is shown in table 5.6.

Table 5.6. Rare plants which occur in coastal sage scrub habitats. y = the taxon occurs on the forest; p =

has potential to occur. Trend, knowledge of distribution, and vulnerability information was determined by

forest botanists/biologists and generally refers to occurrences on national forest system lands (decl. = declining;

unkn. = unknown).

Dudleya multicaulis 8 y decl. low– coastal & foothill areas of LA,

(many-stemmed dudleya) mod. Orange, W Riverside, & SD cos.;

 FS sensitive Santa Ana & San Gabriel mtns., San

Onofre Mtn.; (high)

Dudleya viscida 202 stable/ low Orange, Riverside, and SD cos.;

(sticky dudleya) decl. (high)

 FS sensitive

Malacothamnus davidsonii 1 p unkn. unkn. LA (W San Gabriel Mtns.), SLO, &

(Davidson’s bush mallow) Monterey cos.; (low)

Scientific Name

(common name)

listing status

Overall Distribution

Trends (Knowledge of distribution on NFS lands)

Vulnerability

on NFS

lands

Acres of Known Habitat

CNF SBNF ANF LPNF

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246

most in canyons within the San Mateo Wilderness Area and one large occurrence found

along the Ortega Highway in San Juan Canyon. A conservation strategy for coastal sage

scrub includes this species (USDA Forest Service et al. 1997).

Malacothamnus davidsonii

(Davidson’s bushmallow)

Malacothamnus davidsonii is a shrub species known to occur at low elevations in Los

Angeles, San Luis Obispo, and Monterey

counties. However, occurrences reported for

the mountains of northwestern San Luis

Obispo County and adjacent Monterey

County may prove to be misidentifications

(Bramlet and Boyd 1998). The CNPS Inventory reports that this species intergrades with

M. fasciculatus (Skinner and Pavlik 1994). In

Los Angeles County, occurrences of M.

davidsonii are known from the San Fernando

Valley and western end of the San Gabriel

Mountains. In the mountains, plants are recorded for the Bear Divide area, Little Tujunga

Canyon, near the Tujunga District headquarters, at Lopez Canyon, upper Haines Canyon,

Loop Canyon, Big Tujunga Wash, and

Pacoima Canyon (Bramlet and Boyd 1998).

The species is typically found in sandy washes

and in openings of coastal sage scrub or chaparral. A fire follower, it usually appears in the

first three to four years after a fire and then

may not be found until the next fire event.

Plants Specific to Chaparral Habitats

Thirty-six rare plants are found or have

potential to occur in chaparral habitat within

the assessment area. Summary information is

shown in table 5.7. One federally threatened

species is included in this group.

Arabis johnstonii

(Johnston’s rock cress)

Arabis johnstonii is a Forest Service Sensitive Species known mainly from the Garner

Valley area of the San Jacinto Mountains in

Riverside County. It was proposed for federal

listing as threatened in 1985 but the proposal

was subsequently withdrawn. Eight occurrences are distributed in two distinct

population centers at Garner Valley (where the

species is affected by livestock grazing) and

about 4 miles east on the desert divide. Most

of the occurrences are located on the San Bernardino National Forest within two grazing

allotments. The species grows between 4,400

and 5,000 feet, in dry areas on clay and gravelly soils. Plants are found in openings within

chaparral and at the edges of meadows. In one

of the grazing allotments it grows on stock

driveways. In the second allotment, the plant

grows in openings within chaparral uphill

from the meadow, an area cattle naturally

avoid, so the plant may not be heavily disturbed at this location. Adverse effects to the

species began in the late 1800s with increasing settlement and cattle grazing in the Garner

Valley and construction of the Desert Divide

Trail (Pacific Crest Trail) (USFWS 1995b).

Portions of some occurrences are protected

within enclosures.

Arctostaphylos luciana

(Santa Lucia manzanita)

Arctostaphylos luciana is a Forest Service

Sensitive Species. It is distributed within the

southern Santa Lucia Range, southeast of

Cuesta Pass. There are eight recorded occurrences in all, five located on the Los Padres

National Forest and the rest on private lands.

The distribution of this species may be linked

to disturbance as some of the occurrences are

found near roads. The shrub grows on shale

substrates within chaparral vegetation. It has

also been found among Coulter pines. Nine

acres of occupied habitat mapped on the Angeles National Forest need to be re-examined

because the species is known as a San Luis

Obispo County endemic.

Arctostaphylos peninsularis ssp.

peninsularis

(Peninsular manzanita)

Arctostaphylos peninsularis ssp. peninsularis

is a Forest Service Sensitive Species. This shrub

is known from occurrences on the north side

of the Santa Rosa Mountains (Riverside
247

 Chapter 5

County) and in the In-Ko-Pah Mountains

(San Diego County), east of the Cleveland

National Forest (CNDDB 1997). Plants on

the Cleveland National Forest, once thought

to be this species, have now been identified as

Arctostaphylos rainbowensis. Occurrences in the

Santa Rosa Mountains are located on land

which the San Bernardino National Forest may

acquire and there is other potential habitat on

the forest. Appropriate habitat is described as

chaparral between 4,000 and 5,000 feet elevation. Fire suppression and trail construction

could affect this species.

Arctostaphylos pilosula

(Santa Margarita manzanita)

Arctostaphylos pilosula is a Forest Service

Sensitive Species. This shrub is endemic to the

Santa Lucia Ranges. It occurs in Monterey

County and San Luis Obispo County near

Santa Margarita. Twelve occurrences are recorded in the CNDDB (1997). One

occurrence is located on the Los Padres National Forest, one is on county land, and others

are on private land or the ownership is unknown. The taxon grows on shale substrates

in chaparral and with Sargent cypress.

Arctostaphylos rainbowensis

(Rainbow manzanita)

Arctostaphylos rainbowensis is a Forest Service Sensitive Species. It is a newly described

shrub found in Riverside and San Diego counties. It is found in relative abundance at three

locations: on the Pala/Temecula Road, near

Pala Creek (an estimated five thousand individuals were identified during a 1990 survey),

and on Magee Road (Reiser 1994). Smaller

populations are distributed from Pala west to

the eastern slopes of the Santa Margarita

Mountains. The species appears to be declining; populations that occur within the western

Agua Tibia Mountains are protected in a wilderness area on the Cleveland National Forest;

however, other populations occur on private

lands proposed for development. The expansion of agriculture in the Pala and De Luz

regions is also expected to remove habitat for

this species (Reiser 1994).

Arctostaphylos refugioensis

(Refugio manzanita)

Arctostaphylos refugioensis is a Forest Service Sensitive Species. It is an evergreen shrub

found within the Santa Ynez Mountains of

Santa Barbara County. Known habitat occurs

on south-facing slopes and ridgelines in areas

of sandstone soil and chaparral. Eight known

occurrences are documented, some protected

within the Los Padres National Forest. They

range from above Canada del Cojo near

Lompoc to San Pedro Canyon near San

Marcos Pass. Numerous plants occur along

Camino Cielo Road. Most occurrences on the

Santa Ynez quadrangle were burned in 1916

and again in the 1955 Refugio Fire; however,

other populations are experiencing reduced

habitat capability due to fire suppression.

Arenaria macradenia var. kuschei

(Forest Camp sandwort)

Arenaria macradenia var. kuschei is a Forest Service Sensitive Species. It was originally

known from one historic collection at “Forest

Camp, Mohave Desert,” a locality subject to

interpretation. The next recognized recollection was in 1995 when the plant was

found near the western summit of Liebre

Mountain (Ross et al. 1995). “Sunny, rocky

openings in mosaic of chaparral and oak woodland vegetation on granitic substrate” are the

habitat parameters described at this location.

A subsequent study in 1997 surveyed potential habitat on Liebre Mountain and adjacent

areas and located six new populations (Boyd

1997). All of the recently discovered populations are small, both in number of individual

plants and area covered. All occur on decomposed granite and are found in areas of gentle

relief along the summit of Liebre Mountain

within the Angeles National Forest.

The largest populations were found at the

eastern end of the mountain on the ridge dividing the Bear Canyon and Fish Canyon

watersheds. Two smaller populations were

found along the crest of the eastern end of

Liebre Mountain: one to the east, due north

of Atmore Meadow; the other to the west, near
Arabis johnstonii 83 unkn. mod. Garner Valley, San Jacinto Mtns.;

(Johnston’s rock cress) (high)

Arctostaphylos luciana 9 3,179 unkn. low S Santa Lucia Mtns.; (high)

(Santa Lucia manzanita)

Arctostaphylos peninsularis p unkn. Santa Rosa & In-ko-pah mtns., Baja;

ssp. peninsularis (low)

(Peninsular manzanita)

Arctostaphylos pilosula 10 unkn. low Santa Lucia Ranges; (moderate)

(Santa Margarita manzanita)

Arctostaphylos rainbowensis 1 decl. low Riverside & SD cos., Santa Margarita

(Rainbow manzanita) Mtns., W Agua Tibia Mtns. (low)

Arctostaphylos refugioensis 367 stable low Santa Ynez Mtns.; (moderate)

(Refugio manzanita)

Arenaria macradenia 341 stable1 Liebre Mtn.; (moderate)

var. kuschei

(Forest Camp sandwort)

Aster greatae p 1 San Gabriel Mtns.; (low)

(Greata’s aster)

Calochortus clavatus y unkn. San Gabriel Mtns.

var. gracilis

(slender mariposa lily)

Calochortus plummerae y y p unkn. mod/ San Gabriel, San Bernardino, San

(Plummer’s mariposa lily) high Jacinto, Santa Ana, & Santa Monica

mtns.; (moderate)

Calochortus weedii 753 stable low Monterey Coast, Santa Lucia Ranges,

var. vestus S Los Padres, Santa Ynez Mtns.

(late-flowered mariposa lily) (Mont., SLO, SB, & Vent. cos.); (mod.)

Ceanothus cyaneus 82 decl./ low SD Co. (El Cajon Mtn.), Baja; (high)

(Lakeside ceanothus) stable2

Ceanothus ophiochilus 63 decl./ low Vail Lake area of S Riverside Co.;

(Vail Lake ceanothus) stable (high)

 federally threatened

Chaenactis parishii

(Parish’s chaenactis) 41 1+ stable low Riverside (Santa Rosa & San Jacinto

mtns.), & San Diego (Laguna & Cuyamaca mtns.) cos., Baja; (mod. – high)

Chorizanthe blakleyi 15 unkn. low Sierra Madre Mtns. (Santa Barbara &

(Blakely’s spineflower) SLO cos.); (moderate)

Chorizanthe polygonoides y y decl. low Riverside, SD (Black Mtn.), & Santa

var. longispina Barbara cos., Baja; (moderate)

(long-spined spineflower)

Dudleya cymosa y San Gabriel Mtns.

ssp. crebrifolia

(San Gabriel River dudleya)

Scientific Name

(common name)

listing status

Overall Distribution

Trends (Knowledge of distribution on NFS lands)

Vulnerability

on NFS

lands

Acres of Known Habitat

CNF SBNF ANF LPNF

Table 5.7. Rare plants which occur in chaparral habitats. y = the taxon occurs on the forest; p = has

potential to occur. Trend, knowledge of distribution, and vulnerability information was determined by forest

botanists/biologists and generally refers to occurrences on national forest system lands (decl. = declining;

unkn. = unknown).

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Erigeron breweri y y unkn. San Gabriel & San Bernardino

var. bisanctus mtns.; (low)

(pious daisy)

Eriogonum butterworthianum 65 stable low n Santa Lucia Mtns. (Monterey Co.);

(Butterworth’s buckwheat) (low)

Heuchera rubescens y stable low Peninsular Ranges of SD Co., N Baja,

var. versicolor TX

(San Diego County alumroot)

Lepechinia cardiophylla y stable low Santa Ana Mtns., San Diego Co. (Iron

(heart-leaved pitcher sage) Mtn.), Baja; (high)

Lepechinia fragrans p 4 unkn. unkn. San Gabriel & Santa Monica mtns.,

(fragrant pitcher sage) Santa Cruz, Santa Rosa, & Santa

Catalina islands; ((low)

Lepechinia ganderi 371 low Santa Ana to Otay Mtns. (SD Co.), to

(Gander’s pitcher sage) Baja; (low)

Malacothamnus aboriginum 13 p unkn. mod. SD, Fresno, Monterey, & San Benito

(Indian Valley bush mallow) cos.; (high)

Malacothamnus palmeri y stable low Monterey & SLO cos. (Santa Lucia

var. lucianus Mtns.); (moderate)

(Arroyo Seco bush mallow)

Malacothrix saxatilis y unkn. low (moderate)

var. arachnoidea

(Carmel Valley cliff-aster)

Monardella viridis y y unkn. low San Gabriel Mtns.; (low)

ssp. saxicola

(rock monardella)

Orobanche valida 1+ 2 unkn. low San Gabriel & Topatopa mtns.; (low)

ssp. valida

(Rock Creek broomrape)

Oxytheca emarginata y San Jacinto & Santa Rosa mtns.,

(white-margined oxytheca) Garner Valley

Oxytheca parishii 28 unkn. low San Rafael Mtns., W Transverse

var. abramsii Ranges (Mt. Pinos & Topatopa Mtns.);

(Abram’s oxytheca) (moderate)

Penstemon californicus p 126 unkn. mod. San Jacinto & Santa Rosa mtns.,

(California beardtongue) Garner Valley, Sierra Juarez & Sierra

San Pedro Martir (Baja); (low)

Phacelia suaveolens 51 unkn. mod. Santa Ana Mtns., Peninsular Ranges

ssp. keckii of San Diego Co.; (low)

(Santiago Peak phacelia)

Plagiobothrys uncinatus 8 unkn. low Santa Lucia & Gabilan ranges

(hooked popcorn-flower) (Monterey, San Benito, Santa Clara, &

SLO cos.); (low)

Ribes canthariforme y stable low San Diego Co.; (moderate to high)

(Moreno currant)

Sidalcea hickmanii 429 unkn. low N Santa Lucia Mtns.; (moderate)

ssp. hickmanii

(Hickman’s checkerbloom)

Thermopsis macrophylla 565 unkn. low Santa Ynez Mtns (Santa Barbara Co.);

(Santa Ynez false lupine) (moderate)

Scientific Name

(common name)

listing status

Overall Distribution

Trends (Knowledge of distribution on NFS lands)

Vulnerability

on NFS

lands

Acres of Known Habitat

CNF SBNF ANF LPNF

1 Boyd 1997

2 occurrences on private land appear to be declining, those on federal land appear stable

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250

Bear Gulch Camp. Three other populations

were found near the head of Tent Rock Canyon (Boyd 1997). Based on these new

occurrences, the taxon is probably stable

within forest boundaries. Activities such as

light grading may benefit the perennial by creating openings or gaps within the habitat for

seedling establishment.

Aster greatae (Greata’s aster)

Aster greatae is a perennial species known

from the southern slopes of the San Gabriel

Mountains. One of the two known occurrences is located in Gold Canyon on the

Angeles National Forest. The species is found

in damp places within foothill and lower montane conifer habitats. Potential habitat for the

species also exists on the San Bernardino National Forest.

Calochortus clavatus var. gracilis

(slender mariposa lily)

Calochortus clavatus var. gracilis is a perennial species found in the San Gabriel

Mountains. Plants occupy shaded foothill canyons with chaparral. RAREFIND contains

records for nine occurrences: either historic,

located on private lands, or on the Angeles

National Forest (CNDDB 1997). Occurrences are vulnerable to landfill expansion,

development projects, sand and gravel mining, and off-road vehicle activity.

Calochortus plummerae

(Plummer’s mariposa lily)

Calochortus plummerae is found in the San

Gabriel, San Bernardino, San Jacinto, Santa

Ana, and Santa Monica mountains. The

CNDDB lists fifty-eight occurrences, some of

them located on the Angeles and San Bernardino national forests. Many, however, are

located on private lands slated for development. In addition to chaparral, the species has

been found in alluvial fan sage scrub habitat,

grasslands, and lower montane conifer forests

below 5,500 feet (S. Eliason, San Bernardino

NF, in litt.). The species is vulnerable to development projects, trail construction and

maintenance, fire suppression, habitat conversion, grazing, trampling, and sand and gravel

mining.

Calochortus weedii var. vestus

(late-flowered mariposa lily)

Calochortus weedi var. vestus is a Forest

Service Sensitive Species. It is distributed in

the Santa Lucia Ranges and southern Los Padres region. Occurrences are scattered across

four counties: Monterey, San Luis Obispo,

Santa Barbara, and Ventura. The plant is abundant at some locations and uncommon at

others. Like many species of mariposa lily, its

abundance varies from year to year due to climatic conditions. In addition, some

Calochortus species appear to be disturbance

oriented, showing up in openings in the vegetation created by low-level ground

disturbances. This plant has been noted on

road banks and fuel breaks. In relatively undisturbed areas it occurs on rocky substrates,

which effectively reduce competition from

other plants. The taxon has been found on

sandstone, siltstone, shale, and serpentine. Surrounding vegetation is described as chaparral

and open woodlands. Occurrences are protected on the Los Padres National Forest in

the Lion Den Botanical Area (Matthews

1998), in the Santa Ynez Mountains, and at

Wheeler Springs near Ojai. Occurrences on

private lands are known from the Hollister

Ranch area south to Hearst Ranch.

Ceanothus cyaneus

(Lakeside ceanothus)

Ceanothus cyaneus is a Forest Service Sensitive Species. It occurs in San Diego County

and Baja California, Mexico. The shrub is

found in San Diego County from Crest to the

foothills of Lakeside, including significant

populations on El Cajon Mountain (Reiser

1994). The species can be common within this

narrow range. A good portion of its known

habitat is protected on Cleveland National

Forest and BLM lands. It appears to cross with

other Ceanothus species (C. leucodermis and

C. tomentosus), and plants outside of the Crest
251

 Chapter 5

or El Cajon Mountain areas may be hybrids

(Reiser 1994). Fire-return intervals that are too

frequent may type convert its habitat to grassland. The species is included in a conservation

strategy for coastal sage scrub (USDA Forest

Service et al. 1997).

Ceanothus ophiochilus

(Vail Lake ceanothus)

Ceanothus ophiochilus is a federally threatened and state endangered shrub species first

discovered at Oak/Vail Mountain in 1989.

Occurrences are known from near Vail Lake

in southern Riverside County and just south

of Vail Lake in the Agua Tibia Wilderness Area

of the Cleveland National Forest (fig. 5.7).

These occurrences are estimated to contain

between ten thousand and twenty thousand

plants in all. The species can hybridize with

C. crassifolius and at least two occurrences may

be hybrid swarms (USFWS 1995a). Occurrences are reported in drier areas on ridgetops

and north- to northeast-facing slopes within

chamise chaparral, and also along the edges

of creeks and in dry canyons. Plants are restricted to nutrient-poor (phosphorus

deficient) soils such as gabbro or metavolcanics,

which may allow them to maintain reproductive isolation (USFWS 1998g).

Alteration of the natural fire regime is a

threat to this species; it requires fire for seed

germination and does not resprout vegetatively

after fire. Short fire-return intervals can prevent plants from reaching maturity and

producing seed, leading to a gradual depletion of the seed pool (USFWS 1995a). While

some occurrences are protected by their location in rugged, relatively inaccessible terrain,

others are threatened by habitat destruction,

alteration, fragmentation, and degradation

from urban development. One occurrence

located near Vail Lake is threatened by the

development of a planned community and was

partly graded to create fuel breaks. A portion

of the Agua Tibia Wilderness occurrences have

also been graded for fuel breaks. A conservation strategy for coastal sage scrub includes

this species (USFS/USFWS/CDFG 1997).

Chaenactis parishii

(Parish’s chaenactis)

Chaenactis parishii is a perennial species

found in Riverside and San Diego counties,

and Baja California, Mexico. Occurrences are

known on the Cleveland and San Bernardino

national forests. Some of the best-protected

sites occur within the Santa Rosa Wilderness

Area in the Santa Rosa Mountains. Other occurrences are known in the San Jacinto

Mountains and in the Garnet Peak area of the

Laguna Mountains. There are historic occurrences in the Cuyamaca Mountains at

Stonewall and Cuyamaca peaks (Reiser 1994).

The plant is known to respond positively to

disturbance and has appeared along the sides

of roads.

Chorizanthe blakleyi

(Blakley’s spineflower)

Chorizanthe blakleyi is a Forest Service Sensitive Species. It is an annual species endemic

to the Sierra Madre Mountains of Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties.

Occurrences are found between Bates Canyon and Lion Canyon in openings within

chaparral or pinyon-juniper woodland (USFS/

USFWS 1996). The U.S. Fish and Wildlife

Service reports six to ten known populations

of this plant. The Santa Barbara Botanic Garden has specimens that document at least nine

different sites for the species, with more than

half located on the Los Padres National Forest (D. Wilken, Santa Barbara Botanic Garden,

in litt. 1998).

Chorizanthe polygonoides var. longispina

(long-spined spineflower)

Chorizanthe polygonoides var. longispina is

a Forest Service Sensitive Species. It is an annual plant found within Riverside, San Diego,

and Santa Barbara counties, and Baja California, Mexico (Reiser 1994). The CNDDB

contains records for twenty-nine occurrences,

most at Lake Matthews in Riverside County.

Reiser (1994) describes eleven locations in San

Diego and Riverside counties. One known

occurrence on the San Bernardino National
252

Forest is located within an active grazing allotment and was estimated to contain over two

thousand plants in 1995. The Cleveland National Forest contains some occurrences,

primarily at Black Mountain. Other occurrences

are protected in reserves in Riverside County:

the Mott Reserve at UC Riverside, Harford

Springs County Park, and Lake Matthews Biological Preserve. Occurrences in Santa Barbara

County need to be confirmed. The species grows

on gabbro-derived clay soil or “clay lenses” and,

in addition to scrub and chaparral habitats, has

been found at the edges of vernal pools in grasslands and meadows (Reiser 1994). Non-native

grasses may be a threat to this species.

Dudleya cymosa ssp. crebrifolia

(San Gabriel River dudleya)

Dudleya cymosa ssp.crebrifolia is endemic

to the San Gabriel Mountains where it is known

from one location in Fish Canyon along the San

Gabriel River. It occurs on a granitic substrate.

Erigeron breweri var. bisanctus

(pious daisy)

Erigeron breweri var. bisanctus is a watchlist plant on the San Bernardino and Angeles

national forests. It occurs in the San Bernardino and San Gabriel mountains, and four

occurrences are recorded in the CNDDB.

Plants grow in chaparral and lower montane

coniferous forest, on dry open slopes, and in

t

Figure 5.7. Distribution of Ceanothus ophiochilus (Vail Lake ceanothus).
253

 Chapter 5

tain population), and southward into Baja

California, Mexico (White 1990; Reiser

1994). It has potential to occur in the Laguna

Mountains. Some populations occur in the

Santa Ana Mountains on the upper slopes of

Coal and Gypsum canyons among groves of

Tecate cypress. The species is reportedly a fire

follower; burned areas on the slopes of Sierra

Peak contained a significantly higher number

of L. cardiophylla plants than unburned areas

(White 1990). There are about twenty-five

recorded occurrences, mostly on the Cleveland

National Forest. The species is included in a

conservation strategy for coastal sage scrub

(USFS/USFWS/CDFG 1997).

Lepechinia fragrans

(fragrant pitcher sage)

Lepechinia fragrans is an uncommon shrub

species distributed within the San Gabriel and

Santa Monica (near Triunfo Pass) mountains

and on the islands of Santa Cruz, Santa Rosa,

and Santa Catalina. Scattered occurrences in

the San Gabriel Mountains are found on both

the Angeles and San Bernardino national forests. They are vulnerable to fire and habitat

alteration (type conversion).

Lepechinia ganderi

(Gander’s pitcher sage)

Lepechinia ganderi is a shrub species

known from fewer than ten occurrences in the

Otay Mountains of San Diego County, in the

Santa Ana Mountains, and in Baja California, Mexico. The plant grows in various

foothill habitats—closed-cone conifer forest,

chaparral, coastal sage scrub, and valleyfoothill grasslands.

Malacothamnus aboriginum

 (Indian Valley bush mallow)

Malacothamnus aboriginum occurs in San

Diego, Fresno, Monterey, and San Benito

counties. Reiser (1994) lists about five extant

occurrences in San Diego County, where the

species is thought to be declining and close to

extinction. The Garnet Peak population has

experienced significant site disturbance and is

washes. One occurrence is protected within

the Glendora Wilderness Park. Habitat for this

plant on national forest system lands may be

affected by trampling, fuel wood harvesting,

and prospecting. This variety is difficult to

identify and may be confused with other more

common taxa; therefore, we may not have an

accurate picture of its rarity.

Eriogonum butterworthianum

(Butterworth’s buckwheat)

Eriogonum butterworthianum is a Forest

Service Sensitive Species. It is a shrub known

from four occurrences near Arroyo Seco in the

northern Santa Lucia Range of Monterey

County. These occurrences are located on the

Los Padres National Forest. Abundance estimates for each occurrence range from fifty to

fewer than one thousand individual plants.

The species grows on sandstone soils within

chaparral vegetation. Castilleja foliosa and

Mimulus aurantiacus are common associates.

Heuchera rubescens var. versicolor

(San Diego County alumroot)

Heuchera rubescens var. versicolor is a rare

perennial plant known from a small number

of occurrences in the foothills and mountains

of San Diego County (i.e., Cuyamaca Peak,

Hot Springs Mountain, along San Luis Rey

River east of Barker Valley, and the east end of

Harper Valley) (Reiser 1994). The taxon is also

reported from northern Baja and Texas. San

Diego County occurrences appear to be stable,

although Reiser (1994) reports plants at the

Hot Springs Mountain locale are declining and

need protection from foot traffic. Other occurrences are found on state and Indian

reservation lands. Plants occupy rocky cliffs

in montane chaparral vegetation above 4,900

feet. These areas receive relatively low levels

of disturbance.

Lepechinia cardiophylla

(heart-leaved pitcher sage)

Lepechinia cardiophylla is a Forest Service

Sensitive Species. This shrub is found in the

Santa Ana Mountains, the Peninsular Ranges

of San Diego County (disjunct Iron Moun-
254

being shaded out by planted pines (Reiser

1994). It needs to be determined if populations in the San Diego ranges are disjuncts or

a separate species or subspecies. The CNPS

Inventory (which only reports the northern populations) notes that this shrub appears in

abundance after fires (Skinner and Pavlik 1994).

Malacothamnus palmeri var. lucianus

(Arroyo Seco bush mallow)

Malacothamnus palmeri var. lucianus is endemic to Monterey and San Luis Obispo

counties. Three occurrences are documented

from Monterey County—two occurrences near

Big Sur and a third on the Los Padres National

Forest near Hanging Valley in the upper Arroyo

Seco watershed (D. Wilken, Santa Barbara

Botanic Garden, in litt. 1998). Plants grow in

chaparral and low-elevation meadow habitat.

Occurrences on national forest system lands appear to be stable and in areas of low impact.

Monardella viridis ssp. saxicola

(rock monardella)

Monardella viridis ssp. saxicola is a Forest

Service Sensitive Species distributed on the

southern slopes of the San Gabriel Mountains

between 1,700 and 6,000 feet. The perennial

grows on dry rocky soils, in sunny exposed

places, on partially shaded gravelly benches

within chaparral, and in open areas of yellow

pine forest. Plants also occupy burned areas

in chaparral (Bennett 1979a). Two or three

occurrences are known on the San Bernardino

National Forest (eastern San Gabriel Mountains), all near one road. Occurrences are also

documented in the San Dimas Experimental

Forest on the Angeles National Forest. The

plant is vulnerable to road-maintenance activities and disturbances that lead to type

conversion of its habitat. At least one occurrence

is located on private lands and may be vulnerable to development projects.

Orobanche valida ssp. valida

(Rock Creek broomrape)

Orobanche valida ssp. valida is a Forest Service Sensitive Species. It is known from at least

one locality in the Topatopa Mountains and

eight localities in the central and eastern San

Gabriel Mountains. An estimated sixteen hundred plants occur at these localities, with the

majority (94 percent) occurring in the San

Gabriel Mountains on both coastal and desertside slopes (Mistretta and Boyd 1997b). Plants

occur in the San Gabriels at Lookout Mountain and along the South Fork of Big Rock

Creek. Abundance data collected in the past

two decades indicate that these occurrences

are stable. Estimated population size along the

South Fork of Big Rock Creek has increased

from fifty plants in 1979, to one hundred

plants in 1982, and three hundred plants in

1995. Estimated population size at Lookout

Mountain for the same three years was thirtyfive, greater than forty, and two hundred

plants, respectively (Mistretta 1996). In addition, surveys in 1994 and 1995 found six new

localities in the eastern San Gabriel Mountains. The taxon is known from a historic

collection in the Topatopa Mountains and a

more recent collection from the head of Santa

Paula Canyon in the same mountains. Only a

portion of the potential habitat for this taxon

has been surveyed and it seems likely that additional occurrences will be found in the

western San Gabriel Mountains and at other

locations in the Castaic and southern Los Padres regions (Mistretta 1996).

The perennial is found on granitic soils in

fairly open chaparral and pinyon-juniper

woodlands between 4,100 and 6,600 feet elevation. It parasitizes various chaparral species

such as silk tassel, yerba santa, California buckwheat, desert needlegrass, scrub oak, canyon

live oak, and mountain mahogany; however,

it is most frequent on silk tassel and has never

been observed without this shrub nearby

(Mistretta 1996). For the most part, O. valida

ssp. valida inhabits remote terrain that receives

few impacts; however, management activities

that affect the persistence or stability of the

chaparral vegetation could adversely affect the

taxon. One occurrence near the Horse Canyon Shooting Area is vulnerable to habitat

degradation. Another occurrence along the

lower South Fork of Big Rock Creek is affected
255

 Chapter 5

by erosion, and the population at Glendora Ridge

(in the San Dimas Experimental Forest) could

be adversely affected by desert crested wheatgrass,

an introduced perennial grass.

Oxytheca emarginata

(white-margined oxytheca)

Oxytheca emarginata is a Forest Service

Sensitive Species endemic to the San Jacinto

and Santa Rosa mountains of Riverside

County. Occurrences are located between

3,900 and 8,200 feet elevation on gravelly soils

in openings within chaparral, lower montane

coniferous forest, and pinyon-juniper woodlands. In at least one occurrence, O. emarginata

is found with Penstemon californicus, another

focal species. Most occurrences are found

within chaparral in and around the Garner

Valley, an area with two active grazing

allotments. The species is vulnerable to overgrazing, trampling, development projects, and

recreational activities.

Oxytheca parishii var. abramsii

(Abram’s oxytheca)

Oxytheca parishii var. abramsii is an annual taxon found within the San Rafael

Mountains and southern Los Padres region

(Topatopa Mountains and Mount Pinos).

Some occurrences are located on the Los Padres National Forest. The CNDDB contains

records for five occurrences, mostly historic .

Penstemon californicus

(California beardtongue)

Penstemon californicus is a Forest Service

Sensitive Species distributed in the San Jacinto

and Santa Rosa mountains of Riverside

County and in the Sierra Juarez and Sierra San

Pedro Martir of Baja California, Mexico.

Plants generally grow on sandy soils in chaparral, lower montane conifer forest, yellow pine

forest, and pinyon-juniper woodlands. The

CNDDB contains records on twelve occurrences, many on the San Bernardino National

Forest. One historic occurrence is recorded in

the Aguanga area near the border of Riverside

and San Diego counties. Another historic

record describes an occurrence within the

Santa Rosa Wilderness Area. Other occurrences are located on private lands.

Occurrences on the forest grow in rocky

or clay soils (specifically granitic soil with

pleistocene nonmarine deposits of eroded

clay), in openings within chaparral adjacent

to meadow habitat in Garner Valley. Plants

also grow in openings within chaparral on

ridgetops and in the ecotone between chaparral and lower montane conifer forest. At some

locales the perennial occurs with Arabis

johnstonii, another focal species. Some of the

occurrences on the forest are located in an active grazing allotment, including portions of

two occurrences protected within exclosures.

However, the main distribution of this species is in areas above those used by cattle (M.

Lardner, San Bernardino NF, in litt. 1999).

Phacelia suaveolens ssp. keckii

(Santiago Peak phacelia)

Phacelia suaveolens ssp. keckii is a Forest

Service Sensitive Species. An annual, it is endemic to the Santa Ana Mountains and San

Diego region (Dennis 1995). The CNPS Inventory cites occurrences near Santiago Peak

and Pleasants Peak in the Santa Ana Mountains (Skinner and Pavlik 1994). The plant is

also reported from a drainage near Wild Horse

Peak in the Agua Tibia Wilderness Area of the

Cleveland National Forest (Reiser 1994). All

of these occurrences are located on federal

lands where they are somewhat protected. The

taxon grows on volcanic soils in chaparral and

with knobcone pine and is seen in greatest

abundance following fires (White 1990).

Plagiobothrys uncinatus

(hooked popcorn-flower)

Plagiobothrys uncinatus is a Forest Service

Sensitive Species. It is known from the Santa

Lucia and Gabilan ranges in Monterey, San

Benito, Santa Clara, and San Luis Obispo

counties. Most of the documented occurrences

are historic, including those at Pinnacles National Park and the Hastings Reserve. At least

one occurrence is protected within the Cuesta
256

Acanthomintha ilicifolia

(San Diego thorn-mint)

Acanthomintha ilicifolia is state endangered and federally threatened. An annual

plant, it is endemic to mesa and foothill areas

of San Diego County and northern Baja California, Mexico. At least a third of the known

historic occurrences have been extirpated by

urban and rural development. About thirty

small occurrences are presently known. The

two largest are found on the Cleveland National Forest near Viejas and Poser mountains

(fig. 5.8). These occurrences are located adjacent to an Indian reservation and could be

affected by unauthorized cattle grazing and

off-highway vehicle activity. Other smaller occurrences are protected in open space reserves

throughout San Diego County, including a

California Department of Fish and Game reserve at McGinty Mountain. Because much

of its original habitat has been removed in

San Diego County, A. ilicifolia is expected to

remain rare. The Cleveland National Forest

has developed a species management guide

for occurrences on the forest (Winter, 1991c).

See the final listing rule (USFWS 1998j) for

more information on this species.

Ridge Botanical Area of the Los Padres National Forest. Two occurrences are located on

Fort Hunter Liggett. This annual plant has

been found in chaparral, woodlands, and grasslands.

Ribes canthariforme (Moreno currant)

Ribes canthariforme is a Forest Service Sensitive Species. This shrub is endemic to the

foothills of San Diego County near Moreno

Dam. There are about twelve recorded occurrences, many consisting of only a few plants

and protected on state or federal lands. The

species is included in a conservation strategy

for coastal sage scrub (USFS/USFWS/CDFG

1997). In chaparral, it occurs in mesic areas

with gabbro soils and large granite boulders.

Sidalcea hickmanii ssp.hickmanii

(Hickman’s checkerbloom)

Sidalcea hickmanii ssp.hickmanii is a Forest Service Sensitive Species. It is known from

the northern Santa Lucia Range. The

CNDDB contains records for ten occurrences

(some of them historic). Six of the known occurrences are found on the Los Padres National

Forest.

Thermopsis macrophylla

(Santa Ynez false lupine)

Thermopsis macrophylla is a Forest Service

Sensitive Species. It is known from fewer than

fifteen occurrences in Santa Barbara County.

All of the occurrences are located on the Santa

Barbara Ranger District of the Los Padres

National Forest, where they range from Santa

Ynez Peak east to Camino Cielo Road and La

Cumbre Peak. The species grows on sandstone,

granitic, and adobe soils within chaparral.

Some occurrences are found in disturbed areas such as fuel breaks. The plant is locally

abundant after wildfires, gradually decreasing

in abundance until the next fire, and is therefore sensitive to fire suppression. The Jepson

Manual refers to this taxon as T. macrophylla

var. agnina (Hickman 1993).

Gabbro is a localized soil type that supports a number of rare plant species in the

chaparral belt. Thirteen rare plants are found

or have potential to occur on gabbro-derived

substrates within the assessment area. Summary information is shown in table 5.8. Two

federally threatened species and one federally

endangered species are included in this group.

Arctostaphylos otayensis

(Otay manzanita)

Arctostaphylos otayensis is an evergreen

shrub endemic to San Diego County. Populations are recorded on six 7.5-minute quad

maps centered in the Otay Mountain area. The

habitat is described as chaparral and woodlands with gabbro or volcanic substrates in the

foothill, lower montane, and montane conifer zones. Potential habitat exists on the

Cleveland National Forest; however, most of

Plants Associated with Gabbro Soils
Acanthomintha ilicifolia 157 decl. mod. San Diego Co. & adjacent areas of

(San Diego thorn-mint) Baja; (high)

 federally threatened

Arctostaphylos otayensis p unkn. San Diego Co. (Otay Mtn.); (high)

(Otay manzanita)

Brodiaea filifolia y p p unkn. low LA, Orange, SW Riverside (Santa

(thread-leaved brodiaea) Rosa Plateau), San Bernardino, & NW

 federally threatened San Diego cos.; (moderate)

Brodiaea orcuttii 719 decl. low Orange, San Bernardino, S Riverside,

(Orcutt’s brodiaea) & SD cos., Baja (Santa Ana Mtns.,

 FS sensitive Santa Rosa Plateau, Santa Margarita

Mtns., S to Peninsular Ranges of SD

Co.; (moderate)

Calochortus dunni 163 decl. low Peninsular Ranges of SD Co. & Baja;

(Dunn’s mariposa lily) (moderate)

 FS sensitive

Chorizanthe procumbens y p p stable1 low SD, Riverside, Orange, LA, San

(prostrate spineflower) Bernardino, & Ventura cos., Baja;

(low)

Clarkia delicata y decl. low Peninsular Ranges of SD Co. & N

(delicate clarkia) Baja; (low)

 FS sensitive

Fremontodendron p decl1

. Peninsular Ranges of SD Co. (San

mexicanum Ysidro Mtns., Otay Mtn.) and Baja;

(Mexican flannelbush) (low)

 federally endangered

Horkelia truncata 338 stable low– Peninsular Ranges of SD

(Ramona horkelia) mod. Co. & Baja; (high)

 FS sensitive

Monardella hypoleuca 159 stable low– Peninsular Ranges of SD

ssp. Lanata mod. Co. (Palomar & Laguna mtns.) & N

(felt-leaved monardella) Baja; (moderate)

 FS sensitive

Nolina interrata p stable1 Peninsular Ranges of SD Co. & Baja;

(Dehesa nolina) (low)

 state endangered

Senecio ganderi 67 stable mod. Peninsular Ranges of SD Co. (Black,

(Gander’s ragwort) Laguna, & Palomar mtns.); (high)

 FS sensitive

Tetracoccus dioicus 97 decl. low foothills of Orange, Riverside, & SD

(Parry’s tetracoccus) cos., Baja; (moderate)

 FS sensitive

Table 5.8. Plants found in association with gabbro soils. y = the taxon is known to occur on the forest;

p = has potential to occur). Trend, knowledge of distribution, and vulnerability information was determined

by forest botanists/biologists and generally refers to occurrences on national forest system lands (decl. =

declining; incr. = increasing; unkn. = unknown).

1 Reiser 1994 (refers to all known occurrences)

Scientific Name

(common name)

listing status

Overall Distribution

Trends (Knowledge of distribution on NFS lands)

Vulnerability

on NFS

lands

Acres of Known Habitat

CNF SBNF ANF LPNF

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258

Figure 5.8. Distribution of Acanthomintha ilicifolia (San Diego thorn-mint).

the known populations are located on BLM lands

being considered for inclusion in a national wildlife refuge. In recent years populations at Otay

Mountain have been impacted by repeated fires

linked to illegal immigration through the area.

Frequent fires may lead to conversion of the habitat to non-native grassland and eliminate native

woody species. Despite this threat, the species

was removed from the Forest Service Sensitive

list because no occurrences are known on national forest system lands.

Brodiaea filifolia

(thread-leaved brodiaea)

Brodiaea filifolia is a federally threatened

and state endangered species distributed in Los

Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino,

and San Diego counties. The CNDDB (1997)

lists forty-five extant occurrences in all. Most

are located on the Santa Rosa Plateau in southwestern Riverside County and in the Vista-San

Marcos-Carlsbad region of northwestern San

Diego County (fig. 5.9). Other occurrences

are found along the San Jacinto River and a

tributary of Old Salt Creek, west of the city of

Hemet. Some occurrences are protected in the

San Jacinto Wildlife Area managed by the

California Department of Fish and Game, and

one occurrence is known from Camp

Pendleton. In all, this species occupies less than

600 acres of habitat (USFWS 1994b). The

largest known occurrence, on the Santa Rosa
259

 Chapter 5

Figure 5.9. Distribution of Brodiaea filifolia (thread-leaved brodiaea).

Plateau, is estimated to contain over thirty

thousand plants and occupy about 50 acres.

The majority of occurrences are located on

private lands in San Diego County; however,

three populations occur near Miller Mountain on the Cleveland National Forest. These

populations contain an estimated twenty thousand plants thought to be the hybrid B. filifolia

x B. orcuttii (K. Winter, Cleveland NF, pers.

comm.). One occurrence is reported for the

San Bernardino Mountains (adjacent to the

San Bernardino National Forest). The species

was thought to have been extirpated from Los

Angeles County; however, a small occurrence

was discovered in 1991 in the city of Glendora

at Wildwood and Morgon canyons.

B. filifolia is found in low-elevation inland

valley and foothill habitats such as coastal sage

scrub, chaparral, cismontane woodlands, and

grasslands (e.g., southern needlegrass grassland

and alkali grassland). Plants are found on clay

soils in mesic places, including vernal pools

(USFWS 1998m). In western Riverside County

(i.e., Perris, San Jacinto, and Menifee valleys),

the plant grows in vernal wetland plains and alkali lake playas (e.g., the Mystic Lake area).

This species is declining throughout its

range in southern California (Reiser 1994).

Its habitat has been significantly reduced by

urban and agricultural development. An estimated 25 percent of B. filifolia populations
260

have been eliminated and over 25 percent of

the remaining populations in San Diego and

Riverside counties occur in areas of proposed

or approved development projects (USFWS

1998m). The species is also vulnerable to trampling, grazing, and invasion of exotic species

such as perennial ryegrass in San Diego

County and prickle grass in Riverside County.

Unless flowering, the species can easily be

missed during surveys.

Brodiaea orcuttii

(Orcutt’s brodiaea)

Brodiaea orcuttii is a Forest Service Sensitive Species. It occurs in Orange, San

Bernardino, southern Riverside, and San Diego counties, and Baja California, Mexico.

Occurrences are known from the Santa Ana

Mountains, Santa Rosa Plateau, Santa

Margarita Mountains, and south to Santa

Ysabel and Pine Hills in San Diego County

(Reiser 1994). The plant grows from sea level

to about 5,300 feet, in vernally moist grasslands (including those with mima mound

topography), at the periphery of vernal pools,

on streamside embankments, within closedcone conifer forest, chaparral, cismontane

woodland, and meadows. It typically is associated with clay soils (sometimes serpentine)

on mesas, and can grow with Deschampsia

danthonioides.There are an estimated one hundred known populations, most of them west

of national forest system lands; however, some

plants are found on the Cleveland National

Forest. Populations are declining because

much of the appropriate habitat has been

eliminated by development in coastal areas.

The species is included in a conservation strategy for coastal sage scrub (USDA Forest

Service et al. 1997). It can form hybrids with

B. filifolia, another rare species. Plants grow

in flat terrain near spring ponds.

Calochortus dunnii

(Dunn’s mariposa lily)

Calochortus dunnii is a Forest Service Sensitive Species. A perennial plant, it is found

only in San Diego County and Baja California, Mexico. About twelve populations are

known, a small number of them protected on

the Cleveland National Forest. Unconfirmed reports in Baja are from near Guadalupe Mountain

and Laguna Hansen (Reiser 1994). Occurrences

on private lands in San Diego County are declining mainly due to urban and rural

development. Other factors impacting the species are horticultural collecting and too frequent

fire-return intervals that degrade its habitat.

Chorizanthe procumbens

(prostrate spineflower)

Chorizanthe procumbens is distributed in

San Diego, Riverside, Orange, Los Angeles,

San Bernardino and Ventura counties, as well

as Baja California, Mexico. Reiser (1994) cites

about twenty-two known current locations

and several more historic ones within California. Populations are known to occur on the

Cleveland National Forest but are not yet recorded in our GIS database. Habitat

conversion due to urban and rural development and competition from non-native grasses

are factors negatively impacting the species. It

does appear to tolerate some types of ground

disturbance—it often grows alongside dirt

roads and in lightly disturbed areas of chaparral and coastal sage scrub.

Clarkia delicata (delicate clarkia)

Clarkia delicata is a Forest Service Sensitive Species. An annual plant, it is found

within the foothill and lower montane conifer zones of San Diego County and northern

Baja California, Mexico. It appears to be associated with gabbro soils where they occur in

oak woodlands and chaparral. Some occurrences are protected on federal and state lands;

however, those on private lands lack protection and are declining from increased urban

and rural development.

Fremontodendron mexicanum

(Mexican flannelbush)

Fremontodendron mexicanum is a federally

endangered species. It is an evergreen shrub

known from the San Ysidro Mountains (specifically Otay Mountain) in the San Diego
261

 Chapter 5

region and Baja California, Mexico. Most of

the confirmed populations occur in the Otay

Mountain area. Potential habitat occurs on the

Cleveland National Forest. At Otay Mountain

the species is associated with closed-cone conifer forest and southern mixed chaparral

habitats (Reiser 1994). Much of it grows in

the Cedar Canyon drainage along with scattered Tecate cypress. Ten confirmed

occurrences are recorded in CNDDB, though

some reported on the southern central coast

appear to be misidentifications (D. Wilken,

Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, pers. comm.) See

the proposed and final rules for more information (USFWS 1995a; USFWS 1998g).

Horkelia truncata (Ramona horkelia)

Horkelia truncata is a Forest Service Sensitive Species. A perennial plant, it is known

from foothill and lower montane conifer habitats in the San Diego ranges and Baja

California, Mexico. It grows exclusively on

gabbro soils in open areas of chaparral and

cismontane woodland. The species is sometimes observed growing in disturbed areas and

is apparently tolerant of fire and some soil disturbances. Approximately forty occurrences are

known, most on public lands. These occurrences could potentially be affected by mining

activities, heavy road maintenance, chaparral

management, and livestock grazing.

Monardella hypoleuca ssp. lanata

(felt-leaved monardella)

Monardella hypoleuca ssp. lanata is a Forest Service Sensitive Species. A perennial plant,

it is endemic to the Palomar and Laguna

mountains of San Diego County and northern Baja California, Mexico. Locations

recorded for the Santa Ana Mountains are now

believed to be erroneous. The taxon grows

within foothill and lower montane conifer habitats, mainly on gabbro soils in chaparral and

cismontane woodlands. About fifty occurrences

are located on federal, state, and private lands.

Occurrences on the Cleveland National Forest

appear stable and are relatively well protected.

Nolina interrata (Dehesa beargrass)

Nolina interrata is a state-listed endangered

species found in San Diego County and Baja

California, Mexico. It was proposed for federal listing as threatened but the proposal was

subsequently withdrawn (USFWS 1995a;

USFWS 1998i). The species is usually found

in chaparral below 2,100 feet elevation. Nine

sites are known in California (Reiser 1994).

There is potential for the species to occur on

the Cleveland National Forest but all recorded

populations are located west of the forest. The

CNPS Inventory lists residential development

and horticultural collecting as threats to the

species (Skinner and Pavlik 1994).

Senecio ganderi (Gander’s ragwort)

Senecio ganderi is a Forest Service Sensitive Species. A perennial plant, it is found on

Black, Laguna, and Palomar mountains in San

Diego County. The plant grows on gabbro soil

within chaparral vegetation (including recently

burned areas). The CNPS Inventory cites fewer

than fifteen known occurrences on both public and private lands. Most of the known

occurrences are located on federal or state

lands. Those occurrences on private lands have

potential to be affected by residential or commercial development projects. The species is

state-listed rare and included in a conservation strategy for coastal sage scrub (USFS/

USFWS/CDFG 1997).

Tetracoccus dioicus

(Parry’s tetracoccus)

Tetracoccus dioicus is a Forest Service Sensitive Species. It is a deciduous shrub known

from the foothills of Orange, Riverside and

San Diego counties, and Baja California,

Mexico. It grows specifically on gabbro soils

within chaparral and coastal sage scrub communities. Habitat conversion for agriculture

and development projects is adversely affecting the species on private lands.
262

Antennaria marginata

(white-margined everlasting)

Disjunct occurrences of Antennaria

marginata are located in the upper Santa Ana

River watershed of the San Bernardino Mountains. The species also occurs in Colorado and

New Mexico. Two occurrences are recorded

in the CNDDB (1997). In the San Bernardino Mountains, the plant grows in dry areas

within lower and upper montane conifer forest habitats. One occurrence is located in the

San Gorgonio Wilderness Area. This species

can be affected by recreation activities such as

camping, hiking, horseback riding and offroad vehicle use.

Astragalus bicristatus

(crested milk-vetch)

Astragalus bicristatus is a Forest Service

Sensitive Species. It is a perennial species found

in sandy or rocky places within lower and

upper montane conifer forests, between 5,800

and 9,000 feet elevation. Occurrences are

known in the eastern San Gabriel, San Bernardino, and Santa Rosa mountains. In the

San Bernardino Mountains, plants occur on

carbonate soils and rocky/pebbly slopes. At

least seven occurrences are found in Big Bear

and Holcomb valleys and in the upper Santa

Ana River watershed. At least one occurrence

is documented in the Santa Rosa Mountains.

This species is vulnerable to mining activities,

high recreation use, and construction/development projects.

Astragalus lentiginosus var. antonius

(San Antonio milk-vetch)

Astragalus lentiginosus var. antonius is a Forest Service Sensitive taxon endemic to the San

Gabriel Mountains (fig. 5.10). The CNDDB

contains records for four historic occurrences.

Plants are found on dry, open slopes within

Montane Conifer Forest Plants

Thirty rare plants are primarily associated

with montane conifer forest habitat within the

assessment area. Summary information is

shown in table 5.9.

Castilleja gleasonii

(Mount Gleason Indian paintbrush)

Castilleja gleasonii is a Forest Service Sensitive Species. Endemic to the western San

Gabriel Mountains of Los Angeles County, the

perennial grows on granitic soils in conifer

forest habitat above 5,000 feet. Fewer than ten

occurrences are known, all located on the

Angeles National Forest—at Messenger Peak/

Flat, Mount Gleason, Lightning Ridge, and

east to Chilao, Horse Flats, and the Little Rock

Creek area (fig. 5.10) (Mistretta and Brown

1987a).

Like all Castilleja species, C. gleasonii is

hemiparasitic on other plants. Associations are

formed with Artemisia tridentata,wild

buckwheats, and other native species. The

plant is usually found in areas of open yellow

pine woodland (e.g., ponderosa pine and

Coulter pine), with a well-developed shrub or

sub-shrub understory. It can also be found

growing with bigcone Douglas-fir, white fir,

Arctostaphylos parryana, and chaparral

whitethorn. Occurrences at Mount Gleason

grow with one of the narrow-leaved bedstraws

(Galium angustifolium ssp. angustifolium) and

prickly phlox. The Messenger Flat occurrence

is found primarily in a mixed live oak/yellow

pine habitat that grades into chaparral. Plants

at Lightning Ridge grow at the interface of

conifers and chaparral.

The primary threat to this species is its

preference for habitat that is also popular for

human recreation activities (i.e., gentle slopes

and an open understory). Occurrences are reportedly threatened by their proximity to

campgrounds (Horse Flats, Bandido, Chilao

Flats, Messenger Flats, and Lightning Ridge).

Designated trails (e.g., the Pacific Crest Trail)

also occur in the vicinity of occurrences. Fuel

wood gathering at Mount Gleason is cited as

a threat and off-highway vehicle activity is a

potential threat at Mount Gleason and Messenger Flat.

It is unclear how this species responds to

disturbance; discing adjacent to occurrences

montane conifer/yellow pine forests (Angeles

NF 1995; Hickman 1993).
263

 Chapter 5

at Messenger Flat in 1983 did not appear to

increase recruitment into the disturbed area

(Mistretta and Brown 1987a). A prescribed

burn at Horse Flats in October of the same

year did not appear to negatively affect the

species. Transect data gathered from 1982 to

1987 showed a steady decline in species abundance (attributed to deer browsing) at the

Horse Flats area.

The Angeles National Forest has developed a species management guide for

occurrences on the forest (Mistretta and Brown

1987a). The Jepson Manual lists this species

as C. pruinosa and considers related species part

of a highly variable complex that needs further study (including C. affinis and C.

foliolosa).

Castilleja montigena

(Heckard’s Indian paintbrush)

Castilleja montigena is a watch-list species

on the San Bernardino National Forest. The

perennial is locally common and endemic to

the eastern San Bernardino Mountains, where

it grows in pinyon-juniper woodlands and

montane coniferous forests. The species is presumed to be a stable hybrid of C. applegatei

ssp. martinii and C. angustifolia. Habitat where

it occurs may be vulnerable to ski area development and high-level recreation use.

Eriophyllum lanatum var. obovatum

(southern Sierra woolly sunflower)

Eriophyllum lanatum var. obovatum is a

perennial taxon distributed in the San Bernardino Mountains and southern Sierra Nevada.

Numerous occurrences were documented in

the 1980s by herbarium specimens from the

San Bernardino National Forest. These occurrences have not been mapped and we were

unable to include them in our GIS species

coverage. In more recent years, sightings have

been less frequent and there is concern that

the plant is declining in abundance (A. Sanders, UC Riverside, pers. comm.). It typically

occupies open habitat in montane conifer forests. Occurrences are vulnerable to high levels

of recreation and development projects.

Galium angustifolium ssp. jacinticum

(San Jacinto Mountains bedstraw)

Galium anustifolium ssp. jacinticum is a

Forest Service Sensitive Species. It occurs in

the Black Mountain area of the San Jacinto

Mountains. It grows in the understory of coniferous forests. Three occurrences are

recorded in the CNDDB. Some are found

near campgrounds on the San Bernardino

National Forest and possibly in the Hall Canyon RNA (Keeler-Wolf 1986a). This plant is

vulnerable to trampling, tree harvesting, road

maintenance, and high levels of recreation use,

particularly from off-road vehicles.

Galium californicum ssp. primum

(California bedstraw)

Galium californicum ssp. primum is a Forest Service Sensitive Species. It is a perennial

species known from one occurrence and nine

general locations (CNDDB 1997). One reported occurrence, located on private lands

northwest of the San Jacinto Mountains, appears to be declining from “genetic swamping”

by the more common G. nuttallii. Most occurrences, however, are known from a small

area of the San Jacinto Mountains. Several of

these occurrences burned in the 1996 Bee Fire

and were observed resprouting fifteen months

later. New plants from seed have not yet been

detected (D. Volgarino, San Bernardino NF,

pers. comm.). Plants typically grow on granitic and sandy soil in chaparral and in the

understory of conifer forests between 4,400

and 5,600 feet.

Galium jepsonii (Jepson’s bedstraw)

Galium jepsonii is an uncommon perennial species found in the upper montane

conifer zones of the San Gabriel Mountains

and potentially in the San Bernardino Mountains. It occupies dry, granitic, rocky, and

gravelly places in open woodlands. A small

amount of occupied habitat is recorded on the

Angeles National Forest.
Antennaria marginata y unkn. unkn. San Bernardino Mtns., CO, NM;

(white-margined everlasting) (low)

Astragalus bicristatus y p unkn. unkn. San Gabriel, San Bernardino, &

(crested milk-vetch) Santa Rosa mtns.; (low)

 FS sensitive

Astragalus lentiginosus p y unkn. unkn. San Gabriel Mtns.; (low)

var. antonius

(San Antonio milk-vetch)

 FS sensitive

Castilleja gleasonii 13 mod.– W San Gabriel Mtns.

(Mt. Gleason Ind. paintbrush) high

 FS sensitive

Castilleja montigena y unkn. E San Bernardino Mtns.

(Heckard’s Indian paintbrush)

Eriophyllum lanatum y unkn. unkn. San Bernardino Mtns. & S Sierra

var. obovatum Nevada; (low)

(S. Sierra woolly sunflower)

Galium angustifolium y mod.– San Jacinto Mtns.

ssp. jacinticum high

(San Jacinto Mtns. bedstraw)

 FS sensitive

Galium californicum 29 decl. mod. San Jacinto Mtns.; (moderate)

ssp. primum

(California bedstraw)

 FS sensitive

Galium jepsonii p 1 unkn. unkn. San Gabriel Mtns.; (low)

(Jepson’s bedstraw)

Galium johnstonii p y 8 unkn. unkn. San Gabriel, San Bernardino, & Santa

(Johnston’s bedstraw) Rosa mtns.; (low)

Heuchera elegans p 7 unkn. San Gabriel Mtns.; (high)

(urn-flowered alumroot)

Heuchera parishii y unkn. mod. San Bernardino & San Jacinto mtns.;

(Parish’s alumroot) (low)

 FS sensitive

Horkelia wilderae 174 unkn. mod. San Bernardino Mtns.; (high)

(Barton Flats horkelia)

 FS sensitive

Hulsea californica 100 stable low Laguna & Cuyamaca mtns. (San

(San Diego sunflower) Diego Co.); (high)

Hulsea vestita ssp. y y San Jacinto & Santa Rosa mtns.

callicarpha (Riverside Co.) & Palomar Mtns. (SD

(beautiful hulsea) Co.) .

Scientific Name

(common name)

listing status

Overall Distribution

Trends (Knowledge of distribution on NFS lands)

Vulnerability

on NFS

lands

Acres of Known Habitat

CNF SBNF ANF LPNF

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Table 5.9. Rare plants found in montane conifer forests. Numerical values indicate acres of occupied

habitat within congressional forest boundaries (y = the taxon occurs on the forest; p = has potential to

occur). Assessments of trend, knowledge of distribution, and vulnerability were made by forest botanists/

biologists and generally refer to occurrences on national forest system lands (unkn. = unknown; decl. =

declining; incr. = increasing).

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Ivesia callida 12 unkn. low San Jacinto Mtns.; (moderate)

(Tahquitz ivesia)

 FS sensitive

Linanthus concinnus p y unkn. mod.– San Gabriel Mtns.; (high)

(San Gabriel linanthus) high

 FS sensitive

Lupinus excubitus 1 San Gabriel Mtns.; (low)

var. johnstonii

(interior bush lupine)

Machaeranthera canescens y unkn. low Santa Rosa Mtns.; (high)

var. ziegleri

(Ziegler’s aster)

 FS sensitive

Mimulus clevelandii 3 low (low)

(Cleveland’s bush

monkeyflower)

Monardella linoides 473 stable low Ventura, Kern, & Tulare cos., Sierra

ssp. oblonga to incr. Nevada, Tehachapi Mtns.; (low)

(flax-like monardella)

 FS sensitive

Monardella nana 117 26 stable/ low1/ San Jacinto Mtns., Peninsular Ranges

ssp. leptosiphon decl. mod.2 of SD Co.; (high)

(San Felipe monardella)

 FS sensitive

Oxytheca caryophylloides y p p? unkn. unkn. LA, Riverside, San Bernardino, Tulare,

(chickweed oxytheca) & Ventura cos.; (unknown)

Oxytheca parishii y unkn. mod. E San Bernardino Mtns.; (moderate)

var. cienegensis

(Cienega Seca oxytheca)

 FS sensitive

Phlox dolichantha 12,774 unkn. low- NE San Bernardino Mtns.; (high)

(Big Bear Valley phlox) mod.

 FS sensitive

Piperia leptopetala y unkn. low Transverse & Peninsular ranges,

Sierra Nevada, North Coast, Cascade

Ranges; (low)

Sedum niveum 24 unkn. low San Bernardino, Santa Rosa, & New

(Davidson’s stonecrop) York mtns., Baja; (moderate)

 FS sensitive

Senecio ionophyllus y 2 unkn. low LA, San Bernardino, & Kern cos. (San

(Tehachapi ragwort) Gabriel & San Bernardino mtns., Piute

& Tehachapi mtns.); (low)

Sidalcea hickmanii y p 397 unkn. high2/ Santa Lucia, San Rafael, & Sierra

var. parishii mod.3

Madre mtns., southern Los Padres

(Parish’s checkerbloom) region, San Bernardino Mtns.;

 FS sensitive (moderate)

Streptanthus bernardinus 1 y p incr. low S. Gabriel, S. Bernardino, S. Jacinto,

(Laguna Mtns. jewel-flower) Laguna & Cuyamaca mtns.; (high)

Scientific Name

(common name)

listing status

Overall Distribution

Trends (Knowledge of distribution on NFS lands)

Vulnerability

on NFS

lands

Acres of Known Habitat

CNF SBNF ANF LPNF

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1 on the Cleveland National Forest

2 on the San Bernardino National Forest

3 on the Los Padres National Forest

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266

Figure 5.10. Documented locations of Astragalus lentiginosus var. antonius (San Antonio milk-vetch) and

Castilleja gleasonii (Mount Gleason Indian paintbrush).

Galium johnstonii

(Johnston’s bedstraw)

Galium johnstonii is another perennial

bedstraw found in the montane conifer zones

of the San Gabriel, San Bernardino, and Santa

Rosa mountains. The species is locally common at Santa Rosa Peak (Reiser 1994). It has

been found on dry slopes in open mixed hardwood and conifer forest, and in yellow pine

forest. Potential habitat exists in the San Diego ranges but the taxon has not been

documented on the Cleveland National Forest. Occurrences are known on the San

Bernardino and Angeles national forests.

Heuchera elegans

(urn-flowered alumroot)

Heuchera elegans is a watch-list species

found in Los Angeles and San Bernardino

counties. Occurrences are not uncommon in

the central San Gabriel Mountains (S. Boyd,

Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden, pers.

comm.). Occupied habitat is recorded on the

Angeles National Forest and potential habitat

exists on the San Bernardino National Forest.

The perennial grows at rocky sites in lower

and upper montane conifer forests, between

4,000 and 8,500 feet (Angeles NF 1995).
267

 Chapter 5

Heuchera parishii (Parish’s alumroot)

Heuchera parishii is a Forest Service Sensitive Species. It is a perennial species known

from occurrences in the San Bernardino and

San Jacinto mountains. RAREFIND contains

records for five occurrences (CNDDB 1997),

but additional occurrences have been observed

by resource personnel on the San Bernardino

National Forest. The plant occupies rocky

places within montane and subalpine conifer

forests, as well as alpine boulder and rock

fields. Some occurrences are protected in the

San Gorgonio and San Jacinto wilderness areas. One occurrence is threatened by ski area

development.

Horkelia wilderae

(Barton Flats horkelia)

Horkelia wilderae is a Forest Service Sensitive Species. It is endemic to the Barton Flats

area of the San Bernardino Mountains, where

it is locally abundant in a 12- square-mile area.

The CNDDB contains records for five occurrences. Plants are found in montane and

subalpine habitats. They grow in yellow pine/

oak forest in the understory and in openings

and are not found where the canopy and other

vegetation become dense. A few occurrences

identified almost ten years ago have not been

relocated and the vegetation in these areas has

become noticeably denser (M. Lardner, San

Bernardino NF, in litt. 1998). Habitat in the

Barton Flats area is vulnerable to high levels

of recreation use; however, the occurrences

appear stable. The perennial appears to tolerate some disturbance and light trampling.

Hulsea californica

(San Diego sunflower)

Hulsea californica is a rare, annual or biennial sunflower known from the Peninsular

Ranges of San Diego County. Occurrences are

documented at Hot Springs Mountain and in

the Laguna and Cuyamaca mountains

(Wilken 1975). Appearing in open areas after

fires and mild ground disturbances, the species grows in chaparral and pine-oak

woodlands between 3,200 and 6,600 feet.

Many of the known occurrences are located

on the Cleveland National Forest. Other occurrences are located on state and private

lands. Increased recreation use in the Laguna

Mountains may affect habitat for this species.

Fire suppression may also have adverse affects,

as the species appears to rely on natural fire

cycles for regeneration (Reiser 1994). Occurrences at Hot Springs Mountain appear to

intergrade with H. vestita ssp. callicarpha.

Hulsea vestita ssp. callicarpha

(beautiful hulsea)

Hulsea vestita ssp. callicarpha is known

from at least fifteen different occurrences in

the San Jacinto, Santa Rosa, and Palomar

mountains (Wilken 1975). Plants are known

to occur on the San Bernardino and Cleveland national forests. The perennial grows on

granitic soils, in chaparral and in open areas

of montane conifer forest between 4,200 and

8,200 feet. Some occurrences are found on

roadcuts. Hybrids of this taxon and H.

heterochroma have been collected in the San

Jacinto Mountains.

Ivesia callida (Tahquitz ivesia)

Ivesia callida is a Forest Service Sensitive

Species. It is a perennial species endemic to

the San Jacinto Mountains. The CNDDB

contains records for two occurrences, both

located in the San Jacinto Wilderness Area of

the San Bernardino National Forest. A botanical investigation was completed for this species

in 1982 (Berg 1982). The investigation found

that one occurrence occupied five acres and

contained between 1,001 and 10,000 plants.

The second occurrence covered twenty acres

and was estimated to contain greater than

10,000 plants. This second occurrence was

revisited in 1994 and just over 150 plants were

found, although the entire site was not surveyed due to the ruggedness of the terrain.

Both occurrences are located in relatively inaccessible rocky habitat within upper montane

conifer forest. Plants grow from crevices in

granitic rocks and are vulnerable to the activities of rock climbers who use the crevices

for hand and toe holds.
268

Linanthus concinnus

(San Gabriel linanthus)

Linanthus concinnus is a Forest Service Sensitive Species. It is an annual species distributed

in Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties.

Occurrences are found in the San Gabriel

Mountains on dry, rocky soils in montane

conifer forests (Skinner and Pavlik 1994;

Munz 1974). The CNDDB lists fifteen occurrences, most on the Angeles National Forest

growing with Jeffrey and ponderosa pine. Potential habitat exists on the San Bernardino

National Forest. The species is vulnerable to

high levels of recreation use (i.e., trampling

and ski area development). Surveys to locate

this species in 1991 were unsuccessful.

Machaeranthera canescens var. ziegleri

(Ziegler’s aster)

Machaeranthera canescens var. ziegleri is a

Forest Service Sensitive Species. It is found

only in the Santa Rosa Mountains of Riverside County. The CNDDB contains records

for two occurrences, both within the congressional boundaries of the San Bernardino

National Forest. These occurrences may be

located partly on private lands and partly in

the Santa Rosa Wilderness Area. Very little

potential habitat exists outside of this area as

the Santa Rosa Mountains are surrounded by

desert and desert-influenced vegetation. The

Forest Service is actively trying to acquire more

land with potential habitat for this taxon.

Plants are widely scattered in the understory

of small conifer stands between 4,500 and

8,200 feet elevation. Some plants are located

along roads and adjacent to campsites, possibly indicating a positive response to ground

disturbance. However, high levels of trampling, road grading, and livestock grazing may

put occurrences at risk. The perennial may also

be vulnerable to repeated wildfire events due

to its very limited distribution.

Monardella linoides ssp. oblonga

(flax-like monardella)

Monardella linoides ssp. oblonga is a Forest Service Sensitive Species. It is a perennial

taxon distributed in Ventura, Kern, and Tulare

counties. Occurrences are known from the

southern Sierra Nevada and Tehachapi mountains and the southern Los Padres region.

Plants grow among rock outcrops and on decomposed granite in mixed conifer forests,

yellow pine forests, pinyon-juniper woodlands,

and desert scrub habitat. The CNDDB contains records for ten occurrences, all on

national forest system lands. Nine of the occurrences are found on the Los Padres National

Forest and more potential habitat exists that

has yet to be surveyed. The known occurrences

appear to be stable or increasing in size. This

taxon is known to respond positively to wildfire events; however, some occurrences are

vulnerable to road/trail maintenance and offroad vehicle activity.

Monardella nana ssp. leptosiphon

(San Felipe monardella).

Monardella nana ssp. leptosiphon is a Forest Service Sensitive Species. It is found in

chaparral, mixed conifer forest, and yellow

pine forest in the San Jacinto Mountains and

Peninsular Ranges of San Diego County (Skinner and Pavlik 1994; Munz 1974). The

CNDDB contains records on eleven occurrences in the mountains of San Diego County

and additional occurrences are known from

the San Jacinto Mountains. Altogether, an estimated twenty-five occurrences are reported

by forest botanists/biologists.

Studies on plants in the San Jacinto Mountains indicate they are intermediate to M. nana

ssp. tenuiflora to the north and M. nana ssp.

leptosiphon to the south. Occurrences are located in an area of high recreation use (i.e.,

adjacent to campsites and campgrounds) but

do not appear heavily affected. The plant has

shown some resilience to woodcutting, fire,

and low-level ground disturbance. About ten

populations are recorded for the Palomar

Ranger District of the Cleveland National

Forest. Occurrences reported from Palomar

Mountain may be another taxon or intermediate. Plants from Hot Springs Mountain,

Volcan Mountain, and Banner Grade seem to
269

 Chapter 5

better represent M. nana ssp. leptosiphon,

rather than those from Palomar Mountain

(Allen 1994).

Oxytheca caryophylloides

(chickweed oxytheca)

Oxytheca caryophylloides is an annual species distributed in Los Angeles, Riverside, San

Bernardino, Tulare, and Ventura counties

(Skinner and Pavlik 1994). Plants grow on

sandy soils in montane conifer forests between

elevations of 3,900 and 8,500 feet. Occurrences are known on the San Bernardino

National Forest and potential habitat occurs on

the Angeles and Los Padres national forests.

Oxytheca parishii var. cienegensis

(Cienega Seca oxytheca)

Oxytheca parishii var. cienegensis is a Forest Service Sensitive plant that occurs in the

eastern San Bernardino Mountains. Nineteen

occurrences have been inventoried on the San

Bernardino National Forest. One occurrence

near Coon Creek contained more than one

thousand plants in 1990. Another located on

the south side of Cienega Seca Creek contained

approximately twenty plants in the same year.

A third occurrence found along Highway 38

near Cienega Seca Creek had no plants visible

in 1990; however, basal rosettes were observed

at the site ten years earlier (Ertter 1990). One

occurrence is known from the Tip Top Mountain area. The annual grows in sandy soils

(carbonate or granitic) and on dry gravelly

banks in upper montane coniferous forest and

pinyon-juniper woodlands. Some occurrences

are found in relatively open or disturbed

places, either from past human disturbance or

seasonal natural disturbances. Plants have been

found along roadsides, along trails, and adjacent to campsites. Plants found in association

with carbonate soils are vulnerable to mining

activities. The taxon blooms relatively late in

the year and is probably not well inventoried

(M. Lardner, San Bernardino NF, pers.

comm.).

Phlox dolichantha

(Big Bear Valley phlox)

Phlox dolichantha is a Forest Service Sensitive Species. It is a perennial species endemic

to Big Bear and Holcomb valleys in the northeastern San Bernardino Mountains. It grows

on clay soils in open areas of montane conifer

forest (particularly on north-facing slopes and

in shaded canyons). The CNDDB documents

at least eighteen occurrences, some located on

private lands but the majority found on the

San Bernardino National Forest. One occurrence near Aspen Glen picnic area showed a

278 percent increase in abundance from 1979

to 1995. Another occurrence at Sugarloaf is

protected by fencing but vandalism is a regular threat. The species is adversely affected by

fuelwood harvesting, unauthorized off-road

vehicle activity, and high levels of recreation

use. The large number of acres reported for this

species is due to areas between discrete occurrences being included in the GIS coverage.

Piperia leptopetala

Piperia leptopetala is a watch-list plant on

the San Bernardino National Forest, where two

occurrences are known. Occurrences are also

known on the Eldorado National Forest. The

species is widespread in California, with populations found in the Transverse and Peninsular

ranges, the Sierra Nevada, and the North Coast

and Cascade ranges. Its distribution may continue northward to Washington. Most

occurrences are small, usually fewer than ten

plants, with the largest containing thirty plants

(Coleman 1995). The species grows at dry sites

in open mixed conifer and montane conifer

forests. One occurrence on the San Bernardino National Forest is threatened by

construction of a water tank. Occurrences in

other areas are potentially threatened by timber harvesting.

Sedum niveum (Davidson’s stonecrop)

In the assessment area, Sedum niveum is

known from occurrences in the San Bernardino and Santa Rosa mountains. Other

occurrences are reported in the New York
270

Mountains within the Mojave Desert. Plants

reported to be this species are documented at

Observatory Peak, in the Sierra San Pedro

Martir (Baja California, Mexico); however,

they differ in morphology, petal spot color,

and chromosome number (Bennett 1979b).

In the Santa Rosa Mountains, plants are found

on Toro Peak and Santa Rosa Mountain. In

the San Bernardino Mountains, occurrences

are found at Sugarloaf and Charleston peaks,

on the south side of Van Dusen Canyon, above

Dry Canyon, at Snow Canyon, and above

Dollar Lake (Krantz, Thorne, and Sanders

1995). Some occurrences on the San Bernardino National Forest are located in wilderness

areas or are otherwise protected from vehicles

and trampling by their habitat preferences;

plants grow on rocky ledges and in crevices

composed of granitic or carbonate substrates,

on steep, north-facing slopes between 7,200

and 9,900 feet elevation. Some occurrences

are reported from northeast- or northwest-facing slopes, but in these cases are shaded by

rocks. Surrounding habitat consists of upper

montane conifer forest with lodgepole pine,

pinyon pine, or white fir. S. niveum appears

to thrive on the leaf mold provided by fallen

pine needles (Bennett 1979b). Some occurrences on the forest have potential to be

affected by mining claims and ski area expansion. Further surveys are needed to determine

a more complete distribution for this species

and any potential threats on national forest

system lands (D. Volgarino, San Bernardino

NF, in litt. 1999).

Senecio ionophyllus

(Tehachapi ragwort)

Senecio ionophyllus is a watch-list species

on the San Bernardino National Forest. Occurrences are known from Los Angeles, San

Bernardino, and Kern counties. In the assessment area, the species occurs in the San Gabriel

and San Bernardino mountains, including

populations on the Angeles and San Bernardino national forests. Other occurrences are

known in the Piute and Tehachapi mountains.

Plants are found growing on dry, granitic soils

within montane conifer and subalpine forests

between 4,900 and 8,900 feet elevation. Occurrences in the San Bernardino Mountains

can be confused with Senecio bernardinus, another focal species. Potential threats to this

plant are developed recreation sites and ski area

expansions.

Sidalcea hickmanii var. parishii

(Parish’s checkerbloom)

Sidalcea hickmanii var. parishii is a Forest

Service Sensitive Species. It occurs on the Los

Padres and San Bernardino national forests.

Occurrences are known from the Santa Lucia,

San Rafael, and Sierra Madre mountains, the

southern Los Padres ranges region, and the San

Bernardino Mountains (Santa Ana River watershed). The CNDDB contains records for

thirteen occurrences, and at least two other

occurrences are known. A range extension for

this taxon was discovered during post-burn

surveys in San Luis Obispo in 1997. A perennial plant, it grows in chaparral and montane

conifer habitat between 4,000 and 7,500 feet

(Munz 1974; Skinner and Pavlik 1994). It

appears to be disturbance oriented; plants are

found after fire and reportedly on grazed and

maintained fuel breaks on the Los Padres National Forest. An occurrence on the San

Bernardino National Forest is located in an

area of recent trail construction. In general,

the plant is rarely found and seldom in the

same locations. On private lands the taxon is

vulnerable to development projects which

destroy its habitat. On the San Bernardino National Forest there is potential for erosion and

encroachment of brush to affect occurrences.

Management of this plant on the Los Padres

National Forest is guided by an existing species-specific conservation strategy (USFS/

USFWS 1996).

Streptanthus bernardinus

(Laguna Mountains jewel-flower)

Streptanthus bernardinus is a perennial species distributed mainly within the San Gabriel,

San Bernardino, San Jacinto, and Santa Rosa

mountains, and to a lesser extent on Laguna

Mountain. The CNDDB contains records for
271

 Chapter 5

Arabis parishii (Parish’s rock cress)

Arabis parishii is a Forest Service Sensitive

Species known from the San Bernardino

Mountains. Occurrences are found on the San

Bernardino National Forest at Onyx Peak,

Sugarloaf Ridge, Big Bear Valley, Holcomb

Valley, and Coxey Meadows. The CNDDB

contains records for at least forty-five occurrences. The species is a predictable occupant

of pebble plains but also grows in other habitats that are dry, sunny, and have rocky soils

(carbonate, pinyon-juniper woodlands) (Munz

1974; CNDDB 1996; S. Boyd, Rancho Santa

Ana Botanic Garden, pers. comm.). The species is found with other rare plants such as

Linanthus killipii and Echinocereus engelmannii

munzii. Some of the pebble plain occurrences

are protected by fencing. The species is not

protected where it occurs in the forest understory or on carbonate and, at some locations,

is adversely affected by habitat conversion,

trampling, non-native species, mining operations, off-road vehicles, woodcutting,

dumping, and shooting activities.

Arenaria ursina

(Big Bear Valley sandwort)

Arenaria ursina is a federally threatened

species known from occurrences in Big Bear

and Holcomb valleys (fig. 5.11). The CNDDB

contains records for at least twenty-five occurrences; however, the reported range (from

Onyx Peak to Cactus Flat) was recently reduced after surveys identified some of those

occurrences as Arenaria macradenia var.

macradenia. Some occurrences on the San Bernardino National Forest are fenced, although

vandalism is a recurring problem. Other occurrences continue to be affected by off-road

driving—mainly to access unauthorized woodcutting areas—and by legal forest system roads

that bisect known sites. Several additional locations will be fenced in 1999, and all

occurrences are being surveyed and monitored

nine occurrences and twenty-seven general locations. Additional occurrences are known on

the San Bernardino National Forest but not

yet recorded in the GIS database. Occurrences

on the San Bernardino National Forest are relatively large and appear to be increasing in size

(e.g., at Running Springs and Green Valley).

A few occurrences are protected within research natural areas on the San Bernardino

National Forest and at the UC James Reserve.

Two small occurrences and several larger ones

are found in Cuyamaca Rancho State Park (at

Cuyamaca Peak) adjacent to the Cleveland

National Forest. The species is rare on the

Cleveland National Forest; it grows with cedar and Jeffrey pine on the Descanso Ranger

District (about one acre of occupied habitat).

A botanical investigation was unable to locate

any plants on the Angeles National Forest. Potential habitat exists for the species in areas of

Baja California, Mexico.

The species is found on granitic substrates

in openings of chaparral, closed-cone conifer

forests, mixed conifer forests, yellow pine forests, and at previously disturbed sites. It can

also occupy mesic and shady streamsides

(CNDDB 1996). The species is often associated with white fir, sugar pine, incense-cedar,

and black oak. At the Cuyamaca Peak locale,

the plant occurs in areas of partial shade near

seeps or springs (Reiser 1994). Prolonged

ground disturbance can adversely affect the

species; however, it appears to be disturbance

oriented in general, having been found in picnic areas, campgrounds, abandoned

organizational camps, and along roadsides and

trails. The species is relatively abundant and

tolerant of disturbance.

Pebble Plains Plants

Six rare plants are associated with highly

localized pebble plain habitats which occur

within montane conifer forests in the northeastern San Bernardino Mountains. Some of

these taxa also occur in the surrounding conifer forests. Summary information is shown in

table 5.10. Three federally threatened species

are included in this group. All of these species

are managed by provisions in the Pebble Plain

Habitat Management Guide and Action Plan

(Neel and Barrows 1990).
272

Arabis parishii y unkn. mod. NE San Bernardino Mtns.; (high)

(Parish’s rock cress)

 FS sensitive

Arenaria ursina 780 decl. high NE San Bernardino Mtns.; (high)

(Big Bear Valley sandwort)

 federally threatened

Castilleja cinerea 1,122 decl. high NE San Bernardino Mtns.; (high)

(Ash-gray Indian paintbrush)

 federally threatened

Eriogonum kennedyi 910 decl. high NE San Bernardino Mtns.; (moderate)

var. austromontanum

(S. mountain buckwheat)

 federally threatened

Ivesia argyrocoma 1,158 decl. mod.– NE San Bernardino Mtns. & Baja;

(silver-haired ivesia) high (high)

 FS sensitive

Linanthus killipii 316+ decl./ mod. NE San Bernardino Mtns.; (moderate)

(Baldwin Lake linanthus) stable

 FS sensitive

Scientific Name

(common name)

listing status

Overall Distribution

Trends (Knowledge of distribution on NFS lands)

Vulnerability

on NFS

lands

Acres of Known Habitat

CNF SBNF ANF LPNF

Table 5.10. Rare plants found in association with pebble plains. Assessments of trend, knowledge of

distribution, and vulnerability were made by forest botanists/biologists and generally refer to occurrences on

national forest system lands (decl. = declining; unkn. = unknown).

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Castilleja cinerea

(ash-gray Indian paintbrush)

Castilleja cinerea is a federally listed threatened species known to occur on clay soils,

pebble plains, in dry meadows, and in openings within conifer forest, pinyon-juniper

woodlands, and Mojavean desert scrub. The

plant is a green-root parasite on Eriogonum

kennedyi var. austromontanum, Artemisia

tridentata, and other Artemisias. Occurrences

range between Snow Valley and Fish Camp,

east to Onyx Peak, and from South Fork

Meadows in the south to Holcomb Valley in

the north (fig. 5.11). Locally common within

this area, occurrences are located on both public and private lands. At least thirty-three

to determine whether further recovery actions

are needed. Finally, some occurrences are located on private lands where they may be

unprotected.

occurrences are recorded in the CNDDB

(1997). Some are protected on the San Bernardino National Forest by fencing and by

their presence within the San Gorgonio Wilderness Area. Other occurrences on the forest

may be adversely affected by erosion control

practices, a ski and mountain bike area, a hiking trailhead, and recreational residences.

These effects are being reviewed and actions

to enhance the habitat will be initiated in 1999

(D. Volgarino, San Bernardino NF, pers.

comm.).

Eriogonum kennedyi var. austromontanum

(southern mountain buckwheat)

Eriogonum kennedyi var. austromontanum

is a federally threatened taxon known from

Big Bear and Holcomb valleys in the San Bernardino Mountains (fig. 5.11). The CNDDB

contains records for at least twenty-two occurrences in this area. On the San Bernardino
273

 Chapter 5

Figure 5.11. Documented locations of Arenaria ursina (Big Bear Valley sandwort), Castilleja cinerea (ashgray Indian paintbrush), and Eriogonum kennedyi var. austromontanum (southern mountain buckwheat).

National Forest, the variety is one of the two

most restricted pebble plain taxa and one that

is strongly affected by activities on the forest.

A few occurrences are protected by fencing,

but roads bisect most of them and unauthorized off-road driving is degrading the habitat

and adversely affecting individual plants. Patrols have been initiated to protect habitat,

additional fencing is planned for 1999, and

occurrences are being surveyed to determine

additional requirements for recovery. This

taxon serves as the host plant for the hemiparasitic Castilleja cinerea and one of the newly

described San Bernardino blue butterflies (two

of our focal species).

Ivesia argyrocoma (silver-haired ivesia)

Ivesia argyrocoma is a Forest Service Sensitive Species known from Big Bear and

Holcomb valleys in the San Bernardino Mountains, where it appears to be declining from

habitat loss. A disjunct occurrence, which may

be taxonomically distinct, is located near Laguna Hansen, Sierra Jaurez, in Baja California,

Mexico. The species occurs in pebble plains

and alkaline meadows. The CNDDB contains

records for at least twenty-four occurrences on

both public and private lands. One occurrence

is protected within a CDFG reserve north of

Baldwin Lake. On the San Bernardino National Forest some occurrences on pebble
274

Calochortus palmeri var. munzii

(Munz’s mariposa lily)

Calochortus palmeri var. munzii is a Forest

Service Sensitive taxon known from seven occurrences in the San Jacinto Mountains of

Riverside County. At least four of those occurrences are located on the San Bernardino

National Forest. The perennial grows in meadplains are protected by fencing and several

more will be fenced in 1999. One historic occurrence on the forest is recorded for the Rouse

Meadows area. The species is noted as an early

pioneer in disturbed pebble plain habitat;

plants have recently been observed recolonizing water bars and old road beds within pebble

plain habitat.

Linanthus killipii

(Baldwin Lake linanthus)

Linanthus killipii is a Forest Service Sensitive Species found in pebble plains, alkaline

meadows, and on dry slopes within pinyonjuniper woodlands, Joshua tree woodlands,

and upper montane conifer forests. The

CNDDB documents at least fifteen occurrences, the highest density of plants being

found around Baldwin Lake. An additional

100 acres of occupied habitat were mapped in

1998, an El Nino wet year. These occurrences

are located on granitic and clay soils east of

Baldwin Lake on the San Bernardino National

Forest. At several locations, large areas were

completely covered with this species. Previously it appeared to be declining from habitat

degradation, mainly from dispersed camping

and unauthorized vehicle activity, and several

occurrences are fenced for protection.

Montane Meadow Plants

Plants Associated with Wet and Dry

Meadows

Twelve rare plants are associated with both

wet and dry meadow habitats within the assessment area. Summary information is shown

in table 5.11. One federally endangered species is included in this group.

ows, seeps, and vernally moist places within

chaparral and conifer forest. Occurrences are

vulnerable to overgrazing, trampling, fire suppression activities, road maintenance,

development projects, and invasion of exotic

species.

Calochortus palmeri var. palmeri

(Palmer’s mariposa lily)

Calochortus palmeri var. palmeri is a Forest Service Sensitive Species. It is sparsely

distributed across four national forests (Angeles, San Bernardino, Los Padres, and Sequoia)

and on BLM and private lands. At least

twenty-two occurrences are known. Within

the assessment area, the taxon occurs in the

San Bernardino, Santa Rosa, San Jacinto, San

Gabriel, and San Rafael mountains, the Sespe

Creek area, and the La Panza Range. Plants in

the San Jacinto and Santa Rosa mountains,

however, may prove to be C. palmeri var.

munzii (another focal species). Occurrences are

also known in the Piute Mountains and at

Breckenridge Mountain in Kern County. Historic occurrences are known from the

Tehachapi Mountains. The plant appears to

be declining in abundance due to overgrazing, trampling, flooding, erosion, off-highway

vehicles, and development projects. Most of

the impact from grazing occurs between April

and August when the plant is flowering and

setting seed. Two occurrences are located in

protected areas—one on the San Bernardino

National Forest near Big Bear Lake, where it

occurs within a fenced meadow area, and the

other in an area free of human disturbance on

the Los Padres National Forest. In addition to

meadows, the plant occurs in seeps and vernally moist areas within chaparral, mixed

conifer forest, and yellow pine forest.

Calochortus striatus

(alkali mariposa lily)

Calochortus striatus is a Forest Service Sensitive Species. It grows in alkaline soils in

meadows, seeps, springs, and other mesic

places within chaparral, creosote-bush scrub,

chenopod scrub (saltbush/carex scrub), and

riparian forest habitats between 2,600 and
Calochortus palmeri y unkn. mod.– San Jacinto Mtns.; (low)

var. munzii high

(Munz’s mariposa lily)

 FS sensitive

Calochortus palmeri y y 1 unkn./ mod.– San Bernardino, Santa Rosa, San

var. palmeri decl.1 high Jacinto, San Gabriel, & San Rafael

(Palmer’s mariposa lily) mtns., La Panza Range, Piute Mtns.

 FS sensitive & Breckenridge Mtn (Kern Co.), h in

Tehachapi Mtns.; (low)

Calochortus striatus p p unkn. desert-side of San Bernardino Mtns.,

(alkali mariposa lily) W Mojave Desert, NV; (low)

 FS sensitive

Castilleja lasiorhyncha h/p 103 stable mod.– San Bernardino Mtns., h in San

(San Bernardino Mtns. high Cuyamaca mtns.; (low)

owl’s-clover)

 FS sensitive

Downingia concolor p incr.2 Peninsular Ranges of SD Co.

var. brevior (Cuyamaca Mtns.); (low)

(Cuyamaca Lk. downingia)

 state endangered

Horkelia yadonii y Santa Lucia Ranges & southern Los

(Santa Lucia horkelia) Padres region (Big Pine & Mission

Pine mtns.)

Layia ziegleri 175 unkn. low San Jacinto (Garner Valley) & Santa

(Ziegler’s tidy-tips) Rosa mtns.; (high)

Machaeranthera asteroides 261 stable mod. Peninsular Ranges of San Diego Co.

var. lagunensis (Laguna Mtns.), Baja (Rancho Las

(Laguna Mtns. aster) Filipinas & Sierra San Pedro Martir);

 FS sensitive (moderate)

Mimulus exiguus y decl. mod. San Bernardino Mtns., N Baja (Sierra

(San Bernardino Mtns. Juarez); (moderate)

Monkeyflower)

 FS sensitive

Mimulus purpureus y decl. mod. San Bernardino Mtns., Baja (Sierra

(purple monkeyflower) San Pedro Martir); (high)

 FS sensitive

Thelypodium stenopetalum 42 stable high San Bernardino Mtns.; (high)

(slndr.-petaled thelypodium)

 federally endangered

Thermopsis californica 216 stable low Palomar, Laguna, & Cuyamaca

var. semota mtns., Baja; (moderate)

(velvety false lupine)

 FS sensitive

Scientific Name

(common name)

listing status

Overall Distribution

Trends (Knowledge of distribution on NFS lands)

Vulnerability

on NFS

lands

Acres of Known Habitat

CNF SBNF ANF LPNF

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Table 5.11. Rare plants found in wet and dry montane meadows. y = the taxon occurs on the forest; p =

has potential to occur. Assessments of trend, knowledge of distribution, and vulnerability were made by

forest botanists/biologists and generally refer to occurrences on national forest system lands (decl. = declining;

unkn. = unknown; incr. = increasing).

1 Skinner and Pavlik 1994 (refers to all known occurrences)

2 Reiser 1994 (refers to all known occurrences)

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276

4,600 feet. Occurrences are known from the

northern slopes of the San Bernardino Mountains (Krantz, Thorne, and Sanders 1995).

These occurrences are vulnerable to overgrazing, invasion of exotic species, altered

hydrology (water extraction and pond development), road construction, and urbanization.

Development of a mining plant in these

mountains reduced habitat on private lands,

and construction of Highway 18 reduced habitat on the San Bernardino National Forest.

One new occurrence was found in 1998 on

national forest system land along the proposed

Cleghorn off-highway vehicle route. Occurrences are also reported for the desert side of

the San Gabriel Mountains (Hickman 1993),

although none are documented in the

CNDDB. The CNDDB lists thirty-eight occurrences and nine general locations in all for

this species, including the Kern River Preserve

in Kern County and Edward’s Air Force Base

in Los Angeles County.

Castilleja lasiorhyncha

(San Bernardino Mountains owl’s-clover)

Castilleja lasiorhyncha is a Forest Service

Sensitive Species. It is a hemiparasitic plant

known from at least thirty-six occurrences,

primarily in the San Bernardino Mountains.

The host of this plant is unknown. Two historic locations are recorded—in the San

Jacinto Mountains and in Cuyamaca Rancho

State Park in San Diego County. This annual

plant typically grows at the edges of meadows

and along vernal streams in chaparral and

montane conifer forests, sometimes only in the

drying edges of the wet areas. Occurrences

appear stable, but the species is dependent on

annual rainfall so fluctuations are normal.

Habitat for this plant is affected by ground

disturbance that affects the hydrologic regime.

The habitat is especially fragile when soils are

wet in spring and early summer but less so

when soils are dry in late summer and early

fall. Some occurrences are located in a cattle

grazing allotment on the San Bernardino National Forest. Other occurrences on the forest

are protected by fences. The species is vulnerable to trampling, unauthorized off-road vehicles, development projects, road

maintenance, erosion, and flooding.

Downingia concolor var. brevior

(Cuyamaca Lake downingia)

Downingia concolor var. brevior is state

listed as endangered. It is known from seven

occurrences in the Cuyamaca Lake area of San

Diego County. The annual is found in

meadow habitat now on the periphery of

Cuyamaca Lake, a man-made reservoir. Described as a montane variation of coastal vernal

pools, the habitat has very moist soils in spring

that dry out by late summer (Reiser 1994).

The plant was in decline mainly due to overgrazing; however, after cattle were removed

from meadows north of the lake, an estimated

several thousand plants flowered in 1988 (a

drought year). In 1991 the same area was submerged under water that collected from spring

rainfall. Subsequent populations could be impacted if lake waters are allowed to remain high

for consecutive years (Reiser 1994).

The plant is included in a conservation

agreement between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, California Department of Fish and

Game, state parks, the U.S. Forest Service, the

Lake Cuyamaca Recreation and Park District,

and the Helix Water District (Helix Water District et al. 1996). An estimated 80 percent of

the known remaining populations are found

on land owned or managed by the Helix Water District and the Lake Cuyamaca Recreation

and Park District. All known populations combined occupy less than two hundred acres;

however, populations fluctuate based on annual rainfall, winter flooding, and

temperatures.

Horkelia yadonii (Santa Lucia horkelia)

Horkelia yadonii is known from several

locations in the northern and southern Santa

Lucia Ranges, and in the vicinity of Big Pine

and Mission Pine mountains in the southern

Los Padres region (D. Wilken, Santa Barbara

Botanic Garden, in litt. 1998). Its presence

on the Los Padres National Forest is documented
277

 Chapter 5

from herbarium specimens at Santa Barbara

Botanic Garden.

Layia ziegleri (Ziegler’s tidy-tips)

Layia ziegleri is an annual plant known

from approximately fourteen occurrences in

the Garner Valley area of the San Jacinto

Mountains. The CNPS Inventory and the

Jepson Manual treat it as a synonym of L.

platyglossa, a common and highly variable species, and a study comparing the two taxa was

inconclusive (Baldwin 1993). L. ziegleri may

prove to be a subspecies but further research

is needed. The plant is managed under the

provisions of the National Forest Management

Act. It occurs within active grazing allotments

and also on private lands, some of which the

Forest Service is attempting to purchase. Potential threats at these sites include overgrazing

and unauthorized off-road vehicle use, particularly during wet months.

Machaeranthera asteroides var. lagunensis

(Laguna Mountains aster)

Machaeranthera asteroides var. lagunensis is

a Forest Service Sensitive Species. A perennial

plant, it is known primarily from the Laguna

Mountains of San Diego County, where it

occurs adjacent to meadows with black oak

and Jeffrey pine. Its distribution extends southward into Baja California where the plant

grows in “chaparral and associated desert regions” and on “sandy or gravelly soils” (Turner

1987). The plant has been collected at Rancho

Las Filipinas and in the Sierra San Pedro

Martir. Five occurrences consisting of an estimated nine thousand to ten thousand plants

are documented on national forest system and

private lands in the Wooded Hill/Laguna

Meadow area of Laguna Mountain. These

occurrences occupy approximately

51

/2 square miles, centered near the junction

of Sunrise Highway and Morris Ranch Road.

A species management guide including

management actions and guidelines was

adopted by the Cleveland National Forest in

1992 because of the plant’s limited population size and threats occurring at that time to

portions of its habitat (Winter and Volgarino

1992). Management activities on national forest system lands within the range of this species

include both dispersed and developed recreation, timber stand improvement and

regeneration, grazing, and road maintenance.

Based on field observations between 1980 and

1996, the taxon appears stable throughout its

range (K. Winter, Cleveland NF, pers. comm.).

Livestock grazing is continuing in at least a

portion of its known habitat and the long-term

effects are unclear. Monitoring to determine

the effects of grazing was proposed for the

Wooded Hill area and a grazing exclosure was

placed at the site but so far results have been

inconclusive. Grazing during fall months appears to be the most detrimental to

regeneration of this taxon. Observations in

other areas indicate the plant is somewhat disturbance oriented; it appears in the openings

created by road and utility line maintenance

and the clearing of pines and diseased trees. It

also appears to respond favorably to broadcast burning, although changes in plant

density after fire have not been fully determined. The use of salt on the Sunrise Highway

puts this taxon and other native plants at risk

from salt accumulation in the soil. Unauthorized vehicle use has occurred in habitat known

to harbor this taxon and one small area along

Morris Ranch Road was fenced in 1986 to

prevent disturbance from recreation activities.

A botanical report was completed for M.

lagunensis populations on the Descanso Ranger

District, Cleveland National Forest (Sproul

and Beachamp 1979).

Mimulus exiguus

(San Bernardino Mountains monkeyflower)

Mimulus exiguus is a Forest Service Sensitive Species. A tiny annual plant, it is known

from approximately thirteen occurrences in

Big Bear and Holcomb valleys in the San Bernardino Mountains. Eight of the occurrences

are located on the San Bernardino National

Forest. One occurrence is reported from northern Baja California (Sierra de Juarez) but needs

confirmation. The plant grows primarily in

mesic places within yellow pine forests
278

Thermopsis californica var. semota

(velvety false lupine)

Thermopsis californica var. semota is a Forest Service Sensitive Species. It is known from

the Palomar and Laguna mountains and Baja

California, Mexico. About fifty occurrences

are known, some relatively well protected on

state and federal lands. Occurrences are recorded primarily in meadows within montane

conifer forests and other areas with vernally

moist soils (e.g., at Cuyamaca Lake and Laguna Meadow). The taxon has been found in

lesser abundance in grasslands and sandy scrub

habitats. Livestock reportedly find the perennial unpalatable and it appears tolerant of mild

disturbances.

(i.e., meadows, vernal seeps, and springs) but

sometimes occurs on pebble plains (Neel and

Barrows 1990). Some occurrences on the San

Bernardino National Forest are protected by

fencing, but occurrences in unprotected areas

appear to be declining. Little is known about

the ecological requirements of this species;

however, observations indicate that it may tolerate limited disturbance (Neel and Barrows

1990). Natural disturbances brought on by

streamflows and frost heave may be an important component of the habitat for this

species. Occurrences are vulnerable to trampling, unauthorized off-road vehicle activity,

development projects, and mining.

Mimulus purpureus

(purple monkeyflower)

Mimulus purpureus is a Forest Service Sensitive Species. It is known from eleven

occurrences in the Big Bear and Holcomb valleys of the San Bernardino Mountains. There

is also one known location in the Sierra San

Pedro Martir of Baja California, Mexico. In

addition to meadows, the species occurs in

moist, sandy openings in yellow pine forest

and pinyon-juniper woodland, and on the

edges of pebble plains. The ecological requirements of this species are poorly understood

but it appears to tolerate some disturbance and

consistently occupies open areas of forest habitat that have low accumulations of leaf litter

(Neel and Barrows 1990). One occurrence in

Belleville Meadow of Holcomb Valley is protected by fencing. In some areas, this species

appears to be declining due to habitat degradation from development projects,

unauthorized off-road vehicles, overgrazing,

trampling, mining activities, and parking that

occurs along roadways and turnouts.

Thelypodium stenopetalum

(slender-petaled thelypodium)

Thelypodium stenopetalum is a federally

and state-listed endangered species endemic

to the San Bernardino Mountains. Occurrences are found in wet meadows and swales

in Big Bear and Holcomb valleys, and near

the shore of Baldwin Lake(fig. 5.12). Habitat

for the species has been reduced by an estimated 85 percent following construction of

the Big Bear Lake reservoir and subsequent

lakeshore development (USFWS 1984). Six

extant occurrences are known, one on the San

Bernardino National Forest at Belleville

Meadow in Holcomb Valley. This occurrence

has been monitored for the last nine years and

appears to be increasing in size, covering an

estimated twelve acres in 1998. Prospecting,

digging, dry washing, and an unauthorized

trail through the meadow are factors affecting

plants at this site; however, additional signing

has been installed and patrols have been increased to protect the area. A recovery plan

was completed for this species by the U.S. Fish

and Wildlife Service (USFWS 1998b). A

population on the north side of Baldwin Lake

is protected by the California Department of

Fish and Game. This species is a larval food

plant for another focal species, the Andrew’s

marble butterfly (Euchloe hyantis andrewsi),

and monitoring of their relationship has occurred at Baldwin Lake (Krantz 1990).
279

 Chapter 5

Arenaria paludicola (marsh sandwort)

Arenaria paludicola is a federally and statelisted endangered species. The perennial is

thought to be nearly extinct, known from just

one extant occurrence on private land in the

Nipomo Mesa area of San Luis Obispo

County. This occurrence consisted of ten

plants in 1988, three plants in 1992 (USFWS

1993c), and fewer than twenty plants in 1993.

Figure 5.12. Documented locations of Thelypodium stenopetalum (slender-petaled thelypodium).

Appropriate habitat occurs in marshes,

swamps, and possibly wet meadows, where the

species grows up through dense cover of other

mesic plants such as cattails, rushes, and

sedges. Historically it was known from scattered collections in low-elevation habitat from

San Bernardino County north to Washington.

One historic occurrence is reported from private land adjacent to the San Bernardino

National Forest; however, there are no confirmed occurrences on any of the four southern

California forests. The species is threatened by

loss of its wetland habitat, alteration of the

hydrology, urban development, competition

with alien plant species, and stochastic (random)

Plants of Wet Meadows

Fifteen rare plants are associated with wet

meadows and other vernally moist habitats

within the assessment area. Summary information is shown in table 5.12. Four federally

endangered species are included in this group.
Arenaria paludicola p decl. h in San Bernardino Mtns. & north to

(marsh sandwort) WA, extant in SLO Co.

 federally endangered

Botrychium crenulatum y p unkn. unkn. CA (San Bernardino & LA cos.), OR,

(scalloped moonwort) ID, Montana, and UT; (low)

 FS sensitive

Delphinium hesperium 43 y stable mod. Peninsular Ranges of SD Co. (Laguna

ssp. cuyamacae & Cuyamaca mtns.) & San Jacinto

(Cuyamaca larkspur) Mtns.; (low)

 FS sensitive

Grindelia hirsutula 61 stable low Peninsular Ranges of SD Co. (Laguna

var. hallii & Cuyamaca mtns.); (moderate)

(San Diego gumplant)

 FS sensitive

Helianthus nuttallii h/p extinct? possibly extinct, h in San Bernardino,

ssp. parishii LA, & Orange cos.; (low)

(Los Angeles sunflower)

Juncus duranii y unkn. San Gabriel, San Bernardino, & San

(Duran’s rush) Jacinto mtns.; (unkn.)

Lewisia brachycalyx p y San Bernardino Mtns., Peninsular

(short-sepaled lewisia) Ranges of SD Co., Baja, UT, AZ, NM;

(moderate)

Lilium parryi 11 429 12 unkn./ mod.4/ San Gabriel, San Bernardino, San

(lemon lily) decl.2

high5Jacinto, Volcan, & Palomar mtns., AZ

 FS sensitive (Santa Rita & Huachaca mtns.),

Sonora, Mexico; (high)

Limnanthes gracilis 159 decl./ mod. Palomar & Laguna mtns. (Peninsular

ssp. parishii stable Ranges of SD Co.), Santa Rosa

(Parish’s meadowfoam) Plateau (sw Riverside Co.); (high)

 state endang./FS sensitive

Malaxis monophyllos 1 p unkn. mod. San Bernardino Mtns. & CO (Rocky

ssp. brachypoda Mtns.), h in San Jacinto Mtns.; (low)

(adder’s-mouth)

 FS sensitive

Navarretia peninsularis p y y? p stable1 high from Tehachapi Mtns. S to Baja (SD,

(Baja navarretia) San Bern., Sta. Barbara, & Kern cos.)

 FS sensitive San Bern. Mtns., Peninsular Ranges

of SD Co (Cuyamaca Mtns.); (low)

Perideridia parishii 29 decl. low San Bernardino Mtns., AZ, NM, & NV;

ssp. parishii (moderate)

(Parish’s yampah)

Poa atropurpurea y 63 stable/ mod.5/ San Bernardino Mtns., Palomar &

(San Bernardino blue grass) decl.3 high4 Laguna mtns. (Peninsular Ranges

 federally endangered of SD Co.; (high)

Sidalcea pedata 1 incr./ mod. San Bernardino Mtns.; (high)

(bird-footed checkerbloom) decl.6

 federally endangered

Taraxacum californicum 51 decl. high NE San Bernardino Mtns.; (moderate)

(California dandelion)

 federally endangered

Scientific Name

(common name)

listing status

Overall Distribution

Trends (Knowledge of distribution on NFS lands)

Vulnerability

on NFS

lands

Acres of Known Habitat

CNF SBNF ANF LPNF

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aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaa

Table 5.12. Rare plants found in wet montane meadows. y = the taxon occurs on the forest; p = has

potential to occur. Assessments of trend, knowledge of distribution, and vulnerability were made by forest

botanists/biologists and generally refer to occurrences on national forest system lands (decl. = declining;

unkn. = unknown; incr. = increasing).

1 Reiser 1994 (refers to all known occurrences)

2

 unknown in general, however declining significantly at Big Cienega Springs in the San Gabriel Mountains

3 stable in southern part of range, possibly declining in northern part of range

4 on the San Bernardino National Forest

5 on the Cleveland National Forest

6 increasing on the San Bernardino National Forest, declining on private lands

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281

 Chapter 5

extinction by virtue of the limited number of

individuals that remain (USFWS 1993c).

Botrychium crenulatum

(scalloped moonwort)

Botrychium crenulatum is a Forest Service

Sensitive Species found at a number of scattered locations throughout California and also

in Oregon, Montana, Idaho, and Utah. The

CNDDB lists eight occurrences in California.

In the assessment area, occurrences are known

from San Bernardino and Los Angeles counties. Plants are documented on the San

Bernardino National Forest and suitable habitat exists on the Angeles National Forest. The

species is uncommon despite occupying a wide

range of habitats including in grassy fields,

meadows and other mesic places, along streams

or in shaded areas of montane coniferous forest, and on slopes among shrubs. The factors

which limit its abundance and distribution are

largely unknown; however, all species of

Botrychium are known to have mycorrhizal

requirements. In addition, plants are highly

variable and difficult to identify because species of Botrychium may occur in mixed

populations. B. crenulatum is vulnerable to

trampling, overgrazing, timber harvesting, and

changes in hydrologic regimes.

Delphinium hesperium ssp. cuyamacae

(Cuyamaca larkspur)

Delphinium hesperium ssp. cuyamacae is a

Forest Service Sensitive Species. Approximately fifty large populations occur within the

Laguna and Cuyamaca mountains of San Diego County. Historic occurrences, as well as

one more recent occurrence, are known from

the San Jacinto Mountains of Riverside

County. The recent occurrence was noted

during an ecological survey for the Cahuilla

Mountain RNA (Keeler-Wolf 1986b). This

occurrence is located near an area that burned

in the 1996 Diego Fire and its current status

is unknown. Most of the occurrences in San

Diego County are managed under a conservation agreement between the U.S. Fish and

Wildlife Service, California Department of

Fish and Game, state parks, the U.S. Forest

Service, the Lake Cuyamaca Recreation and

Park District, and the Helix Water District

(Helix Water District et al. 1996). However,

this agreement formally expired in August

1999. In addition to meadow habitat, the perennial grows in open shrub lands and appears

to be associated with gabbro-derived soils.

Grindelia hirsutula var. hallii

(San Diego gumplant)

Grindelia hirsutula var. hallii is a Forest

Service Sensitive Species. It is known from

occurrences in wet meadow and vernal spring

habitat in the Laguna and Cuyamaca mountains of San Diego County. Plants grow on

sandy or clay soils in mesic places within chaparral, valley-foothill grassland, and open pine/

oak woodland (Skinner and Pavlik 1994).

Occurrences are known on the Cleveland

National Forest, at Cuyamaca Rancho State

Park, and on private lands. They are found

with coast live oak on Guatay Mountain, and

with Jeffrey pine and black oak in the Lagunas (CNDDB 1996). Changes to the surface

hydrology of meadow habitat is a potential

threat due to road projects and off-highway

vehicles. The species appears to be tolerant of

some ground disturbance (e.g., fire and low

levels of grazing and grading).

Helianthus nuttallii ssp. parishii

(Los Angeles sunflower)

Helianthus nuttallii ssp. parishii is a perennial taxon presumed to be extinct. The

CNDDB contains historical records for seven

occurrences in Los Angeles, Orange, and San

Bernardino counties. Plants were known to

occupy freshwater and coastal salt marshes, wet

meadows, and other continuously wet places,

from sea level to 5,500 feet (Niehaus 1977).

One historic occurrence is known from

marshy, riparian habitat near Seven Oaks along

the Santa Ana River on the San Bernardino

National Forest. Despite the lack of recently

known occurrences, the San Bernardino and

Angeles national forests maintain this plant

on their watch lists.
282

Juncus duranii (Duran’s rush)

Juncus duranii is an uncommon perennial

rush known from the Big Bear Valley and San

Gorgonio Wilderness Area in the San Bernardino Mountains. Other occurrences are found

in the San Gabriel and San Jacinto mountains.

There are no records for this species in the

CNDDB and little is known about its distribution. Occurrences on the San Bernardino

National Forest are found in wet meadows

within the montane conifer and subalpine

zones.

 Lewisia brachycalyx

(short-sepaled lewisia)

Lewisia brachycalyx occurs in the San Bernardino Mountains, the San Diego ranges,

Baja California, Utah, Arizona, and New

Mexico. Occurrences are found in wet meadows within montane coniferous forests. On

the San Bernardino National Forest, the species occurs in Big Bear and Holcomb valleys

and the Snow Valley area and may be affected

by high levels of recreation use. Potential habitat exists on the Cleveland National Forest.

Lilium parryi (lemon lily)

Lilium parryi is a Forest Service Sensitive

Species. It is distributed in the San Gabriel,

San Bernardino, San Jacinto, Volcan, and

Palomar mountains. It occurs in lesser abundance within the Santa Rita and Huachaca

mountains of Arizona and in adjacent ranges

in Sonora, Mexico. Occurrences are recorded

on the Cleveland, San Bernardino, and Angeles national forests and at Palomar Mountain

State Park. The CNDDB lists fifty-five occurrences in all, and generally those at higher

elevations are larger (some greater than one thousand plants) than those at lower elevations.

Some occurrences are located within the

San Gorgonio Wilderness Area. One location

at Big Cienega Springs in the San Gabriel

Mountains has shown substantial decline since

1990 when 350 individual plants were

counted. In 1995 only 11 individuals were

seen. The plant has very showy and fragrant

flowers that make it vulnerable to collection.

The Angeles National Forest has developed a

species management guide for this plant

(Mistretta and Parra-Szijj 1991a) and the

Cleveland National Forest includes it in their

habitat management guide for riparian montane meadows (Winter 1991b).

Limnanthes gracilis ssp. parishii

Limnanthes gracilis ssp. parishii is a Forest

Service Sensitive Species and is state listed as

endangered. An annual plant, it is endemic to

the Palomar and Laguna mountains of San

Diego County. About fifteen populations are

recorded, the largest occurring in Cuyamaca

Valley near Cuyamaca Lake and Little Stonewall Creek. At least five smaller populations

are mapped on adjacent land within the Cleveland National Forest. Another population,

covering about five acres, is located in vernal

pools on the Santa Rosa Plateau in southwestern Riverside County.

An estimated 70 percent of the known occurrences are found on land owned or

managed by the Helix Water District, Lake

Cuyamaca Recreation and Park District, California Department of Fish and Game, and the

U.S. Forest Service. These parties entered into

a habitat conservation agreement to protect

the species (Helix Water District et al. 1996);

however, the agreement formally expired in

August 1999. The Cleveland National Forest

has written a habitat management guide for

riparian montane meadows that includes this

taxon (Winter 1991b).

Malaxis monophyllos ssp. brachypoda

(adder’s-mouth)

Malaxis monophyllos ssp. brachypoda is a

Forest Service Sensitive Species. It is extremely

rare in California but more common in the

Rocky Mountains. Two small occurrences are

located in meadow habitat within the San

Gorgonio Wilderness Area of the San Bernardino Mountains. The taxon was presumed to

be extinct in California until twenty-six plants

were discovered at this location in 1989. One

historic occurrence was noted in the San

Jacinto Wilderness Area (Tahquitz Valley) in
283

 Chapter 5

Occurrences at the southern end of the

species’ range appear relatively stable. Four

occurrences were located in Laguna Meadow

in 1979. Two occurrences (each containing an

estimated fifty plants) were found in 1993 and

more plants were found in 1994. The species

has also been located in Bear Valley southwest

of the Lagunas, and at Mendenhall Valley in

the Palomar Mountains (D. Volgarino, San

Bernardino NF, unpubl. notes 1998). The

majority of occurrences in San Diego County

are protected on federal and state lands; however, grazing is still occurring at three locations.

The species is included in a habitat management guide for riparian montane meadows

(Winter 1991b).

At the northern end of its range, P.

atropurpurea appears to be declining. At least

70 percent of the occupied habitat is privately

owned with potential for development

(USFWS 1995b). Two areas with confirmed

occurrences (Wildhorse Meadow and

Holcomb Valley) are located partly on the San

Bernardino National Forest. In Holcomb Valley, some of these occurrences are affected by

gold prospecting activities (i.e., digging and

dry washing), mountain biking, and unauthorized vehicle use. Additional fencing, signing,

and patrols have been implemented to increase

protection in the area. Surveys in 1999 located

more occurrences on national forest system

land in Holcomb Valley. One occurrence at

North Baldwin is managed by CDFG. For

more detailed information on this species see

the final listing rule (USFWS 1998k).

1922. The plant is generally thought to be

declining in California; however, it can be difficult to find in the lush meadows where it

would be expected to occur. The taxon is vulnerable to trampling.

Navarretia peninsularis

(Baja navarretia)

Navarretia peninsularis is a Forest Service

Sensitive Species. It is distributed from the

Tehachapi Mountains south to Baja California, Mexico. The CNDDB documents six

occurrences: in San Diego, San Bernardino,

Santa Barbara and Kern counties. However,

they are all from 1965 or earlier. Two of the

historic locations, one on the north slope of

Mount Pinos and one on Big Pine Mountain,

occur within designated wilderness areas on

the Los Padres National Forest. A more recent discovery was made at Holcomb Valley

in the San Bernardino Mountains, though

gold prospecting activities and vehicle traffic

may be negatively affecting the site. Two other

occurrences are located within Cuyamaca

Rancho State Park in San Diego County.

Plants at this location grow in mesic openings

within chaparral (Reiser 1994). In other areas

plants are found along vernal creeks, in meadows, and in snowmelt seeps within

pinyon-juniper woodland and yellow pine

forest.

Perideridia parishii ssp. parishii

(Parish’s yampah)

Occurrences of Perideridia parishii ssp.

parishii are distributed in the San Bernardino

Mountains of California, and also in Arizona,

New Mexico, and Nevada. In the San Gabriel,

San Jacinto, and Cuyamaca mountains the

taxon is replaced by P.p. ssp. latifolia

(Constance 1980). On the San Bernardino

National Forest, occurrences are found on the

Mountaintop Ranger District. This taxon

grows in moist or wet meadows, usually

around lakes or streams within upper montane conifer forests (Krantz 1990).

Poa atropurpurea

(San Bernardino blue grass)

Poa atropurpurea is a federally endangered

species found in the San Bernardino Mountains and in the Palomar and Laguna

mountains of San Diego County (fig. 5.13).

Between twelve and eighteen occurrences are

known. This grass occupies the edges of wet

meadows where there is less competition from

more mesic species. However, the non-native

P. pratensis can grow at the same locations and

there is potential for genetic absorption to

occur (USFWS 1995b).
284

Taraxacum californicum

(California dandelion)

Taraxacum californicum is a federally endangered species endemic to the northeastern

San Bernardino Mountains. Occurrences

range from Big Bear and Holcomb valleys to

South Fork Meadows in the Santa Ana River

Sidalcea pedata

(bird-footed checkerbloom)

Sidalcea pedata is a federally and statelisted endangered species endemic to montane

wet meadows in the Big Bear Valley of the San

Bernardino Mountains (fig. 5.14). The plant

is known from seventeen locations totaling

fewer than 20 acres of occupied habitat

(USFWSb 1998). The north Baldwin Lake

site, managed by CDFG, is the only occurrence currently receiving full protection. Five

other sites receive partial protection and the

remaining eleven occurrences are unprotected,

degraded, or threatened. One occurrence is located on federal lands (San Bernardino National

Forest) on the shore of Big Bear Lake. This ocFigure 5.13. Documented locations of Poa atropurpurea, the San Bernardino blue grass.

currence is one acre in size and appears to be

increasing. Measures to protect the site are being

implemented with a completion date of summer 1999. A recovery plan for this species has

been completed (USFWS 1998b). See also the

final lisitng rule for more detailed information

(USFWS 1984).
285

 Chapter 5

Pyrrocoma uniflora var. gossypina

(Bear Valley pyrrocoma)

Pyrrocoma uniflora var. gossypina is a Forest Service Sensitive Species. It is known from

twelve occurrences in Big Bear and Holcomb

watershed (fig. 5.14). The CNDDB lists

twenty-five extant occurrences. Plants occupy

the edges of meadows, and occurrences are declining primarily from damage to this habitat

type. Though some occurrences are found on

private lands, most are located on the San Bernardino National Forest where high levels of

recreation use are believed to be a cause of this

species’ decline. Trampling by humans or livestock favors the establishment of the

non-native dandelion, T. officinale (USFWS

1995b). This species is invading montane

meadow habitats and hybridizing with T.

californicum, creating concern about the future integrity of the species. T. californicum is

the only native dandelion in the state and is of

considerable interest to plant taxonomists.

Plants of Dry Meadows

Two rare plants are restricted to dry

meadow habitat within the assessment area.

Summary information is shown in table 5.13.

Both of these taxa are endemic to the northeastern San Bernardino Mountains.

Figure 5.14. Documented locations of Sidalcea pedata, the bird-footed checkerbloom, and Taraxacum

californicum, the California dandelion.
286

Pyrrocoma uniflora 27 decl. high San Bernardino Mtns.; (moderate)

var. gossypina

(Bear Valley pyrrocoma)

 FS sensitive

Senecio bernardinus 188 unkn./ high San Bernardino Mtns.; (moderate)

(San Bernardino ragwort) decl.1

 FS sensitive

valleys within the San Bernardino Mountains.

Occurrences are documented at Baldwin Lake,

Arrastre Flat, and Metcalf Meadow, as well as

other locations. The taxon is thought to be

declining due to loss of habitat. Factors affecting this plant include grazing, alteration of

meadow hydrology, trampling by vehicles and

horses, soil compaction, high levels of recreation use, competition from exotic species,

brush clearing, and development projects.

Some occurrences on the San Bernardino National Forest are protected by fencing and one

is located within a CDFG reserve. However,

the majority of occurrences are located on private lands. A botanical investigation was

completed for this taxon and included surveys

of all meadow areas in Big Bear and Holcomb

valleys, in the San Bernardino National Forest

(Krantz 1979).

Senecio bernardinus

(San Bernardino ragwort)

Senecio bernardinus is a Forest Service Sensitive Species. It is a perennial species known

from about fifteen occurrences in Big Bear and

Holcomb valleys of the San Bernardino Mountains. Occurrences range from upper Holcomb

Valley in the northwest to Arrastre Flat in the

northeast to Aspen Glen in the southwest and

Erwin Lake in the southeast (Barrows 1989).

A significant occurrence is located near Caribou Creek, with an estimated one thousand

to fifteen hundred plants found during surveys in 1989. The plant typically grows in drier

meadows with alkaline clay soils; however, it

can also be found in openings within basin

sagebrush scrub, at the edges of pebble plains,

and on dry, rocky slopes in the understory of

Jeffrey pine woodlands. It has been found with

Castilleja cinerea, singleleaf pinyon pine, and

western juniper.

Common habitat parameters at all locations include alkaline, loosely compacted soils;

open areas with low accumulations of organic

material; an elevational range between 6,600

and 7,400 feet; and shallow slopes of no greater

than 30 percent (Barrows 1989). The species

does not require soil disturbance but appears

tolerant of it. In historic mining areas, plants

have been observed growing on overburden

piles. Other occurrences have been found in

areas disturbed by seasonal flooding, in mudflows at the edges of roads and the base of

boulders, and along the margins of ski slopes

(e.g., at Snow Forest). This species is affected

by recreation activities (foot, horse, and offhighway vehicle trampling and prospecting),

cattle grazing, and residential/commercial development. Occurrences on the San

Bernardino National Forest experience lower

levels of recreation activity than surrounding

areas, but additional protective fencing,

Scientific Name

(common name)

listing status

Overall Distribution

Trends (Knowledge of distribution on NFS lands)

Vulnerability

on NFS

lands

Acres of Known Habitat

CNF SBNF ANF LPNF

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

Table 5.13. Rare plants found in dry montane meadows. y = the taxon occurs on the forest; p = has

potential to occur. Assessments of trend, knowledge of distribution, and vulnerability were made by forest

botanists/biologists and generally refer to occurrences on national forest system lands (decl. = declining;

unkn. = unknown; incr. = increasing).

1 two occurrences are reportedly declining, trend for other occurrences is unknown
287

 Chapter 5

signing, and monitoring by patrols have been

implemented to enhance habitat for this species.

Subalpine/Alpine Plants

Fifteen rare plants are found or have potential to occur in subalpine or alpine habitat

within the assessment area. Summary information is shown in table 5.14.

Arabis breweri var. pecuniaria

(San Bernardino rock cress)

Arabis breweri var. pecuniaria is a Forest

Service Sensitive Species. A perennial plant, it

is endemic to the San Bernardino Mountains.

It grows in subalpine coniferous forest on

rocky substrates (e.g., cliffs, ledges, and talus).

Just two occurrences are known in the San

Gorgonio Wilderness Area of the San Bernardino National Forest. One of these

occurrences is located near a hiking trail and

contained about twenty-five individuals in

1980. In 1994 just six plants were located at

this site and the occurrence is now thought to

be declining, though the exact cause is unknown. The second occurrence is known from

a cliff area near Dollar Lake and has not been

relocated since 1980.

Claytonia lanceolata var. peirsonii

(Peirson’s spring beauty)

Claytonia lanceolata var. peirsonii is a Forest Service Sensitive Species. It is a perennial

taxon endemic to the eastern San Gabriel

Mountains. Occurrences are scattered along

the boundary between the Angeles and San

Bernardino national forests, from the eastern

side of Mount San Antonio east to the Kelly’s

Camp area (Mistretta and Brown 1987b). The

taxon appears briefly each year after the spring

thaw, growing on rocky substrates within upper montane conifer and subalpine forest

habitat. It usually grows on north-facing slopes

in protected bowls or depressions where snows

persist later in the year. Tree canopy cover is a

requirement of the species; however, shrub

cover or deep litter is not well tolerated. C.

lanceolata var. peirsonii has been found in the

understory of lodgepole pines, sugar pine, and

white fir. Associated understory elements include Allium burlewii, A. monticola, Fritillaria

pinetorum,Oreonana vestita (another focal species), Lithophragma tenellum, Pedicularis

semibarbata, and Collinsia torreyi. The substrate is described as granitic talus or granitic

cobbles with a sandy or fine soil component.

A species management guide was adopted

by the Angeles National Forest in 1987, and

surveys during the same year located an estimated 1,675 plants at Ontario Ridge, Timber

Mountain, Telegraph Peak, Thunder Mountain, and Devil’s Backbone Ridge (Mistretta

and Brown 1987b). Monitoring continued at

three of these sites until 1993 and showed fluctuations in population sizes, though the

changes appear to have been within a normal

range of variation. The Telegraph Peak population is within the Cucamonga Wilderness

Area. Construction of ski runs within the

Mount Baldy Ski Area (at Thunder Mountain) significantly reduced the amount of

conifer overstory (a key habitat component)

and partially eliminated the species at this locale. Populations at Timber Mountain and

Kelly’s Camp have been adversely affected by

trampling from hiking and camping activities.

Potential habitat for this plant occurs on the

northern slopes of Cucamonga, Ontario, and

Etiwanda peaks, and surveys are needed to determine its presence or absence.

Erigeron breweri var. jacinteus

(San Jacinto Mountains daisy)

Erigeron breweri var. jacinteus is a watchlist plant on the San Bernardino and Angeles

national forests. Occurrences are known from

the San Jacinto, San Bernardino, and San

Gabriel mountains. Four occurrences are recorded in the CNDDB. The perennial grows

in upper montane and subalpine coniferous

forests, in rocky areas above approximately

8,800 feet. Little is known regarding occurrences or threats to this taxon. The variety is

difficult to identify and easily confused with

other more common taxa.
Arabis breweri 3 decl. high San Bernardino Mtns. (San

var. pecuniaria Gorgonio Wilderness Area);

(San Bernardino rock cress) (moderate)

 FS sensitive

Claytonia lanceolata 8 11 stable high E San Gabriel Mtns.; (high)

var. peirsonii

(Peirson’s spring beauty)

 FS sensitive

Erigeron breweri y y unkn. San Gabriel, San Bernardino, & San

var. jacinteus Jacinto mtns.; (unknown)

(San Jacinto Mtns. daisy)

Eriogonum kennedyi y y unkn. low San Bernardino Mtns.; (low)

var. alpigenum

(southern alpine buckwheat)

 FS sensitive

Eriogonum microthecum 2 2 unkn. mod. San Gabriel & E San Bernardino

var. johnstonii mtns.; (low)

(Johnston’s buckwheat)

 FS sensitive

Eriogonum umbellatum y y unkn./ mod. San Gabriel & San Bernardino mtns.;

var. minus stable1 (low)

(alp. sulfur-flowrd. buckwht.)

Heuchera abramsii p y unkn. low San Gabriel Mtns.; (unknown)

(Abram’s alumroot)

Heuchera hirsutissima p unkn. San Jacinto & Santa Rosa mtns.;

(shaggy-haired alumroot) (low)

 FS sensitive

Hulsea vestita y unkn. low San Bernardino Mtns., Kern Plateau

ssp. pygmaea (Tulare Co.); (high)

(pygmy hulsea)

Leptodactylon jaegeri 36 unkn. mod. San Jacinto Mtns.; (moderate)

(San Jacinto prickly phlox)

 FS sensitive

Monardella cinerea p 1 unkn. San Gabriel Mtns.; (low)

(gray monardella)

Oreonana vestita 1+ y unkn. low San Bernardino & San Gabriel mtns.;

(woolly mountain-parsley) (low)

Podistera nevadensis h/p unkn. San Bernardino Mtns., Sierra

(Sierra podistera) Nevada, WA, ID

Potentilla rimicola y unkn. low San Jacinto Mtns., Sierra San Pedro

(cliff cinquefoil) Martir (Baja); (low)

 FS sensitive

Viola pinetorum h/p unkn. San Bernardino Mtns., Fresno,

ssp. Grisea Tulare, & Kern cos.; (low)

(grey-leaved violet)

 FS sensitive

1 Reveal 1979

Scientific Name

(common name)

listing status

Overall Distribution

Trends (Knowledge of distribution on NFS lands)

Vulnerability

on NFS

lands

Acres of Known Habitat

CNF SBNF ANF LPNF

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Table 5.14. Rare plants found in subalpine/alpine habitats. y = the taxon occurs on the forest; p = has

potential to occur. Assessments of trend, knowledge of distribution, and vulnerability were made by forest

botanists/biologists and generally refer to occurrences on national forest system lands (decl. = declining;

unkn. = unknown).

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289

 Chapter 5

Eriogonum microthecum var. johnstonii

(Johnston’s buckwheat)

Eriogonum microthecum var. johnstonii is

a Forest Service Sensitive Species. It is endemic

to the San Gabriel and eastern San Bernardino mountains where it occurs generally

above 6,000 feet (Mistretta and Brown 1997a).

The shrub is associated with dry sites in upper montane and subalpine coniferous forests,

typically on steep slopes with loose rocky soils.

It has been found on limestone soils (as well

as granitic) but an obligate relationship between the taxon and a specific substrate is not

apparent (Mistretta and Brown 1997a). Associated species include white fir, California

juniper, Jeffrey pine, curl-leaf mountainmahogany, sugar pine, and lodgepole pine.

There are six confirmed occurrences: one

in a remote area of the San Bernardino Mountains and five in the San Gabriel Mountains.

The six occurrences together are estimated to

contain between 3,280 and 3,950 plants. Another two occurrences are suspected in the San

Gabriel Mountains but need confirmation and

are not yet recorded in the CNDDB. Three

of the populations within the San Gabriels—

one on the western slope of Mount San Antonio, and two in the upper Little Rock Creek

drainage—together contain between 2,100

and 2,600 plants and cover an estimated 150

acres. These three populations constitute about

64 percent of the known extant individuals

(Mistretta and Brown 1997a). Some occurrences are protected by their remoteness or

inaccessibility—the Burkhart Trail population

in the upper Little Rock Creek drainage, the

Mount San Antonio population located within

the Sheep Mountain Wilderness Area, and two

populations at Cucamonga Peak within the

Cucamonga Wilderness Area. Other occurrences are experiencing disturbance; one

population in the upper Little Rock Creek

drainage is bisected by the Angeles Crest Highway (State Highway 2) and granitic outcrops

make the area popular with rock climbers. Other

populations are located adjacent to camping areas and hiking trails. The Angeles National Forest

has completed a species management guide for

this plant (Mistretta and Brown 1997a).

Eriogonum umbellatum var. minus

(alpine sulfur-flowered buckwheat)

Eriogonum umbellatum var. minus is distributed in the San Gabriel and San

Bernardino mountains where it grows on dry,

sandy or stony soils within upper montane and

subalpine conifer forest habitats. One occurrence is reported for the San Jacinto

Mountains but is considered to be a

misidentification (Reveal 1981). Several large

occurrences are known on the Angeles and San

Bernardino national forests (e.g., in the

Cucamonga Wilderness Area); however, they

are unrecorded in both the CNDDB and our

GIS species coverage. A CNPS Rare Plant Status Report from 1979 indicated that

populations are stable (Reveal 1979). However, one apparently disjunct occurrence on

the north slope of the San Bernardino Mountains could be affected if a proposed mine

expansion occurs, and occurrences in the

Mount Baldy area of the Angeles National Forest could be affected by ski area expansion.

The plant appears to be disturbance oriented

however, with occurrences found near trails

and along roads.

Heuchera abramsii (Abram’s alumroot)

Heuchera abramsii is an uncommon perennial species found at elevations above 9,000

feet in dry, rocky areas of the San Gabriel

Mountains. Potential habitat occurs in both

the Cucamonga and Sheep Mountain wilderness areas on the Angeles and San Bernardino

national forests, but the presence or absence

of the species has not been confirmed.

Heuchera hirsutissima

(shaggy-haired alumroot)

Heuchera hirsutissima is a Forest Service

Sensitive Species. It occurs in the San Jacinto

and Santa Rosa mountains (fig. 5.15), at elevations above 3,500 feet in montane conifer

and subalpine forest habitats. Seven occurrences are recorded in the CNDDB. Some

occurrences are located in the San Jacinto

Mountain Wilderness Area and in Mount

San Jacinto State Park. The plant grows among
290

Hulsea vestita ssp. pygmaea

(pygmy hulsea)

Hulsea vestita ssp. pygmaea is a perennial

taxon known from collections made at San

Gorgonio Peak and Sugarloaf Peak in the San

Bernardino Mountains (S. White, Scott

White Biological Consulting, in litt. 1998).

Habitat at these locations is described as subalpine forest and alpine barrens. The taxon

also occurs on subalpine volcanic barrens at

the Kern Plateau in Tulare County, outside

Figure 5.15. Documented locations of Heuchera hirsutissima, the shaggy-haired alumroot, and Leptodactylon

jaegeri, the San Jacinto prickly phlox.

rocks and in crevices of granite boulders. Rock

climbing and trampling may be affecting the

species.

of our assessment area (Wilken 1975). At least

one of the collections made at San Gorgonio

Peak appears to intergrade with H. vestita ssp.

parryi, another of our focal subspecies.

Leptodactylon jaegeri

(San Jacinto prickly phlox)

Leptodactylon jaegeri is a Forest Service

Sensitive Species. It occurs in the San Jacinto

Mountains of Riverside County (fig. 5.15).

The CNDDB contains records for fifteen occurrences, most of them relatively small. For

example, the largest occurrence sampled in

1983 contained fewer than thirty plants. Some

of the same locations were visited again in
291

 Chapter 5

1994 and the largest contained more than two

hundred twenty plants. A perennial plant, it

grows on dry, granitic soils (specifically from

rock crevices in granitic outcrops) in upper

montane and subalpine conifer forests. Occurrences are generally well protected in the

San Jacinto Wilderness Area of the San Bernardino National Forest; however, the level of

impact from rock climbing and hiking activity is unknown.

Monardella cinerea (gray monardella)

Monardella cinerea is known from three

occurrences, all above 5,900 feet, in the San

Gabriel Mountains (Horse Flats, Crystal Lake,

and Mount Harwood). The species is locally

common in these areas, growing on loose, granitic talus within upper montane and

subalpine conifer forest habitat. Potential habitat exists in the San Jacinto Mountains.

Oreonana vestita

(woolly mountain-parsley)

Oreonana vestita is distributed in the San

Bernardino and San Gabriel mountains. Plants

are found at high elevations on ridgetops and

on rocky soils in montane conifer and subalpine habitat. At least four extant occurrences

and one historic occurrence are documented

on the San Bernardino National Forest, including two occurrences in the San Gorgonio

Wilderness Area. Plants occur on the Angeles

National Forest at San Antonio Summit,

Mount Lewis, and in the Mount Baldy area.

Occurrences may be vulnerable to trampling.

Podistera nevadensis (Sierra podistera)

Podistera nevadensis is a watch-list species

on the San Bernardino National Forest. Occurrences are known from northern and

central California, in the Sierra Nevada Mountains (in Alpine, Eldorado, Mono, Placer, and

Tuolomne counties), and into Washington and

Idaho, with one disjunct and historic occurrence noted in the San Bernardino Mountains.

The perennial grows in alpine boulder and

rock fields, and on granitic scree. Plants are

fairly common along the Sierran Crest, usually occurring above timberline. Threats to this

species are unknown.

Potentilla rimicola (cliff cinquefoil)

Potentilla rimicola is a Forest Service Sensitive Species known from occurrences in the

San Jacinto Mountains and Sierra San Pedro

Martir in Baja California, Mexico. The

CNDDB contains records for five occurrences,

some historical, and one recent collection

made in 1987. A perennial plant, it grows in

granitic crevices within upper montane and

subalpine coniferous forest. Some occurrences

are located in the San Jacinto Wilderness Area

and may be affected by rock climbing activities.

Viola pinetorum ssp. grisea

(grey-leaved violet)

Viola pinetorum ssp. grisea is a Forest Service Sensitive Species. It is known from

extant occurrences in Fresno, Tulare, and

Kern counties, and historic occurrences in

San Bernardino County. The taxon grows

in upper montane conifer and subalpine

conifer forests, on dry slopes and peaks form

4,900 to over 11,000 feet in elevation

(Hickman 1993). On the Kern Plateau,

plants are “scattered and locally common”

at Olancha Peak and “occasional on slopes

and sand flats.” The Preliminary Check List

of the Flowering Plants of the Kern Plateau

notes occurrences bordering meadows in the

higher elevation red fir forests, through the

foxtail pine forests, to above timberline. V.

pinetorum is a variable species in need of

further study. Historic occurrences are documented in the San Jacinto and San

Bernardino mountains, and at Mount Pinos

in the southern Los Padres region. Plants at

these locations were previously referred to

as V. purpurea ssp. xerophyta (Munz 1974).
292

Arabis dispar (pinyon rock cress)

Arabis dispar is a relatively wide-ranging

perennial species occurring in four California

counties (Inyo, Mono, Tulare, and San Bernardino) and southwestern Nevada.

Occurrences are known from the White

Mountains, the Dome Land Wilderness, the

Panamint Mountains, the Argus Range, and

other mountains bordering the Mojave Desert.

Within the assessment area it occurs in the

northern San Bernardino Mountains and is associated with desert montane plant

communities (i.e., pinyon-juniper woodlands,

Joshua tree woodlands, and Mojavean desert

scrub). It grows in granitic soils, on gravelly

substrates (including pebble plains), and on

compact talus. The CNDDB contains records

for fifteen occurrences in California, presumed

to be extant but not revisited since the 1920s,

1930s, and 1960s. The species is rarer in the

San Bernardino Mountains than in any other

area, and occurrences found on the San Bernardino National Forest grow in habitat

affected by mining, shooting, off-highway vehicles, and other recreation activities. This

plant is also found in Joshua Tree National

Park.

Astragalus douglasii var. perstrictus

(Jacumba milk-vetch)

Astragalus douglasii var. perstrictus is a Forest Service Sensitive Species. It occurs in San

Diego and Imperial counties, as well as Baja

California, Mexico (Skinner and Pavlik 1994;

Reiser 1994). A northern disjunct occurrence

may be located in Riverside County near

Temecula Creek. There are about twenty-five

known locations in all, found on rocky soils

in open chamise chaparral, cismontane woodlands, valley-foothill grasslands, and

pinyon-juniper woodlands. However, Reiser

Desert Montane Plants

Twenty-six rare plants are primarily associated with desert montane habitats in the

assessment area. Summary information is

shown in table 5.15. One federally endangered

species is included in this group.

(1994) describes the habitat as primarily

transmontane, high desert chaparral. Plants

seem to favor areas with mild soil disturbance;

scattered individuals have been seen on road

shoulders where there is little competition

from other species. Another focal species,

Geraea viscida, may grow sympatrically with

this taxon. Occurrences in desert-side habitats appear to be stable, probably owing to the

limited development in this region (Reiser

1994). This species appears to be declining

on private lands due to habitat loss from urbanization. Occurrences on the Cleveland

National Forest (approximately ten) are considered stable or increasing.

Astragalus lentiginosus var. sierrae

(Big Bear Valley milk-vetch)

Astragalus lentiginosus var. sierrae is a Forest Service Sensitive Species known from the

eastern San Bernardino Mountains, specifically

in Big Bear and Holcomb valleys, the Baldwin

Lake area, and in the upper Santa Ana River

watershed. The CNDDB contains records for

seven occurrences in all, and other occurrences

are known but not yet recorded in the database. Plants grow in arid areas, on gravelly or

sandy soils in meadows, in the understory of

montane conifer forest, in pinyon-juniper

woodlands, sagebrush flats, and Mojavean

desert scrub. In the Santa Ana River watershed the taxon occurs with rabbitbrush,

sagebrush, and Jeffrey pine (M. Lardner, San

Bernardino NF, in litt. 1998). This plant responds positively to disturbance and is now

believed to be more common than previously

mapped.

Astragalus leucolobus

(Big Bear Valley woollypod)

Astragalus leucolobus is a Forest Service

Sensitive Species known from twenty-four

documented occurrences and seventeen general locations in the mountain regions of San

Bernardino, Riverside (San Jacinto Mountains), Los Angeles (San Gabriel Mountains),

and San Benito counties (CNDDB 1997).

Potential habitat exists in San Diego County

as well. Other occurrences are known but not
293

 Chapter 5

yet recorded in the CNDDB. The species is

locally common in the Big Bear Valley of the

San Bernardino Mountains. Plants are found

on pebble plains, in openings of yellow pine

forest and pinyon-juniper woodland, and in

dry, rocky areas with sagebrush. The species

also occurs in areas with disturbed soils—on

fuel breaks, within residential tracts, and adjacent to roads.

Canbya candida (pygmy poppy)

Canbya candida is a Forest Service Sensitive Species. It is distributed in Los Angeles,

San Bernardino, Kern, and Inyo counties. The

CNDDB contains records for twenty-nine

occurrences in all, most located on private

lands. In the assessment area, occurrences are

known from the Cajon Pass area of the San

Bernardino Mountains. No occurrences are

documented on national forest system lands;

however, there is potential habitat on the San

Bernardino National Forest based on the nearness of the Cajon Pass occurrences. Other

occurrences are known from the western

Mojave Desert and adjacent areas of the Sierra Nevada. Occurrences are documented in

Kern County near Lake Isabella, Walker Pass,

and Kelso Peak/Valley. The annual is found

on sandy soils in Joshua tree woodlands and

Mojavean desert scrub habitat.

Castilleja plagiotoma

(Mojave Indian paintbrush)

Castilleja plagiotoma is a watch-list species

on the San Bernardino National Forest. Occurrences are also known on the Angeles

National Forest. Plants have not been found

on the Los Padres National Forest, although a

fair amount of potential habitat may exist (M.

Foster, Los Padres NF, pers. comm.). In all,

occurrences are documented in Los Angeles,

San Bernardino, San Luis Obispo, and Kern

counties. The plant grows in Great Basin alluvial scrub and pinyon-juniper woodlands,

where it is a green root parasite on other plants

(Hickman 1993). Munz (1974) also notes

occurrences in Joshua tree woodlands. The

plant is “usually among shrubs . . . at Caliente

Mountain, Chalk Mountains to Temblor

Range” (Smith 1976). These locations are just

north of the Los Padres National Forest. Plants

are also known from the Hamilton Preserve.

In the San Bernardino Mountains, plants are

found on the ridge above Coxey Meadow, at

Little Pine Flats, Las Flores Ranch, and Round

Mountain (Krantz, Thorne, and Sanders

1995). When dry, the yellow-green inflorescence of this species resembles the federally

threatened Castilleja cinerea, and microscopic

observation may be needed to differentiate the

two. Threats on national forest system lands

include facilities development and recreational

activities.

Caulanthus californicus

(California jewelflower)

Caulanthus californicus is a federally endangered species known from extant

occurrences in the Santa Barbara Canyon area

of Santa Barbara County, the Carrizo Plain in

San Luis Obispo County, and the

Kreyenhagen Hills of Fresno County (fig.

5.16). Occurrences have declined from fiftyfive to about twenty known today. An annual

plant, it grows on gravelly or sandy soils in

grasslands, chenopod scrub, and pinyonjuniper woodlands between elevations of 200

and 3,300 feet. The Santa Barbara Canyon

occurrences consist of nineteen different sites

along a 6-mile stretch of terrace habitat on

the western side of the Cuyama River (M.

Foster, Los Padres NF, pers. comm.). The total

area of occupied habitat is estimated at 30

acres, on both private and BLM-administered

lands.

This species has not been found on national forest system lands; however, the Santa

Barbara Canyon occurrences are located

within 3 miles of the Los Padres National Forest. Despite suitable habitat on the forest,

repeated field surveys over a period of years

have been unsuccessful in locating the species.

Magney (1988) and Danielsen et al. (1994)

have conducted the most comprehensive surveys of national forest system lands. Results

of these surveys and maps showing the areas

visited are on file at the Los Padres National
Arabis dispar 99 unkn. high San Bernardino, Inyo, Mono, & Tulare

(pinyon rock cress) cos., SW Nevada; San Bernardino

Mtns. & mtns. bordering the Mojave

Desert; (moderate)

Astragalus douglasii y stable1 low San Diego & Imperial cos., Baja;

var. perstrictus (moderate)

(Jacumba milk-vetch)

 FS sensitive

Astragalus lentiginosus 185 unkn. low E San Bernardino Mtns.; (moderate)

var. sierrae

(Big Bear Valley milk-vetch)

 FS sensitive

Astragalus leucolobus p y y p unkn. low San Gabriel, San Bernardino, & San

(Big Bear Valley woollypod) Jacinto mtns., mtns. in San Benito Co.;

 FS sensitive (high)

Canbya candida p y unkn. LA, San Bernardino (San Bernardino

(pygmy poppy) Mtns.), Kern, & Inyo cos., W Mojave

 FS sensitive Desert, Sierra Nevada; (low)

Castilleja plagiotoma y 1 p unkn. mod. Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Kern, &

(Mojave Indian paintbrush) SLO cos.; (low)

Caulanthus californicus p decl. Santa Barbara, SLO, & Fresno cos.,

(California jewelflower) (high)

 federally endangered

Caulanthus simulans 22 1 unkn. low Riverside & SD cos.; (low)

(Payson’s jewelflower)

 FS sensitive

Chorizanthe xanti y unkn. unkn. E San Gabriel, San Bernardino, San

var. leucotheca Jacinto, & Santa Rosa mtns., also Inyo

(white-bracted spineflower) & Kern cos.; (low)

Cordylanthus eremicus p unkn. N San Bernardino Mtns. & mtn. ranges

ssp. eremicus of the Mojave Desert

(desert bird’s-beak)

Delphinium inopinum 41 unkn. low Mt. Pinos; (low)

(unexpected larkspur)

 FS sensitive

Dudleya abramsii y unkn. mod. San Bernardino Mtns.; (moderate)

ssp. affinis

(San Bern. Mtns. dudleya)

 FS sensitive

Ericameria cuneata y stable low Laguna Mtns. (SD Co.); (moderate)

var. macrocephala

(Laguna Mtns. goldenbush)

Scientific Name

(common name)

listing status

Overall Distribution

Trends (Knowledge of distribution on NFS lands)

Vulnerability

on NFS

lands

Acres of Known Habitat

CNF SBNF ANF LPNF

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Table 5.15. Rare plants found in desert montane habitats. y = the taxon occurs on the forest; p = has

potential to occur. Assessments of trend, knowledge of distribution, and vulnerability were made by forest

botanists/biologists and generally refer to occurrences on national forest system lands (unkn. = unknown;

decl. = declining).

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Eriogonum foliosum p h/p decl. San Bernardino Mtns., Garner Valley,

(leafy buckwheat) San Jacinto Mtns., Sierra San Pedro

Martir (Baja), SD Co.; (low)

Geraea viscida y stable1 low desert areas of San Diego & Imperial

(sticky geraea) cos., Sierra Juarez & Sierra San Borja

(Baja); (moderate)

Heuchera brevistaminea 45 stable low Laguna & Cuyamaca mtns. (SD Co.),

(shaggy-haired alumroot) also w Riverside Co.; (high)

Lepidium flavum p (low)

var. felipense

(Borrego Vly. pepper-grass)

Linanthus floribundus y Santa Rosa Mtns.; (low)

ssp. hallii

(Snta. Rosa Mtns. linanthus)

 FS sensitive

Marina orcuttii var. orcuttii y unkn. mod. Santa Rosa Mtns., Sierra Juarez &

(California marina) Sierra de las Palmas (Baja); (low)

 FS sensitive

Muilla coronata y base of San Bernardino Mtns., Mojave

(crowned muilla) Desert, also LA, Inyo, Kern, Tulare cos.,

NV

Opuntia basilaris p 219 29 unkn. mod. desert-side of San Gabriel & W San

var. brachyclada Bernardino mtns., Volcan Mtn. (SD Co.),

(short-joint beavertail) Providence Mtns. (San Bernardino Co.);

 FS sensitive (high)

Streptanthus campestris y y 2 stable1 mod. Riverside, San Bernardino, SD, & Santa

(southern jewel-flower) Barbara cos., N Baja, San Bernardino,

 FS sensitive Little San Bernardino, San Jacinto, & InKoh-Pah mtns.; (moderate)

Stylocline masonii y y unkn. unkn. LA, Kern, Monterey, & SLO cos., NW

(Mason neststraw) Tehachapi Mtns.; (low)

Swertia neglecta y 6 y unkn. mod. Transverse Ranges; (low)

(pine green-gentian)

 FS sensitive

Syntrichopappus lemmonii y y p unkn. low LA, San Bernardino, Riverside, Kern, &

(Lemmon’s syntrichopappus) Monterey cos.; (low)

Viola aurea p y p p SD, San Bernardino, Kern, & Mono cos.;

(golden violet) San Gabriel, San Bernardino, &

Tehachapi mtns. SW to Mt. Pinos; NV

Scientific Name

(common name)

listing status

Overall Distribution

Trends (Knowledge of distribution on NFS lands)

Vulnerability

on NFS

lands

Acres of Known Habitat

CNF SBNF ANF LPNF

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1 Reiser 1994 (refers to all known occurrences)

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296

Caulanthus simulans

(Payson’s jewelflower)

Caulanthus simulans is a Forest Service

Sensitive Species that occurs in Riverside and

San Diego counties. The CNDDB contains

records for at least thirty-six occurrences and

thirty-six general locations. Some of these locations, however, may contain the species

C. heterophyllus and are in need of further

Figure 5.16. Documented locations of Caulanthus californicus, the California jewelflower.

Forest. Essentially all areas mapped as suitable

habitat have been visited by botanists during

the appropriate time of year. Two attempts

were made to grow the plant from seed at suitable locations on the forest (Santa Barbara and

Deer Park canyons). Germination and subsequent production of seed was successful in

1989; however, the number of individuals produced each year after that gradually declined

until 1995 when no plants were found at either site. Monitoring in 1997 and 1998 found

no plants evident at either site, despite favorable weather conditions. The range,

distribution, abundance, and habitat requirements of this species are described in detail in

the Recovery Plan for Upland Species of the San

Joaquin Valley, California (USFWS 1998l).

Occurrences are vulnerable to agricultural

practices, urbanization, energy development,

and overgrazing. See the final listing rule for

additional information (USFWS 1990).
297

 Chapter 5

San Bernardino National Forest. Due to its

potential to occur on the forest, the species

has been placed on a watch list. The plant is a

root parasite and grows in rocky soils within

Joshua tree woodland and Mojavean desert

scrub communities.

Delphinium inopinum

(unexpected larkspur)

Delphinium inopinum is a Forest Service

Sensitive Species. There are thirty-two reported occurrences of this perennial species.

The smaller occurrences each contain from ten

to one hundred plants and the larger occurrences (which are more frequent) contain

hundreds and thousands of individual plants.

In the assessment area, a historic occurrence

is reported at Mount Pinos on the Los Padres

National Forest. The occurrence is protected

within the Mount Pinos Summit Botanical

Area but needs to be confirmed. Plants typically grow in dry areas among rock outcrops

and on open, rocky ridges in pine and red fir

forest habitat.

Dudleya abramsii ssp. affinis

(San Bernardino Mountains dudleya)

Dudleya abramsii ssp. affinis is a Forest Service Sensitive Species found in the San

Bernardino Mountains. It occurs in desert-side

montane, upper montane conifer, and subalpine habitats (including pebble plains and

pinyon-juniper woodlands). Plants grow on

soil outcrops and talus slopes composed of

granite, quartzite, or rarely limestone/carbonate. The CNDDB contains records on nine

occurrences, and additional populations in the

Big Bear Valley have not yet been reported to

the database. Some occurrences are adversely

affected by limestone mining. Many of the

occurrences associated with pebble plains are

protected by fencing on the San Bernardino

National Forest.

study. C. simulans is easily confused with C.

heterophyllus var. pseudosimulans, a more

coastal taxon that, unlike C. simulans, appears

after fires. Many historic locations in the Santa

Ana Mountains have proved to be

misidentifications of this variety. C. simulans

is an annual species that grows in openings

within chaparral and coastal sage scrub, including burned areas and disturbed sites. It

also is found in streambeds and on steep, rocky

slopes. In San Diego County, plants are typically found on the desert side of the

mountains. The species is vulnerable to overgrazing, trampling, and development projects.

Many of the known occurrences are located

on private lands. In addition, fires that are too

frequent may lead to type conversion of habitat for this species. Other potential disturbances

include flooding, erosion, and road maintenance. Other populations are found on lands

managed by the BLM, Anza Borrego Desert

State Park, and the Forest Service.

Chorizanthe xanti var. leucotheca

(white-bracted spineflower)

Chorizanthe xanti var. leucotheca is known

from approximately four to five locations on

the San Bernardino National Forest. The occurrences are scattered in the eastern San

Gabriel, San Bernardino, San Jacinto, and

Santa Rosa mountains. No occurrences are

recorded in the CNDDB; however, the draft

Flora of the San Bernardino Mountains notes

occurrences in Inyo and Kern counties (Krantz

et al. 1995). The species is found in Mojavean

desert scrub and pinyon-juniper woodland

communities.

Cordylanthus eremicus ssp. eremicus

(desert bird’s-beak)

Cordylanthus eremicus ssp. eremicus is an

annual taxon known mainly from occurrences

in mountain ranges of the Mojave Desert (e.g.,

the Nelson Range in Inyo County) and in

Death Valley National Park. One occurrence

is located at a spring near Cushenbury in the

northern San Bernardino Mountains. This occurrence is close to but not actually on the
298

Ericameria cuneata var. macrocephala

(Laguna Mountains goldenbush)

Ericameria cuneata var. macrocephala is a

shrub species endemic to the Laguna Mountains of San Diego County. Although its range

is limited, occurrences are fairly common

along the crest and desert-side slopes of these

mountains. Reiser (1994) cites occurrences at

Garnet Peak and Desert View Point. Most of

the occurrences are located on public lands

which are relatively well protected, including

BLM and state park lands. The only known

potential threat to the plant is development

of electronic sites in its habitat on the tops of

steep, rocky slopes. Occurrences on the Cleveland National Forest currently appear stable.

Eriogonum foliosum (leafy buckwheat)

Eriogonum foliosum is an annual species

known historically from Big Bear Valley in the

San Bernardino Mountains and more recently

from Garner Valley in the San Jacinto Mountains. The species is also known to occur in

the Sierra San Pedro Martir in Baja California, Mexico. The CNPS Inventory cites two

occurrences in the San Diego ranges (Pine Valley and Warner Springs) (Skinner and Pavlik

1994), and potential habitat exists on the

Cleveland National Forest, but the plant has

not been confirmed there. The CNDDB contains records for at least three occurrences but

the CNPS Inventory cites occurrences on seven

USGS 7.5-minute quad maps. The plant inhabits sandy areas of chaparral, meadows,

yellow pine forest, closed-cone conifer forest,

and pinyon-juniper woodlands. It is easily confused with other annual buckwheats (e.g., E.

davidsonii) and difficult to key.

Geraea viscida (sticky geraea)

Geraea viscida is a rare, short-lived perennial species known from a number of locations

in the border region and desert areas of San

Diego and Imperial counties, as well as areas

of Baja California, Mexico (e.g., the Sierra

Juarez Mountains and Sierra San Borja) (Reiser

1994). Occurrences range from approximately

1,500 feet to over 5,500 feet in elevation. A

large occurrence is found in the Smuggler’s

Cave region east of Jacumba. Approximately

half of the known occurrences are protected

on federal and state lands. Occurrences are

presumed to be stable based on limited development of the plant’s habitat. It occupies sandy

soils in chamise chaparral and appears to be

disturbance oriented, appearing in sparsely

vegetated areas, along roads, and after burns.

Heuchera brevistaminea

(Mount Laguna alumroot)

Heuchera brevistaminea is a perennial species found primarily on the desert side of the

Laguna Mountains in San Diego County.

Occurrences are known from Garnet and

Monument peaks, Oasis Spring, and Mount

Laguna. It has also been located below the

summit of Cuyamaca Peak in the Cuyamaca

Mountains. One occurrence growing near

Santa Rosa and Toro peaks in western Riverside County may represent a northern disjunct

or range extension (Reiser 1994). The plant

grows in dry areas on rocky soils in desert

montane communities (e.g., montane chaparral). About twelve occurrences are known,

some of them relatively large. Most of these

occurrences are located on the Cleveland National Forest. Other occurrences are protected

on state lands. The species is also naturally

protected by its preference for relatively inaccessible terrain—it grows on steep, rock faces

and crevices or on exposed rock slabs (Reiser

1994).

Linanthus floribundus ssp. hallii

(Santa Rosa Mountains linanthus)

Linanthus floribundus ssp. hallii is a Forest Service Sensitive Species. It is a perennial

taxon known from occurrences in the Santa

Rosa Mountains. Plants grow in desert montane habitats (e.g., canyons with Sonoran

desert scrub). The CNDDB contains records

for at least four occurrences. One occurrence

on the San Bernardino National Forest is located in the Santa Rosa Wilderness Area.

Plants grow in open areas along a wash within

pinyon-juniper woodland habitat. High
299

 Chapter 5

levels of recreation, trail maintenance, and trail

construction are potential impacts to this

taxon.

Marina orcuttii var. orcuttii

(California marina)

Marina orcuttii var. orcuttii is a Forest Service Sensitive Species. It is a perennial plant

found in the Santa Rosa Mountains and in

the Sierra Juarez and Sierra de las Palmas of

Baja California, Mexico (Barneby 1977). Two

occurrences are known in the Santa Rosa Wilderness Area, both along the Cactus Springs

Trail. This species occupies desert montane

habitat—gravelly hillsides in pinyon-juniper

woodland and Sonoran desert scrub. Potential impacts to the plant include high levels of

recreation use, trail maintenance, and trail

construction.

Muilla coronata (crowned muilla)

Muilla coronata is a perennial species

known from at least two occurrences along the

northern base of the San Bernardino Mountains. Occurrences are also documented in

Inyo, Kern, Tulare, and Los Angeles counties,

and in Nevada. The plant grows on heavy soils

in openings within pinyon-juniper woodland,

Mojavean desert scrub, and Joshua tree woodland. Potential threats on the forest include

off-road vehicle activities, high levels of recreation use, and mining.

Opuntia basilaris var. brachyclada

(short-joint beavertail)

Opuntia basilaris var. brachyclada is a Forest Service Sensitive Species found on

desert-side slopes of the San Gabriel and western San Bernardino mountains, and at Cajon

Pass between the two mountain ranges where

desert vegetation occurs. Plants are found between 3,000 and 6,000 feet elevation in loose,

sandy to gravelly mineral soils. They grow

within chaparral communities (i.e., chamise

chaparral, semi-desert chaparral, northern

mixed chaparral, and southern mixed chaparral), chaparral transition zones, Joshua tree

woodlands, Mojavean desert scrub, Mojavean

pinyon woodlands, pinyon-juniper woodlands, and southern sycamore-alder riparian

woodland (Mistretta and Parra-Szijj 1991b).

Approximately thirty occurrences are

known, twelve recorded in the CNDDB. Surveys in 1990 identified fifteen localities and

approximately nine hundred individual plants.

Most of these occurrences are located on national forest system lands, and a species

management guide was developed in 1991 for

the Angeles National Forest (Mistretta and

Parra-Szijj 1991b). Known populations appear

to be stable and represent a variety of age

classes. Vegetation management (e.g., chemical and mechanical removal of biomass,

establishment of conifer plantations, and prescribed burning) has had the greatest effect

on occurrences on the Angeles National Forest; however, the effects of fire on its

distribution and abundance are unknown

(Mistretta and Parra-Szijj 1991b).

Streptanthus campestris

(southern jewel-flower)

Streptanthus campestris is a Forest Service

Sensitive Species found in Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, and Santa Barbara

counties as well as in northern Baja California, Mexico. Occurrences are known from the

San Bernardino, Little San Bernardino, San

Jacinto, and In-Koh-Pah mountains. The species is a short-lived perennial that grows on

rocky soils in chaparral (including high desert

transitional chaparral), conifer forest, and pinyon-juniper woodlands. One occurrence is

located among large boulders in the partial

shade of western junipers. At another locale,

the plant grows in open chamise chaparral

(Reiser 1994). The CNDDB contains records

for fifteen occurrences, and additional locations are known but not yet entered into the

database. There are two historic and one confirmed extant occurrence on the Los Padres

National Forest.

Stylocline masonii (Mason neststraw)

Stylocline masonii is an annual species

known from occurrences in Los Angeles,

Monterey, San Luis Obispo, and Kern counties.
300

The plant is found in the northwestern

Tehachapi Mountains, the southern San

Joaquin Valley, and the Santa Lucia Ranges.

It grows on sandy soils and in washes within

chenopod scrub habitat and pinyon-juniper

woodlands. Most occurrences are reported

between 300 and 1,400 feet elevation

(Hickman 1993). Just one collection has been

documented since 1971.

Swertia neglecta (pine green-gentian)

Swertia neglecta is a Forest Service Sensitive Species known from the desert slopes of

the San Bernardino and San Gabriel mountains, and the western Transverse Ranges.

Small, scattered occurrences are found within

yellow pine forests, dry open woodlands, and

pinyon-juniper woodlands. Five occurrences

are known on the San Bernardino National

Forest, including two discovered in 1998 on

carbonate soils growing with the federally endangered, Oxytheca parishii var. goodmaniana.

Four occurrences are documented on the Los

Padres National Forest, and the Angeles National Forest contains almost twenty locations.

One occurrence on the San Bernardino National Forest is located in an area proposed

for a limestone mine overburden site. In other

areas, the species is vulnerable to mining activities, road maintenance, and recreation

impacts from hiking, camping, horseback

riding, and off-highway vehicle use. A review

of all pre-1998 vegetation plot data sheets and

maps created for the carbonate plant conservation study (USDA 1996) may yield other

locations of this taxon on the San Bernardino

National Forest.

Syntrichopappus lemmonii

(Lemmon’s syntrichopappus)

Syntrichopappus lemmonii is a watch-list

species on the San Bernardino and Angeles

national forests. At least five occurrences are

documented on the San Bernardino National

Forest. Occurrences are known from Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Riverside, Kern, and

Monterey counties. An annual plant, it grows

on sandy or gravelly soils within chaparral and

Joshua tree woodlands between 2,900 and

4,900 feet elevation. It appears abundantly

after fires.

Viola aurea (golden violet)

Viola aurea is a perennial species known

from occurrences in San Diego, San Bernardino, Kern, and Mono counties as well as

Nevada, where it may be more common.

Plants grow in sandy places within Great Basin scrub and pinyon-juniper woodlands

between 3,200 and 5,900 feet. Five locations

are documented in California, including one

at Cajon Pass between the San Gabriel and

San Bernardino mountains and another in

Doane Valley at Palomar Mountain State Park

(CNDDB 1998). The occurrence at Cajon

Pass is located on the San Bernardino National

Forest, where the species is placed on a watch

list. Potential habitat occurs on the Cleveland

National Forest. Other occurrences are reported from the eastern slopes of the Tehachapi

Mountains southwest to Mount Pinos (Moe

and Twisselmann 1995), and possibly at Pine

Mountain Ridge in the southern Los Padres

region (Smith 1976). Occurrences are vulnerable to overgrazing, off-road vehicle activity,

and development projects.

Carbonate Plants

Ten rare plants are specifically associated

with carbonate (e.g., limestone, dolomite) substrates that occur in localized areas on the

desert side of the San Bernardino Mountains

(table 5.16). Four federally endangered species and one federally threatened species are

included in this group.

Abronia nana ssp. covillei

(Coville’s dwarf abronia)

Abronia nana ssp. covillei is a Forest Service Sensitive Species that occurs on dry slopes

with carbonate soil and in sandy places within

the San Bernardino, Inyo, New York, and

White mountains. Occurrences are also found

in the Sheep Range in southwestern Nevada.

The plant is typically found growing in

pinyon-juniper and Joshua tree woodlands,
Scientific Name

(common name)

listing status

Overall Distribution

Trends (Knowledge of distribution on NFS lands)

Vulnerability

on NFS

lands

Acres of Known Habitat

CNF SBNF ANF LPNF

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Abronia nana y decl. high San Bernardino, Inyo, White, & New

ssp. covillei York mtns., SW NV (Sheep Range);

(Coville’s dwarf abronia) (moderate)

 FS sensitive

Allium parishii y unkn. high San Bernardino, Riverside, & Inyo

(Parish’s onion) cos., W AZ, San Bernardino & Little

San Bernardino mtns., Mojave

Desert; (low)

Arabis shockleyi 141 unkn. high San Bernardino (NE San Bernardino

(Shockley’s rock cress) Mtns.) & Inyo cos., NV, Great Basin;

 FS sensitive (moderate)

Astragalus albens 552 decl. high San Bernardino Mtns.; (high)

(Cushenbury milk-vetch)

 federally endangered

Erigeron parishii 489 decl. high Riverside & San Bernardino cos.,

(Parish’s daisy) San Bernardino Mtns.; (high)

 federally threatened

Erigeron uncialis p unkn. San Bernardino & Inyo cos., central

var. uncialis NV, San Bernardino Mtns., Mojave

(limestone daisy) Desert (Clark Mtn.), White & Inyo

 FS sensitive mtns., Grapevine Mtns., Tin Mtn.;

(low)

Eriogonum microthecum 4 p unkn. high San Bernardino Mtns.; (high)

var. corymbosoides

(San Bern. buckwheat)

Eriogonum ovalifolium 839 decl. high San Bernardino Mtns.; (high)

var. vineum

(Cushenbury buckwheat)

 federally endangered

Lesquerella kingi 128 decl. high San Bernardino Mtns.; (high)

ssp. bernardina

(San Bern. Mtns. bladderpod)

 federally endangered

Oxytheca parishii 312 decl. high San Bernardino Mtns.; (high)

var. goodmaniana

(Cushenbury oxytheca)

 federally endangered

Table 5.16. Rare plants found in association with carbonate soils. y = the taxon occurs on the forest; p =

has potential to occur). Assessments of trend, knowledge of distribution, and vulnerability were made by

forest botanists/biologists and generally refer to occurrences on national forest system lands (unkn. = unknown;

decl. = declining).
302

dry conifer forests, and Great Basin scrub. Five

occurrences are known on the San Bernardino

National Forest. Plants are affected by limestone mining operations and high levels of

recreation use, particularly from unauthorized

off-road vehicles.

Allium parishii (Parish’s onion)

Allium parishii occurs in San Bernardino,

Riverside, and Inyo counties, as well as western Arizona. Occurrences are generally located

above 4,000 feet elevation, on the desert-side

slopes of the San Bernardino Mountains and

Little San Bernardino Mountains, and in the

Mojave Desert. The habitat is described as

open and rocky slopes in Joshua tree woodlands. There appears to be an association with

carbonate soils but the species may grow in

other soil types. Two occurrences are located

in an active limestone mining area. One new

occurrence was found in 1998 in Furnace

Canyon, growing on carbonate soil with Erigeron parishii and Astragalus albens. Mining

activities and high levels of recreation use,

particularly from off-road vehicles, may be

affecting populations in the assessment area.

Arabis shockleyi

(Shockley’s rock cress)

Arabis shockleyi is a Forest Service Sensitive Species found in Inyo and San Bernardino

counties, and also Nevada. In California the

plant grows on carbonate or quartzite soil in

pinyon-juniper woodlands. In 1998, this plant

was found within fifty-one 0.1-acre plots randomly placed in an area known to support one

of the five listed carbonate species on the San

Bernardino National Forest. These occurrences

are not included in the acres of occupied habitat reported for this species in table 5.16.

Disjunct occurrences are found in the mountains east and north of the Mojave Desert and

in portions of the Great Basin. The CNDDB

contains records on twenty-two occurrences.

Astragalus albens

(Cushenbury milk-vetch)

Astragalus albens is a federally endangered

species endemic to the San Bernardino Mountains. A draft recovery plan (USFWS 1997b)

cites thirty-three known occurrences, distributed from the east side of Dry Canyon, north

to approximately 1/2 mile north of Cushenbury

Springs and southeast to 1/2 mile east of

Arrastre Creek. Henderson and Volgarino

(1997) estimated 559 acres of A. albens on

national forest system lands and 11 acres on

BLM lands. More occurrences were mapped

during 1998 surveys. Occurrences are known

to expand in years of good rainfall; during a

drought year in the 1980s, the total number

of plants at all known locations was estimated

at two thousand. Favorable rainfall in 1992,

combined with a more thorough survey effort, increased the estimate to between five

thousand and ten thousand plants at all known

sites. The largest occurrence was located in the

Top Spring-Smarts Ranch Road area and contained several thousand individuals (USFWS

1997b; B. Henderson, San Bernardino NF,

pers. comm.).

Astraglus albens is usually found on carbonate or granitic soils between 3,600 and

6,200 feet (USFWS 1997b). It occupies pinyon and juniper woodlands, sandy or stony

flats, rocky hillsides, and canyon washes and

fans. Significant differences between occupied

and unoccupied habitat are described by

Gonella (1994). This species is also addressed

in the Conservation Study for Five Carbonate

Plant Species: a study of land use conflict in the

San Bernardino National Forest (USDA Forest Service 1996). The species is vulnerable to

mining operations and mineral exploration.

At least 97 percent of the known occurrences

are located on public land claimed for mining

or on private land (USFWS 1997b). Road and

powerline construction, utility corridors, unauthorized vehicle use, and unauthorized

grazing from trespass cattle are other actions

that affect this species.
303

 Chapter 5

Erigeron parishii (Parish’s daisy)

Erigeron parishii is a federally threatened

species known from at least twenty-six occurrences in Riverside and San Bernardino

counties (CNDDB 1996). The plant is distributed within a 35-mile stretch of carbonate

habitat and is the most wide-ranging of the

five listed species in this group. Occurrences

are found between 3,600 and 6,400 feet in

pinyon woodlands, pinyon-juniper woodlands, black bush scrub, Mojavean desert

scrub, and Joshua tree woodlands. Plants usually occupy shallow drainages, rocky slopes,

and outwash plains on limestone or dolomite

soils (USFWS 1997b). Some populations occur on a granite/limestone interface—usually

granitics overlain with limestone—and on

limestone alluvium above quartz monzonite

substrates. Approximately fifty populations are

now known, consisting of an undefined number of plants. Prior to listing, the plant was

known from fewer than twenty-five occurrences totaling about sixteen thousand

individual plants (USFWS 1997b).

Henderson and Volgarino (1997) estimated

396 acres of occupied habitat on national forest system lands and 186 acres on BLM lands.

The species is addressed in the draft recovery

plan (USFWS 1997b) and the Conservation

Study for Five Carbonate Plant Species: a study

of land use conflict in the San Bernardino National Forest (USDA Forest Service 1996). The

species is vulnerable to the same activities affecting Astragalus albens: mining, mineral

exploration, road and powerline construction,

utility corridors, unauthorized vehicle use, and

unauthorized grazing.

Erigeron uncialis var. uncialis

(limestone daisy)

Erigeron uncialis var. uncialis is a Forest

Service Sensitive Species. It is found within

San Bernardino and Inyo counties as well as

central Nevada. Occurrences are known from

the San Bernardino Mountains, the Mojave

Desert, and the White and Inyo mountains

east of the Sierra Nevada. Disjunct occurrences

are located in the Schell Creek and White Pine

ranges of Nevada. Records from botanist Mary

Decker indicate occurrences near Death Valley in the Grapevine Mountains and at Tin

Mountain, and in the Mojave Desert at Clark

Mountain. The Nevada Natural Heritage Program (NNHP) records three to five

occurrences of E. cavernensis which is now

lumped with E. uncialis var. uncialis

(Cronquist 1994). The plant occurs within the

assessment area in desert montane and subalpine/alpine habitats. It grows from limestone

crevices within Great Basin scrub and subalpine coniferous forest. Limestone mining and

off-road vehicle use are threats to its habitat

in the San Bernardino Mountains. Habitat in

Nevada (carbonate rock and crevices) is relatively widespread and not considered

vulnerable at this time (J. Morefield, NNHP,

pers. comm.).

Eriogonum microthecum var.

corymbosoides

(San Bernardino buckwheat)

Eriogonum microthecum var. corymbosoides

is a deciduous shrub known from the northern slopes of the San Bernardino Mountains.

Occurrences are found in pinyon-juniper

woodlands and associated with carbonate and

granitic soils. In 1998, this taxon was found

within forty-nine 0.1-acre plots, randomly located in an area known to support one of the

five listed carbonate plant species on the San

Bernardino National Forest. These occurrences

are not included in the acres of occupied habitat reported for this species in table 5.16.

Eriogonum ovalifolium var. vineum

(Cushenbury buckwheat)

Eriogonum ovalifolium var. vineum is a federally endangered taxon distributed from west

of the White Mountain Management Unit east

to Rattlesnake Canyon (fig. 5.17). The total

number of individual plants is estimated at

thirteen thousand, with about one-quarter of

the known occurrences containing more than

one thousand plants (USFWS 1997b). The

CNDDB contains records for twenty-seven

occurrences. Known locations on limestone
304

Figure 5.17. Documented locations of Eriogonum ovalifolium var. vineum (Cushenbury buckwheat), Lesquerella

kingii ssp. bernardina (San Bernardino Mountains bladderpod), and Oxytheca parishii var. goodmaniana

(Cushenbury oxytheca).

include the White Knob area, Arctic/Bousic

Canyon west to Terrace Springs, south to Top

Spring, and along the north side of Lone Valley to Tip Top Mountain. The plant also

occurs on dolomite in the Bertha Ridge area,

in northern Holcomb Valley, in Jacoby Canyon, and along Nelson Ridge (USFWS

1997b). A population at Furnace Canyon

grows on a mix of granite, limestone, and

dolomite. Recent surveys done by the San

Bernardino National Forest located two new

populations, one near Jacoby Springs and one

just north of Mineral Mountain.

This plant is found between 4,800 and

7,800 feet in openings of pinyon woodland,

pinyon-juniper woodland, Joshua tree woodland, black bush scrub, Mojavean desert scrub,

and dry coniferous forest. Site conditions include a low accumulation of organic material,

usually less than 15 percent canopy cover,

moderate slopes, and rock cover that exceeds

50 percent in fine soils. Some occurrences on

north-facing slopes are found with Astragalus

albens (USFWS 1997c). The taxon is addressed in a draft recovery plan (USFWS

1997b) and the Conservation Study for Five
305

 Chapter 5

Lesquerella kingii ssp. bernardina

(San Bernardino Mountains bladderpod)

Lesquerella kingii ssp. bernardina is a federally endangered plant found in the Big Bear

Valley area. It occupies the smallest area of the

five listed carbonate taxa (USFWS 1997b).

Occurrences are known from two areas that

encompass an estimated 149 acres on the San

Bernardino National Forest (Henderson and

Volgarino 1997). All but 21 acres are mapped

in our GIS database. One site is located on

the northern side of the valley near the eastern end of Bertha Ridge and next to the

community of Big Bear City (fig. 5.17). The

total number of individuals at this location

was estimated to be twenty-five thousand in

1980, and less than ten thousand in 1988. The

decline may reflect real change brought on by

prolonged drought conditions and/or apparent change due to differences in sampling

technique (USFWS 1997b). The other area is

centered on the north-facing slope of

Sugarlump Ridge, south of Big Bear Valley and

about 6 miles south of the Bertha Ridge populations. This area contained approximately ten

thousand plants in 1991. Resource personnel

from the San Bernardino National Forest and

CDFG observed increased abundance in the

years following the drought (USFWS 1997b).

This plant is found between 6,500 and

8,200 feet in elevation, on dolomite soils

within Jeffrey pine-western juniper woodlands

and white fir forests. Plants grow in open areas with little accumulation of organic

material. The northern-most occurrence grows

with Eriogonum ovalifolium var. vineum. Although plants have been observed growing in

old road beds, established populations can be

easily extirpated by unauthorized off-road vehicle use and mountain biking. Fence

construction, signing, and closure of nonsystem roads in occupied habitat near the Big

Bear rifle range enhanced habitat for one occurrence near the north shore of Big Bear Lake

in 1998. Potential disturbances to the

Lakeview cabin tract population are being assessed in 1999. Generally, the plant is

vulnerable to unauthorized off-road vehicle

use, woodcutting, and mining. The taxon is

addressed in a draft recovery plan (USFWS

1997b) and the Conservation Study for Five

Carbonate Plant Species: a study of land use conflict in the San Bernardino National Forest

(USDA Forest Service 1996).

Oxytheca parishii var. goodmaniana

(Cushenbury oxytheca)

Oxytheca parishii var. goodmaniana is a

federally endangered taxon. It occupies the

second smallest area of the listed carbonate

plants. In 1990 the estimated number of plants

was fewer than three thousand in four known

populations (USFWS 1997b); however, abundance varies with rainfall. Surveys conducted

by the San Bernardino National Forest from

1992 to 1995 located eleven new populations.

More populations were located following the

El Nino event in 1998. Occurrences range

from South Peak east to 1

/2 mile south and

east of Terrace Springs (some plants in the

Terrace Springs area have now been identified

as O. parishii var. cienegensis). Other known

sites include Cushenbury Spring; Cushenbury,

Marble, Arctic, Wild Rose and Furnace canyons; near the abandoned Green Lead gold

mine; north of Holcomb Valley; and in the

White Mountain Management Unit (fig.

5.17). In addition, three other morphologically distinct populations were found at the

eastern end of the known range of this plant—

along the Helendale Fault near Tip Top Mountain, at Mineral Mountain, and at Rose Mine.

Occurrences are generally found between

4,200 and 7,800 feet, on limestone and dolomite soils within pinyon and juniper

woodland. The taxon is addressed in a draft

Recovery Plan (USFWS 1997b) and in the

Conservation Study for Five Carbonate Plant

Species: a study of land use conflict in the San

Carbonate Plant Species: a study of land use conflict in the San Bernardino National Forest

(USDA Forest Service 1996). Occurrences are

affected by mining, mineral exploration, road

and powerline construction, utility corridors,

unauthorized vehicle use, and unauthorized

grazing.
306

Astragalus lentiginosus var. coachellae

(Coachella Valley milk-vetch)

Astragalus lentiginosus var. coachellae is a

federally endangered species known from the

Coachella Valley area of Riverside County.

Habitat for this annual plant is found at low

elevations (below 1,200 feet) in sandy flats,

outwash fans, and on dunes in Sonoran desert

scrub, creosote bush scrub, or sagebrush dominated communities. The CNDDB contains

records for seventeen occurrences, five located

within the Coachella Valley Preserve (jointly

managed by the BLM, CDFG, USFWS, and

TNC). Occurrences in the preserve are monitored annually. One occurrence showed a

decline in abundance from 1979 (209 plants)

to 1982 (2 plants). Surveys during 1987 (a

drought year) located fewer than 300 plants

at all locations (USFWS 1992a). Two other

Bernardino National Forest (USDA Forest

Service 1996). The primary disturbances to

this taxon come from limestone mining operations and exploration.

Desert Floor Plants

Two rare plants are primarily found in

desert floor habitat at the eastern edge of the

assessment area. Summary information is

shown in table 5.17. Both of these taxa are

federally endangered.

occurrences are found on the Agua Caliente

Indian Reservation, one occurrence is located

on land owned by Southern California Edison,

and the remaining occurrences are located on

private lands. There are no known occurrences

on the San Bernardino National Forest; however, one area at Snow Creek Canyon (1,400

feet) may be low enough in elevation to provide some potential habitat. The main threat

to this taxon is habitat loss due to urban development (USFWS 1992a).

Astragalus tricarinatus

(triple-ribbed milk-vetch)

Astragalus tricarinatus is a federally endangered, short-lived perennial known from areas

bordering the Sonoran Desert in Riverside and

San Bernardino counties. The CNDDB contains records for seven occurrences and seven

general locations; however, the U.S. Fish and

Wildlife Service confirms only four sites in the

Coachella Valley (USFWS 1992a). Occurrences are reported near Whitewater Canyon

and Morongo Valley (northwestern end of the

Coachella Valley), and Agua Alta Canyon

(southern end of the Coachella Valley). Two

of these occurrences are protected in an Area

of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC)

by the BLM, and also managed as a preserve

by the BLM and TNC. Since 1987, plants

have not been found at either site or at

Whitewater and Agua Alta canyons. When the

proposed listing rule was published in 1992,

Scientific Name

(common name)

listing status

Overall Distribution

Trends (Knowledge of distribution on NFS lands)

Vulnerability

on NFS

lands

Acres of Known Habitat

CNF SBNF ANF LPNF

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Astragalus lentiginosus p Coachella Valley, potential habitat at

var. coachellae low elevation on desert side of San

(Coachella Valley milk-vetch) Jacinto Mtns.; (low)

 federally endangered

Astragalus tricarinatus p Coachella Valley, potential habitat at

(triple-ribbed milk-vetch) low elevation on desert side of San

 federally endangered Jacinto Mtns.; (low)

Table 5.17. Rare plants found in desert floor habitats. p = the taxon has potential to occur on the forest.

Assessments of trend, knowledge of distribution, and vulnerability were made by forest botanists/biologists

and generally refer to occurrences on national forest system lands.
307

 Chapter 5

no live plants were known, but a viable seed

pool was presumed to exist in the soil and the

species is expected to reappear when climatic

conditions are favorable (USFWS 1992a).

Plants typically occupy habitat below 2,600

feet, reportedly growing on canyon walls or

on decomposed granite or gravelly soils at the

base of canyon slopes. Plants have also been

found on sandy or gravelly soils along the edges

of boulder- strewn washes in Joshua tree woodland or Sonoran desert scrub (USFWS 1992a).

Occurrences have not been found on the San

Bernardino National Forest; however, potential habitat occurs in the San Jacinto

Mountains.

Monterey and San Luis Obispo

Coast Plants

Five rare plants are primarily associated

with habitats along the coast of Monterey and

San Luis Obispo counties. Summary information is shown in table 5.18.

Scientific Name

(common name)

listing status

Overall Distribution

Trends (Knowledge of distribution on NFS lands)

Vulnerability

on NFS

lands

Acres of Known Habitat

CNF SBNF ANF LPNF

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a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a

a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a

a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a

Arctostaphylos cruzensis 1 decl. low S Monterey & NW SLO cos.,

(La Cruz manzanita) Monterey Coast; (moderate)

 FS sensitive

Delphinium hutchinsoniae 2 decl. low Monterey Coast; (low)

(Hutchinson’s larkspur)

 FS sensitive

Galium californicum 569 unkn. low Monterey Co., (N. Santa Lucia Rng.);

ssp. luciense (low)

(Cone Peak bedstraw)

 FS sensitive

Perideridia gairdneri p p 4 low Monterey Co. north to Del Norte Co.

ssp. gairdneri (scarce south of Monterey Co.);

(Gairdner’s yampah) (low)

Raillardiopsis muirii 8 stable low Monterey Coast, N Santa Lucia

(Muir’s raillardella) Rng., S Sierra Nevada; (moderate)

 FS sensitive

Table 5.18. Rare plants found in Monterey Coast habitats. p = the taxon has potential to occur on the

forest. Assessments of trend, knowledge of distribution, and vulnerability were made by forest botanists/

biologists and generally refer to occurrences on national forest system lands (decl. = declining; unkn. =

unknown).

Arctostaphylos cruzensis

(La Cruz manzanita)

Arctostaphylos cruzensis is a Forest Service

Sensitive Species. It is an evergreen shrub

known from occurrences in southern

Monterey and northwestern San Luis Obispo

counties, where the species is found on sandy

soils along the coast. Skinner and Pavlik (1994)

report occurrences within several distinct vegetation types: broadleaved upland forest,

coastal bluff scrub, closed-cone conifer forest,

chaparral, coastal scrub, and valley-foothill

grassland. Hickman (1993) describes habitat

for this species as sandy bluffs below 500 feet

elevation. Fewer than twenty occurrences are

known, ranging in size from one plant to an

estimated one thousand individual plants. Half

of the known occurrences are located on private lands owned by the Hearst Corporation

and may be subject to development. In

Monterey County, one occurrence is found at

Pacific Valley on the Los Padres National Forest (Matthews 1997).
308

Calochortus obispoensis

(San Luis mariposa lily)

Calochortus obispoensis is a Forest Service

Sensitive Species. It is endemic to San Luis

Obispo County and concentrated around the

city of San Luis Obispo. Occurrences are

known from Cuesta Ridge, Reservoir Canyon,

and Brizzolari Canyon (fig. 5.18). The plants

at Indian Knob grow on tar sands that may be

a type of carbonate soil (McLeod 1984). There

are eighteen recorded occurrences ranging in

abundance from fewer than fifty plants to an

estimated one thousand plants. One occurrence is protected in the Cuesta Ridge

Botanical Area of the Los Padres National

Forest, another occurrence is located in a

county and city biosphere reserve, and several

others are found on land owned by California

Polytechnic San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly).

Records kept by Forest Service resource personnel indicate that the species responds

positively to wildfire.

Delphinium hutchinsonae

(Hutchinson’s larkspur)

Delphinium hutchinsonae is a Forest Service Sensitive Species that is endemic to

Monterey County. Occurrences are found

from sea level to 1,300 feet elevation, on moist

soils within broad-leaved upland forest, chaparral, coastal prairie, and coastal scrub habitats.

Fewer than ten occurrences are known, the

largest containing an estimated one hundred

plants. Most of the known occurrences are

located on private lands; however, one occurrence is located on the Los Padres National

Forest and another occurs on land managed

by the U.S. Coast Guard.

Galium californicum ssp. luciense

(Cone Peak bedstraw)

Galium californicum ssp. luciense is a perennial taxon endemic to the northern Santa

Lucia Range in Monterey County. Occurrences are found growing on talus or duff

within broad-leaved upland forest, cismontane

woodland, and conifer forest habitats. Between

five and ten occurrences are known, four of

them located in designated wilderness areas

on the Los Padres National Forest.

Perideridia gairdneri ssp. gairdneri

(Gairdner’s yampah)

Perideridia gairdneri ssp. gairdneri was

once widely distributed in California but is

now thought to be extirpated in the southern

portion of its range (i.e., Los Angeles, Orange,

and San Diego counties) (Skinner and Pavlik

1994). Extant occurrences are found from

Monterey County north to Del Norte County,

California. The subspecies grows at sea level

to about 1,200 feet in elevation, in mesic places

(including vernal pools) within coastal flats,

valley-foothill grasslands, chaparral, broadleaved upland forests, and pine stands.

Occurrences are mapped on the Monterey

Ranger District of the Los Padres National

Forest; however, this taxon is no longer identified as a sensitive species.

Raillardiopsis muirii

(Muir’s raillardella)

Raillardiopsis muirii is a Forest Service

Sensitive Species known from nineteen occurrences that range across an estimated 200-mile

section of the southern Sierra Nevada, from

Fresno to Kern counties. One disjunct occurrence is found 160 miles to the west near the

coast of Monterey County. This occurrence is

located in the Ventana Wilderness Area (at

Ventana Double Cone) on the Los Padres

National Forest. The species grows from granite ledges and crevices and on gravelly or sandy

flats in openings of montane chaparral, ponderosa pine forest, and mixed conifer forest.

Serpentine Plants

Ten rare plants are found primarily in association with serpentine soils. Within the

assessment area, serpentine soils occur mainly

in Monterey and San Luis Obispo counties.

Summary information for these species is

shown in table 5.19.
309

 Chapter 5

Table 5.19. Rare plants found in association with serpentine soils. y = the taxon occurs on the forest.

Assessments of trend, knowledge of distribution, and vulnerability were made by forest botanists/biologists

and generally refer to occurrences on national forest system lands (unkn. = unknown; decl. = declining; incr.

= increasing).

Calochortus obispoensis 520 unkn. mod. SLO Co., Santa Lucia Rngs.; (moder

(San Luis mariposa lily) ate)

 FS sensitive

Carex obispoensis 218 stable mod. SLO Co., Santa Lucia Rngs.; (low)

(San Luis Obispo sedge)

 FS sensitive

Caulanthus amplexicaulis 136 unkn. low San Rafael Mtns. (Santa Barbara

var. barbarae Co.); (moderate)

(Santa Barbara jewelflower)

 FS sensitive

Chlorogalum pomeridianum 290 low SLO, Colusa, Lake, Sonoma, &

var. minus Tehama cos.

(dwarf soaproot)

Chorizanthe breweri 1,081 stable low SLO Co., Santa Lucia Rngs.; (moder

(Brewer’s spineflower) ate)

 FS sensitive

Fritillaria falcata y unkn. low Monterey, San Benito, Santa Clara,

(talus fritillary) Stanislaus, & Alameda cos.; (moder

 FS sensitive ate)

Fritillaria viridea 36 unkn. low SLO, Monterey, & San Benito cos.;

(San Benito fritillary) (low)

 FS sensitive

Galium hardhamiae 221 stable low Monterey & SLO cos., Santa Lucia

(Hardham’s bedstraw) Rngs.; (moderate)

 FS sensitive

Sanicula maritima 3 decl. high coastal prairies in Monterey & SLO

(adobe sanicle) cos.; (moderate)

 FS sensitive

Sidalcea hickmanii 522 stable/ low SLO Co., Santa Lucia Rngs.; (high)

ssp. anomala incr.

(Cuesta Pass checkerbloom)

 FS sensitive

Carex obispoensis

(San Luis Obispo sedge)

Carex obispoensis is a Forest Service Sensitive Species known from San Luis Obispo

County. Potential habitat also exists in southern Monterey County (fig. 5.18). The sedge

is found in ephemeral seeps with Sargent cypress at Cuesta Ridge, Reservoir Canyon, and

as far north as Arroyo de la Cruz (McLeod

1984). It also grows under drier conditions in

serpentine chaparral. About seventeen occurrences are documented. One is located on

Department of Defense (DOD) land, three

are within the Los Padres National Forest (one

located in the Cuesta Ridge Botanical Area),

and the rest occur on private lands owned for

the most part by the Hearst Corporation.

Scientific Name

(common name)

listing status

Overall Distribution

Trends (Knowledge of distribution on NFS lands)

Vulnerability

on NFS

lands

Acres of Known Habitat

CNF SBNF ANF LPNF

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a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a

a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a

a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a

a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a

a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a

a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a

a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a

a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a
310

Figure 5.18. Documented locations of Calochortus obispoensis, the San Luis mariposa lily, and Carex obispoensis,

the San Luis Obispo sedge.

Caulanthus amplexicaulis var. barbarae

(Santa Barbara jewelflower)

Caulanthus amplexicaulis var. barbarae is

a Forest Service Sensitive Species. An annual

plant, it is found within the San Rafael Mountains of Santa Barbara County. About six

occurrences are documented, five located

within the Los Padres National Forest. The

plant appears to respond positively to fall fires.

Chlorogalum pomeridianum var. minus

(dwarf soaproot)

Chlorogalum pomeridianum var. minus is

known from Colusa, Lake, Sonoma, Tehama,

and San Luis Obispo counties. The species is

no longer considered a Forest Service Sensitive Species.

Chorizanthe breweri

(Brewer’s spineflower)

Chorizanthe breweri is a Forest Service Sensitive Species. An annual plant, it is found on

the Santa Lucia Ranger District of the Los

Padres National Forest, from Cerro Alto to

Lopez Mountain and at various other sites in

San Luis Obispo County. Occurrences are

known from Cuesta Ridge, Reservoir Canyon

and Brizzolari Canyon. The CNPS Inventory

cites about twenty occurrences. Four out of

the thirteen occurrences recorded in the
311

 Chapter 5

CNDDB are located on national forest system lands. One known site on private land is

threatened by development.

Fritillaria falcata (talus fritillary)

Fritillaria falcata is a Forest Service Sensitive Species. It occurs in Stanislaus, San Benito,

Alameda, Santa Clara and Monterey counties.

The CNDDB lists eleven occurrences. The

number of plants recorded at each site is low,

with only two having more than one hundred

individuals. The taxon appears to grow almost

exclusively on talus slopes derived of serpentine. Two occurrences within the Los Padres

National Forest are protected in designated

wilderness areas; however, they are not mapped

(M Foster, unpubl. notes, 1998). Another two

occurrences are found within the Hollister Resource Area on BLM land.

Fritillaria viridea (San Benito fritillary)

Fritillaria viridea is a Forest Service Sensitive Species known from West Cuesta Ridge

in San Luis Obispo County and Mount San

Carlos in San Benito County (Jenkins 1981).

There are also reports from Monterey County;

however, plants at this location may be another taxon. The CNDDB contains records

for just six occurrences, yet the CNPS Inventory mentions that the species is more common

than previously thought in San Benito County.

One occurrence is protected within the Cuesta

Ridge Botanical Area of the Los Padres National Forest and two occurrences are found

in the Hollister Resource Area managed by

the BLM. The species occurs on slopes within

serpentine chaparral in the foothill and lower

montane conifer zones. Most sources cite an

adaptation to serpentine soils, but it has also

been linked to calcareous shale on the

Monterey Ranger District of the Los Padres

National Forest (K. Danielsen, pers. comm).

Habitat for the species has been negatively impacted by unauthorized OHV use and mining

activities.

Galium hardhamiae

(Hardham’s bedstraw)

Galium hardhamiae is a Forest Service Sensitive Species that is endemic to Monterey and

San Luis Obispo counties. This perennial plant

occurs primarily with Sargent cypress in the

Santa Lucia Ranges as far south as Cypress

Mountain. The species occurs to a lesser degree in openings within serpentine chaparral

where there are no cypress (Hardham 1962).

The CNDDB lists seventeen occurrences.

Nine occurrences, covering about 221 acres,

are mapped within the Los Padres National

Forest.

Sanicula maritima (adobe sanicle)

Sanicula maritima is a Forest Service Sensitive Species known from Monterey and San

Luis Obispo counties, where it grows in coastal

prairie habitat. Historic occurrences are documented for Alameda and San Francisco

counties but are now believed to be extirpated.

There are fewer than ten recorded occurrences

of this perennial plant. The largest occurrence

contained an estimated one thousand plants

in 1983 and is located on land owned by the

Hearst Corporation. One occurrence located

on the Monterey Ranger District of the Los

Padres National Forest consisted of three hundred plants in 1985. Two year later this

estimate dropped to fewer than one hundred

plants. Another occurrence is found on state

park land and was reported in 1987 and 1990

to contain fewer than one hundred plants. The

non-native grass, Pennisetum clandestinum

(kikuyu grass) appears to be outcompeting

Sanicula maritima in some areas.

Sidalcea hickmanii ssp. anomala

(Cuesta Pass checkerbloom)

Sidalcea hickmanii ssp. anomala is a Forest Service Sensitive Species that is endemic

to Cuesta Ridge in San Luis Obispo County.

A perennial plant, it is known from three locations, mapped over 558 acres, in clearings

among Sargent cypress. Most of these acres

fall within the Los Padres National Forest and
312

Androsace elongata ssp. acuta

(California androsace)

Androsace elongata ssp. acuta is known

from occurrences in Garner Valley (San Jacinto

Mountains) and along the northern slope of

the San Bernardino Mountains. In San Diego

County, it reportedly occurs in the Cuyamaca

Mountains, Montezuma Valley, and Warner

Springs (Beauchamp 1986). These last two

locations are inland desert valley grasslands

which are privately owned. Potential habitat

also occurs on BLM land in the San Felipe

Hills and at Anza-Borrego Desert State Park.

Its presence on the Los Padres National Forest is documented from herbarium specimens

stored at the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden

(D. Wilken, Santa Barbara Botanic Garden,

in litt. 1998). More occurrences are reported

in Kern County and south to Baja California,

Mexico. In addition to grasslands, the species

is found in chaparral, coastal sage scrub, and

cismontane woodlands, but occurrences are

highly localized.

Astragalus oocarpus

(San Diego milk-vetch)

Astragalus oocarpus is a Forest Service Sensitive Species that is endemic to the mountains

of San Diego County. Populations are located

in the Palomar and Cuyamaca mountains, and

near Volcan Mountain (Reiser 1994). About

twenty occurrences are recorded in all, most

on private lands, and about six on national

forest system lands. Reiser writes that populations of this taxon are stable; however, Forest

Service resource personnel consider it to be

declining due to limited available habitat

(Reiser 1994). The plant occurs at elevations

from roughly 2,000 to 5,000 feet, in openings within chaparral, in oak woodland, and

at the periphery of meadows. Known associates include manzanita and chamise. Like

other Astragalus, A. oocarpus appears to be disturbance oriented; mild (but not prolonged)

soil disturbance may be necessary to establish

new individuals (Reiser 1994). The species is

included in a conservation strategy for coastal

sage scrub (USFS/USFWS/CDFG 1997).

Astragalus pachypus var. jaegeri

(Jaeger’s milk-vetch)

Astragalus pachypus var. jaegeri is a Forest

Service Sensitive Species that is endemic to

northern San Diego and southern Riverside

counties. About seven occurrences are known,

including in the Vail Lake area, south and east

of Vail Lake towards Aguanga, at the northwestern edge of the Sonoran Desert, in the

San Jacinto Mountains, and in the Agua Tibia

Wilderness Area . One historical record is from

near Warner Springs in San Diego County.

The shrub has been located between roughly

1,600 and 3,000 feet elevation in sandy or

rocky soil within coastal sage scrub, chaparral, cismontane woodland, and valley-foothill

grasslands. California buckwheat and the federally endangered species, Berberis nevinii, are

associates at the Vail Lake location (Reiser

1994). In San Diego County the taxon is presumed to be stable; however, those occurrences

in Riverside County are at risk of removal due

to proposed development projects near Potrero

Creek and Vail Lake (Reiser 1994).

Atriplex parishii (Parish’s brittle scale)

Atriplex parishii is a Forest Service Sensitive Species that is typically found on drying

soils in alkali meadows, vernal pools, playas,

and in chenopod scrub at low elevations within

desert habitats (though some locations are reported up to 4,700 feet). The CNDDB

contains records for eleven occurrences. Most

of the recent collections are from the San

Jacinto Valley in Riverside County. Historic

occurrences are noted for Los Angeles, San

Bernardino, and Orange counties. One of

these occurrences may be from Vandeventer

some populations are protected further within

the Cuesta Ridge Botanical Area.

Habitat Generalist Plants

Seventeen rare plants either lack a strong

association with a broad habitat type or their

habitat associations are poorly understood.

Summary information for these species is

shown in table 5.20.
Androsace elongata y y y unkn. unkn. Garner Vlly. (San Jacinto Mtns.), San

ssp. acuta Bern. Mtns., Peninsular Ranges &

(California androsace) desert of SD Co., San Felipe Hills, S Los

Padres area, Kern Co., S to Baja; (low)

Astragalus oocarpus 123 decl. low Palomar, Cuyamaca, & Volcan mtns.

(San Diego milk-vetch) (SD Co.); (moderate)

 FS sensitive

Astragalus pachypus y p unkn./ unkn. N San Diego & S Riverside cos. (Vail

var. jaegeri stable1 Lake area, nw edge of Sonoron

(Jaeger’s milk-vetch) Desert, San Jacinto Mtns., desert

 FS sensitive areas of SD Co.); (low)

Atriplex parishii p San Jacinto Valley & Palm Springs

(Parish’s brittle scale) (Riverside Co.), h in LA, San Bern. &

Orange cos., p in Sta. Rosa Mtns., Baja

Calystegia peirsonii 1 Los Angeles Co. (n San Gabriel Mtns.

(Peirson’s morning-glory) & adjacent areas of Mojave Desert

(Antelope Valley); (low)

Fritillaria ojaiensis 40 unkn. low Ventura, Sta. Brbra, & SLO cos. (outer

(Ojai fritillary) South Coast Ranges & W Transverse

 FS sensitive Ranges or S Los Padres region); (mod.)

Galium angustifolium p 1 unkn. E San Gabriel Mtns. (low)

ssp. gabrielense

(San Antonio Cyn. bedstraw)

Galium grande 1 San Gabriel Mtns.

(San Gabriel bedstraw)

 FS sensitive

Hulsea vestita p y y San Gabriel Mtns. & southern Los

ssp. gabrielensis Padres region (Frazier & Alamo mtns.)

(San Gabriel Mtns. sunflower)

Hulsea vestita ssp. parryi y San Bernardino & Little San Bernar

(Parry’s sunflower) dino mtns.

Layia heterotricha 41 decl. mod. southern Los Padres region (Santa

(pale-yellow layia) Barbara & Ventura cos.), Fresno Co.;

 FS sensitive (moderate)

Linanthus orcuttii 197 p stable mod. Palomar and Laguna mtns. (SD Co.),

(Orcutt’s linanthus) Riverside & LA cos., Baja; (moderate)

 FS sensitive

Monardella macrantha 115 133 y unkn./ low2/ San Gabriel, San Bernardino, San

ssp. hallii decl. mod.3 Jacinto, Santa Ana, Palomar, &

(Hall’s monardella) Cuyamaca mtns.; (high)

 FS sensitive

Phacelia exilis y San Bernardino Mtns., also LA,

(Transverse Range phacelia) Ventura, Kern, & Tulare cos.

Phacelia mohavensis y San Gabriel & San Bernardino mtns.

(Mojave phacelia)

Rupertia rigida y y stable2/ low San Bernardino & San Jacinto mtns.,

(Parish’s rupertia) unkn.3 Peninsular Ranges of SD Co., Baja

Satureja chandleri 273 stable low Santa Ana, San Miguel, Palomar &

(San Miguel savory) Laguna mtns., also foothills of SD Co.,

 FS sensitive McGinty & Otay mtns., Jamul Mtns.,

Santa Rosa Plateau, Baja; (mod.)

Scientific Name

(common name)

listing status

Overall Distribution

Trends (Knowledge of distribution on NFS lands)

Vulnerability

on NFS

lands

Acres of Known Habitat

CNF SBNF ANF LPNF

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Table 5.20. Rare plants with general or unknown habitat parameters. y = the taxon occurs on the forest;

p = has potential to occur. Assessments of trend, knowledge of distribution, and vulnerability were made by

forest botanists/biologists and generally refer to occurrences on national forest system lands (decl. = declining;

unkn. = unknown).

1 Reiser 1994 (refers to all known occurrences)

2 on Cleveland National Forest

3 on San Bernardino National Forest

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314

Flats on the Santa Rosa Indian Reservation in

the Santa Rosa Mountains (near the San Bernardino National Forest). Other historic

occurrences close to the forest are reported for

Palm Springs and Cushenbury Springs. The

species is also known to occur in Baja California, Mexico.

Calystegia peirsonii

(Peirson’s morning-glory)

Calystegia peirsonii is a perennial species

known from occurrences in Los Angeles

County, in the northern San Gabriel Mountains and adjacent areas of the Mojave Desert

(Antelope Valley). It grows on rocky slopes in

coastal scrub, chaparral, chenopod scrub,

cismontane woodland, and lower montane

conifer forest habitats.

Fritillaria ojaiensis (Ojai fritillary)

Fritillaria ojaiensis is a Forest Service Sensitive Species that is known from about five

occurrences in Ventura and Santa Barbara

counties. The occurrences are distributed

within the southern Los Padres region on the

Los Padres National Forest. Potential habitat

exists in San Luis Obispo County as well.

Plants are found between 900 and 1,700 feet

in elevation, growing on rocky soils in moist

areas of chaparral, in mesic broad-leaved upland woodlands (often near drainages), and

in lower montane conifer forests (Hickman

1993).

Galium angustifolium ssp. gabrielense

(San Antonio Canyon bedstraw)

Galium angustifolium ssp. gabrielense is an

uncommon perennial species distributed

within the eastern San Gabriel Mountains near

San Antonio Canyon. The CNDDB has no

records for this taxon. It grows on drier slopes

and ridges in chaparral and open forest and is

associated with granitic, sandy, or rocky soil

types. Occurrences range from lower montane

conifer to subalpine habitats. The species is

found on the Angeles National Forest and potential habitat also occurs on the San Bernardino National Forest.

Galium grande (San Gabriel bedstraw)

Galium grande is a Forest Service Sensitive Species. A deciduous shrub, it is known

from occurrences in the San Gabriel Mountains. The species occupies chaparral, open

broad-leaved upland forests, cismontane

woodlands, and lower montane conifer forests, between 1,400 and 5,000 feet in

elevation.

Hulsea vestita ssp. gabrielensis

(San Gabriel Mountains sunflower)

Hulsea vestita ssp. gabrielensis is known

from at least ten locations on national forest

system lands in the San Gabriel Mountains

and southern Los Padres region (at Frazier and

Alamo mountains) (Wilken 1975, 1977).

There is potential for this plant to occur in

the western portion of the San Bernardino

National Forest as well. This perennial plant

grows on rocky soils in open areas of montane coniferous forest. Some collections appear

intermediate to H. vestita ssp. vestita in the

Sierra Nevada and H. vestita ssp. parryi in the

San Bernardino Mountains; however, a numerical analysis and review of morphological

variation have indicated that populations in

the western Transverse Ranges represent a discrete taxon (S. White, Scott White Biological

Consulting, in litt. 1998; Wilken 1977).

Hulsea vestita ssp. parryi

(Parry’s sunflower)

Hulsea vestita ssp. parryi is endemic to the

eastern San Gabriel, San Bernardino, and

Little San Bernardino mountains (S. White,

Scott White Biological Consulting, in litt.

1998; Wilken 1975). At least ten occurrences

are known in the San Bernardino Mountains,

including one in the San Gorgonio Wilderness Area. Another occurrence is known at

Joshua Tree National Monument. The San

Bernardino National Forest maintains this

subspecies on its watch list. A perennial plant,

it typically grows on rocky soils or talus slopes
315

 Chapter 5

in open areas of conifer forest between 6,500

and 8,900 feet. Recent collections on limestone soils in both conifer forest and

pinyon-juniper woodland have tentatively

been identified as this taxon; however, the species is highly variable.

Layia heterotricha (pale-yellow layia)

Layia heterotricha is a Forest Service Sensitive Species. It is known from extant

populations in the southern Los Padres region

of Santa Barbara and Ventura counties, and

areas of Fresno County. It appears to be declining; historically the species was distributed

in eight counties (Fresno, Kings, Kern,

Monterey, Santa Barbara, San Benito, San Luis

Obispo, and Ventura). The CNDDB contains

records for twenty-nine occurrences, the majority based on herbarium specimens from the

1930s, 1940s, and 1950s. One occurrence, located in the Hollister Resource Area and

managed by the BLM, contained an estimated

five hundred plants in 1993. An occurrence

on the Mount Pinos Ranger District of the

Los Padres National Forest contained twelve

plants in 1994. Many occurrences are believed

to be extirpated. Four occurrences have been

documented in the last fifteen years and the

species is included in a conservation strategy

(USFS/USFWS 1996). Construction of the

San Antonio Reservoir, conversion of habitat

for agricultural use, livestock grazing, invasion

of non-native annuals, and possibly altered fire

regimes are factors believed to have negatively

affected this annual species. Occurrences range

across foothill, lower montane, and montane

conifer forest habitat. Plants are found in grasslands and open areas in foothill and

pinyon-juniper woodlands. They grow on

fragile soils variously described as sandy, calcareous, or an alkaline clay. On the Los Padres

National Forest the species is associated with

calcareous potreros (J. O’Hare, Angeles NF,

pers. comm.).

Linanthus orcuttii (Orcutt’s linanthus)

Linanthus orcuttii is a Forest Service Sensitive Species found in the Palomar and Laguna

mountains of San Diego County, in Riverside

and Los Angeles counties, and in Baja California, Mexico. There are approximately

twenty-five known occurrences, most on public lands where they are fairly well protected.

The species occurs in lower montane and

montane conifer habitats, usually growing in

vernally moist, open sites of chaparral or pine

forest (D. Wilken, Santa Barbara Botanic

Garden, in litt. 1998).

Monardella macrantha ssp. hallii

(Hall’s monardella)

Monardella macrantha ssp. hallii is a Forest Service Sensitive Species. It is an

increasingly rare perennial taxon that occurs

in the San Gabriel, San Bernardino, San

Jacinto, Santa Ana, Palomar and Cuyamaca

mountains. The plant occupies valley-foothill

grasslands, chaparral, cismontane woodlands,

broad-leaved upland forests, and lower montane conifer forests. It grows in rocky places

and in openings in the vegetation. The

CNDDB contains records for thirty-one occurrences and fourteen general locations.

Graduate work done by Linda Allen at Cal

Poly San Luis Obispo has shown that some of

these occurrences are really an intermediate

with M. macrantha ssp. macrantha (Allen

1994). Three occurrences on the San Bernardino National Forest are believed to be the

subspecies hallii. One of these occurrences is

located within the Cahuilla Mountain RNA

where a portion of the population burned in

the 1996 Diego Fire. Plants appeared to be

thriving following this fire. Photographs of the

area taken in 1998 show higher densities of

the plant than before the fire (M. Lardner,

San Bernardino NF, in litt. 1998). Another

population grows partly along a flume line and

an access road, indicating the plant may be

somewhat disturbance oriented.

Phacelia exilis

(Transverse Range phacelia)

Phacelia exilis is a watch-list plant on the

San Bernardino National Forest. Occurrences

are also known in Los Angeles, Ventura, Kern,

and Tulare counties. The species is found in
316

montane conifer forests, subalpine forests,

meadows, and pebble plains. It can be locally

common but is known from fewer than ten

occurrences.

Phacelia mohavensis (Mojave phacelia)

Phacelia mohavensis is known from occurrences in the San Gabriel and San Bernardino

mountains and is a watch-list plant on the San

Bernardino National Forest. The species grows

on sandy or gravelly soils, including dry streambeds, within pinyon-juniper woodlands

and dry meadows. It also is found in

cismontane woodlands and lower montane

conifer forests.

Rupertia rigida (Parish’s rupertia)

Rupertia rigida is a watch-list species on

the San Bernardino and Cleveland national

forests. Occurrences are known in Riverside,

San Bernardino, and San Diego counties, and

Baja California, Mexico. The perennial is uncommon but widely scattered in the San

Bernardino and San Jacinto mountains and

known from at least a dozen locations in the

San Diego ranges (Beauchamp 1986). It grows

within chaparral, cismontane woodlands, and

montane conifer forests below 8,200 feet elevation. Cattle apparently avoid it, but the

species is vulnerable to development projects

which remove habitat on private lands. It has

shown tolerance to stand thinning and prescribed burning at Palomar Mountain on the

Cleveland National Forest.

Satureja chandleri (San Miguel savory)

Satureja chandleri is a Forest Service Sensitive Species found in the Santa Ana

Mountains, several San Diego County mountains (San Miguel, McGinty, Otay, Jamul,

Palomar and Laguna mountains), also near San

Vicente Reservoir, at Sandia Creek near where

it meets the Santa Margarita River, and on the

Santa Rosa Plateau. It also occurs in Baja California, Mexico. There are an estimated

twenty-five known occurrences, on federal,

state, and private lands. The shrub grows on

gabbro or volcanic soils in shaded areas of

chamise chaparral, coastal scrub, oak woodlands, riparian woodlands, and valley-foothill

grasslands. Disjunct occurrences in the Santa

Ana Mountains occupy habitat that is more

mesic than habitat in San Diego County and

Baja (Reiser 1994). One large occurrence in

the Santa Anas is located near a proposed development project; however, other occurrences

in those mountains appear stable. Occurrences

in San Diego County also appear to be stable.

The species may be vulnerable to horticultural

collecting.