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Home/Species/ Kern Canyon False Goldenaster

Heterotheca shevockii

(Semple) Semple

Kern Canyon False Goldenaster

G2Imperiled Found in 2 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G2ImperiledGlobal Rank
MediumThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.160823
Element CodePDAST4V0T0
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
Endemicendemic to a single state or province
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassDicotyledoneae
OrderAsterales
FamilyAsteraceae
GenusHeterotheca
Synonyms
Heterotheca villosa var. shevockiiSemple
Other Common Names
Shevock's Goldenaster (EN)
Concept Reference
Kartesz, J.T. 1999. A synonymized checklist and atlas with biological attributes for the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. First edition. In: Kartesz, J.T., and C.A. Meacham. Synthesis of the North American Flora, Version 1.0. North Carolina Botanical Garden, Chapel Hill, N.C.
Taxonomic Comments
Formerly recognized as Heterotheca villosa var. shevockii in Hickman (1993), Semple (1996) recognizes as a distinct, full species, H. shevockii. Neither name is treated in Kartesz (1994); Kartesz (1999) accepts at the species level.
Conservation Status
Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2
Review Date2024-04-24
Change Date2013-08-20
Edition Date2024-04-24
Edition AuthorsMartinez, M., rev. R. Bittman 5/2005, rev. Soteropoulos (2024)
Threat ImpactMedium
Range Extent<100 square km (less than about 40 square miles)
Number of Occurrences6 - 20
Rank Reasons
Heterotheca shevockii is a perennial forb or subshrub endemic to a stretch of river 21 miles long in the lower Kern River Canyon in the Greenhorn Mountains in Kern County, California in the western United States. It is known from at least eight occurrences with fair viability, seven of which are located in the Sequoia National Forest. It faces threats from highway maintenance and recreational activities. Monitoring of populations should be conducted to improve our understanding of reproduction, plant abundance, threats, and trends, as well as continuing conservation measures to protect the species.
Range Extent Comments
Heterotheca shevockii is endemic to Kern County, California in the western United States where it occurs along a stretch of river 21 miles long in the lower Kern River Canyon in the Greenhorn Mountains (Semple 1996).
Occurrences Comments
By applying a 1 km separation distance to herbarium specimens and photo-based observations documented between 1983 and 2024, it is estimated that there are approximately fourteen sites which may be considered eight occurrences rangewide (CalFlora 2024, CCH2 2024, CNDDB 2024).
Threat Impact Comments
Most occurrences of this species are located along a highway and face threats from highway maintenance activities, and populations along the river are subject to impacts from recreation activities, including foot traffic and trampling (CNDDB 2024).
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Heterotheca shevockii grows in "sandy, gravelly soils and rock crevices in grass and open xeric pine and oak woods" and ditches within Chaparral and Foothill/Cismontane Woodland communities (Semple 1996, FNA 2006).
Terrestrial Habitats
Forest/WoodlandForest EdgeWoodland - MixedShrubland/chaparralBare rock/talus/scree
Palustrine Habitats
TEMPORARY POOL
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN2
ProvinceRankNative
CaliforniaS2Yes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
4 - Transportation & service corridorsPervasive (71-100%)Moderate or 11-30% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
4.1 - Roads & railroadsPervasive (71-100%)Moderate or 11-30% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
6 - Human intrusions & disturbanceRestricted (11-30%)Moderate or 11-30% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
6.1 - Recreational activitiesRestricted (11-30%)Moderate or 11-30% pop. declineHigh (continuing)

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Plant Characteristics
DurationPERENNIAL
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (2)
California (2)
AreaForestAcres
Greenhorn CreekSequoia National Forest28,226
Mill CreekSequoia National Forest27,643
References (10)
  1. CalFlora. 2005. Information on California plants for education, research and conservation. Berkeley, California: The CalFlora Database [web application]. Available: http://www.calflora.org/. (Accessed 2005)
  2. CalFlora. 2024. Information on California plants for education, research and conservation. Berkeley, California: The CalFlora Database [web application]. Available: http://www.calflora.org/. (Accessed 2024).
  3. California Department of Fish and Game. 1997. RareFind 2 personal computer program. Information dated March 1999. Sacramento, California.
  4. California Native Plant Society (CNPS). 2001. Inventory of Rare and Endangered Plants of California (sixth edition). Rare Plant Scientific Advisory Committee, David P. Tibor, Convening Editor. California Native Plant Society. Sacramento, CA. x + 388pp.
  5. California Natural Diversity Database (CNDDB). 2024. RareFind Version 5.3.0. California Department of Fish and Game, Sacramento.
  6. CCH2 Portal. 2024. Consortium of California Herbaria. Online. Available: https//:www.cch2.org/portal/index.php (Accessed 2024).
  7. Flora of North America Editorial Committee (FNA). 2006b. Flora of North America north of Mexico. Vol. 20. Magnoliophyta: Asteridae, part 7: Asteraceae, part 2. Oxford Univ. Press, New York. xxii + 666 pp.
  8. Hickman, J. C., ed. 1993. The Jepson manual: Higher plants of California. University of California Press, Berkeley, CA. 1400 pp.
  9. Kartesz, J.T. 1999. A synonymized checklist and atlas with biological attributes for the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. First edition. In: Kartesz, J.T., and C.A. Meacham. Synthesis of the North American Flora, Version 1.0. North Carolina Botanical Garden, Chapel Hill, N.C.
  10. Semple, J.C. 1996. A Revision of Heterotheca sect. Phyllotheca (Nutt.) Harms (Compositae: Astereae): The Prairie and Montane Goldenasters of North America. University of Waterloo Biology Series No. 37. University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario.