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Aliciella caespitosa

(A. Gray) J.M. Porter

Wonderland Alice-flower

G3Vulnerable Found in 1 roadless area NatureServe Explorer →

G3VulnerableGlobal Rank

LowThreat Impact

Identity

Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.156590

Element CodePDPLM04070

Record TypeSPECIES

ClassificationSpecies

Classification StatusStandard

Name CategoryVascular Plant

Endemicendemic to a single state or province

KingdomPlantae

PhylumAnthophyta

ClassDicotyledoneae

OrderSolanales

FamilyPolemoniaceae

GenusAliciella

Synonyms

Alicellia caespitosa(A. Gray) J.M. PorterAliciella cespitosa(A. Gray) J.M. PorterGilia caespitosaGray

Other Common Names

Rabbit Valley Gilia (EN) Rabbit Valley gilia (EN) Rabbit Valley Gily-flower (EN)

Concept Reference

Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.

Taxonomic Comments

The species widely known as Gilia caespitosa was reclassified in Aliciella by Porter (Aliso 17:34. 1998).The spelling used by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in the June 13, 2002 Candidate Notice of Review is "Alicelia caespitosa". The spelling was changed in the May 4, 2004 CNOR to "Alicellia caespitosa". However, in some USFWS lists it is spelled "Aliciella cespitosa". In the 2006 Candidate Notice of Review (USFWS 2006), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service found that listing of this species was not warranted and removed it from the candidate list.

Conservation Status

Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2

Review Date2022-07-14

Change Date2022-07-14

Edition Date2022-07-14

Edition AuthorsK. Maybury (2003), rev. L. Morse (2005), rev. Treher (2016, 2022)

Threat ImpactLow

Range Extent250-1000 square km (about 100-400 square miles)

Number of Occurrences6 - 20

Rank Reasons

Aliciella caespitosa is a narrow endemic of Wayne County, Utah in the western United States. There are around 12 occurrences with population sizes ranging from one to a few thousand individuals. Some locations have only a limited amount of suitable habitat and therefore little potential for populations to increase. Collecting for rock-garden use remains a broad but low-level threat.

Range Extent Comments

Aliciella caespitosa is endemic to Wayne County, Utah in the western United States.

Occurrences Comments

There are approximately 12 occurrences based on a 2 km separation distance. These may be delineated differently by the USFWS, which describe six population areas, with about 40 subpopulations (USFWS 2004).

Threat Impact Comments

Collection of plants and seeds by rock garden enthusiasts is a significant threat (USFWS 2004), especially because the plants produce few seeds and international trade is not controlled by CITES; however, many of the subpopulations are in relatively inaccessible places where collecting is unlikely (USFWS 2004). Potential highway widening may affect some areas (USFWS 2004). Former threats from sand mining and sandstone quarrying would now be inconsistent with the species' interagency Conservation Agreement and Strategy.

Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

On Navajo and Wingate sandstone in crevices, Carmel Limestone formations, detrital slopes, and (infrequently) in sandy wash bottoms. Found within open pinyon-juniper communities, often mixed with mountain brush, sagebrush, or ponderosa pine, at 1554 to 2743 m elevation.

Terrestrial Habitats

Forest/WoodlandWoodland - ConiferShrubland/chaparralBare rock/talus/scree

Other Nations (1)

United StatesN3

Province	Rank	Native
Utah	S3	Yes

Threat Assessments

Threat	Scope	Severity	Timing
1 - Residential & commercial development	Negligible (<1%)	Negligible or <1% pop. decline	High (continuing)
1.1 - Housing & urban areas	Small (1-10%)	Unknown	High (continuing)
1.3 - Tourism & recreation areas	Negligible (<1%)	Negligible or <1% pop. decline	High (continuing)
2 - Agriculture & aquaculture	Small (1-10%)	Slight or 1-10% pop. decline	High (continuing)
2.3 - Livestock farming & ranching	Small (1-10%)	Slight or 1-10% pop. decline	High (continuing)
2.3.4 - Scale unknown/unrecorded	Small (1-10%)	Slight or 1-10% pop. decline	High (continuing)
3 - Energy production & mining	Small (1-10%)	Slight or 1-10% pop. decline	Insignificant/negligible or past
3.2 - Mining & quarrying	Small (1-10%)	Slight or 1-10% pop. decline	Insignificant/negligible or past
4 - Transportation & service corridors	Small (1-10%)	Slight or 1-10% pop. decline	Moderate (short-term)
4.1 - Roads & railroads	Small (1-10%)	Slight or 1-10% pop. decline	Moderate (short-term)
5 - Biological resource use	Restricted (11-30%)	Moderate or 11-30% pop. decline	High (continuing)
5.2 - Gathering terrestrial plants	Restricted (11-30%)	Moderate or 11-30% pop. decline	High (continuing)
6 - Human intrusions & disturbance	Small (1-10%)	Negligible or <1% pop. decline	High (continuing)
6.1 - Recreational activities	Small (1-10%)	Negligible or <1% pop. decline	High (continuing)
11 - Climate change & severe weather	Pervasive (71-100%)	Unknown	High (continuing)

Plant Characteristics

DurationPERENNIAL, Long-lived

Economic Value (Genus)No

Roadless Areas (1)

Utah (1)

Area	Forest	Acres
Boulder Mtn. / Boulder Top / Deer Lake	Dixie National Forest	110,690

References (6)

England, L. 2002. Candidate and listing priority assignment form: Alicellia caespitosa. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Salt Lake City, Utah.
Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
Porter, J.M. 1998. Aliciella, a recircumscribed genus of Polemoniaceae. Aliso 17(1): 23-46.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). 2004. Species assessment and listing priority assignment form. Aliciella caespitosa. 12 pp.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). 2006. Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Review of Native Species That Are Candidates or Proposed for Listing as Endangered or Threatened; Annual Notice of Findings on Resubmitted Petitions; Annual Description of Progress on Listing Actions. Federal Register 71: 53756-53835.
U.S. Forest Service (Intermountain Region), Bureau of Land Management (Utah State Office), National Park Service (Intermountain Field Office), and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Mountain Prairie Region). 1996. Gilia caespitosa (Wonderland Alice-flower) draft conservation agreement and strategy. 13 pp.

Aliciella caespitosa

Habitat

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