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Amsonia jonesii

Woods.

Jones' Bluestar

G3Vulnerable Found in 1 roadless area NatureServe Explorer →
G3VulnerableGlobal Rank
UnknownThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.138477
Element CodePDAPO030A0
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
Endemicendemic to a single nation
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassDicotyledoneae
OrderGentianales
FamilyApocynaceae
GenusAmsonia
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.
Conservation Status
Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2
Review Date2023-07-24
Change Date2023-07-24
Edition Date2023-07-24
Edition AuthorsEberly (2023)
Threat ImpactUnknown
Range Extent20,000-200,000 square km (about 8000-80,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences21 - 80
Rank Reasons
Amsonia jonesii is a perennial herb of the western United States, where it is known from Utah, New Mexico, Arizona, and Colorado. It is widely dispersed but uncommon in Utah and rare in the remainder of the states where it is found. Many occurrences are based on historical collections which should be surveyed to determine if plants are extant. Surveys would also inform threats and population trends.
Range Extent Comments
Amsonia jonesii occurs in the western United States where it is known from eastern Utah (Duchesne, Emery, Garfield, Grand, Kane, San Juan, Sevier, Uintah, Washington, and Wayne Counties), northwestern New Mexico, northern Arizona, and western Colorado (Mesa and Montezuma counties) (Heil et al. 2013, CNHP 2023, Welsh et al. 2023). Range extent was estimated using herbarium specimens, photo-based observations, and NatureServe Network occurrence data collected between 1982 and 2023 (NatureServe 2023, SEINet 2023).
Occurrences Comments
By applying a 1 km separation distance to herbarium specimens, photo-based observations, and NatureServe Network occurrence data documented between 1982 and 2023, it is estimated that there are potentially 80 occurrences rangewide (GBIF 2023, iNaturalist 2023, NatureServe 2023, SEINet 2023). Most occurrences are found in Utah, where the species occurs at scattered, localized occurrences from the Uinta Basin southwest to Monroe Hot Springs and southeastern counties (Welsh et al. 2023).
Threat Impact Comments
Potential threats to this species include competition from invasive plant species and disturbance from off-road vehicle use and recreational activities (Welsh et al. 2015, CNHP 2023). Overall, there is too little information to complete a threats assessment.
Ecology & Habitat

Description

Flowers tubular, powder-blue; corolla with 5 lobes united at the base, and with stiff inpointing hairs; leaves alternate; stems 1.5-5 dm tall, usually much branched from the base; plants with milky juice; tap rooted perennial.

Habitat

This species is growing in dry, gravelly, sandy, loam, or clay soils of washes in pinyon- juniper, desert shrub, mountain brush, blackbrush, semi-desert grasslands, and sandy sagebrush deserts communities at 1,200 to 2,150 m (Heil et al. 2013, Welsh et al. 2015).
Terrestrial Habitats
Forest/WoodlandWoodland - ConiferShrubland/chaparralGrassland/herbaceousDesert
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN3
ProvinceRankNative
ArizonaS2Yes
New MexicoSNRYes
UtahS3Yes
ColoradoS2Yes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
4 - Transportation & service corridorsUnknownUnknownHigh (continuing)
4.1 - Roads & railroadsUnknownUnknownHigh (continuing)
6 - Human intrusions & disturbanceUnknownUnknownHigh (continuing)
6.1 - Recreational activitiesUnknownUnknownHigh (continuing)
8 - Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseasesUnknownUnknownHigh (continuing)
8.1 - Invasive non-native/alien species/diseasesUnknownUnknownHigh (continuing)
8.1.1 - Unspecified speciesUnknownUnknownHigh (continuing)

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Plant Characteristics
DurationPERENNIAL
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (1)
Utah (1)
AreaForestAcres
CottonwoodDixie National Forest6,754
References (7)
  1. Colorado Natural Heritage Program (CNHP). 2023. Biodiversity Tracking and Conservation System (Biotics 5). Colorado Natural Heritage Program, Colorado State University, Fort Collins.
  2. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). 2023. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) data portal. Online. Available: https://www.gbif.org/ (accessed 2023).
  3. Heil, K.D, S.L. O'Kane Jr., L.M. Reeves, and A. Clifford. 2013. Flora of the Four Corners Region. Vascular Plants of the San Juan River Drainage: Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. Monographs in systematic botany from the Missouri Botanical Garden, Vol. 124, Missouri Botanical Garden Press, St. Louis, MO. xvi + 1098 pp.
  4. iNaturalist. 2023. Online. Available: https://www.inaturalist.org (accessed 2023).
  5. 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.
  6. NatureServe. 2023. NatureServe Network Biodiversity Location Data. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia.
  7. Southwest Environmental Information Network (SEINet). 2023. Collections Databases. Online. Available: https://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/collections/index.php (accessed 2023).