Home/Species/ Tiny-flower Phacelia

Phacelia minutissima

Henderson

Tiny-flower Phacelia

G3Vulnerable Found in 3 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →

G3VulnerableGlobal Rank

MediumThreat Impact

Identity

Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.138232

Element CodePDHYD0C300

Record TypeSPECIES

ClassificationSpecies

Classification StatusStandard

Name CategoryVascular Plant

Endemicendemic to a single nation

KingdomPlantae

PhylumAnthophyta

ClassDicotyledoneae

OrderSolanales

FamilyHydrophyllaceae

GenusPhacelia

Other Common Names

small phacelia (EN) Small Phacelia (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.

Conservation Status

Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2

Review Date2022-12-23

Change Date1996-05-13

Edition Date2022-12-23

Edition AuthorsMorse, Larry E. (1995), rev. G. Thunhorst (1996), rev. D. Gries (1997), rev. C. Nordman (2022).

Threat ImpactMedium

Range Extent20,000-200,000 square km (about 8000-80,000 square miles)

Number of Occurrences21 - 80

Rank Reasons

Phacelia minutissima occurs in riparian meadows and mesic woodlands and shrublands in mountainous areas of northern Nevada, eastern Oregon, southwestern Idaho and central Washington. There are about 70 occurrences, and some populations have several thousand plants, perhaps 10-20 occurrences have good or excellent viability. It is threatened by grazing impacts and forest succession, overall threat impacts are considered to be medium.

Range Extent Comments

Phacelia minutissima occurs in the northwestern United States, in mountainous areas of northern Nevada, eastern Oregon, southwestern Idaho and central Washington. The range extent is estimated to be 135,000 square kilometers (NatureServe 2022, SEINet 2022).

Occurrences Comments

There are estimated to be about 70 occurrences of Phacelia minutissima (NatureServe 2022, SEINet 2022).

Threat Impact Comments

The overall threat impact level for Phacelia minutissima is medium. Grazing and trampling by livestock is a well documented threat, it is also threatened by mining and by forest succession, and wildland fire impacts (NatureServe 2022, WNHP 2022).

Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Phacelia minutissima occurs at moderate elevations in mountains, on damp ground such as in meadows and along streambanks, on loam, sand, gravel, and rocky areas, under shrubs and trees. It occurs at 1400 - 2500 meters (4600 - 8200 feet) elevation (SEINet 2022, WNHP 2022).

Terrestrial Habitats

Forest/WoodlandShrubland/chaparral

Palustrine Habitats

HERBACEOUS WETLANDRiparian

Other Nations (1)

United StatesN3

Province	Rank	Native
Idaho	S2	Yes
Oregon	S1	Yes
Washington	S1	Yes
Nevada	S3	Yes

Threat Assessments

Threat	Scope	Severity	Timing
2 - Agriculture & aquaculture	Large (31-70%)	Moderate or 11-30% pop. decline	High (continuing)
2.3 - Livestock farming & ranching	Large (31-70%)	Moderate or 11-30% pop. decline	High (continuing)
3 - Energy production & mining	Small (1-10%)	Serious or 31-70% pop. decline	High (continuing)
3.2 - Mining & quarrying	Small (1-10%)	Serious or 31-70% pop. decline	High (continuing)
7 - Natural system modifications	Restricted (11-30%)	Moderate or 11-30% pop. decline	High (continuing)
7.1 - Fire & fire suppression	Restricted (11-30%)	Moderate or 11-30% pop. decline	High (continuing)
7.2 - Dams & water management/use	Small (1-10%)	Moderate or 11-30% pop. decline	High (continuing)

Plant Characteristics

DurationANNUAL

Economic Value (Genus)No

Roadless Areas (3)

Nevada (2)

Area	Forest	Acres
Copper Mtns.	Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest	31,945
Pine Mtn.	Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest	12,519

Oregon (1)

Area	Forest	Acres
Homestead	Wallowa-Whitman National Forest	5,817

References (12)

Atwood, D. 1995. Inventory for least phacelia (<i>Phacelia minutissima</i>), a Federal Category 2 species. Final Report for Challenge Cost Share Project submitted to Bureau of Land Management, Boise District Office. 19 pp. plus appendices.
Hitchcock, C.L., A. Cronquist, M. Ownbey, and J.W. Thompson. 1959. Vascular plants of the Pacific Northwest. Part 4: Ericaceae through Campanulaceae, by C.L. Hitchcock, A. Cronquist, and M. Ownbey. Univ. Washington Press, Seattle. 510 pp.
Hitchcock, C.L., and A. Cronquist. 1973. Flora of the Pacific Northwest: An Illustrated Manual. University of Washington Press, Seattle, Washington. 730 pp.
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.
Moseley, R. K. 1995a. Conservation status of least phacelia (<i>Phacelia minutissima</i>). Cooperative project between Boise District BLM and Conservation Data Center, Idaho Department of Fish and Game. 16 pp. plus appendices.
NatureServe. 2022. NatureServe Network Biodiversity Location Data. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia.
Peck, M.E. 1961. A manual of the higher plants of Oregon. 2nd edition. Binsford & Mort, Portland, Oregon. 936 pp.
Rosentreter, R. 1986. Sensitive and uncommon plants in the Boise District Bureau of Land Management. Bureau of Land Management, Idaho State Office, Technical Bull., Boise, ID. 87 pp.
Smith, F. J., and M. Curto. 1995. Humboldt National Forest: Mountain City and Jarbidge Districts sensitive plant survey. Unpublished report prepared for USDA Forest Service, Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, Elko, NV. 105 pp.
Southwest Environmental Information Network (SEINet). 2022. Collections Databases. Online. Available: https://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/collections/index.php (accessed 2022).
Steele, B., F. Johnson, and S. Brunsfeld, eds. 1981. Vascular plant species of concern in Idaho. Forest, Wildlife and Range Experiment Station, Moscow, ID. 161 pp.
Washington Natural Heritage Program (WNHP). 2022. Online Field Guide to the Rare Plants of Washington Online. Available: https://fieldguide.mt.gov/wa (accessed 2022).

Phacelia minutissima

Habitat

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