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Physaria tumulosa

(Barneby) O'Kane & Al-Shehbaz

Kodachrome Bladderpod

G3Vulnerable Found in 1 roadless area NatureServe Explorer →
G3VulnerableGlobal Rank
LowThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.140684
Element CodePDBRA1N1X0
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
Endemicendemic to a single state or province
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassDicotyledoneae
OrderCapparales
FamilyBrassicaceae
GenusPhysaria
Synonyms
Lesquerella tumulosa(Barneby) Reveal
Concept Reference
Welsh, S.L., N.D. Atwood, S. Goodrich, and L.C. Higgins (eds.) 1993. A Utah flora. 2nd edition. Brigham Young Univ., Provo, Utah. 986 pp.
Taxonomic Comments
Flora of North America Editorial Committee (2010) and USFWS treat this taxon as a distinct species. Kartesz (1994 and 1999) includes this material in Lesquerella rubicundula.
Conservation Status
Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2
Review Date2020-10-01
Change Date2020-10-01
Edition Date2020-10-01
Edition Authorsrev. L. Morse (1996), rev. B. Franklin/K. Maybury (1996), rev. L. Morse (2001), Treher, McCormick, and Wheeler (2020)
Threat ImpactLow
Range Extent<100 square km (less than about 40 square miles)
Number of Occurrences1 - 5
Rank Reasons
Physaria tumulosa is a perennial herb endemic to Utah and occurs, primarily, within the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. It is hoped that molecular research will confirm the identity of newly discovered populations which would expand the species range and abundance, beyond the single known occurrence. Threats to this species are low, as sites are inaccessible and some distance from public roads which introduced access to off road vehicles in the past. Climate change is a potential threat but not well defined.
Range Extent Comments
Physaria tumulosa is endemic to Utah and found only in Kane County. Differentiating P. tumulosa from Physaria navajoensis (in northeastern Arizona and northwestern New Mexico) is challenging (FNA 2010). In addition, the species hybridizes with other Physaria. New locations in Utah, vouchered by specimens at BRY, were discovered and they expand the range extent to 157 sq km, but their identification (as P. tumulosa) are considered tentative until molecular analyses can be completed. If they are excluded from range extent, the remaining occurrences are within 10 sq km (M. McCormick and M. Wheeler, pers. comm., 2020).
Occurrences Comments
At this time, only one occurrence is confidently identified as P. tumulosa.
Threat Impact Comments
Occurrences of this species are within Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument where vehicle traffic is restricted. Sites are not easily accessible and not believed to be currently impacted by off road vehicles.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

This species occurs on extremely dry, sparsely vegetated, white shale knolls with thin soils derived from the Windsor Member of the Carmel Formation (FNA 2010). It is associated with scattered Utah Juniper (Juniperus osteosperma) within a Bouteloua grassland. The habitat of this species consists of open areas, which have primarily been mapped as Intermountain Basins Cliff, Scree & Badlands (G570), and to a lesser extent (including surrounding areas) Colorado Plateau Pinyon - Juniper Woodland (G900) at the group level of the US National Vegetation Classification (NatureServe 2025).
Terrestrial Habitats
Grassland/herbaceousBarrens
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN3
ProvinceRankNative
UtahS3Yes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
6 - Human intrusions & disturbanceRestricted (11-30%)Moderate or 11-30% pop. declineInsignificant/negligible or past
6.1 - Recreational activitiesRestricted (11-30%)Moderate or 11-30% pop. declineInsignificant/negligible or past
11 - Climate change & severe weatherPervasive (71-100%)UnknownLow (long-term)

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Plant Characteristics
DurationPERENNIAL
Economic Value (Genus)Yes
Roadless Areas (1)
Utah (1)
AreaForestAcres
FishhookDixie National Forest12,959
References (9)
  1. Flora of North America Editorial Committee (FNA). 2010. Flora of North America north of Mexico. Vol. 7. Magnoliophyta: Salicaceae to Brassicaceae. Oxford University Press, New York. xxii + 797 pp.
  2. Franklin, M.C. 1990. Report for 1989 Challenge Cost Share Project, Bureau of Land Management. Target species: Xylorhiza cronquistii (Cronquist woodyaster), Lesquerella tumulosa (kodachrome bladderpod), Lepidium montanum var. stelliae (kodachrome pepper-grass). Utah Natural Heritage Program, Salt Lake City. 11 pp.
  3. 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.
  4. McCormick, Meghan. Personal communication. Natural Heritage Botany Intern, USU Department of Wildland Resources, Salt Lake City, UT.
  5. NatureServe. 2025. Ecosystems of the Conterminous US and Adjacent Areas, Version 1.0. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia. Online. Available: https://natureserve.maps.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=66c13612635d4ee9bd4d6500cf462e7f (Accessed 2025).
  6. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). 1993. Final rule to determine a Utah plant, of <i>Lesquerella tumulosa </i>(kodachrome bladderpod), as an endangered species. Federal Register 58(192): 52027-52030.
  7. Welsh, S.L. 1979. Illustrated manual of proposed endangered and threatened plants of Utah. Brigham Young Univ., Provo, UT. 318 pp.
  8. Welsh, S.L., N.D. Atwood, S. Goodrich, and L.C. Higgins (eds.) 1993. A Utah flora. 2nd edition. Brigham Young Univ., Provo, Utah. 986 pp.
  9. Wheeler, Mindy. Rare Plant Conservation Coordinator. State of Utah and USU Wildland Resources.