Stellaria sanjuanensis
M.T. Sharples & E. Tripp
G3VulnerableGlobal Rank
UnknownThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.1126976
Element CodePDCAR0X1E0
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusProvisional
Name CategoryVascular Plant
Endemicendemic to a single nation
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassDicotyledoneae
OrderCaryophyllales
FamilyCaryophyllaceae
GenusStellaria
Concept ReferenceSharples, M.T., and E.A. Tripp. 2019. RAD sequencing rejects a long-distance disjunction in Stellaria (Caryophyllaceae) and yields support for a new southern Rocky Mountains endemic. Taxon 68(2): 17 pp.
Taxonomic CommentsSharples and Tripp (2019) distinguish Stellaria sanjuanensis as a new species, endemic to the southern Rocky Mountains. Sharples and Tripp (2019) also expand the concept of S. irrigua, of which they consider S. umbellata to be a synonym, to include plants from eastern Asia through western North America. In contrast, Kartesz (1994, 1999) and Flora of North America (2005) recognized S. irrigua and S. umbellata as distinct species, with S. irrigua having a narrower range than S. umbellata. Material now named S. sanjuanensis by Sharples and Tripp (2019) was previously included in S. irrigua.
Conservation Status
Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2
Review Date2023-06-15
Change Date2023-06-15
Edition Date2023-06-15
Edition AuthorsTomaino, A. (2019), rev. Doyle and Eberly (2023)
Threat ImpactUnknown
Range Extent20,000-200,000 square km (about 8000-80,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences21 - 80
Rank ReasonsStellaria sanjuanensis occurs in the western United States as a narrow endemic of San Juan, Elk, and Sangre de Cristo Mountains of Colorado and southerly portions of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains in northern New Mexico. There are approximately 30 occurrences but many are based on older collections. Threats and trends are unknown.
Range Extent CommentsStellaria sanjuanensis occurs in the western United States as a narrow endemic of San Juan, Elk, and Sangre de Cristo Mountains of Colorado and into southerly portions of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains in far northern New Mexico (Sharples and Tripp 2019). Per SEINet (2023) specimen data, Stellaria sanjuanensis is known from 11 counties in southern Colorado.
Occurrences CommentsBy applying a 1 km separation distance to herbarium records, it is estimated that there are between there are at least 25 occurrences in Colorado and 4 in New Mexico (GBIF 2023, SEINet 2023). Most are based on historical collections, which should be surveyed to confirm the plants continued presence.
Threat Impact CommentsBased on habitat, it is highly susceptible to climate change impacts (D. Roth, pers. comm., 2019).
Ecology & Habitat
Habitat
This species grows on dry, exposed alpine scree slopes that are typically of volcanic origin (Sharples and Tripp 2019).
Terrestrial HabitatsAlpineBare rock/talus/scree
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN3
| Province | Rank | Native |
|---|
| New Mexico | SNR | Yes |
| Colorado | S3 | Yes |
Plant Characteristics
DurationPERENNIAL
Economic Value (Genus)No
References (6)
- Flora of North America Editorial Committee (FNA). 2005. Flora of North America north of Mexico. Vol. 5. Magnoliophyta: Caryophyllidae: Caryophyllales, Polygonales, and Plumbaginales. Oxford Univ. Press, New York. vii + 656 pp.
- Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). 2023. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) data portal. Online. Available: https://www.gbif.org/ (accessed 2023).
- 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.
- 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.
- Sharples, M.T., and E.A. Tripp. 2019. RAD sequencing rejects a long-distance disjunction in <i>Stellaria</i> (Caryophyllaceae) and yields support for a new southern Rocky Mountains endemic. Taxon 68(2): 17 pp.
- Southwest Environmental Information Network (SEINet). 2023. Collections Databases. Online. Available: https://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/collections/index.php (accessed 2023).