Xanthisma coloradoense

(A. Gray) D.R. Morgan & R.L. Hartman

Colorado Tansy-aster

G3Vulnerable Found in 6 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G3VulnerableGlobal Rank
MediumThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.159099
Element CodePDAST640C0
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
Endemicendemic to a single nation
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassDicotyledoneae
OrderAsterales
FamilyAsteraceae
GenusXanthisma
Synonyms
Haplopappus coloradensis(Gray) R.L. Hartman ex DornHaplopappus coloradoensis(A. Gray) R.L. Hartman ex DornMachaeranthera coloradoensis(Gray) Osterhout
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
Recognized as Xanthisma coloradoense, with no varieties distinguished, by Flora of North America Editorial Committee (2006, vol. 20). According to FNA's treatment, "Two varieties of Xanthisma coloradoense were recognized by R. L. Hartman (1976, 1990). They were distinguished by size, shape, and serration of leaves, size of flowering heads, and ray corolla length. With the number of additional collections amassed, these distinctions no longer hold and the varieties are not recognized."
Conservation Status
Review Date2010-07-16
Change Date2010-07-16
Edition Date2009-10-14
Edition AuthorsNEIGHBOURS, M.L. (rev. W. Fertig/K. Maybury 6/96), rev. Spackman, S. and D. Anderson/L. Morse (2000); rev. Handwerk, J. and B. Heidel (2009)
Threat ImpactMedium
Range Extent20,000-2,500,000 square km (about 8000-1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences21 - 80
Rank Reasons
Known from approximately 40 occurrences in the Rocky Mountains of south-central Wyoming and south-central Colorado.
Range Extent Comments
Regional endemic of south-central Wyoming and central and southern Colorado. Previously reported in north-central New Mexico (Turner 1987).
Occurrences Comments
Known from 31 occurrences in Colorado (5 of which are historical Colorado Natural Heritage Program 2009) and eight extant occurrences in Wyoming (not including one dubious report with no known voucher and one based on a hybrid specimen; Wyoming Natural Diversity Database 2009).
Threat Impact Comments
The primary threat at this time is considered to be recreation/hiking (Rondeau et al. 2011). It is not known if all of the occurrences are or are not threatened by these activities. Direct or indirect negative impacts to M. coloradoensis populations or habitats by human-related activities could occur from motorized and non-motorized recreation, trail or road construction and maintenance, reservoir expansion, housing development, changes to natural disturbance regimes, domestic livestock activities, invasive species introduction, or small-scale mining. Lower elevation populations and those populations closest to roads and trails are likely at the most risk. (Beatty et al. 2004). In addition, in Wyoming it may potentially be affected by energy developments, including wind energy.
Ecology & Habitat

Description

A perennial herb that forms leafy tufts, about 4-10 cm high. Leaves are coarsely-toothed, spoon-shaped to linear, 1-4 cm long, and densely hairy. Large, showy flower heads are borne singly on short stalks (not very high above the leaves). The flower heads have rose-colored or purple rays surrounding a yellow disk.

Habitat

Gravelly places or rock outcrops, often on sandstone or limestone, in variable habitat from dry mountain tundra in Colorado at 2600 m elevation, to intermontane basins of Wyoming at 2200 m.
Terrestrial Habitats
Grassland/herbaceousAlpine
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN3
ProvinceRankNative
ColoradoS3Yes
WyomingS2Yes
Plant Characteristics
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (6)
Colorado (4)
AreaForestAcres
Bristol HeadRio Grande NF46,087
Dome PeakRoutt NF35,716
Pole Mountain / Finger MesaRio Grande NF43,863
San MiguelSan Juan NF64,263
Wyoming (2)
AreaForestAcres
Bear MountainMedicine Bow-Routt National Forest9,440
Sheep MountainMedicine Bow-Routt National Forest17,626
References (10)
  1. Beatty, B.L., W.F. Jennings, and R.C. Rawlinson. (2004, January 30). <i>Machaeranthera coloradoensis</i> (Gray) Osterhout (Colorado tansyaster): a technical conservation assessment. [Online]. USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Region. Available: http://www.fs.fed.us/r2/projects/scp/assessments/machaerantheracoloradoensis.pdf [March 2006].
  2. Cronquist, A. 1994. Asterales. In A. Cronquist, A.H. Holmgren, N.H. Holmgren, J.L. Reveal, and P.K. Holmgren. Intermountain flora: Vascular plants of the Intermountain West, U.S.A. Vol. 5. New York Botanical Garden, Bronx. 496 pp.
  3. Dorn, R.D. 1988. Vascular plants of Wyoming. Mountain West Publishing, Cheyenne, WY. 340 pp.
  4. Fertig, W., C. Refsdal, and J. Whipple. 1994. Wyoming rare plant field guide. Wyoming Rare Plant Technical Committee, Cheyenne. No pagination.
  5. Flora of North America Editorial Committee (FNA). 2006b. Flora of North America north of Mexico. Vol. 20. Magnoliophyta: Asteridae, part 7: Asteraceae, part 2. Oxford Univ. Press, New York. xxii + 666 pp.
  6. Harrington, H.D. 1954. Manual of the plants of Colorado. Sage Press, Chicago. 666 pp.
  7. 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.
  8. 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.
  9. Rondeau, R., K. Decker, J. Handwerk, J. Siemers, L. Grunau, and C. Pague. 2011. The state of Colorado's biodiversity 2011. Prepared for The Nature Conservancy. Colorado Natural Heritage Program, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado.
  10. Turner, B.L. 1987. Taxonomic study of Machaeranthera, sections Machaeranthera and Hesperastrum (Asteraceae). Phytologia. 62(3):207-215.