Home/Species/ Kaweah Brodiaea

Brodiaea insignis

(Jepson) Niehaus

Kaweah Brodiaea

G1Critically Imperiled Found in 2 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →

G1Critically ImperiledGlobal Rank

Very highThreat Impact

Identity

Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.155443

Element CodePMLIL0C060

Record TypeSPECIES

ClassificationSpecies

Classification StatusStandard

Name CategoryVascular Plant

Endemicendemic to a single state or province

KingdomPlantae

PhylumAnthophyta

ClassMonocotyledoneae

OrderAsparagales

FamilyAsparagaceae

GenusBrodiaea

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

Distinct, one of many species in the genus.

Conservation Status

Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2

Review Date2024-07-15

Change Date2013-08-20

Edition Date2024-07-15

Edition AuthorsGreene, L., rev. R. Bittman, rev. Maybury (1997), rev. N. Ventrella (2024)

Threat ImpactVery high

Range Extent100-250 square km (about 40-100 square miles)

Number of Occurrences6 - 20

Rank Reasons

Brodiaea insignis is a bulb occurring in valley and foothill grasslands, meadows, seeps, and woodlands on clay soils and granite substrates in the Kaweah and Tule River drainages of Tulare County, California, USA. There are an estimated seven extant occurrences of this species, which are highly threatened by residential development, road construction and maintenance, livestock grazing, non-native plants, and altered hydrology. Many occurrences are historical and need to be monitored.

Range Extent Comments

Brodiaea insignis occurs in western North America where it is found in Tulare County, California, USA (CNPS 2024). It is a state endemic found along the Kaweah and Tule River drainages. Range extent was estimated to be 175 square kilometers using herbarium specimens, CalFlora observations, and NatureServe Network occurrence data collected between 1993 and 2024 (CalFlora 2024, NatureServe 2024, SEINet 2024).

Occurrences Comments

The California Natural Heritage Program recognizes 26 (NatureServe 2024) to 27 (CNPS 2024) occurrences, but most (24) of these are historical (Bittman, pers. comm., 2016). By applying a 1 km separation distance to herbarium specimens, NatureServe Network occurrence data, and CalFlora observations of records collected between 1993 and 2024, there are an estimated seven occurrences (CalFlora 2024, GBIF 2024, NatureServe 2024, SEINet 2024).

Threat Impact Comments

Brodiaea insignis is threatened by livestock grazing at 62% of occurrences, residential development at 29% of occurrences, foot traffic and trampling at 11% of occurrences, road maintenance (including herbicide spraying and mowing) at 7% of occurrences, and altered hydrology at 3% of occurrences (CNPS 2024). Competition by non-native plants is also a threat. One historic population at Shady Springs was destroyed by construction in the summer of 1980. Road construction and transmission line construction and maintenance are also both threats to this species (Pearson 1989).

Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Brodiaea insignis occurs in valley and foothill grasslands, meadows and seeps, and Cismontane woodlands from 150-1400 m elevation (CNPS 2024). It prefers clay soils and south to southwest-facing slopes, but also grows in moist swales on granite substrate (Pearson 1989). Associated species include wild oats, lupine, annual grasses, and other Brodiaeas.

Terrestrial Habitats

Forest/WoodlandWoodland - HardwoodGrassland/herbaceous

Palustrine Habitats

FORESTED WETLANDRiparian

Other Nations (1)

United StatesN1

Province	Rank	Native
California	S1	Yes

Threat Assessments

Threat	Scope	Severity	Timing
1 - Residential & commercial development	Restricted (11-30%)	Extreme or 71-100% pop. decline	High (continuing)
2 - Agriculture & aquaculture	Large (31-70%)	Serious or 31-70% pop. decline	High (continuing)
2.3 - Livestock farming & ranching	Large (31-70%)	Serious or 31-70% pop. decline	High (continuing)
2.3.4 - Scale unknown/unrecorded	Large (31-70%)	Serious or 31-70% pop. decline	High (continuing)
4 - Transportation & service corridors	Restricted (11-30%)	Serious or 31-70% pop. decline	High (continuing)
4.1 - Roads & railroads	Restricted (11-30%)	Serious or 31-70% pop. decline	High (continuing)
6 - Human intrusions & disturbance	Restricted (11-30%)	Moderate or 11-30% pop. decline	High (continuing)
6.1 - Recreational activities	Restricted (11-30%)	Moderate or 11-30% pop. decline	High (continuing)
7 - Natural system modifications	Small (1-10%)	Serious - moderate	Unknown
7.2 - Dams & water management/use	Small (1-10%)	Serious - moderate	Unknown
7.2.4 - Abstraction of surface water (unknown use)	Small (1-10%)	Serious - moderate	Unknown
8 - Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseases	Pervasive (71-100%)	Moderate - slight	High (continuing)
8.1 - Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases	Pervasive (71-100%)	Moderate - slight	High (continuing)

Plant Characteristics

DurationPERENNIAL

Economic Value (Genus)No

Roadless Areas (2)

California (2)

Area	Forest	Acres
Dennison Peak	Sequoia National Forest	6,293
Moses	Sequoia National Forest	22,077

References (13)

Bittman, Roxanne. Personal Communication. Botanist, California Natural Diversity Database, Sacramento, Calif.
CalFlora. 2024. Information on California plants for education, research and conservation. Berkeley, California: The CalFlora Database [web application]. Available: http://www.calflora.org/. (Accessed 2024).
California Department of Fish and Game. 2000. Natural Diversity Database (RareFind 2), Version 2.1.2, January 25, 2000. Downloaded in 2003.
California Native Plant Society (CNPS). 2001. Inventory of Rare and Endangered Plants of California (sixth edition). Rare Plant Scientific Advisory Committee, David P. Tibor, Convening Editor. California Native Plant Society. Sacramento, CA. x + 388pp.
California Native Plant Society (CNPS), Rare Plant Program. 2024. Inventory of Rare and Endangered Plants of California, online edition, v9.5. Online. Available: https://www.rareplants.cnps.org (accessed 2024).
Fiedler, P.L. 1996. Rare Lilies of California. California Native Plant Society Press, Sacramento, California. 154 pp.
Flora of North America Editorial Committee (FNA). 2002a. Flora of North America north of Mexico. Vol. 26. Magnoliophyta: Liliidae: Liliales and Orchidales. Oxford Univ. Press, New York. xxvi + 723 pp.
Hickman, J. C., ed. 1993. The Jepson manual: Higher plants of California. University of California Press, Berkeley, CA. 1400 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.
LeBeau, M.L. 1998. Federal land management agencies and California Indians: a proposal to protect native plant species. Environs: Envtl. L. & Pol'y 21(2): 27-47.
NatureServe. 2024. NatureServe Network Biodiversity Location Data. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia.
Pearson, D.C. 1989. Endangered species alert program manual: Species accounts and procedures. Southern California Edison Environmental Affairs Division.
Southwest Environmental Information Network (SEINet). 2024. Collections Databases. Online. Available: https://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/collections/index.php (accessed 2024).

Brodiaea insignis

Habitat

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