Antennaria soliceps

Blake

Charleston Pussytoes

G1Critically Imperiled Found in 1 roadless area NatureServe Explorer →
G1Critically ImperiledGlobal Rank
Very high - highThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.161232
Element CodePDAST0H0P0
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
Endemicendemic to a single state or province
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassDicotyledoneae
OrderAsterales
FamilyAsteraceae
GenusAntennaria
Other Common Names
Charleston Mountain Pussytoes (EN) Charleston Mountain pussytoes (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.
Taxonomic Comments
Phylogenetic analysis indicates Antennaria is a well-supported, monophyletic group (Bayer et al. 1996).
Conservation Status
Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2
Review Date2021-11-22
Change Date2021-12-06
Edition Date2021-11-22
Edition AuthorsRoth, E. (1987), rev. J. Nachlinger & K. Maybury (1997), rev. L. Morse (1999), rev. J. Morefield (1999); Cordeiro, J. (2010), rev. C. Nordman (2021).
Threat ImpactVery high - high
Range Extent<100 square km (less than about 40 square miles)
Number of Occurrences1 - 5
Rank Reasons
This narrow range endemic is only known from the Spring Mountains including Charleston Peak, ridgelines north and south of Charleston Peak, upper slopes of Lee Canyon, and Mummy Mountain. The mountain range as a whole is isolated by desert, which prevents alpine plant migration to other peaks in the Great Basin. The entire species is probably a single genotype, all plants are female, and are genetically identical ramets. Its lack of any genetic variation contributes to its restriction to a narrow habitat-range, and reduces its ability to survive changing climatic or other conditions. It is further threatened by grazing and other impacts from horses, recreation impacts from hiking off trail, development, and landslides.
Range Extent Comments
Antennaria soliceps only occurs in the western United States, in southern Nevada. It is restricted to a small section of the Spring Mountains, Kyle and Lee Canyons, in Clark County, Nevada. These mountains are isolated by desert from other mountainous areas (Bayer and Minish 1993, Flora of North America Editorial Committee 2006, Morefield 2001). Its range extent is only 12 square kilometers (iNaturalist 2021, NatureServe 2021, SEINet 2021).
Occurrences Comments
Antennaria soliceps occurs at 25 sites which are considered to be within two occurrences, since most of the sites are close to each other (NatureServe 2021). It occurs between Griffith Peak and Charleston Peak including Charleston Peak, Mummy Mountain, Kyle and Lee Canyons (Morefield 2001) with early collection records from Rainbow Falls, Twin Falls, and ridge above Twin Falls (Clokey 1951). All the plants seem to belong to a single genetic individual with a single female genotype that reproduces asexually, through apomixis and stolons (Bayer and Minish 1993).
Threat Impact Comments
Threats to Antennaria soliceps include impacts from free roaming horses, recreational hiking on scree slopes, expansion of southern Nevada development on the Spring Mountain area, landslides, habitat shifting and alteration from climate change.
Ecology & Habitat

Diagnostic Characteristics

Antennaria soliceps differs from most other Antennaria by having larger solitary heads. A. dimorpha is similar (to A. soliceps), in having solitary heads, but differs by not producing stolons, having much larger leaves, and lacking the conspicuous dark spot on the involucral bracts (Kartesz 1988, Weixelman and Atwood 1990).

Habitat

Antennaria soliceps has a small range. It is restricted to limestone talus and gravel areas on north facing slopes, both above and below the treeline on a ridge in the Spring Mountains of Clark County, Nevada (Bayer and Stebbins, 1993; Bayer and Minish, 1993). It also occurs in timbered mountain meadows. It occurs at elevations of 2640-3550 meters (8660-11650 feet). It is found on talus and rocky slopes and rock outcrops in alpine zone and bristlecone pine woodland associations, in spring areas.

Reproduction

Antennaria soliceps is duodecapoloid (2n= circa 168, based on n=14) and gynoecious (only pistillate plants are known), reproduction is through agamospermy (gametophytic apomixis) and stoloniferous growth. All plants seem to be one genetic individual (Bayer and Minish 1993, Flora of North America Editorial Committee 2006, Kartesz 1988).
Terrestrial Habitats
Forest/WoodlandForest - ConiferSavannaAlpineBare rock/talus/scree
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN1
ProvinceRankNative
NevadaS1Yes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
1 - Residential & commercial developmentRestricted - smallSerious or 31-70% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
1.1 - Housing & urban areasSmall (1-10%)Serious or 31-70% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
1.3 - Tourism & recreation areasSmall (1-10%)Serious or 31-70% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
6 - Human intrusions & disturbanceRestricted (11-30%)Moderate or 11-30% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
6.1 - Recreational activitiesRestricted (11-30%)Moderate or 11-30% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
8 - Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseasesLarge - restrictedModerate or 11-30% pop. decline
8.1 - Invasive non-native/alien species/diseasesLarge - restrictedModerate or 11-30% pop. decline
10 - Geological eventsRestricted (11-30%)Moderate or 11-30% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
10.3 - Avalanches/landslidesRestricted (11-30%)Moderate or 11-30% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
11 - Climate change & severe weatherLarge (31-70%)Serious - moderateHigh (continuing)
11.1 - Habitat shifting & alterationLarge (31-70%)Serious - moderateHigh (continuing)

Plant Characteristics
DurationPERENNIAL
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (1)
Nevada (1)
AreaForestAcres
Charleston - CarpenterHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest17,828
References (16)
  1. Bayer, R.J., and G.L. Stebbins. 1987. Chromosome numbers, patterns of distribution, and apomixis in Antennaria (Asteraceae: Inuleae). Systematic Botany 12(2): 305-319.
  2. Bayer, R.J. and G.L. Stebbins. 1993. A synopsis with keys for the genus Antennaria (Asteraceae: Inuleae: Gnaphaliinae) of North America. Canadian Journal of Botany 71: 1589-1604.
  3. Bayer, R.J., and T.M. Minish. 1993. Isozyme variation, ecology and phytogeography of Antennaria soliceps (Asteraceae: Inuleae), an alpine apomict from the Spring Mountains, Nevada. Madrono 40(2): 75-89.
  4. Bayer, R.J., D.E. Soltis, and P.S. Soltis. 1996. Phylogenetic inferences in <i>Antennaria </i>(Asteraceae: Gnaphalieae: Cassiniinae) based on sequences from nuclear ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacers (ITS). American Journal of Botany 83(4):516-527.
  5. Blake, S. F. 1938. Two new Asteraceae from the Charleston Mountains, Nevada. Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington 51: 7-10.
  6. Clokey, I.W. 1951. Flora of the Charleston Mountains, Clark County, Nevada. University of California Publications in Botany 24: 1-274.
  7. Flora of North America Editorial Committee (FNA). 2006a. Flora of North America north of Mexico. Vol. 19. Magnoliophyta: Asteridae, part 6: Asteraceae, part 1. Oxford University Press, New York. xxiv + 579 pp.
  8. Harper, K.T., D.C. Freeman, W.K. Ostler, and L.G. Klikoff. 1978. The flora of the Great Basin mountain ranges: diversity, sources, and dispersal ecology. Great Basin Naturalist Memoirs 2: 81-103.
  9. iNaturalist. 2021. Online. Available: https://www.inaturalist.org (accessed 2021).
  10. Kartesz, J.T. 1988. A flora of Nevada. Ph.D. dissertation. Univ. of Nevada, Reno. 3 volumes. 1729 pp.
  11. 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.
  12. Morefield, J.D., editor. 2001. Nevada rare plant atlas [with rare plant fact sheets]. Available as a pdf file at: http://heritage.nv.gov/atlas/atlas.html. Compiled by the Nevada Natural Heritage Program, Carson City, for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Reno, Nevada.
  13. Mozingo, H.N., and M. Williams. 1980. The threatened and endangered plants of Nevada. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Bureau of Land Management, Portland, OR. 268 pp.
  14. Southwest Environmental Information Network (SEINet). 2021. Collections Databases. Online. Available: https://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/collections/index.php (accessed 2021).
  15. U.S. Forest Service (USFS) Intermountain Region. 1998. Conservation agreement for the Spring Mountains National Recreation Area, Clark and Nye counties, Nevada. State of Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Pacific Region. Pp. 1-H3.
  16. Weixelman, D., and D. Atwood. 1990. Toiyabe National Forest sensitive plants field guide. U.S. Forest Service, Intermountain Region, Ogden, UT. 123 pp.