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Home/Species/ Kelso Creek Monkeyflower

Erythranthe shevockii

(Heckard & Bacig.) N.S. Fraga

Kelso Creek Monkeyflower

G1Critically Imperiled Found in 5 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G1Critically ImperiledGlobal Rank
Very highThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.149849
Element CodePDSCR1B2Z0
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
Endemicendemic to a single state or province
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassDicotyledoneae
OrderLamiales
FamilyPhrymaceae
GenusErythranthe
Synonyms
Mimulus shevockiiHeckard & Bacig.
Other Common Names
Kelso Creek monkeyflower (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
The Flora of North America (vol. 17 2019) transfers Mimulus shevockii to Erythranthe shevockii; these represent the same concept for the element. Now known to hybridize with the closely-related M. androsaceus (Audubon-California 2006).
Conservation Status
Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2
Review Date2022-05-09
Change Date2022-05-09
Edition Date2022-05-09
Edition AuthorsMaybury, K., rev. K. Gravuer (2009), rev. Treher (2022)
Threat ImpactVery high
Range Extent250-1000 square km (about 100-400 square miles)
Number of Occurrences6 - 20
Rank Reasons
This species is endemic to the Kern River drainage in northeastern Kern County, California, at the junction of the southern Sierra Nevada Foothills and the western edge of the Mojave Desert. Approximately 12-13 occurrences are believed extant. Numerous occurrences are partially or entirely on private land where plants are threatened by residential development (subdivisions and mobile homes); at least one occurrence is also threatened by agricultural land conversion and fire suppression activities. Occurrences adjacent to developing areas may experience indirect impacts from activities such as road maintenance. Other threats include off-road vehicle use and competition from non-native species.
Range Extent Comments
Mimulus shevockii is endemic to California where it is known from northeastern Kern County, in the Kern River drainage. It occurs at the junction of two bioregions: the southern Sierra Nevada Foothills and the western edge of the Mojave Desert (Hickman 1993).
Occurrences Comments
There are 12 occurrences are believed to be extant, with 1 additional occurrence considered historical, last seen in 1971.
Threat Impact Comments
Occurrences and portions of occurrences on private lands are threatened by residential development (subdivisions and mobile homes) and associated infrastructure construction, as the vegetation communities in which this species occurs are desirable for development because of their scenic viewsheds (USFWS 1994). At least one such occurrence is also threatened by agricultural land conversion (e.g. to orchards), and fire suppression activities have been observed to impact plants at at least one site (USFWS 1998). Occurrences on BLM lands adjacent to developing areas may experience related impacts, such as habitat fragmentation and impacts from road widening and maintenance; at least two occurrences on BLM land have been observed to experience such impacts. Other threats on both private and BLM lands include off-road vehicle use, competition from non-native species, potential water developments and impoundments and, possibly, cattle grazing/trampling (Elvin 1998, CNDDB 2022, CNPS 2009).
Ecology & Habitat

Description

From Elvin (1998): A small annual herb up to 12 cm tall, covered with minute glandular-puberulent hairs. One to ten pairs of lance- to egg-shaped leaves clasp the stem. They are somewhat fleshy with a purplish underside. The flowers are auxiliary from the nodes, directed upward or curved downward with upturned apices, on pedicels (stalks) up to 20 mm long. The calyx is vase shaped, with reddish spots or solid red. The corolla's tube, throat, and four upper lobes are maroon-purple. The slightly larger lower, bilobed lip is yellow and notched. The flowers appear in April and May. The 5-6 mm capsule, with greater than 100 seeds, is dehiscent at the apex and along both sutures.

Diagnostic Characteristics

Vegetative morphology is similar to that of some other local Mimulus in the M. rubellus and M. palmeri groups, including M. androsaceus, M. barbatus, M. fremontii. M. gracilipes, and M. purpureus. However, M. shevockii can be distinguished from these species by its distinctive corolla features; for example, M. androsaceus has a red-purple flower and M. fremontii has a rose-purple flower (USFWS 1994). M. barbatus is most similar in corolla color, but its corolla lobing is quite different. M. barbatus is also somewhat distinguished from M. shevockii by its habitat: meadow borders at higher elevations on the Kern plateau (Elvin 1998).

Habitat

This species grows on loamy, coarse sands of alluvial fans, dry streamlets, and deposits of granitic origin within dry Joshua tree woodlands, California juniper woodlands, or the transition between these communities. One disjunct population occurs in finer soils developed from meta-sedimentary rocks. Associated species include pygmy poppy (Canbya candida), golden gilia (Linanthus aureus), Tehachapi monkeyflower (Mimulus androsaceus), silver cholla (Opuntia echinocarpa), purple sage (Salvia dorrii), Fremont's monkeyflower (Mimulus fremontii), cheesebush (Hymenoclea salsola), narrow-leaf heath-goldenrod (Ericameria linearifolia), Brewer's monkeyflower (Mimulus breweri), Nevada joint-fir (Ephedra nevadensis), scalebud (Anisocoma acaulis), big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata), fox-tail brome (Bromus rubens), slender-flower suncup (Camissonia graciliflora), eastern Mojave wild buckwheat (Eriogonum fasciculatum var. polifolium), Pringle's woolly-sunflower (Eriophyllum pringlei), California juniper (Juniperus californica), Mojave desert-parsley (Lomatium mohavense), short-leaf combseed (Pectocarya penicillata), Fremont's scorpion-weed (Phacelia fremontii), Purshia, and Tetradymia. It grows at elevations of 910 to 1,375 m (CNDDB 2022).

Reproduction

Since the plant occurs in washes, water is one of the most likely seed dispersal mechanisms, but no observations have apparently been made yet (Elvin 1998).
Terrestrial Habitats
Forest/WoodlandWoodland - ConiferDesert
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN1
ProvinceRankNative
CaliforniaS1Yes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
1 - Residential & commercial developmentLarge (31-70%)Extreme or 71-100% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
1.1 - Housing & urban areasLarge (31-70%)Extreme or 71-100% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
2 - Agriculture & aquacultureRestricted - smallExtreme - seriousHigh (continuing)
2.1 - Annual & perennial non-timber cropsRestricted - smallExtreme - seriousHigh (continuing)
2.3 - Livestock farming & ranchingLarge (31-70%)Moderate or 11-30% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
2.3.4 - Scale unknown/unrecordedLarge (31-70%)Moderate or 11-30% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
4 - Transportation & service corridorsRestricted (11-30%)UnknownHigh (continuing)
4.1 - Roads & railroadsRestricted (11-30%)UnknownHigh (continuing)
6 - Human intrusions & disturbanceLarge (31-70%)Moderate or 11-30% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
6.1 - Recreational activitiesLarge (31-70%)Moderate or 11-30% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
7 - Natural system modificationsLarge (31-70%)UnknownHigh (continuing)
7.1 - Fire & fire suppressionLarge (31-70%)UnknownHigh (continuing)
7.1.2 - Suppression in fire frequency/intensityLarge (31-70%)UnknownHigh (continuing)

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Plant Characteristics
DurationANNUAL
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (5)
California (5)
AreaForestAcres
ChannellSequoia National Forest45,429
ChicoSequoia National Forest39,836
Domeland Add.Sequoia National Forest3,046
Greenhorn CreekSequoia National Forest28,226
WoolstaffSequoia National Forest41,445
References (8)
  1. Audubon-California. 2006. Kelso Creek Monkeyflower (<i>Mimulus shevockii</i>): Audubon protects critical habitat up Cyrus Canyon. Online. Available: http://kern.audubon.org/MIMSHE.htm (Accessed 2009).
  2. California Natural Diversity Database (CNDDB). 2022. RareFind Version 5.2.14. California Department of Fish and Game, Sacramento.
  3. Elvin, M. 1998. Kelso Creek Monkeyflower (<i>Mimulus shevockii</i>). West Mojave Desert Plan, U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Online. Available:http://www.blm.gov/ca/pdfs/cdd_pdfs/kelso1.PDF (Accessed 2009).
  4. Flora of North America Editorial Committee (FNA). 2019. Flora of North America north of Mexico. Vol. 17: Magnoliophyta: Tetrachondraceae to Orobanchaceae. Oxford Univ. Press, New York. xxiv + 737 pp.
  5. Heckard, L.R., and R. Bacigalupi. 1986. Mimulus shevockii (Scrophulariaceae), a new species from desert habitats in the southern Sierra Nevada of California. Madrono. 33(4):271-277.
  6. 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.
  7. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). 1994. Proposed endangered or threatened status for 10 plants from the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains in California. Federal Register 59(191): 50540-50550.
  8. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). 1998. Endangered and threatened wildlife and plants: withdrawal of proposed listing of two plants as endangered, and four plants as threatened from the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains in California. Federal Register 63(177):49065-49075. Online. Available: https://www.federalregister.gov/d/98-24501 (Accessed 2024).