Penstemon pinorum

L.& J. Shultz

Pinyon Penstemon

G1Critically Imperiled (G1G2) Found in 1 roadless area NatureServe Explorer →
G1Critically ImperiledGlobal Rank
HighThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.145017
Element CodePDSCR1L720
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
Endemicendemic to a single state or province
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassDicotyledoneae
OrderPlantaginales
FamilyPlantaginaceae
GenusPenstemon
Other Common Names
Pine Valley Penstemon (EN) Pine Valley penstemon (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.
Conservation Status
Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2
Review Date2024-05-21
Change Date2024-05-21
Edition Date2024-05-21
Edition AuthorsFranklin, Ben, rev. B. Franklin (1996), rev. A.. Tomaino (2009), rev. M. Russo (2011), rev. N. Ventrella (2024)
Threat ImpactHigh
Range Extent100-250 square km (about 40-100 square miles)
Number of Occurrences6 - 20
Rank Reasons
Penstemon pinorum is a perennial herb that is endemic to a small area straddling the Washington-Iron County line in southwestern Utah, USA. Though locally abundant, the species is known from a total area of less than 160 square kilometers. One population has suffered habitat destruction and disturbance as the result of firewood removal and mining exploration. This species may be locally abundant, but the total range where the species occurs is small and threats are high.
Range Extent Comments
Penstemon pinorum occurs in the southwestern United States and is a narrow endemic, known only from an area straddling the Washington-Iron County line in southwest Utah. It occurs in the hills south to southwest of Newcastle, east of Old Irontown, in the Red Eightmile hills to the north, and onto the southeast slopes of the Antelope Range (Franklin 2005). Range extent was estimated using herbarium specimens, photo-based observations, NatureServe Network occurrence data, and data from the Utah Rare Plant Database collected between 1993 and 2020 (UNHP 2021, iNaturalist 2024, NatureServe 2024, SEINet 2024).
Occurrences Comments
By applying a 2 km separation distance to population location data from the Utah Rare Plant Database, herbarium specimens, photo-based observations, and NatureServe Network occurrence data documented between 1993 and 2020, there are six estimated occurrences (UNHP 2021, iNaturalist 2024, NatureServe 2024, SEINet 2024).
Threat Impact Comments
There are three occurrences on Bureau of Land Management administered lands that are within a greenwood fuel cutting area where removal of overstory and ground disturbances are threatening the species' survival (UNHP 2020). Also on Bureau of Land Management lands, there are several locations within one large occurrence where plants, over an area measurable in acres, are stunted and sickly; this may be human-caused. Chaining at one location resulted in the loss of habitat (Franklin 2005). Mining-related activities have resulted in loss of habitat. Long-term effects of grazing, if any, are unknown. Off-road-vehicle travel may also pose a threat (UNHP 2020), and this species may be at an increased risk from wildfire due to the presence of invasive annual Bromus spp., coupled with increased temperatures and drought conditions expected under climate change.
Ecology & Habitat

Diagnostic Characteristics

Species has a lax habit with the lower two internodes much elongated, purplish blue corollas 10-15 mm long, anther sacs 1-.12 mm long, and sharply serrate, narrowly spatulate leaves.

Habitat

Penstemon pinorum occurs in pinyon-juniper, mountain-mahogany, ephedra, oak, sagebrush, and (less commonly) greasewood communities on Tertiary Claron Formation, i.e., quartzite cobble conglomerate and sandstone to calcareous sandstone and sandy limestone (soils are reddish and gravelly to cobble-like), across slopes of varying degree and aspect (Franklin 2005).
Terrestrial Habitats
Forest/WoodlandWoodland - ConiferShrubland/chaparral
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN1
ProvinceRankNative
UtahS1Yes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
2 - Agriculture & aquacultureLarge (31-70%)Moderate - slightHigh (continuing)
2.3 - Livestock farming & ranchingLarge (31-70%)Moderate - slightHigh (continuing)
3 - Energy production & miningSmall (1-10%)Slight or 1-10% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
3.2 - Mining & quarryingSmall (1-10%)Slight or 1-10% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
4 - Transportation & service corridorsSmall (1-10%)Slight or 1-10% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
4.1 - Roads & railroadsSmall (1-10%)Slight or 1-10% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
5 - Biological resource useRestricted (11-30%)Moderate or 11-30% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
5.3 - Logging & wood harvestingRestricted (11-30%)Moderate or 11-30% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
5.3.4 - Unintentional effects: large scale (species being assessed is not the target) [harvest]Restricted (11-30%)Moderate or 11-30% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
6 - Human intrusions & disturbanceSmall (1-10%)UnknownHigh (continuing)
6.1 - Recreational activitiesSmall (1-10%)UnknownHigh (continuing)
7 - Natural system modificationsLarge (31-70%)Moderate or 11-30% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
7.1 - Fire & fire suppressionLarge (31-70%)Moderate or 11-30% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
8 - Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseasesLarge (31-70%)UnknownHigh (continuing)
8.1 - Invasive non-native/alien species/diseasesLarge (31-70%)UnknownHigh (continuing)
11 - Climate change & severe weatherPervasive (71-100%)UnknownLow (long-term)

Plant Characteristics
DurationPERENNIAL
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (1)
Utah (1)
AreaForestAcres
Stoddard MountainDixie National Forest13,165
References (12)
  1. Franklin, M. A. 1990. Report for 1990 Challenge Cost Share Project, Dixie National Forest. Target species: <i>Penstemon pinorum</i> L. Shultz &amp; J. Shultz (Pinyon penstemon). Utah Natural Heritage Program, Utah Department of Natural Resources. Unpublished reoport on file Utah Natural Heritage Program, Salt Lake City, Utah. Pp. 1-5 + appendices.
  2. Franklin, M.A. 1994. Survey report on Penstemon pinorum L. Shultz &amp; J. Shultz (pinyon penstemon). 1993 Challenge Cost Share Project. Utah Natural Heritage Program and Cedar City District Bureau of Land Management. Unpublished report on file Utah Natural Heritage Program, Salt Lake City. 7 pp. + appendices.
  3. Franklin, M.A. 2005. Plant information compiled by the Utah Natural Heritage Program: A progress report. Publication Number 05-40. Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, Salt Lake City, Utah. 341 pp. [http://dwrcdc.nr.utah.gov/ucdc/ViewReports/plantrpt.htm]
  4. iNaturalist. 2024. Online. Available: https://www.inaturalist.org (accessed 2024).
  5. 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.
  6. NatureServe. 2024. NatureServe Network Biodiversity Location Data. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia.
  7. Shultz, L.M., and J.S. Shultz. 1985. Penstemon pinorum (Scrophulariaceae), a new species from Utah. Brittonia 37(1): 98-101.
  8. Southwest Environmental Information Network (SEINet). 2024. Collections Databases. Online. Available: https://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/collections/index.php (accessed 2024).
  9. Tait, B.A. 2010. Baseline parameters and early data for the long-term study of <i>Penstemon pinorum</i> L. Shultz and J. Shultz. Challenge Cost Share Project. Dr. Bernard Al Tait and Utah State Office Bureau of Land Management. Unpublished report on file Bureau of Land Management's Cedar City Field Office, Cedar City, UT. 28 pp. + appendices.
  10. Utah Natural Heritage Program. 2021. Utah Rare Plant Database. (Accessed 2021).
  11. Utah Natural Heritage Program (UNHP). 2020. Element Subnational Ranking Form: <i>Penstemon pinorum</i> in Biotics 5 database. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia (accessed 21 May 2024).
  12. Welsh, S.L., N.D. Atwood, S. Goodrich, and L.C. Higgins (eds.) 1993. A Utah flora. 2nd edition. Brigham Young Univ., Provo, Utah. 986 pp.