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Physaria pulvinata

O'Kane & Reveal

Cushion Bladderpod

G1Critically Imperiled Found in 1 roadless area NatureServe Explorer →
G1Critically ImperiledGlobal Rank
Very high - highThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.768522
Element CodePDBRA220R0
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
Endemicendemic to a single state or province
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassDicotyledoneae
OrderCapparales
FamilyBrassicaceae
GenusPhysaria
Concept Reference
O'Kane, S. L., and J. L. Reveal. 2006. Physaria pulvinata (Brassicaceae), a new species from southwestern Colorado. Brittonia 58(1):74-77.
Taxonomic Comments
Physaria pulvinata was split from P. rectipes (=Lesquerella rectipes), the latter being a variable species (FNA 2010).
Conservation Status
Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2
Review Date2022-09-08
Change Date2005-02-25
Edition Date2022-09-09
Edition AuthorsL. Oliver (2006), rev. Neuhaus, K., J. Handwerk, and S. Panjabi (2006), rev. Handwerk (2010), rev. Handwerk and Treher (2022)
Threat ImpactVery high - high
Range Extent100-250 square km (about 40-100 square miles)
Number of Occurrences6 - 20
Rank Reasons
Physaria pulvinata is a long-lived perennial herb that is endemic to Colorado in the western United States. It is confined to shale outcrops that is widely used for road gravel. This species is also on federal land, including BLM and Forest Service lands. Currently, it is known from only San Miguel and Dolores counties, and it is suspected that it won't be found much further than those counties but could be found at more sites within this range. Physaria pulvinata is threatened by over-grazing and trampling by livestock, ORV activities, non-native species, the removal of shale for road work and long term drought.
Range Extent Comments
Physaria pulvinata is endemic to Colorado in the western United States. It is known from San Miguel and Dolores counties. The estimated range extent is 115 square kilometers, calculated in GeoCAT by drawing a minimum convex polygon around the known occurrences in the Colorado Natural Heritage Program database (CNHP 2022, NatureServe 2022).
Occurrences Comments
There are 6 principal occurrences documented in the Colorado Natural Heritage Program database (2022)
Threat Impact Comments
This species is primarily threatened by inappropriate livestock grazing and recreation (motorized and non-motorized). In addition, it is threatened by competition with aggressive non-native plant species (Cirsium arvense, Carduus nutans), removal of shale for road work, and prolonged drought resulting from climate change (CNHP 2022, Panjabi et al. 2011, O'Kane and Reveal 2006)
Ecology & Habitat

Description

Plants are low and compact, densely matted and densely hairy. A long lived perennial, less that 3 dm across with reddish stems and gray-green foliage arising from a deep-seated taproot terminated by a buried, densely branched caudex system of up to several hundred branches each ending in a tufted cluster of leaves. Flowers are yellow with four narrowly spatulate petals 4-7 mm long. Fruit are ellipsoid, compressed, 4-6 mm long and densely pubescent (O'Kane and Reveal 2006).

Habitat

This species is known from widely scattered outcrops of grayish, argillaceous (Mancos) shale. It grows in openings between low shrubs Artemisia nova, Chrysopsis spp., and Tetraneuris spp., and forbs Sphaeralcea spp. and Cryptantha spp. (O'Kane and Reveal 2006).
Terrestrial Habitats
Bare rock/talus/scree
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN1
ProvinceRankNative
ColoradoS1Yes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
2 - Agriculture & aquacultureLarge (31-70%)Moderate - slightHigh (continuing)
2.3 - Livestock farming & ranchingLarge (31-70%)Moderate - slightHigh (continuing)
4 - Transportation & service corridorsRestricted (11-30%)Moderate - slightHigh (continuing)
4.1 - Roads & railroadsRestricted (11-30%)Moderate - slightHigh (continuing)
6 - Human intrusions & disturbanceRestricted (11-30%)Moderate - slightHigh (continuing)
6.1 - Recreational activitiesRestricted (11-30%)Moderate - slightHigh (continuing)
8 - Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseasesLarge (31-70%)Slight or 1-10% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
8.1 - Invasive non-native/alien species/diseasesLarge (31-70%)Slight or 1-10% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
11 - Climate change & severe weatherPervasive (71-100%)Extreme - moderateHigh (continuing)
11.2 - DroughtsPervasive (71-100%)Extreme - moderateHigh (continuing)

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Plant Characteristics
DurationPERENNIAL, Long-lived
Economic Value (Genus)Yes
Roadless Areas (1)
Colorado (1)
AreaForestAcres
Storm PeakSan Juan NF57,617
References (8)
  1. Colorado Natural Heritage Program (CNHP). 2022. Biodiversity Tracking and Conservation System (Biotics 5). Colorado Natural Heritage Program, Colorado State University, Fort Collins.
  2. Flora of North America Editorial Committee (FNA). 2010. Flora of North America north of Mexico. Vol. 7. Magnoliophyta: Salicaceae to Brassicaceae. Oxford University Press, New York. xxii + 797 pp.
  3. Handwerk, J.E., D.G. Malone, N.C. Swayze and J.P. Smith. 2022. Monitoring Colorado’s SWAP Tier 1 plant species Penstemon debilis, 2021. Colorado Natural Heritage Program, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado.
  4. NatureServe. 2022. NatureServe Network Biodiversity Location Data. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia.
  5. O'Kane, S. L., and J. L. Reveal. 2006. <i>Physaria pulvinata </i> (Brassicaceae), a new species from southwestern Colorado. Brittonia 58(1):74-77.
  6. Panjabi, S., B. Neely, and P. Lyon. 2011. Preliminary Conservation Action Plan for Rare Plants in the Plateau Creek and Miramonte Reservoir West Priority Action Areas. Prepared by The Nature Conservancy and the Colorado Natural Heritage Program. Unpublished report prepared for the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. 28 pp.
  7. Reveal, J.L. 2005. University of Maryland: An Array of Botanical Images, <i>Physaria pulvinata</i>. http://www.life.umd.edu/emeritus/reveal
  8. 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.