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Chaenactis xantiana

Gray

Flesh-colored Pincushion

G5Secure (G5?) Found in 24 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
UnknownThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.146881
Element CodePDAST200K0
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
Endemicendemic to a single nation
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassDicotyledoneae
OrderAsterales
FamilyAsteraceae
GenusChaenactis
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 Date2024-07-30
Change Date2024-07-30
Edition Date2024-07-30
Edition AuthorsN. Ventrella (2024)
Threat ImpactUnknown
Range Extent200,000-2,500,000 square km (about 80,000-1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences81 to >300
Rank Reasons
Chaenactis xantiana is an annual herb occurring in arid to semi-arid shrublands and pinyon-juniper woodlands in open loose sandy (sometimes gravelly) soils in western North America from Oregon and California east to Nevada and Arizona in the United States. There are 81-300 estimated occurrences of this species, which are potentially threatened by development, rights-of-way maintenance, invasive species, and drought. Little is known about threats or trends, but with a large range extent and broad habitat preferences, this species is likely secure.
Range Extent Comments
Chaenactis xantiana occurs in western North America from Oregon and California east to Nevada and Arizona in the United States (FNA 2006). Range extent was estimated to be over 500,000 square kilometers using herbarium specimens and photo-based observations documented between 1993 and 2024 (GBIF 2024, iNaturalist 2024, SEINet 2024).
Occurrences Comments
By applying a 1 km separation distance to herbarium records and photo-based observations documented between 1993 and 2024, there are estimated to be between 81 and over 300 occurrences rangewide (GBIF 2024, iNaturalist 2024, SEINet 2024). This desert annual may be underrepresented in collections due to its small stature and highly variable population numbers that are dependent on annual precipitation.
Threat Impact Comments
Although threats are not widely documented, Chaenactis xantiana is potentially threatened by development, rights-of-way maintenance, invasive species, drought, and other threats in some places. However, their overall impact is likely negligible given the species' broad range, tolerance of light disturbance, and affinity for typically abundant habitats, as well as no obvious intrinsic vulnerabilities.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Chaenactis xantiana occurs in arid and semiarid shrublands and chaparral, and pinyon-juniper woodlands in deep, open loose sandy (though rarely gravelly) soils, at elevations ranging from 100 to 2,500 meters (FNA 2006, CalFlora 2024).
Terrestrial Habitats
Woodland - ConiferShrubland/chaparralDesert
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
OregonS1Yes
CaliforniaSNRYes
NevadaS3Yes
ArizonaSNRYes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
Unknown/undetermined———

—

Plant Characteristics
DurationANNUAL
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (24)
California (23)
AreaForestAcres
AntimonyLos Padres National Forest40,911
Birch CreekInyo National Forest28,816
Boundary Peak (CA)Inyo National Forest210,884
ChannellSequoia National Forest45,429
ChicoSequoia National Forest39,836
Circle MountainSan Bernardino National Forest6,375
Coyote SoutheastInyo National Forest53,159
Deep WellsInyo National Forest7,681
Domeland Add.Sequoia National Forest3,046
Excelsior (CA)Inyo National Forest45,607
Fish CanyonAngeles National Forest29,886
Fox MountainLos Padres National Forest52,072
Glass MountainInyo National Forest52,867
PaiuteInyo National Forest58,712
RinconSequoia National Forest54,610
Salt CreekAngeles National Forest11,022
ScodiesSequoia National Forest725
South SierraSequoia National Forest8,008
South SierraInyo National Forest41,853
TinemahaInyo National Forest27,060
Wonoga Pk.Inyo National Forest11,272
WoodpeckerSequoia National Forest11,936
WoolstaffSequoia National Forest41,445
Nevada (1)
AreaForestAcres
Boundary Peak (NV)Inyo National Forest21,851
References (7)
  1. 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).
  2. Flora of North America Editorial Committee (FNA). 2006c. Flora of North America north of Mexico. Vol. 21. Magnoliophyta: Asteridae, part 8: Asteraceae, part 3. Oxford Univ. Press, New York. xxii + 616 pp.
  3. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). 2024. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) data portal. Online. Available: https://www.gbif.org/ (accessed 2024).
  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. Morefield, J.D. 2020. Flora of North America: <i>Chaenactis xantiana</i>. Accessed: September 12, 2022. http://floranorthamerica.org/Chaenactis_xantiana
  7. Southwest Environmental Information Network (SEINet). 2024. Collections Databases. Online. Available: https://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/collections/index.php (accessed 2024).