Home/Species/ Alkali False Whitlow-grass

Cusickiella douglasii

(Gray) Rollins

Alkali False Whitlow-grass

G4Apparently Secure Found in 11 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →

G4Apparently SecureGlobal Rank

LowThreat Impact

Identity

Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.135801

Element CodePDBRA2V020

Record TypeSPECIES

ClassificationSpecies

Classification StatusStandard

Name CategoryVascular Plant

Endemicendemic to a single nation

KingdomPlantae

PhylumAnthophyta

ClassDicotyledoneae

OrderCapparales

FamilyBrassicaceae

GenusCusickiella

Synonyms

Draba douglasiiGray

Other Common Names

alkali cusickiella (EN) Alkali Cusickiella (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

Treated as Cusickiella douglasii (without recognition of varieties) by Kartesz (1994 and 1999) and by Ihsan A. Al-Shehbaz in Flora of North America Editorial Committee (2010) and Jepson Flora Project (Al-Shehbaz 2012), it has also been treated in the genus Draba.

Conservation Status

Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2

Review Date2023-08-03

Change Date2023-08-03

Edition Date2023-08-03

Edition AuthorsAnnable, C. (1993), rev. C. Nordman (2023).

Threat ImpactLow

Range Extent200,000-2,500,000 square km (about 80,000-1,000,000 square miles)

Number of Occurrences81 - 300

Rank Reasons

Cusickiella douglasii occurs in the western United States, in California, Nevada, eastern Oregon, southern Washington, southern Idaho, and northwestern Utah, as of 2023 the range extent is estimated to be 643,000 square kilometers, and there are more than 80 occurrences, The rock ridge, rocky slope, and scree habitat is widespread, the populations at some locations have been described as locally common, locally abundant, or frequent. Threats may include impacts from recreational climbing, and severe or long-term drought.

Range Extent Comments

Cusickiella douglasii occurs in the western United States, in California (in the Klamath Ranges, North Coast Ranges, Sierra Nevada, San Bernardino Mountains, and Great Basin Province), Nevada, eastern Oregon, southern Washington, southern Idaho, and northwestern Utah, the range extent is estimated to be 643,000 square kilometers, using herbarium specimens and photo-based observations documented between 1992 and 2023 (Al-Shehbaz 2012, CCH2 Portal 2023, Flora of North America Editorial Committee 2010, GBIF 2023, iNaturalist 2023, SEINet 2023).

Occurrences Comments

By applying a 1 km separation distance to herbarium records and photo-based observations documented between 1992 and 2023, it is estimated that there are between 81 and 300 occurrences rangewide (CCH2 Portal 2023, GBIF 2023, iNaturalist 2023, SEINet 2023).

Threat Impact Comments

Threats to Cusickiella douglasii may include recreation impacts, such as from climbing, and the effects of long-term and severe drought, such as is exacerbated by climate change.

Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Rocky ridges, serpentine ridges, red barren hillsides, loose volcanic slopes and hillsides, scree, generally at elevations of 1500-2500 m, the reported range of elevations is 1100-3100 m (Al-Shehbaz 2012, CCH2 Portal 2023, Flora of North America Editorial Committee 2010, SEINet 2023).

Terrestrial Habitats

BarrensBare rock/talus/scree

Other Nations (1)

United StatesN4

Province	Rank	Native
Utah	S1	Yes
Idaho	SNR	Yes
Oregon	S4	Yes
California	SNR	Yes
Washington	S1	Yes
Nevada	S4	Yes

Threat Assessments

Threat	Scope	Severity	Timing
6 - Human intrusions & disturbance	Small (1-10%)	Moderate or 11-30% pop. decline	High (continuing)
6.1 - Recreational activities	Small (1-10%)	Moderate or 11-30% pop. decline	High (continuing)
11 - Climate change & severe weather	Large (31-70%)	Slight or 1-10% pop. decline	High (continuing)
11.2 - Droughts	Large (31-70%)	Slight or 1-10% pop. decline	High (continuing)

Plant Characteristics

DurationPERENNIAL

Economic Value (Genus)No

Roadless Areas (11)

California (5)

Area	Forest	Acres
Black Butte	Mendocino National Forest	15,461
Granite Peak	San Bernardino National Forest	450
Pepperdine	Modoc National Forest	10
Sugarloaf	San Bernardino National Forest	8,206
Thatcher	Mendocino National Forest	16,652

Nevada (6)

Area	Forest	Acres
Arc Dome - Ophir	Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest	5,652
Buttermilk	Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest	19,373
Mahogany Ridge	Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest	16,765
Ruby - Marsh	Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest	10,164
Santa Rosa	Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest	54,555
Toiyabe Range	Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest	99,225

References (8)

Al-Shehbaz, I.A. 2012. <i>Cusickiella douglasii</i>, in Jepson Flora Project (eds.) <em>Jepson eFlora</em>, https://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/eflora_display.php?tid=23307 (accessed 2023).
CCH2 Portal. 2023. Consortium of California Herbaria. Online. Available: https//:www.cch2.org/portal/index.php (accessed 2023).
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.
Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). 2023. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) data portal. Online. Available: https://www.gbif.org/ (accessed 2023).
Hickman, J. C., ed. 1993. The Jepson manual: Higher plants of California. University of California Press, Berkeley, CA. 1400 pp.
iNaturalist. 2023. Online. Available: https://www.inaturalist.org (accessed 2023).
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.
Southwest Environmental Information Network (SEINet). 2023. Collections Databases. Online. Available: https://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/collections/index.php (accessed 2023).

Cusickiella douglasii

Habitat

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