DRAFT
March 2012
PLANTS
Parish’s Phacelia (Phacelia parishii)
Parish’s Phacelia
(Phacelia parishii)
Legal Status
State: S1.11
California Rare Plant Rank: 1B.12
Federal: None
Critical Habitat: N/A
Recovery Planning: N/A
Notes: Previously classified as a Category 2 Candidate for Listing
under 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq. of the Endangered Species Act as
amended in 1988 (58 FR 51144–51190).
Taxonomy
Parish’s phacelia (Phacelia parishii) is a low-growing, annual herb in
the borage or waterleaf family (Boraginaceae) that is native to
California, Nevada, and Arizona. It was formerly included in the family
Hydrophyllaceae (Hickman 1996) but the genus has been recently
moved to the Boraginaceae (Jepson Flora Project 2011, Phacelia
Group 3). The species was originally described by Asa Gray in 1883
based on a collection from a dry alkaline lake near Rabbit Springs, San
Bernardino County, California. The locale may have been Rabbit
Springs, Rabbit Dry Lake to the south, or Lucerne Dry Lake to the
north (White 2006). Parish’s phacelia was collected by Ripley and
Barneby in 1941 along Lucerne Dry Lake, near the type locality, at
about 2,900 feet elevation.
Parish’s phacelia is an annual herb that ranges in height from 5 to 15
centimeters (0.2 to 0.5 inch) (Jepson Flora Project 2011). The
comparatively simple, toothed to shallowly lobed leaves, and the
unequal sepal size in fruit distinguish Parish’s phacelia from many
other phacelias; other species within its range that also have unequal
sepals have much showier flowers. A full description of the species
can be found in the Jepson eFlora (Jepson Flora Project 2011).
1
2
S1: Imperiled; X1: Imperiled.
1B: Rare, threatened, or endangered in California and elsewhere; X.1: Seriously threatened in California.
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Species Accounts
March 2012
DRAFT
March 2012
PLANTS
Parish’s Phacelia (Phacelia parishii)
Distribution
General
Parish’s phacelia is known in California from four sites east and south
of Barstow in San Bernardino County and one site in Stewart Valley
near the Nevada border in Inyo County (Figure SP-P23). Although
rare, its habitat is well known, and Parish’s phacelia is more widely
distributed in Nevada, and has also been identified from one location
in Arizona.
This species occurs at elevations ranging between 1,772 and 3,937
feet (elevations in Nevada populations are somewhat higher), but all
of the California collections have been made from alkaline playas or
lakebeds below about 3,000 feet (White 2006). In San Bernardino
County, the species has been collected in U.S. Geological Survey 7.5minute quadrangles: Lucerne Valley, Fifteen Mile Valley, Harvard Hill,
Yermo, Barstow, and Alvord Mountain West. In Inyo County, the
species was collected from the Sixmile Spring quadrangle.
Distribution and Occurrences within the Plan Area
Historical
The historical distribution of the species in California occurs in
locations near Coyote Dry Lake, Rabbit Springs, and Calico in San
Bernardino County, and in Stewart Valley in Inyo County (CDFG
2012a). There are four occurrences of Parish’s phacelia in the
California Natural Diversity Database (CDFG 2012a). However, the
species is reported as presumed extinct (White 2006; Smith 1997) at
two of the known sites—the type location near Rabbit Springs and the
Waterman’s Ranch site near Calico (Figure SP-P23; CDFG 2012a).
Recent
Parish’s phacelia is currently known from only three sites in the Plan
Area (CDFG 2012a; Smith 1997; White 2006). The extant locations are
the Stewart Valley, Inyo County, population discovered by F. Smith in
1995 (not recorded in CNDDB); and the San Bernardino County
collections that were made by Ripley and Barneby at Lucerne Dry
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PLANTS
Parish’s Phacelia (Phacelia parishii)
Lake in 1941 (CDFG 2012a), by Bagley in 1989, by Bransfield and
Rutherford in 1991, and by Sanders and Skinner in 1995 in an area
southeast of Coyote Dry Lake, near the southern boundary of Fort
Irwin (CDFG 2012a). Parish’s phacelia was collected at the third site
near Yermo, east of Barstow, by Charlton in 1992 (Figure SP-P23;
Smith 1997; CDFG 2012a).
Bagley’s 1989 collection was made along a string of dry lakes between
Manix Tank Trail and Coyote Dry Lake, about 12 miles northeast of
Yermo, noting a population of several thousand plants occupying
about 5 acres. Subsequent U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)
surveys of the Coyote Dry Lake population in 1991 increased the
estimate to approximately 50,000 plants and, by extrapolating to the
area of occupied habitat, estimated that the population could be as
many as 200 million plants on approximately 247 acres (White 2006).
In a subsequent 1995 survey, collection notes by Sanders and Skinner
record about 10,000 individuals in the same area (Smith 1997). Smith
noted about 200 plants at the Stewart Valley site on a 5-acre area.
Charlton’s 1992 collection was made east of Barstow, near Yermo on
Powerline Road, near the Sunrise Canyon Road off-ramp (CDFG
2012a). According to White (2006), the location is about 6 miles
southwest of the Coyote Dry Lake site.
Natural History
Habitat Requirements
Typical habitat for Parish’s phacelia includes clay and alkaline soils,
and dry lake margins at elevations of 1,772 to 3,937 feet. In California,
the species has been documented in central San Bernardino County on
playas and valley floors that are relatively unvegetated and have few
associated species. Habitats are creosote bush scrub and alkali sinks.
According to White (2006), all the known occurrences of Parish’s
phacelia in California occur on sparsely vegetated alkaline flats,
generally in dry, cracked mud flats of seasonal pools, and growth is
apparently controlled by water level as plants may appear within
different levels of the pools, depending on the hydrologic conditions
and the timing of rainfall. Smith (1997) reports that the species tends
to occupy flat, open expanses, but may also occur on gentle slopes.
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Species Accounts
March 2012
DRAFT
March 2012
PLANTS
Parish’s Phacelia (Phacelia parishii)
Table 1. Habitat Associations for Parish’s Phacelia
Habitat
Land Cover Type
Designation
Playas, alkali sinks, Primary habitat
Mojavean desert
scrub
Habitat
Parameters
Clay and alkaline
soils, 1,772 to
3,937 feet
elevation
Supporting
Information
Jepson Flora
Project 2011;
CDFG 2012a;
Calflora 2011
Reproduction
The flowering season for Parish’s phacelia is reported as April to July
(CNPS 2011; Jepson Flora Project 2011), but all of the California
collections have been made between April and May (White 2006). The
Mojave Desert flowering period is earlier than that of the Great Basin,
and Smith (1997) reported that the California populations were
fruiting by late April; the later dates have generally been for
collections made in White Pine County, Nevada, at much higher
elevation and latitude than the California occurrences.
Not much is known about the reproductive biology of the species, but
it likely depends on wind and rain for seed dispersal. Given its
restriction in California to seasonally wet alkaline flats, and its many
small seeds, its seed dispersal range is probably quite short, but seeds
may occasionally be ingested by shorebirds or picked up with mud on
their feet and carried long distances (White 2006).
Ecological Relationships
Although some precipitation data are known for the Nevada
populations of Parish’s phacelia (Smith 1997), there is little information
on the ecology of the species in California. In Nevada at one of the
Pahrump Valley sites, bees are thought to contribute to pollination, and
at another Nevada site (Indian Springs Valley), moths are believed to be
at least partially involved with pollination (Smith 1997).
Population Status and Trends
Global: G2G3, Imperiled/Vulnerable (CDFG 2012b)
State: S1.1, Critically Imperiled (CDFG 2012b)
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Species Accounts
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PLANTS
Parish’s Phacelia (Phacelia parishii)
In 1984, Parish’s phacelia was presumed extinct in California until it
was rediscovered in 1989 by Bagley in a new San Bernardino County
location southeast of Coyote Lake (Smith 1997). The species was
collected by F. Smith in 1995 in Inyo County, California, and is now
known from three occurrences in California (CNPS 2011).
Parish’s phacelia was proposed as a federal candidate for listing in
1993 (58 FR 51144–51190), and Rhodes and Williams (1977, cited in
Smith 1997) discussed its likely extirpation at historic occurrences in
Nevada. Parish’s phacelia is known from 15 occurrences in Nevada, and
subsequent surveys in years of ample rainfall identified much larger
populations and the recommendation for candidacy was withdrawn.
As noted above, USFWS estimated the population at the Coyote Dry
Lake site as approximately 200 million plants in 1991. Bagley (1996,
cited in White 2006) visited the same site in 1996, an extremely dry
year, and did not find evidence of the species that year.
Threats and Environmental Stressors
The known California populations of Parish’s phacelia are confined to
a relatively small area, which makes the species vulnerable to
extinction. With the exception of the Stewart Valley site, all
occurrences of the species are within the vicinity of the Fort Irwin
Military Base and could be extirpated if the populations are disturbed
by military exercises, or by the expansion of the current military
facilities in the area (White 2006).
Populations that occur southeast of Coyote Lake in the Fort Irwin area
are threatened by tank use and other off-road vehicles (CDFG 2012a).
White (2006) notes that other reports have indicated that access road
construction and the establishment of power line corridors could
disrupt the local hydrology, and that these potential activities
threaten current populations. The Bureau of Land Management’s
(BLM’s) special-status plant management program also lists
overgrazing by cattle and horses as a threat to populations in the
Barstow area (BLM 2005).
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DRAFT
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PLANTS
Parish’s Phacelia (Phacelia parishii)
Conservation and Management Activities
Parish’s phacelia occurs on lands managed by BLM and is a covered
plant species under the West Mojave Plan. Although BLM’s regional
summary of Parish’s phacelia did not have a long-term management
plan, the BLM management policy regarding utility transmission
resulted in implementation of avoidance mitigation at two potential
Parish’s
phacelia
sites
along
the
Mead/McCullough–
Victorville/Adelanto electrical transmission line (BLM 1999).
The current BLM West Mojave Plan provides management for
sensitive plant species that includes some site-specific management
plans and the monitoring of populations of candidate plant species
(BLM 2005). As a Covered Species under the Plan, approximately 386
acres within the proposed conservation area occur on private land,
and 512 acres occur on public land. Incidental take is allowed, but is
not to exceed 50 acres (BLM 2005).
Data Characterization
Although the habitat for Parish’s phacelia is well understood,
collection data are not extensive and there is a need for further
surveys to confirm the extant populations and their current
population estimates, and to study the ecological parameters affecting
distribution of the species, particularly aspects of reproduction,
dispersal, and hydrology (White 2006).
Management and Monitoring Considerations
White (2006) recommends that the specific locations of historic
occurrences be identified and that suitable habitat near the sites be
surveyed in high rainfall years to confirm the reported extirpations at
two sites (Calico and Lucerne Dry Lake) and the reported occurrences
at the Yermo and Coyote Lake (Fort Irwin) sites. He further identifies
the Coyote Lake population as a site at which the relationship
between rainfall patterns, pool depths, and plant densities should be
studied. With respect to the Coyote Lake population near Fort Irwin,
Rutherford and Bransfield (1991, cited in White 2006) also
recommended restricting the area around portions of the tank trail to
limited use for military and recreational impacts.
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PLANTS
Parish’s Phacelia (Phacelia parishii)
Management and monitoring strategies that have been identified for
Parish’s phacelia as part of the West Mojave Plan concentrate on
purchasing occupied habitat within a 149-acre conservation area,
prohibiting vehicle traffic on the playas that support populations of
the species, and ensuring that new utility projects avoid known
populations and provide restoration of playa habitat. Previous
restoration efforts have included the salvage and redistribution of
topsoil within disturbed areas. An annual monitoring program is also
recommended (BLM 1999, 2005).
Predicted Species Distribution in Plan Area
There are 1,198,323 acres of modeled suitable habitat for Parish’s
phacelia in the Plan Area. Modeled suitable habitat occurs in the
Mojave Desert from 1,700 to 4,000 feet. Suitable habitat includes
scrub and riparian vegetation communities, as well as playas and
desert dunes and sand flats. Appendix C includes specific model
parameters and a figure showing the modeled suitable habitat in the
Plan Area.
Literature Cited
58 FR 51144–51190. Notice of Review: “Endangered and Threatened
Wildlife and Plants; Review of Plant Taxa for Listing as
Endangered or Threatened Species.” September 30, 1993.
BLM (Bureau of Land Management). 1999. “Current Management
Situation of Special Status Plants in the West Mojave Planning
Area” (Parish’s Phacelia). BLM-California Manual Supplement
6840.06, p. 158. Accessed November 30, 2011.
http://www.blm.gov/pgdata/etc/medialib//blm/ca/pdf/pdfs
/cdd_pdfs.Par.ae863836.File.pdf/pfp890295548.pdf.
BLM. 2005. Final Environmental Impact Report and Statement for the
West Mojave Plan. Volume 1, Chapters 2 and 3. Moreno Valley,
California: BLM. January 2005. http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/
fo/cdd/wemo.html.
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Species Accounts
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March 2012
PLANTS
Parish’s Phacelia (Phacelia parishii)
Calflora. 2011. “Phacelia parishii.” The Calflora Database. Berkeley,
California. Accessed November 19, 2011.
http://www.calflora.org.
CDFG (California Department of Fish and Game). 2012a. “Phacelia
parishii.” Element Occurrence Query. California Natural
Diversity Database (CNDDB). RareFind, Version 4.0
(Commercial Subscription). Sacramento, California: CDFG,
Biogeographic Data Branch. Accessed February 2012.
http://www.dfg.ca.gov/biogeodata/cnddb/mapsanddata.asp.
CDFG. 2012b. Special Vascular Plants, Bryophytes, and Lichens List.
California Natural Diversity Database (CNDDB). January 2012.
Accessed March 2012. http://www.dfg.ca.gov/biogeodata/
cnddb/plants_and_animals.asp.
CNPS (California Native Plant Society). 2011. “Phacelia parishii.”
Inventory of Rare and Endangered Plants. Online ed. Version 801a. Sacramento, California: CNPS. Accessed November 19,
2011. http://www.rareplants.cnps.org/detail/1114.html.
Hickman, J.C., ed. 1996. The Jepson Manual: Higher Plants of California.
3rd printing, with corrections. Berkeley, California: University
of California Press.
Jepson Flora Project. 2011. “Phacelia parishii.” R. Patterson, L.M.
Garrison, and D.R. Hansen. Jepson eFlora [v. 1.0]. Berkeley,
California: University of California. Accessed December 12,
2011. http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/IJM.html.
Smith, F.J. 1997. “Current Knowledge and Conservation Status of
Phacelia parishii A. Gray (Hydrophyllaceae) in Nevada.” Status
report prepared for the Nevada Natural Heritage Program and
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Nevada State Office.
White, S.D. 2006. “Parish’s Phacelia.” West Mojave Plan Species
Accounts. U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land
Management. January 2006. Accessed December 12, 2011.
http://www.blm.gov/pgdata/etc/medialib//blm/ca/pdf/
pdfs/cdd_pdfs.Par.deb1cb2b.File.pdf/parishphacelia1.PDF.
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March 2012