Over 400,000 seeds from these maternal lines have been collected and placed in storage. Some have been used for reintroduction.

Over 400,000 seeds from these maternal lines have been collected and placed in storage

Plants from 20 maternal lines were grown at the UC Botanical Garden nursery starting in 2006.

Based on an September 2020 extract of the California Plant Rescue Database, University of California Botanical Garden holds 20 accessions of Delphinium bakeri in orthodox seed collection. There are as many as 3026 seeds of this species in their collection - although some may have been used for curation testing or sent to back up.

Based on an August 2020 extract of the California Plant Rescue Database, University of California Botanical Garden has collected 20 seed accessions of Delphinium bakeri from 1 plant occurrences listed in the California Natural Diversity Database. These collections together emcompass 12 maternal plants

The only naturally occurring population, along a roadside, has consistently had only two to four plants of flowering size since 2005. No natural recruitment has been observed since 2010.

Staff and volunteers of the UC Botanical Garden monitor the roadside population several times annually. It has not rebounded to pre-2004 levels. An attempt was made to augment this population by direct-sowing in 2014, but it was unsuccessful. More attempts are under discussion. There are three flowering-size plants in the roadside population.

Young plants were introduced to three new sites beginning in 2009. These flowered and set seed, but have since died out. Native banana slugs are a threat at two of the three new sites. The recent multi-year drought in California may have been a factor in the loss of these plants. More introductions are planned.

Plants from 20 maternal lines were grown at the UC Botanical Garden nursery starting in 2006. Over 400,000 seeds from these maternal lines have been collected and placed in storage. Some have been used for reintroduction.

Known only from coastal Marin and Sonoma counties, California. In early 2005, the single extant occurrence was reduced from about 100 plants to only 6 by workers using a mechanical digger to clear a clogged roadside drain. The 60-meter stretch of hillside where the plants were located was marked to alert the county workers but this was either ignored or misinterpreted. The 6 remaining plants are probably not viable (Roxanne Bittman, pers. comm. 2005) and the species is on the verge of extinction.

Roadside maintenance Deer and rodent grazing Invasive plants Genetic bottleneck Collecting for horticultural purposes

The single population fluctuates from year to year, but on average, there are about 30 flowering individuals and up to 50 more plants that are immature. One ex situ population is grown at the Regional Parks Botanic Garden in Berkeley, California.

The genetic variability within the population is the subject of a study being conducted by Dr. Jason Koontz and Holly Forbes. They plan to characterize the genetic variation within the population in order to guide the development of stock for reintroduction efforts. Partial funding for these efforts has been provided by the Genetic Resources Conservation Group at UC Davis, the UC Botanical Garden, and by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.

The population has been recorded by the Marin County Department of Public Works in order to prevent future damage by roadside maintenance (roadside bank mowing). Critical habitat was designated in 2003 (USFWS, 2003). A recovery plan is in development.

More information on the species life history, environmental requirements, and herbivory/seed predation will be needed to promote a successful reintroduction effort.

Seed collection of a genetically representative sample is being developed for long-term storage.