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Plant Profile

Pine Hill Flannelbush (Fremontodendron decumbens)

This closeup shows the flower of this flannelbush in detail. Photo Credit: Dieter Wilken

Global Rank: G1 - Critically Imperiled
Legal Status: Federally Endangered
Family: Malvaceae
State: CA
Nature Serve ID: 141870
Lifeform: Shrub
Date Inducted in National Collection: 03/06/1993

Description:

This species of flannelbush cannot self-pollinate but has a fascinating relation with the three native bee species that pollinate its flowers. The bees are attracted to the high levels of ultraviolet light the flowers reflect. The nectar they produce absorbs UV light (appearing darker to the bees) and then reflects some of it in visible wavelengths with the brightness proportional to the amount of nectar present. This allows the foraging bees to determine when another pollinator has recently visited a flower from a distance and increases the chance that the bee will visit flowers that have not been pollinated. (Boyd 1985) Pine Hill Flannel Bush is a member of the cacao family (Sterculiaceae). Members of this family include the tropical and subtropical plants that are used to make cola, chocolate and various drugs. Some plants are also used as ornamental in garden plants. This family is noteworthy because of its evergreen leaves. The name Flannel Bush alludes to the fuzzy-feeling leaves of this particular plant. These fuzzy leaves have tiny hairs covering their whole surface, which keeps Fremontodendron decumbens from losing too much water from its leaves. This is a very important adaptation in the hot and drought-prone areas in California where this plant grows.

Where is Pine Hill Flannelbush (Fremontodendron decumbens) located in the wild?

Habitat:

Tops of rocky ridges and on scattered rock outcrops of gabbro in chaparral communities or in the ecotone between chaparral and woodland. (NatureServe 2001)

Distribution:

Western El Dorado County, California (NatureServe 2001)

States & Provinces:

Pine Hill Flannelbush can be found in California

Which CPC Partners conserve Pine Hill Flannelbush (Fremontodendron decumbens)?

Regional Parks Botanic Garden

Not Sponsored

Assigned 06/09/17

California Botanic Garden

Not Sponsored

Conservation Actions

Assigned 06/09/17

University of California-Santa Cruz Arboretum & Botanic Garden

Not Sponsored

Assigned 01/17/19

CPC's Plant Sponsorship Program provides long term stewardship of rare plants in our National Collection. We are so grateful for all our donors who have made the Plant Sponsorship Program so successful. We are in the process of acknowledging all our wonderful plant sponsorship donors on our website. This is a work in progress and will be updated regularly.

Conservation Actions

09/01/2020

Based on an September 2020 extract of the California Plant Rescue Database, University of California Botanical Garden holds 1 accessions of Fremontodendron decumbens in orthodox seed collection. There are as many as 349 seeds of this species in their collection - although some may have been used for curation testing or sent to back up.

09/01/2020

Based on an September 2020 extract of the California Plant Rescue Database, California Botanic Garden holds 5 accessions of Fremontodendron decumbens in orthodox seed collection. There are as many as 1862 seeds of this species in their collection - although some may have been used for curation testing or sent to back up.

08/05/2020

Based on an August 2020 extract of the California Plant Rescue Database, University of California Botanical Garden has collected 3 seed accessions of Fremontodendron decumbens from 2 plant occurrences listed in the California Natural Diversity Database. These collections together emcompass 26 maternal plants

08/05/2020

Based on an August 2020 extract of the California Plant Rescue Database, California Botanic Garden has collected 1 seed accessions of Fremontodendron decumbens from 1 plant occurrences listed in the California Natural Diversity Database. These collections together emcompass an unknown number of maternal plants

Nature Serve Biotics

05/02/2017

Narrowly endemic to a gabbroic soil area in western El Dorado County, California. The plants are scattered within an area of approximately 18 sq mi and are vulnerable to destruction by development and to the long-term effects of fire suppression due to their proximity to current and planned residential and commercial development projects. Trash dumping and road construction are also threats.

01/01/2010

Fire suppression (Boyd 1985) Development Road Construction Trash Dumping (NatureServe 2001)

01/01/2010

One extended population at Pine Hill that is managed by the CA Dept. of Forestry. Another small population has been recorded south of Grass Valley (Nevada Co), CA. Regional Parks Botanical Garden has collected seed which is stored at RSA.

01/01/2010

Walter Knight published an article on the successful cultivation of this species at Regional Parks Botanic Garden in 1996. Robert S. Boyd published a number of articles describing the fascinating reproductive biology of this species. (Boyd 1966, 1985, 1987, 1992, 1994, 1996, 2001)

01/01/2010

The largest population is protected by the Pine Hill Ecological Preserve although there have been attempts by the state to sell portions of it for development, the populations are still relatively intact due to pressure from concerned citizens and botanists.

01/01/2010

Research needed includes the determination of habitat requirements for the species pollinators (solitary bees). Management needs include managing for these pollinator populations and developing/maintaining a fire regime to promote seed germination for the species.

01/01/2010

Off-site study needed for this species includes determining its genetic diversity.