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Plant Profile

Frosty Bladderpod (Physaria pruinosa)

Global Rank: G2 - Imperiled
Legal Status: N/A
Family: Brassicaceae
State: CO, NM
Nature Serve ID: 159251
Lifeform: Forb/herb
Date Inducted in National Collection: 04/01/1990

Description:

The Pagosa Springs bladderpod, Lesquerella pruinosa, is a perennial plant and member of the Mustard family, and can grow 10-25 cm tall. It was named after the very short, dense hairs covering the leaves and stems to give the plant a frosted appearance. The diamond-shaped leaves are mainly basal, and narrow abruptly to long, slender leafstalks. The rosette forms from the basal leaves (Von Bargen 1997). The plant produces small yellow flowers May-August. The fruiting inflorescence is elongated and crowded. The pedicels are loosely sigmoid (Harrington 1954). This species was first discovered in 1899 near Pagosa Springs by Charles Fuller Baker on his trip to southwestern Colorado (Anderson 2004). Recently, some small populations have been found in oak brush or in open stands of ponderosa pine in soil derived from the Mancos Formation shale (Von Barge 1997). The development of residential and commercial properties and ski resorts in Pagosa Springs and off-road vehicle use have caused adverse impacts such as soil disturbance and erosion. These activities diminish habitat for the Pagosa Springs bladderpod.

Where is Frosty Bladderpod (Physaria pruinosa) located in the wild?

Habitat:

This species is restricted to fine-textured soil derived from Mancos Formation shale. It is often found in areas surrounded by montane grasslands, open ponderosa pine stands with scrub oak, Douglas-fir, or Engelmann spruce communities. Elev. 6,800-8,300 ft. (Spackman 1997).

Distribution:

The Pagosa Springs bladderpod is a narrow endemic restricted to Archuleta County, Colorado (Spackman 1997).

States & Provinces:

Frosty Bladderpod can be found in Colorado, New Mexico

Which CPC Partners conserve Frosty Bladderpod (Physaria pruinosa)?

Denver Botanic Gardens

Not Sponsored

Assigned 06/09/17

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

Nature Serve Biotics

05/02/2017

Endemic to Colorado and New Mexico; known from Archuleta County, and the extreme southern portion of Hinsdale County in Colorado, and one location in Rio Arriba County in New Mexico. Habitat destruction is the biggest threat to Lesquerella pruinosa, especially considering its limited range. Residential growth and development around the city of Pagosa Springs, including a proposed ski resort, threaten occurrences.

Akiko Okawado

01/01/2010

Habitat destruction results from soil disturbance, recreational use such as off-road vehicle, and residential, commercial, airport, and ski resort construction (Von Bargen 1997).

Akiko Okawado

01/01/2010

This species is currently known from 14 occurrences, all within Archuleta County (Neely 1990). A total count of one population of L. pruinosa was estimated at 4,250 by Anderson (1998). However, following a field survey in 1991 near Gordon Creek, approximately twice that number of plants were found at this occurrence alone (A.T. Carpenter, personal observation).

Akiko Okawado

01/01/2010

All aspects of this species' ecology and biology need to be studied, including its life history and population dynamics.