Search / Plant Profile / Nitrophila mohavensis

Plant Profile

Amargosa Niterwort (Nitrophila mohavensis)

Image of Nitrophila mohavensis Photo Credit: Wikipedia

Global Rank: G1 - Critically Imperiled
Legal Status: Federally Endangered
Family: Amaranthaceae
State: CA, NV
Nature Serve ID: 133016
Lifeform: Forb/herb
Date Inducted in National Collection:

Description:

This member of the Chenopodiaceae family occupies the most localized habitat of all plant species endemic to Ash Meadows. Its habitats are limited to highly alkaline, moist, salt-encrusted clay soils. It is the only species to occupy these specific areas, and will not reestablish where the salty soil crust has been disturbed. N. mohavensis is a small, 4 inch tall, rhizomatous perennial forb with small inconspicuous pink flowers. Flowering time is in late spring.

Where is Amargosa Niterwort (Nitrophila mohavensis) located in the wild?

Habitat:

Undisturbed, highly alkaline, moist, salt-encrusted clay soils. The amount, distribution, and suitability of N. mohavensis habitat are dependent on both surface and subsurface hydrologic features.

Distribution:

Ash Meadows National wildlife Refuge in Nye Co. Nevada, occupying 21.4 acres. Also found in Inyo county California on a total of <1 acre.

States & Provinces:

Amargosa Niterwort can be found in California, Nevada

Which CPC Partners conserve Amargosa Niterwort (Nitrophila mohavensis)?

Red Butte Garden and Arboretum

Not Sponsored

Assigned 06/09/17

California Botanic Garden

Not Sponsored

Conservation Actions

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

09/01/2020

Based on an September 2020 extract of the California Plant Rescue Database, California Botanic Garden holds 2 accessions of Nitrophila mohavensis in orthodox seed collection. There are as many as 61 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, California Botanic Garden has collected 2 seed accessions of Nitrophila mohavensis from 1 plant occurrences listed in the California Natural Diversity Database. These collections together emcompass 64 maternal plants

Nature Serve Biotics

05/02/2017

Nitrophila mohavensis is known from five total occurrences in Inyo County, California and Nye county, Nevada. It is severely threatened by water diversion and habitat alteration. Nearby mining activity also poses a threat to this taxon.

Rita Dodge and Sarah Kulpa

01/01/2010

Habitat destruction from road construction, trampling by wild horses, off-road vehicles, invasive species, and ground and surface water pumping.

Rita Dodge and Sarah Kulpa

01/01/2010

58,292 above ground ramets in Ash Meadows, NV. Unknown number in California.

Rita Dodge and Sarah Kulpa

01/01/2010

Not Available

Rita Dodge and Sarah Kulpa

01/01/2010

Some protection provided by the National Wildlife Refuge and TNC owned property.

Rita Dodge and Sarah Kulpa

01/01/2010

Ex-situ conservation

Rita Dodge and Sarah Kulpa

01/01/2010

Species is not currently part of an ex-situ collection. This is a high priority for the USFWS.