Search / Plant Profile / Packera layneae

Plant Profile

Layne's Butterweed (Packera layneae)

Global Rank: G2 - Imperiled
Legal Status: Federally Threatened
Family: Asteraceae
State: CA
Nature Serve ID: 141097
Lifeform: Forb/herb
Date Inducted in National Collection:

Description:

Laynes butterweed is a striking perennial herb with creeping rootstocks. The basal rosette of leaves have blue-green cast to their color; cauline leaves are reduced up the flowering stems. Stems can reach 1 meter tall and flower heads are 4-6 cm. across, with orange-yellow ray flowers appearing from April - July.

Where is Layne's Butterweed (Packera layneae) located in the wild?

Habitat:

This species grows in openings in rocky chaparral on Gabbro and serpentine soil formations in Sierran foothills.

Distribution:

Laynes butterweed occurs in the Sierran foothills of El Dorado, Yuba, and Tuolumne counties, California. The type locality is thought to be under Folsom Lake.

States & Provinces:

Layne's Butterweed can be found in California

Which CPC Partners conserve Layne's Butterweed (Packera layneae)?

University of California Botanical Garden

Not Sponsored

Conservation Actions

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

Conservation Actions

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

Center for Plant Conservation

07/22/2021

In a 2014 thesis, M.S. Williams researched the rarity of Packera layneae through various reproductive and ecological traits of the species. This included looking into the dispersal and germination requirements of the plant. The thesis can be found here: "The ecology and distribution patterns of a rare serpentine endemic, Packera layneae."

Center for Plant Conservation

07/22/2021

A 2002 paper by G.D. Marsh and DR.. Ayres investigated the genetic structure of Packera layneae to discover the genetic variation across the species and across local populations. In order to do this, the authors used 63 ISSR and 42 RAPD polymorphic DNA markers.
The paper can be found here: "Genetic structure of Senecio layneae (Composital): A rare plant of the chaparral."

09/01/2020

Based on an September 2020 extract of the California Plant Rescue Database, University of California-Santa Cruz Arboretum & Botanic Garden holds 3 accessions of Packera layneae in orthodox seed collection. We are uncertain as to how many total seeds are in this collection.

09/01/2020

Based on an September 2020 extract of the California Plant Rescue Database, California Botanic Garden holds 15 accessions of Packera layneae in orthodox seed collection. There are as many as 9677 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, University of California Botanical Garden holds 1 accessions of Packera layneae in orthodox seed collection. We are uncertain as to how many total seeds are in this collection.

08/05/2020

Based on an August 2020 extract of the California Plant Rescue Database, University of California Botanical Garden has collected 12 seed accessions of Packera layneae from 9 plant occurrences listed in the California Natural Diversity Database. These collections together emcompass 251 maternal plants

08/05/2020

Based on an August 2020 extract of the California Plant Rescue Database, University of California-Santa Cruz Arboretum & Botanic Garden has collected 3 seed accessions of Packera layneae 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

Restricted to gabbroic and serpentine soils in El Dorado, Yuba and Tuolumne counties, California. Many (~50%) of the occurrences are located in a rapidly developing area and are imminently threatened with destruction or habitat fragmentation by numerous residential and commercial development projects. Secondary threats, likely to become more severe with increasing development, include off-road vehicle use, changes in fire frequency, competition with invasive non-native plants, and road maintenance activities. Mining is a potential threat in one area.

Holly Forbes

01/01/2010

Habitat destruction Fire suppression Roadside vegetation management

Holly Forbes

01/01/2010

Less than fifty occurrences remain, with individual counts from less than ten to over 1,500. Counts of individuals are made difficult by the rhizomatous nature of the species. Most known sites are scattered within a 16,200 ha (40,000 ac) area in western El Dorado County that includes the Pine Hill intrusion and adjacent serpentine. A few other colonies occur in the Eldorado National Forest and in the BLM Red Hills Management Area

Holly Forbes

01/01/2010

Not Available

Holly Forbes

01/01/2010

Monitoring in all current preserves shows populations on reserves are stable or increasing with evidence of natural recruitment for a period of 60 years that includes normal disturbance. Ameliorate or eliminate threats. Maintain metapopulation dynamics of at least 1 very large, 1 large, 7 medium, and 24 small occurrences throughout the Pine Hill formation; of at least 1 large, 2 medium and 5 small in western El Dorado County; of at least 2 medium and 4 small in Tuolumne County; and of at least 2 small in Yuba County. (Recovery Plan)

Holly Forbes

01/01/2010

Influence of disturbance and fire on seedling establishment; effects of grazing; metapopulation analysis; effects of fire; fire management techniques; determine efficacy of other types of disturbance regimes for species and habitat management; feasibility of habitat restoration/enhancement. (Recovery Plan)

Holly Forbes

01/01/2010

Continue to develop seed banks, due to strong genetic variability within and between populations.