Baker's Blennosperma / Center For Plant Conservation
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Plant Profile

Baker's Blennosperma (Blennosperma bakeri)

This closeup shows the yellow, daisy-like flowers with white pollen and stigmas. Photo Credit: Dan Cheatham
  • Global Rank: G1 - Critically Imperiled
  • Legal Status: Federally Endangered
  • Family: Asteraceae
  • State: CA
  • Nature Serve ID: 137235
  • Lifeform: Forb/herb
  • Date Inducted in National Collection: 04/04/1991
Description:

The extirpation of Blennosperma bakeri from four of seven historic sites in the Sonoma Valley was caused by home construction and the planting of a vineyard. The remaining populations still face similar threats. However, both the local government and private citizens have begun to create artificial vernal pools to increase the available habitat for this species. A reserve has been established to protect the fragile vernal pool habitat required by this small annual. There is also the potential to cultivate this species for ornamental use as it produces quite attractive yellow daisy-like flowers from March through April. Unfortunately, these same flowers are often the reason that plants are taken from the wild by collectors.

Where is Baker's Blennosperma (Blennosperma bakeri) located in the wild?

Habitat:

This species is found in grasslands and within vernal pool areas and swales. Other endangered plants associated with this species are Limnanthes vinculans and Lasthenia burkei. (USFWS 2002)

Distribution:

It is only found in Santa Rosa Plain in Sonoma County, California. (USFWS 1992)

States & Provinces:

Baker's Blennosperma can be found in California

Which CPC Partners conserve Baker's Blennosperma (Blennosperma bakeri)?

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
  • Orthodox Seed Banking

Based on an September 2020 extract of the California Plant Rescue Database, California Botanic Garden holds 15 accessions of Blennosperma bakeri in orthodox seed collection. There are as many as 11532 seeds of this species in their collection - although some may have been used for curation testing or sent to back up.

Nature Serve Biotics
  • 05/02/2017

Endemic to California, Blennosperma bakeri is known from fifteen occurrences, six of which may be extirpated or very degraded. The species is known only from Laguna de Santa Rosa and the Sonoma area in Sonoma County. One occurrence lies within the boundaries of a California Department of Fish and Game ecological reserve, although it is not managed. Major threats to this plant are urbanization, grazing, and agriculture.

  • 01/01/2010

Residential development Insect herbivory (Leong and Bailey 2000) Grazing (USFWS 1992) Agricultural conversion of habitat Airport-related maintenance on Sonoma County Airport lands Drought Invasive non-natives

  • 01/01/2010

There are 35 sites in Cotati Valley and 7 other sites in Sonoma Valley. Most of the vernal pools or swales of the Cotati Valley are privately owned. (USFWS 2002)

  • 01/01/2010

Dr. Joan M. Leong is currently studying pollinator visitation to translocated and natural populations of the endangered vernal pool plant, Blennosperma bakeri. (Leong and Bailey 2000)

  • 01/01/2010

One site, the Todd Road Reserve, is owned by the California Department of Fish and Game (Fish and Game) and is managed for the protection of

  • 01/01/2010

Very little is known about this species except for some of its pollination biology.

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Nomenclature
Taxon Blennosperma bakeri
Authority Heiser
Family Asteraceae
CPC Number 595
ITIS 36842
USDA BLBA
Duration Annual
Common Names Baker's blennosperma | Baker's sticky seed | Sonoma sunshine
Associated Scientific Names Blennosperma bakeri
Distribution It is only found in Santa Rosa Plain in Sonoma County, California. (USFWS 1992)
State Rank
State State Rank
California S1
Ecological Relationships

Photos
Pollinators
Common Name Name in Text Association Type Source InteractionID
Bees
Mining bees Andrena blennospermatis Confirmed Pollinator Link
Honey bees Apis mellifera Confirmed Pollinator Link
Mining bees Andrena pensilis Confirmed Pollinator Link
Mining bees Andrena angustitarsata Confirmed Pollinator Link
Sweat bees Lasioglossum Confirmed Pollinator Link
Sweat bees Halictus tripartitus Confirmed Pollinator Link
Flies
Syrphid flies Syrphid flies Confirmed Pollinator Link

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