Search / Plant Profile / Claytonia lanceolata var. peirsonii

Plant Profile

Peirson's Springbeauty (Claytonia lanceolata var. peirsonii)

This shot shows the entire plant and its flower. Photo Credit: Valerie Soza

Global Rank: T1 - Critically Imperiled
Legal Status: N/A
Family: Portulacaceae
State: CA
Nature Serve ID: 130914
Lifeform: Forb/herb
Date Inducted in National Collection: 03/08/1989

Description:

Claytonia lanceolata var. peirsonii is an endemic to the eastern end of the San Gabriel Mountains of the Western Transverse Ranges. This perennial herb grows at high elevations from a globose corm generally with 2 cauline, reddish-green leaves that emerge right after snow melts (Mistretta and Brown 1987).

Where is Peirson's Springbeauty (Claytonia lanceolata var. peirsonii) located in the wild?

Habitat:

North and northwest-facing slopes of dry ridges and steep scree slopes, 7500-9000 feet elevation, occurring in lodgepole pine forest and upper montane mixed coniferous forest. Occurring in open sunny, rocky areas or in shady, conifer litter. Populations occur on metamorphic rock (Pelona schist), slopes range from 24-37 degrees (Allan et al. 1995; Hickman 1993; Mistretta and Brown 1987; Soza and Boyd 2000; Tibor 2001).

Distribution:

Eastern end of the San Gabriel Mountains, Western Transverse Ranges, San Bernardino County, California; from the eastern side of Mount San Antonio, north slopes of Devils Backbone, southeast to Timber

States & Provinces:

Peirson's Springbeauty can be found in California

Which CPC Partners conserve Peirson's Springbeauty (Claytonia lanceolata var. peirsonii)?

California Botanic Garden

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

10/05/2020

An annual monitoring program was initiated in 1989 with the establishment on 3 transects at Devils Backbone, Timber Mountain, and Telegraph Peak. The purpose of this monitoring program was to gather information on the life history and demographic dynamics of the populations over 5 years, 1989-1993. Monitoring data from this program indicates a life span of six years at minimum for this taxon. All plants emerge as single-leaved seedlings and go through 1 or 2 juvenile stages before reaching reproductive maturity (Mistretta 1994a). Sites are now to be visited every five years, the most recent census survey was conducted in 2000 (Soza and Boyd 2000).

Nature Serve Biotics

05/02/2017

Known from 6 occurrences in the San Gabriel Mountains of San Bernardino County, California. Threatened by trampling, recreational use, grazing, and by the proposed expansion of a ski area.

Valerie Soza

01/01/2010

Recreational activities, trampling by campers and hikers, may be impacting populations along trails at Kellys Camp and Timber Mountain. At Thunder Mountain, grading, construction and tree removal for the development of ski runs has largely impacted the p

Valerie Soza

01/01/2010

Five populations at Devils Backbone (245 individuals in 1987; 205 individuals in 2000), Thunder Mountain (420 individuals in 1987), Telegraph Peak (175 individuals in 1987; 165 individuals in 2000), Kellys Camp (360 individuals in 1987; 1,167 individuals in 2000), and Timber Mountain (475 individuals; 1,279 individuals in 2000), for a total of approximately 1700 individuals in 1987 and 2800+ individuals in 2000. The populations appear relatively stable, naturally fluctuating, with a dramatic increase in several of the populations noted in 2000 (Mistretta and Brown 1987; Mistretta 1994a; Soza and Boyd 2000).

Valerie Soza

01/01/2010

Valerie Soza

01/01/2010

All known populations lie on USDA Forest Service lands. The Angeles National Forest in conjunction with Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden has developed a Species Management Guide for this Forest sensitive species.

Valerie Soza

01/01/2010

Much variability within the species, needs study (Hickman 1993). In the current treatment of this species in the Jepson Manual, varieties are no longer recognized and have all been lumped into the species. However, the San Gabriel Mountains populations appear to be distinctive and geographically isolated from other Claytonia lanceolata populations, the southernmost occurrence of this species, outside of the San Gabriel Mountains in California is in the central Sierra Nevada (Mistretta 1994b). Information on life history, seed set, germination success, and plant longevity is unknown and needs study (Mistretta and Brown 1987).