Endangered Plants
Four more plants that grow in the San Fernando Valley were declared endangered or threatened this year. And while the names may not be familiar, they can have a big impact.
The fate of a proposed golf course in Big Tujunga Wash may depend on the slender-horned spineflower, which thrives in the dry, sandy soil. It was added to the state endangered list in 1982 and the federal endangered list in 1987.
And near Las Virgenes Reservoir, where the endangered Lyon’s pentachaeta grows, a developer and water and conservation officials recently clashed over land use.
After a complicated lawsuit in which the plant played a role, the land was rezoned as open space by the city of Westlake Village, with the plant now growing on conservancy-owned land.
Environmentalists and native-plant lovers applauded when, after much study and evaluation by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, new plants were given protection under the federal Endangered Species Act.
Two species found in the Santa Monica Mountains--Lyon’s pentachaeta, with its dainty yellow flowers, and Braunton’s milk-vetch, with its woolly leaves and purple flowers--became protected by the federal government Feb. 28.
Among the local plants to make the federal list of threatened plants were the Marcescent dudleya and the Santa Monica Mountains dudleya, both rock plants known as “live-forevers.”
Saving such plants is critical for maintaining a balanced ecosystem, said George Stevenson, president of the Los Angeles/Santa Monica Mountains chapter of the California Native Plant Society.
“Biodiversity is something we know is important,” Stevenson said. “You take out one thing, but you don’t know what effect it will have on the other members.”
Here’s a look at some of our nearby endangered and threatened plants:
Receiving Protection
Species that are designated as “endangered” are in danger of extinction, while those that are “threatened” are likely to become endangered within the foreseeable future. Listing plants gives them visibility and establishes penalties for their removal. Special programs may be implemented to help increase the population of certain species.
Of the plants listed by state and federal authorities as endangered or threatened, 14 are found in Los Angeles County. Another 78 have been proposed for federal protection.
State-listed endangered: 128
State-listed threatened: 20
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Federal-listed endangered: 79
Federal-listed threatened: 21
Don’t Pick the Flowers
It is a violation to destroy, remove, import, export or transport a plant that has been deemed endangered, threatened or rare by the government. Those who interfere with federally listed plants can get as much as one year in jail and/or a fine of as much as $25,000 for an individual and as much as $50,000 for a company. For plants on the state endangered or threatened lists, violators can be fined as much as $1,000 and/or receive as much as six months in jail. Plants on the state’s rare list are protected by a penalty of as much as $1,000 and/or six months in jail.
Federal officials have prosecuted only a handful of cases, all for importation violations, in the last few years.
Lyon’s Pentachaeta (Pentachaeta lyonii)
Description: A member of the sunflower family. Grows 2 to 19 inches tall and has dainty yellow flowers. Its petals roll up in the morning and open at midday.
Habitat: Thin volcanic soil along the margins of grassland and chaparral.
Range: Found in the Santa Monica Mountains and western Simi Hills.
Life cycle: An annual that flowers in late spring
Status: Placed on the federal endangered list in February; placed on the state endangered list in 1990.
Santa Monica Mountains Dudleya (Dudleya cymosa ssp. Ovatifolia)
Description: A rare succulent. Has pale yellow flowers, with maroon on the undersides of leaves. Also called a “live-forever.”
Habitat: Found on rocky, north-facing slopes.
Range: Found near Agoura and in the Santa Monica Mountains, along Topanga and Malibu creeks and in Orange County’s Santa Ana Mountains.
Life cycle: A perennial, with minor differences between plants growing in Agoura and Topanga.
Status: Placed on the federal threatened list in February; not listed by the state.
Braunton’s Milk-Vetch (Astragalus brauntonii)
Description: A member of the pea family. Has long, woolly leaves and light purple flowers with slightly curved pods. Grows up to 5 feet.
Habitat: Found in limestone soils, which are quite rare here.
Range: Found in the Santa Monica Mountains, Simi Hills, Oak Park, Monrovia and Orange County.
Life cycle: A short-lived perennial that appears to require fire or ground disturbance to germinate.
Status: Listed as endangered by the federal government in February; not listed by the state.
Marcescent Dudleya (Dudleya cymosa ssp. Marcesceus)
Description: Bright yellow flowers that sometimes are orange or red. Grows about 8 inches tall.
Habitat: Lives on volcanic rock surfaces and canyon walls adjacent to streams.
Range: Found in the Santa Monica Mountains
Life cycle: A perennial whose leaves shrivel up during dry summer months
Status: Listed as threatened by the federal government in February; listed as rare by the state.
Sources: staff reports, California Department of Fish and Game and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Researched by STEPHANIE STASSEL / Los Angeles Times
