Meager Camissonia
Chylismia exilis
NatureServe conservation status
Global (G-rank):
State (S-rank): S2
Utah Wildlife Action Plan status
- SGCN
External links
General information
Belonging to the Evening-primrose Family, this species is a Colorado Plateau endemic. It is specifically found in the Coconino and Mohave Counties, Arizona, and Kane County, Utah. Meager camissonia is restricted to a habitat of fine textured substrates on travertine and gypsum in warm desert shrub communities. The purple-brown stems, and the small yellowish flowers only bloom between the months of May to the middle of June at an elevation of 1706 meters.
Description
C. exilis is a slender, annual herb that grows from taproots; stems may be simple or branched from near the base, growing 3-28 cm tall and colored purplish-brown with glandular hairs. Leaves are petiolate, lance-ovate to elliptic in shape, and grow 5-12 mm long and 3-7 mm wide. Leaf margins may be weakly denticulate. Flowers occur on terminal racemes on main and lateral stems and are small, self-pollinating yellow flowers 1-1.5 mm long..
Phenology
This plant is an annual and is typically found flowering late April-May. Flowering begins when plants are as small as 2 cm in height. Growth is dependent upon winter rainfall, plants do not appear in dry years.
Diagnostic characteristics
This plant can be distinguished from similar species by its lack of epipetalous stamens, that is, the plant's 4 stamens are not connected to the petals. Noted for its similarity to Gayophytum spp. The inconspicuous nature of this plant means it is often overlooked.
Species range
Along the border between northern Arizona (Coconino and Mohave counties) and southern Utah (Kane, Wayne (see SEINet), and San Juan counties).
Map
Habitat
C. exilis is found among sagebrush, galleta, and pinyon-juniper communities between 5,000-6,900 ft elevation. It is an obligate of fine-texture, gypsiferous soils, primarily those of the Triassic Moenkopi and Jurassic Entrada formations. It prefers to grow under the canopy of other vegetation and is rarely found in the open.
Threats or limiting factors
The primary threats to this species include off-road vehicle use (Laurenzi and Spence, 2012) as well as potential impacts from grazing, climate change, road and utility line maintainence.
Taxonomy
No, this species does not have taxonomic discrepancies