Frisco Mountains mustard
Matt Berger; Robert Johnson; Zach Coury
Terraria haydenii
NatureServe conservation status
Global (G-rank): G1
State (S-rank): S1
Utah Wildlife Action Plan status
- SGCN
External links
General information
Terraria haydenii is an endemic species discovered only recently (2012) in the Wah Wah Mountains of Utah's Great Basin. It lives in dry, highly alkaline soils where not many other plants grow. It is a mat-forming plant with fleshy glaucous leaves shaped oblanceolate to lanceolate. The inflorescence occurs in racemes of 4-10 flowers with white oblong petals.
Description
Terraria haydenii is an endemic species discovered only recently (2012) in the Wah Wah Mountains of Utah's Great Basin. It lives in dry, highly alkaline soils where not many other plants grow. It is a mat-forming plant with fleshy glaucous leaves shaped oblanceolate to lanceolate. The inflorescence occurs in racemes of 4-10 flowers with white oblong petals.
Diagnostic characteristics
Terraria differs from other closely related genus by having rosulate basal leaves, simple trichomes, and non-prominent racemes. Terraria haydenii differentiates from similar species by being non-pulvinate, having simple and minute trichomes, spreading sepals, oblong anthers, 4-8 ovules per ovary, and slightly two-lobed stigmas.
Species range
The range of this species is very small with only two populations, 1.6 km from one another, situated in the Wah Wah Mountains in Utah.
Threats or limiting factors
Threats to this species include mineral extraction and soil disturbance and trampling by recreational rock collectors (Hildebrand and Al-Shehbaz 2017). Ongoing drought and lack of suitable habitat are also impacting this species.
Taxonomy
No, this species does not have taxonomic discrepancies