The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service published a revised list of
Candidate Plants under the Federal Endangered Species Act on November
22, 2013. Six California endemic plants
remain formal Candidates (including their number of documented occurrences):
Family Taxon Occurrences
Brassicaceae Rorippa subumbellata 29
Streptanthus
bracteatus 8
Liliaceae Calochortus persistens 5
Nyctaginaceae Abronia alpina 1
Pinaceae Pinus albicaulis >10,000?
None of these six are particularly endangered: Pinus albicaulis shows
no direct evidence of decline in the Sierra (unlike in the northern Rocky
Mountains, suggesting genetics). Rorippa
subumbellata, endemic to the beaches of Lake Tahoe, now trampled and stranded, is
uncommon but not critical. Streptanthus
bracteatus is a rare serpentine endemic, but has not declined in recent
times. Calochortus persistens is very
rare, but is the subject of active USFS management, recently formalized in a signed directive. Perhaps of the 6 candidates, only Abronia
alpina might be considered threatened.
The USFWS revised Candidate List also removed two California plants
from Candidate status: Hazardia orcuttii (Asteraceae) with ca. 15 extant
occurrences, and Phacelia stellaris (Hydrophyllaceae) also with about 15 extant
occurrences.
What the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service failed to do in revision of
the list of Candidate Plants is to in any way advance to candidacy the nearly
100 California endemic plants that are biologically endangered or threatened
BUT WHICH ENJOY NO LISTING STATUS.
The list below are those CA endemics with three or fewer known
occurrences, and which are not State Listed.
Some of these are not now in danger of extinction, as they occur in
remote areas, and hence ought to be listed as Threatened (N is the number of extant occurrences).
California harbors more endangered plants than the remainder of the coterminous United States combined (absent Florida and Hawaii, and excluding tropical Pacific protectorates).
USFWS - do triage, get with the program, list these plants.
| Family | Scientific Name | N | CNPS | S | G |
| Alliaceae | Allium marvinii | 2 | 1B.1 | S1 | G1 |
| Apiaceae | Lomatium shevockii | 2 | 1B.3 | S2 | G2 |
| Asteraceae | Ancistrocarphus keilii | 2 | 1B.1 | S1 | G1 |
| Asteraceae | Baccharis plummerae ssp. glabrata | 3 | 1B.2 | S2 | T2 |
| Asteraceae | Deinandra bacigalupii | 3 | 1B.2 | S1 | G1 |
| Asteraceae | Dieteria canescens var. ziegleri | 2 | 1B.2 | S1 | T1 |
| Asteraceae | Erigeron calvus | 1 | 1B.1 | S1 | G1 |
| Asteraceae | Erigeron serpentinus | 3 | 1B.3 | S2 | G2 |
| Asteraceae | Harmonia guggolziorum | 2 | 1B.1 | S1 | G1 |
| Asteraceae | Helianthus inexpectatus | 1 | 1B.1 | S1 | G1 |
| Asteraceae | Heterotheca monarchensis | 3 | 1B.3 | S2 | G1 |
| Asteraceae | Malacothrix foliosa ssp. crispifolia | 2 | 1B.2 | S1 | T1 |
| Asteraceae | Malacothrix foliosa ssp. philbrickii | 3 | 1B.2 | S1 | T1 |
| Asteraceae | Malacothrix junakii | 2 | 1B.1 | S1 | G1 |
| Boraginaceae | Cryptantha excavata | 3 | 1B.3 | S2 | G2 |
| Boraginaceae | Cryptantha incana | 3 | 1B.3 | S1 | G1 |
| Boraginaceae | Phacelia cookei | 3 | 1B.1 | S1 | G1 |
| Brassicaceae | Boechera hirshbergiae | 2 | 1B.2 | S1 | G1 |
| Brassicaceae | Boechera peirsonii | 3 | 1B.2 | S1 | G1 |
| Brassicaceae | Boechera rubicundula | 1 | 1B.1 | S1 | G1 |
| Brassicaceae | Boechera shevockii | 1 | 1B.1 | S1 | G1 |
| Brassicaceae | Boechera ultraalsa | 1 | 1B.1 | S1 | G1 |
| Brassicaceae | Boechera yorkii | 3 | 1B.3 | S1 | G1 |
| Brassicaceae | Caulanthus amplexicaulis var. barbarae | 3 | 1B.1 | S1 | T1 |
| Brassicaceae | Smelowskia ovalis | 3 | 1B.2 | S1 | G1 |
| Brassicaceae | Streptanthus glandulosus ssp. hoffmanii | 2 | 1B.3 | SH | TH |
| Brassicaceae | Streptanthus oblanceolatus | 2 | 1B.2 | S1 | G1 |
| Brassicaceae | Streptanthus vernalis | 1 | 1B.2 | S1 | G1 |
| Brassicaceae | Tropidocarpum californicum | 2 | 1B.1 | S1 | G1 |
| Cactaceae | Cylindropuntia munzii | 2 | 1B.3 | S1 | G3 |
| Cactaceae | Echinocereus engelmannii var. howei | 3 | 1B.1 | S1 | T1 |
| Campanulaceae | Nemacladus calcaratus | 3 | 1B.2 | S1 | G1 |
| Caryophyllaceae | Minuartia decumbens | 2 | 1B.2 | S1 | G1 |
| Convolvulaceae | Calystegia collina ssp. tridactylosa | 3 | 1B.2 | S1 | T1 |
| Convolvulaceae | Cuscuta jepsonii | 1 | 1B.2 | SH | GH |
| Crassulaceae | Dudleya blochmaniae ssp. insularis | 1 | 1B.1 | S1 | T1 |
| Crassulaceae | Dudleya cymosa ssp. costatifolia | 2 | 1B.2 | S2 | T2 |
| Crassulaceae | Dudleya cymosa ssp. crebrifolia | 1 | 1B.2 | S1 | T1 |
| Crassulaceae | Dudleya gnoma | 1 | 1B.1 | S1 | G1 |
| Cupressaceae | Hesperocyparis macrocarpa | 2 | 1B.2 | S1 | G1 |
| Cyperaceae | Eleocharis torticulmis | 2 | 1B.3 | S1 | G1 |
| Ericaceae | Arctostaphylos crustacea ssp. eastwoodiana | 3 | 1B.1 | S2? | T2? |
| Ericaceae | Arctostaphylos gabilanensis | 2 | 1B.2 | S1 | G1 |
| Ericaceae | Arctostaphylos mendocinoensis | 1 | 1B.2 | S1 | T1 |
| Ericaceae | Arctostaphylos osoensis | 2 | 1B.2 | S1 | G1 |
| Ericaceae | Arctostaphylos tomentosa ssp. daciticola | 1 | 1B.1 | S1 | T1 |
| Fabaceae | Acmispon argyraeus var. notitius | 3 | 1B.3 | S2 | T2 |
| Fabaceae | Astragalus ravenii | 3 | 1B.3 | S2 | G2 |
| Fabaceae | Lathyrus biflorus | 1 | 1B.1 | S1 | G1 |
| Fabaceae | Lupinus constancei | 2 | 1B.2 | S1 | G1 |
| Iridaceae | Iris hartwegii ssp. columbiana | 2 | 1B.2 | S2 | T2 |
| Juncaceae | Juncus digitatus | 3 | 1B.1 | S1 | G1 |
| Lamiaceae | Lepechinia rossii | 3 | 1B.2 | S1 | G1 |
| Lamiaceae | Monardella australis ssp. jokerstii | 3 | 1B.1 | S1 | T1 |
| Lamiaceae | Monardella boydii | 3 | 1B.2 | S2 | G2 |
| Lamiaceae | Monardella undulata ssp. arguelloensis | 1 | 1B.1 | S1 | T1 |
| Liliaceae | Calochortus syntrophus | 2 | 1B.1 | S1 | G1 |
| Liliaceae | Erythronium taylorii | 1 | 1B.2 | S1 | G1 |
| Liliaceae | Fritillaria biflora var. ineziana | 2 | 1B.1 | S1 | T1 |
| Malvaceae | Sidalcea hickmanii ssp. napensis | 2 | 1B.1 | S1 | T1 |
| Malvaceae | Sidalcea hickmanii ssp. pillsburiensis | 1 | 1B.2 | S1 | T1 |
| Onagraceae | Clarkia concinna ssp. raichei | 1 | 1B.1 | S1 | T1 |
| Onagraceae | Clarkia tembloriensis ssp. calientensis | 3 | 1B.1 | S1 | T1 |
| Orchidaceae | Piperia elegans ssp. decurtata | 2 | 1B.1 | S1 | T1 |
| Orobanchaceae | Castilleja ambigua var. meadii | 3 | 1B.1 | S1 | T1 |
| Papaveraceae | Platystemon californicus var. ciliatus | 1 | 1B.2 | S1 | T1 |
| Pinaceae | Pinus torreyana ssp. insularis | 2 | 1B.2 | S1 | T1 |
| Pinaceae | Pinus torreyana ssp. torreyana | 3 | 1B.2 | S1 | T1 |
| Plantaginaceae | Penstemon tracyi | 3 | 1B.3 | S1 | G1 |
| Poaceae | Agrostis lacuna-vernalis | 3 | 1B.1 | S1 | G1 |
| Poaceae | Puccinellia howellii | 1 | 1B.1 | S1 | G1 |
| Polemoniaceae | Gilia yorkii | 1 | 1B.2 | S1 | G1 |
| Polemoniaceae | Navarretia gowenii | 3 | 1B.1 | S1 | G1 |
| Polemoniaceae | Navarretia myersii ssp. deminuta | 1 | 1B.1 | S1 | T1 |
| Polygonaceae | Eriogonum kennedyi var. pinicola | 3 | 1B.1 | S1 | T1 |
| Polygonaceae | Eriogonum luteolum var. saltuarium | 3 | 1B.2 | S1 | T1 |
| Polygonaceae | Eriogonum microthecum var. lacus-ursi | 1 | 1B.1 | S1 | T1 |
| Polygonaceae | Eriogonum nudum var. psychicola | 1 | 1B.1 | S1 | T1 |
| Polygonaceae | Eriogonum ovalifolium var. monarchense | 1 | 1B.3 | S1 | T1 |
| Polygonaceae | Eriogonum spectabile | 2 | 1B.2 | S1 | G1 |
| Polygonaceae | Eriogonum umbellatum var. lautum | 2 | 1B.1 | S1 | T1 |
| Polygonaceae | Eriogonum wrightii var. olanchense | 2 | 1B.3 | S2 | T2 |
| Rhamnaceae | Ceanothus foliosus var. vineatus | 3 | 1B.1 | S1? | T1 |
| Rosaceae | Drymocallis cuneifolia var. cuneifolia | 3 | 1B.1 | S1 | T1 |
| Rosaceae | Horkelia daucifolia var. indicta | 3 | 1B.1 | S1 | T1 |
| Rosaceae | Ivesia longibracteata | 1 | 1B.3 | S1 | G1 |
| Rosaceae | Petrophytum caespitosum ssp. acuminatum | 3 | 1B.3 | S2 | T2 |
| Rubiaceae | Galium hypotrichium ssp. tomentellum | 1 | 1B.3 | S1 | T1 |
| Themidaceae | Brodiaea matsonii | 2 | 1B.1 | S1 | G1 |
