Phacelia formosula
Encyclopedia
Phacelia formosula is a rare species of flowering plant in the borage family
known by the common name North Park phacelia. It is endemic to the state of Colorado
in the United States, where it is known only from the North Park
region in Jackson County
. It is threatened by a number of human activities, such as motorcycle
and off-road vehicle
use in its habitat. It is a federally listed endangered species
of the United States.
This plant was first collected on August 6, 1918, near Walden, Colorado
. It was placed on the US Endangered Species List on September 1, 1982. There are eight to eleven occurrences of the plant for a total of fewer than 5000 individuals. All but two of the occurrences are small.
This biennial herb grows to a maximum height around 22 centimeters. The leaves have blades deeply cut into lobes. The inflorescence
is a scorpioid cyme, an array of branches curved into a curl that resembles the tail of a scorpion
. Blooming occurs in July and August. The flowers are pollinated
by insects, including the pollen wasp Pseudomasaris zonalis.
The plant only grows in North Park, a large basin
in northern Colorado. There it is limited to ravine
s and bare slopes of eroding
rock originating from the Coalmont Formation. The substrate is sandy and rust
-colored and it contains coal
. Few other plants grow on the slopes.
The decomposing rock slopes are popular with off-road vehicle users. The vehicles erode the substrate, disturbing the plants. Other threats include trampling and grazing by livestock, coal extraction, and petroleum exploration.
Boraginaceae
Boraginaceae, the Borage or Forget-me-not family, include a variety of shrubs, trees, and herbs, totaling about 2,000 species in 146 genera found worldwide.A number of familiar plants belong to this family....
known by the common name North Park phacelia. It is endemic to the state of Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
in the United States, where it is known only from the North Park
North Park (Colorado basin)
North Park is a high, sparsely populated basin in the Rocky Mountains in north central Colorado in the United States. It encompasses a wide valley in Jackson County rimmed by mountain ranges at the headwaters of the North Platte River and several smaller tributaries, including the Michigan River,...
region in Jackson County
Jackson County, Colorado
Jackson County is the fourth-least densely populated of the Colorado 64 counties of the U.S. state of Colorado. The county population was 1,577 at the 2000 Census. The county seat and the only municipality in the county is the Town of Walden.- History :...
. It is threatened by a number of human activities, such as motorcycle
Motorcycle
A motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most...
and off-road vehicle
Off-road vehicle
An off-road vehicle is considered to be any type of vehicle which is capable of driving on and off paved or gravel surface. It is generally characterized by having large tires with deep, open treads, a flexible suspension, or even caterpillar tracks...
use in its habitat. It is a federally listed endangered species
Endangered species
An endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...
of the United States.
This plant was first collected on August 6, 1918, near Walden, Colorado
Walden, Colorado
The Town of Walden is a Statutory Town that is the county seat of, and the only incorporated municipality in, Jackson County, Colorado, United States. It is situated in the center of a large open valley called North Park. People from Walden and the surrounding area refer to themselves as "North...
. It was placed on the US Endangered Species List on September 1, 1982. There are eight to eleven occurrences of the plant for a total of fewer than 5000 individuals. All but two of the occurrences are small.
This biennial herb grows to a maximum height around 22 centimeters. The leaves have blades deeply cut into lobes. The inflorescence
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
is a scorpioid cyme, an array of branches curved into a curl that resembles the tail of a scorpion
Scorpion
Scorpions are predatory arthropod animals of the order Scorpiones within the class Arachnida. They have eight legs and are easily recognized by the pair of grasping claws and the narrow, segmented tail, often carried in a characteristic forward curve over the back, ending with a venomous stinger...
. Blooming occurs in July and August. The flowers are pollinated
Pollination
Pollination is the process by which pollen is transferred in plants, thereby enabling fertilisation and sexual reproduction. Pollen grains transport the male gametes to where the female gamete are contained within the carpel; in gymnosperms the pollen is directly applied to the ovule itself...
by insects, including the pollen wasp Pseudomasaris zonalis.
The plant only grows in North Park, a large basin
Basin
Basin may refer to:* Basin , a poem about Charlemagne's childhood* basin , the area of a drydock which can be flooded and drained* basin of attraction , an area of a nonlinear system with an attractor...
in northern Colorado. There it is limited to ravine
Ravine
A ravine is a landform narrower than a canyon and is often the product of streamcutting erosion. Ravines are typically classified as larger in scale than gullies, although smaller than valleys. A ravine is generally a fluvial slope landform of relatively steep sides, on the order of twenty to...
s and bare slopes of eroding
Erosion
Erosion is when materials are removed from the surface and changed into something else. It only works by hydraulic actions and transport of solids in the natural environment, and leads to the deposition of these materials elsewhere...
rock originating from the Coalmont Formation. The substrate is sandy and rust
Rust
Rust is a general term for a series of iron oxides. In colloquial usage, the term is applied to red oxides, formed by the reaction of iron and oxygen in the presence of water or air moisture...
-colored and it contains coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
. Few other plants grow on the slopes.
The decomposing rock slopes are popular with off-road vehicle users. The vehicles erode the substrate, disturbing the plants. Other threats include trampling and grazing by livestock, coal extraction, and petroleum exploration.