Schoenocrambe barnebyi
Encyclopedia
Schoenocrambe barnebyi is a rare species of flowering plant in the mustard family
known by the common names Barneby reed-mustard, Syes Butte plainsmustard, and Barneby thelypody. It is endemic to Utah
in the United States, where it is known only from Emery
and Wayne Counties
. It is threatened by habitat degradation and destruction. It is federally listed as an endangered species
of the United States.
This is a perennial herb with multiple erect stems growing 10 to 38 centimeters tall from a caudex
. The leaves are oblong or oval in shape with smooth or slightly toothed edges, the blades measuring up to 5 centimeters in length. The inflorescence
is a raceme
of mustardlike flowers. Each flower has green or purple sepal
s and four white or pale purple petals with purple veining, each petal measuring about a centimeter long. The fruit is a curved silique
roughly 2 to 5 centimeters long.
This mustard grows in the San Rafael Swell
on Bureau of Land Management
territory in Emery County. The only other population is located in Capitol Reef National Park
in Wayne County. The habitat is dry and mostly barren of vegetation. The substrate is fine, eroding red clay containing large amounts of selenium
and gypsum
. The area is a desert shrub plant community. Other plants in the habitat include sweet sand verbena
(Abronia fragrans), shadscale
(Atriplex confertifolia), Utah serviceberry
(Amelanchier utahensis), tarragon
(Artemisia dracunculus), rubber rabbitbrush (Chrysothamnus nauseosus), Torrey's jointfir
(Ephedra torreyana), green ephedra
(Ephedra viridis), fluffgrass
(Erioneuron pulchellum), Nuttall's povertyweed
(Monolepis nuttalliana), dropseed grasses
(Sporobolus) sp., and desert princesplume
(Stanleya pinnata).
There are 2000 to 3000 individuals of this plant remaining, but there may be more on nearby rugged terrain that is hard to explore. This mustard is threatened by uranium mining
at the San Rafael Swell location. While most of the mines are now inactive, they are still maintained and there is a road running right through the population. The other population experiences trampling damage from hikers.
Brassicaceae
Brassicaceae, a medium sized and economically important family of flowering plants , are informally known as the mustards, mustard flowers, the crucifers or the cabbage family....
known by the common names Barneby reed-mustard, Syes Butte plainsmustard, and Barneby thelypody. It is endemic to Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
in the United States, where it is known only from Emery
Emery County, Utah
Emery County is a county located in the U.S. state of Utah. As of 2000 the population was 10,860, and by 2009 had been estimated to decrease to 10,629. It was named for George W. Emery, governor of the Utah Territory in 1875...
and Wayne Counties
Wayne County, Utah
Wayne County is a county located in the U.S. state of Utah. It was formed from Piute County in 1892. The county gets its name from a man who served as delegate to the constitutional convention, in honor of his son who was dragged to death by a horse. As of 2000 the population was 2,509, and by...
. It is threatened by habitat degradation and destruction. It is federally listed as an 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 is a perennial herb with multiple erect stems growing 10 to 38 centimeters tall from a caudex
Caudex
A caudex is a form of stem morphology appearing as a thickened, short, perennial stem that is either underground or near ground level . It may be swollen for the purpose of water storage, especially in xerophytes...
. The leaves are oblong or oval in shape with smooth or slightly toothed edges, the blades measuring up to 5 centimeters in length. 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 raceme
Raceme
A raceme is a type of inflorescence that is unbranched and indeterminate and bears pedicellate flowers — flowers having short floral stalks called pedicels — along the axis. In botany, axis means a shoot, in this case one bearing the flowers. In a raceme, the oldest flowers are borne...
of mustardlike flowers. Each flower has green or purple sepal
Sepal
A sepal is a part of the flower of angiosperms . Collectively the sepals form the calyx, which is the outermost whorl of parts that form a flower. Usually green, sepals have the typical function of protecting the petals when the flower is in bud...
s and four white or pale purple petals with purple veining, each petal measuring about a centimeter long. The fruit is a curved silique
Silique
A silique or siliqua is a fruit of 2 fused carpels with the length being more than three times the width. The outer walls of the ovary usually separate when ripe, leaving a persistent partition...
roughly 2 to 5 centimeters long.
This mustard grows in the San Rafael Swell
San Rafael Swell
The San Rafael Swell is a large geologic feature located in south-central Utah, USA about 30 miles west of Green River, Utah. The San Rafael Swell, approximately by , consists of a giant dome-shaped anticline of sandstone, shale, and limestone that was pushed up during the Paleocene Laramide...
on Bureau of Land Management
Bureau of Land Management
The Bureau of Land Management is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior which administers America's public lands, totaling approximately , or one-eighth of the landmass of the country. The BLM also manages of subsurface mineral estate underlying federal, state and private...
territory in Emery County. The only other population is located in Capitol Reef National Park
Capitol Reef National Park
Capitol Reef National Park is a United States National Park, in south-central Utah. It is 100 miles long but fairly narrow. The park, established in 1971, preserves 378 mi² and is open all year, although May through September are the most popular months.Called "Wayne Wonderland" in the 1920s...
in Wayne County. The habitat is dry and mostly barren of vegetation. The substrate is fine, eroding red clay containing large amounts of selenium
Selenium
Selenium is a chemical element with atomic number 34, chemical symbol Se, and an atomic mass of 78.96. It is a nonmetal, whose properties are intermediate between those of adjacent chalcogen elements sulfur and tellurium...
and gypsum
Gypsum
Gypsum is a very soft sulfate mineral composed of calcium sulfate dihydrate, with the chemical formula CaSO4·2H2O. It is found in alabaster, a decorative stone used in Ancient Egypt. It is the second softest mineral on the Mohs Hardness Scale...
. The area is a desert shrub plant community. Other plants in the habitat include sweet sand verbena
Abronia fragrans
Abronia fragrans is a species of sand verbena.-Description:...
(Abronia fragrans), shadscale
Atriplex confertifolia
Atriplex confertifolia is a species of evergreen shrub in the Chenopodiaceae family, which is native to the western United States.-Habitat:Shadscale is a common, often dominant, shrub in the lowest and driest areas of the Great Basin...
(Atriplex confertifolia), Utah serviceberry
Amelanchier utahensis
Amelanchier utahensis, the Utah serviceberry, is a shrub or small tree native to western North America. This serviceberry grows in varied habitats, from scrubby open slopes to woodlands and forests.-Description:...
(Amelanchier utahensis), tarragon
Tarragon
Tarragon or dragon's-wort is a perennial herb in the family Asteraceae related to wormwood. Corresponding to its species name, a common term for the plant is "dragon herb". It is native to a wide area of the Northern Hemisphere from easternmost Europe across central and eastern Asia to India,...
(Artemisia dracunculus), rubber rabbitbrush (Chrysothamnus nauseosus), Torrey's jointfir
Ephedra torreyana
Ephedra torreyana is a species of Ephedra that is native to the Southwestern United States and northern Mexico. It was originally described by Sereno Watson in 1879 and placed in section Alatae, "tribe" Habrolepides by Otto Stapf in 1889. In 1996 Robert A. Price left E. torreyana in section...
(Ephedra torreyana), green ephedra
Ephedra viridis
Ephedra viridis is a species of Ephedra known by the common names green ephedra and green Mormon tea. It is native to the western United States, where it is a member of varied scrub, woodland, and open habitats.-Description:...
(Ephedra viridis), fluffgrass
Dasyochloa
Dasyochloa is a monotypic species of grass containing the single species Dasyochloa pulchella , which is known by the common names fluffgrass and low woollygrass...
(Erioneuron pulchellum), Nuttall's povertyweed
Monolepis nuttalliana
Monolepis nuttalliana is a species of flowering plant in the amaranth family known by the common name Nuttall's povertyweed. It is native to North America, where it is widespread and common from Alaska to Mexico to New England. It can be found in many types of habitat, including disturbed areas,...
(Monolepis nuttalliana), dropseed grasses
Sporobolus
Sporobolus is a genus of grasses in the family Poaceae. They are usually called dropseed grasses or sacaton grasses. They are typical prairie and savanna plants, and they occur in other types of open habitat in warmer climates....
(Sporobolus) sp., and desert princesplume
Stanleya pinnata
Stanleya pinnata, also known as Prince's Plume, is a species of flowering plant in the mustard family known by the common name desert princesplume. It is native to the western United States, where it occurs in many types of open habitat, including deserts, foothills, rocky cliffs, sagebrush, and...
(Stanleya pinnata).
There are 2000 to 3000 individuals of this plant remaining, but there may be more on nearby rugged terrain that is hard to explore. This mustard is threatened by uranium mining
Uranium mining
Uranium mining is the process of extraction of uranium ore from the ground. The worldwide production of uranium in 2009 amounted to 50,572 tonnes, of which 27% was mined in Kazakhstan. Kazakhstan, Canada, and Australia are the top three producers and together account for 63% of world uranium...
at the San Rafael Swell location. While most of the mines are now inactive, they are still maintained and there is a road running right through the population. The other population experiences trampling damage from hikers.