Great Basin Naturalist Volume 38 Number 2 Article 1 6-30-1978 Kaiparowits flora Stanley L. Welsh Brigham Young University N. Duane Atwood Bureau of Land Management, Cedar City, Utah Joseph R. Murdock Brigham Young University Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/gbn Recommended Citation Welsh, Stanley L.; Atwood, N. Duane; and Murdock, Joseph R. (1978) "Kaiparowits flora," Great Basin Naturalist: Vol. 38 : No. 2 , Article 1. Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/gbn/vol38/iss2/1 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Western North American Naturalist Publications at BYU ScholarsArchive. It has been accepted for inclusion in Great Basin Naturalist by an authorized editor of BYU ScholarsArchive. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. The Great Basin Naturalist Published at Provo, Utah, by Brigham Young University ISSN 0017-3614 Volume 38 June 30, 1978 No. 2 KAIPAROWITS FLORA Stanley L. Welsh', N. Duane Atwood,^ and Joseph R. Murdock' Abstract.— The paper presents an annotated list of 851 taxa in 358 genera and 80 families. Threatened and endangered plants are enumerated. Diversity of vegetative types in the Kai- occupied by characteristic kinds of vegeta- parowits Basin is reflected in the large tion, that which is sufficiently specialized as number of species present in that basin.^ to survive and compete on the unusual soils. Elevational differences of 2,680 m from the This is demonstrated on the saline clays of low point at Lee's Ferry to the high point such formations as the Tropic Shale which on the summit of Navajo Mountain accotmts forms the benchland below the Nipple for some of the diversity of plant species. Bench-Smoky Mountain uplands. Substrate differences in the basin range Amounts of precipitation are roughly cor- from saHne clays through all the common rectable with elevation, and the low particle sizes to boulders and slickrock. The amotmts at low elevations are reflected in focus of the basin is the Colorado River the kinds of plants which can grow there. canyon into which all of the drainages of This is also true for the middle and higher the basin pour their loads, and plants have elevations. Vegetation and the diversity of followed this feature as a major migrational species change from one rainfall regimen to pathway. This is true of the major commu- another. Where water is available on a per- nities of plants in the vicinity, and is espe- manent basis, such as along streams or in cially so for those at lower elevations. hanging gardens, the plant assemblage Lower elevational species are representa- changes drastically when contrasted to that tive of more southern distributional patterns in nearby arid lands. All of these habitat which find the hot dry canyon and the types combine to set the Kaiparowits Basin lower features compatible with their needs. apart as a unique entity. Middle and higher elevation species are The following annotated list of vascular more representative of boreal vegetation. plants contains some 851 taxa (822 species The two types intertongue in the lower and 29 infraspecific units) placed in 358 middle elevations where soil conditions are genera and 80 families. They represent di- compatible. Specific soil types tend to be verse phytogeographical provinces from 'Department of Botany and Range Science, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah 84602. Multnomah, 'Bureau of Land Management, Cedar City, Utah 84720. Present address: U.S. Forest Service, Lloyd 500 Building, Suite 1692, 500 NE Portland, Oregon 97232. participants. This is one of a series of papers funded by the Navajo and Kaiparowits Generating Stations 125 126 Great Basin Naturalist Vol. 38, No. 2 cold to warm temperate and even sub- Geranium marginale (T) tropical regions of this hemisphere. They Gilia latifolia (T)" Imperata breviflora (PoEx)° are recognized as belonging to montane for- Ivesia sabulosa (T)" est, ponderosa pine, juniper-pinyon, sage- Lesquerella rubicundula (T) brush, salt-desert shnib, warm desert shrub, Lesquerella tumulosa (E) riparian, and hanging garden communities. Lomatium minimum (T) Machaeranthera glabriuscula var. confertifhra (T) The list is based upon the plant collec- Menodora scabra (T) tions made by the authors and by others at Muhlenbergia curtifolia (T)° the Navajo-Kaiparowits Project during the Nama retrorsum (T) period from 1971 to 1975. Additionally, all Oenothera megalantha (E)° plants in the herbarium of Brigham Young Oxytropis jonesii (T)" Penstemon leiophyllus (T) University have been reviewed, and the per- Phacelia cephalotes (T) tinent specimens are cited in the list. Lists Phacelia constancei (T) published by others have been studied and Phacelia mammillariensis (E) some species added in that manner, but un- Phacelia rafaelensis (T) Phlox less the reports could be validated, question- cluteana (T)° Pinus longaeva (T)° able reports have been excluded. All speci- Primula specuicola (T) mens cited are in the herbarium of Brigham Psoralea epipsila (E) Young University (BRY) unless otherwise in- Ptelea trifoliata ssp. pallida (PoEx)* dicated. Townsendia minima (T) Viguiera annua (T) The list should not be thought to be ex- Yucca toftiae (T) haustive; other species will be foimd in the Basin. This is indicated by species being Most of these plants occupy only small added to the list in the summer of 1975, portions of the Basin, and they must be following several years of extensive in- avoided by any planned development of the vestigation of the region to sample its flora. region. Generally, the plants are those Many of the plants are recognized as which occupy some specific habitat or soil threatened (T), endangered (E), or possibly types, and they are not known to be cul- extinct (PoEx). Designations for these spe- tivatable by standard agricultural tech- cies is in a paper by Welsh et al. (1975). niques. Thus, the only means of preserva- Some 42 species in the Kaiparowits Basin tion of these unique plants lies in the are considered as belonging to one of these maintenance of the areas occupied by them. categories. This number represents about 5 In the annotated list, the collector's percent of the species in the Basin and ap- names have been appreviated or shortened. proximately 20 percent of the threatened, The most commonly noted collectors are as endangered, or possibly extinct species follows; a look at collection dates will allow known for Utah. The following species, one to determine an outline of the history with status indicated, belong to this unique of floristic investigations of the Basin. group of plants. Abbreviation Astragalus desperatus var. conspectus (T) Astragalus bryantii (PoEx) Astragalus emoryanus (T)° Astragalus hallii var. fallax (T)" Astragalus kentrophyta var. coloradoensis (T)" Astragalus lancearius (T) Astragalus malacoides (T) Astragalus striatiflorus (E) Atriplex navajoensis (T) Carex curatorum (T) Castilleja revealii (E) Cirsium rydbergii (T)° Cladium californicum (E)" Draba subalpina (T) Erigeron abajoensis (T) Euphorbia nephradenia (T) June 1978 Welsh et al.: Kaiparowits Flora 127 « en I 00 128 Great Basin Naturalist Vol. 38, No. 2 NDA N. D. Atwood Anacardiaceae (Cashew Family) Nebeker & SkougardG. Nebeker & M. Skougard RA or RWA R. W. Allen Rhus trilobata Nutt. var. trilobata Reveal L. Reveal J. Skunkbush SLW S. L. Welsh Utah: Garfield Co., Escalante Canyon, SL & SLW S. L. & S. L. Welsh Stanton W. D. Stanton Beck s. n.; Escalante, Beck & Tarmer s. n. Tanner V. M. Tanner Kane Co., 50 miles south of Escalante, Beck Webb M. Webb & Tarmer s.n.; Nipple Spring, NDA & RA Woodruff D. W. Woodruff 2825. Rocky slopes and canyons, usually near moist seeps or along drainages; uncom- Annotated Checklist mon. Rhus trilobata Nutt. var. simplicifolia (Greene) Barkley AcERACEAE (Maple Family) Arizona: Coconino Co., Lee's Ferry, Cot- Acer glabrum Torr. Rocky Mountain Maple tam 2607. Utah: Kane Co., Willow Tank, Utah: Garfield Co., Bryce Canyon, Boyle Beck & Tanner s. n.; 8 miles south of Paria 1154. Rare. Townsite, Harrison 12046; Four Mile Acer grandidentatum Nutt. Bench, SLW & NDA 12376; Hole-in-the- Big-Tooth Maple Rock, Harrison 12128; Cockscomb, SLW Utah: Garfield Co., Bryce Canyon, Bu- 5330; Tibbet Canyon, NDA 3461; Wah- chanan 379. Kane Co., Kaiparowits Plateau, weap Creek, NDA 3475. Rocky slopes in JRM 399. Rare. canyons; common. Acer negundo L. Box Elder Toxicodendron rydbergii (Small) Ivy Arizona: Coconino Co., Paria Canyon, Greene Poison NDA & LCH 4015, 20 May 1972. Utah: Utah: San Juan Co., one mile east of Kane Co., Escalante Canyon, NDA & RA Hole-in-the-Rock, SLW & CAT 11868. 3216. Uncommon to locally common along Confined to moist sites, especially in hang- streams and in some hanging gardens. ing gardens, where it is imcommon but lo- cally abimdant. AizoACEAE (Carpetweed Family) Apocynaceae (Dogbane Family) Mollugo cerviana (L.) Ser. Utah: Kane Co., Cedar Mt., NDA 3101. Amsonia eastwoodiana Rydb. Rare. Utah: San Juan Co., east of confluence of San Juan, NDA 4089; Three Garden, SLW Amaranthaceae (Amaranth Family) & NDA 11699. Sandy sites in warm dry Acanthochiton wrightii Torr. canyons; common. Arizona: Coconino Co., 9.3 miles south of Amsonia palmeri Gray Arizona: Co., near Lee's Ferry, Page, NDA et al. 3346, 3346a. Utah: Kane Coconino Co., 2 miles west of Glen Canyon City, NDA 4429. Rare. NDA & DK 3360, 3360a. The Utah collec- Amsonia tomentosa Torr. & Frem. Co., east of confluence of tions are the first known record of this rare Utah: San Juan plant for Utah. the San Juan, NDA 4090; do, NDA 3182. Amaranthus graecizans L. Dry rocky ground; uncommon. Utah: Kane Co., Cockscomb, NDA & RA Apocynum androsaemifolium L. Cot- 2888b. San Juan Co., Colorado River, across Utah: Garfield Co., Bryce Canyon, 2744. Moist canyons and slopes at high- from Last Chance Creek, Gaines (1960). tam Tidestromia lanuginosa (Nutt.) Standi. er elevations; imcommon. L. Dogbane Utah: Kane Co., 30 miles east of Glen Apocynum cannabinum Canyon City NDA & DK 3335; 18 miles Utah: Garfield Co., Escalante, Cottam Brigham east of Glen Canyon City, NDA 4059.