BOULDER COUNTY NATURE ASSOCIATION – ECOSYSTEM STEWARDSHIP INITIATIVE – MAY 2005 VASCULAR PLANT SPECIES OF SPECIAL CONCERN IN BOULDER COUNTY All species have full tracking status by the Colorado Natural Heritage Program (CNHP) except those noted as “watch-listed only” See CNHP website for explanation of global and state ranks; see end of table for references; BC = Boulder County; Flw = flowers; Fr = fruit BLM/USFS FAMILY HABITAT NOTES Element Global State Scientific Name Common Name Sensitivity ID Rank Rank Months are indicated by numbers 1 to 12 Status Acoraceae Wetlands Formerly frequent along meadows of piedmont valleys 22418 Acorus calamus Sweet Flag G4? SH - Sweetflag but disappearing as wetlands drained for development; extinct in Boulder Apiaceae Ponderosa Pine Found on Silver Plume granite; endemic in outer 17408 Aletes humilis Larimer Aletes G2G3 S2S3 - Parsley 6500-8700 ft foothills, Boulder and Larimer Co. Flws 3-6; fruits 5-7 Alsinaceae Wet tundra Rare; known only from Mt. Evans 21002 Alsinanthe stricta Rock Sandwort G5 S1 - Chicweed Fabaceae Outwash fans Small shrub with purple flowers; locally common in BC 20956 Amorpha nana Dwarf Wild Indigo G5 S2S3 - Pea on Shanahan, NCAR, NIST, and Davidson mesas Primulaceae Floodplains, In the Juncus arcticus zone; rare or overlooked; 19450 Anagallis minima Chaffweed G5 S1 - Primrose piedmont valleys exceedingly inconspicuous plant American Fabaceae Sandstone cliffs, Woodland-prairie relict; purplish-brown flowers;at White 23563 Apios americana G5 S1 - Groundnut Pea wetlands Rocks Aquilegia Helleboraceae Subalpine/Alpine Flow 7-8; endemic to central and north-central CO; 18092 Dwarf Columbine G3 S3 - saximontana Hellebore 9000-12,000 ft frequent in alpine fell fields along Continental Divide Sinopteridaceae Talus and cliff Infrequent in outermost foothills Argyrochosma 24246 Fendler Cloak-fern G3 S3 - crevices of arid fendleri Lipfern canyonsides Poaceae Sandstone Rare, limited to a few sites in Boulder, Jefferson, and 23792 Aristida basiramea Forktip Three-awn G5 S1 - Grass outcrops of outer Larimer counties; White Rocks in BC hogbacks Artemisia Patterson's Asteraceae Alpine tundrda Infrequent and very local in BC; Niwot Ridge and trail to 17484 G3G4 S3 - pattersonii Wormwood Sunflower Chasm Lake, Long’s Peak Asclepias Narrow-leaved Asclepiadaceae Outwash fans Uncommon on mesas 24022 G4G5 S2 - stenophylla Milkweed Milkweed Asteraceae Alpine Flws 7-8; very rare and local in BC; on Arapahoe Pass Askellia nana 16688 Dwarf Hawksbeard G5 S2 - Sunflower Scree and talus (crepis) 11,000-14,000 ft Aspleniaceae Restricted to At White Rocks in BC Asplenium sandstone cliffs 22566 Black Spleenwort G5 S1 - Spleenwort adiantum-nigrum Asplenium Aspleniaceae Arkosic rocks in Watch-listed only; fairly common; as the common name 24358 Grass-fern G4G5 S3S4 - septentrionale Spleenwort outer foothills suggests, looks like a bunchgrass Astragalus Front Range Fabaceae Rocky slopes, One record in BC in Gregory Canyon; endemic 18480 G3? S3? - sparsiflorus Milkvetch Pea outer foothills Betulaceae Long Canyon, Only Colorado locality 17255 Betula papyrifera Paper Birch G5 S1 - Birch Green Mountain Reflected Ophioglossaceae Subalpine Spores in July; rocky hillsides, grassy slopes and 20475 Botrychium echo G3 S3 - Moonwort Adder’s Tongue 9500-11,000 ft meadows; rare in BC BLM/USFS FAMILY HABITAT NOTES Element State Global State Common Name Sensitivity ID Scientific Name Rank Rank Status Botrychium Ophioglossaceae Subalpine and 22785 Western Moonwort G3G4 S2 - hesperium Adder’s Tongue alpine Botrychium Ophioglossaceae Subalpine and Watch-listed only Lance-leaved 23144 lanceolatum var. G5T4 S3 - alpine Moonwort Adder’s Tongue lanceolatum Ophioglossaceae Subalpine Very rare in BC Botrychium lineare Moonwort Adder’s Tongue Ophioglossaceae Subalpine and Watch-listed only; most common species in this 23474 Botrychium lunaria Common Moonwort G5 S3 - Adder’s Tongue alpine genus in Colorado Botrychium Ophioglossaceae Tundra Rare in BC 23966 Mingan's Moonwort G4 S1 - minganense Adder’s Tongue Ophioglossaceae Open hillsides, Spores 7-8 Botrychium burned or cleared 19971 Pale Moonwort G3 S2 - Adder’s Tongue pallidum areas 9800-10,000 ft Ophioglossaceae Subalpine peat Rare in BC 22022 Botrychium simplex Least Moonwort G5 S1 - Adder’s Tongue fens Botrypus virginianus Ophioglossaceae Springs, ravines Spores 6-7 18435 Rattlesnake Fern G5 S1 - ssp. europaeus Adder’s Tongue 6000-9500 ft Callitriche Large Water- Callitrichaceae Wetlands Only two reports, from Boulder and Teller counties 21172 G5 S1 - heterophylla starwort Water Starwort Lesser Panicled Cyperaceae Upper montane Rare in BC; one record in Gold Hill; forms floating 21581 Carex diandra G5 S1 USFS Sedge Sedge mats Cyperaceae Subalpine fens 23259 Carex lasiocarpa Slender Sedge G5 S1 - Sedge Cyperaceae Outwash fans Rare or local in BC 20528 Carex oreocharis A Sedge G3 S1 - Sedge Rocky Mountain Cyperaceae Dry slopes of Very rare in BC; one record from Long Canyon, 22544 Carex saximontana G5 S1 - Sedge Sedge foothill canyons Green Mountain Cyperaceae Outer foothills, Rare and local in BC 22501 Carex sprengelii Sprengel's Sedge G5? S2S3 - Sedge mesic canyons Carex Cyperaceae Shores of small Very rare in BC; one record from Stapps Lakes 23135 Many-headed Sedge G4 S1 - sychnocephala Sedge ponds Cyperaceae Outer foothills One record in BC; mouth of Gregory Canyon, 1973 19249 Carex torreyi Torrey Sedge G4 S1 - Sedge Downy Indian- Scrophulariaceae Rocky Tundra Bracts yellowish, never red; common in BC 17753 Castilleja puberula G2G3 SNR - paintbrush Figwort Crataegus Rosaceae Montane Status in Boulder County doubtful 17062 Yellow Hawthorn G5 S1 - chrysocarpa Rose Crocanthemum Cistaceae Base of outer Infrequent or rare in BC; north of Left Hand Canyon 21235 Frostweed G5 S2 - bicknellii Rockrose foothills and north of Eldorado Springs Delphinium Helleboraceae Subalpine, Infrequent in BC 16702 ramosum var. Colorado Larkspur G2 S2 - Hellebore aspen groves alpestre BLM/USFS FAMILY HABITAT NOTES Element State Global State Common Name Sensi- tivity ID Scientific Name Rank Rank Status Villa Grove Brassicaceae 19919 Descurainia ramosissima G3? S3? - Tansy-mustard Mustard Dichanthelium Poaceae Rocky sites In seeps along base of rimrock cliffs along Front 19693 acuminatum var. A Grass G5TNR S1 - Grass Range sericeum Brassicaceae Alpine tundra Rare or very infrequent in BC; one 18813 Draba exunguiculata Clawless Draba G2 S2 USFS Mustard record from Arapahoe Peak Brassicaceae Alpine tundra Infrequent in BC 19017 Draba fladnizensis Arctic Draba G4 S2S3 - Mustard Porsild's Whitlow- Brassicaceae Alpine tundra Rare in BC at Kiowa Peak above Green Lakes 17281 Draba porsildii G3G4 S1 - grass Mustard Valley Drymaria effusa var. Spreading Alsinaceae Rocky mudflats Diminutive annual; one occurrence known in 19390 G4T4 SNR - depressa Drymaria Chickweed Colorado at Rocky Mountain National Park Showy Prairie Gentianaceae Streams, wetlands Watch-listed only; locally abundant on Boulder 19330 Eustoma grandiflorum G5 S3S4 - Gentian Gentian 3500-6000 ft Creek floodplain south of White Rocks; Flw 7-8 Onagraceae Mixed grass prairie Federally listed; endemic in WY, CO, NB; Gaura neomexicana ssp. Colorado Evening primrose in drainage bottoms Flw 6-9, Fr 7-10; very rare in BC; one record 20240 G3T2 S1 - coloradensis Butterfly Weed 5800-6200 ft from Lee Hill Athyricaceae Subalpine willow Shaded woods and thickets; uncommon in BC 20790 Gymnocarpium dryopteris Oak Fern G5 S2S3 - Ladyfern carrs Juncaceae Spring slopes and Rocky Mountain National Park 17086 Juncus vaseyi Vasey Bulrush G5? S1 - Rush meadows Cyperaceae Moist, gravelly Frequent near Continental Divide of Front 21450 Kobresia simpliciuscula Simple Kobresia G5 S2 USFS Sedge tundra Range Asteraceae Wetlands Found once in Bear Canyon 20054 Liatris ligulistylis Gay-feather G5? S1S2 - Sunflower Liliaceae Foothills, Montane Watch-listed only; sporadic in BC in aspen 17751 Lilium philadelphicum Wood Lily G5 S3S4 - Lily 6800-9800 ft groves; Flows 6-8 Broad-leaved Orchidaceae Subalpine forests, Peaceful Valley in BC 17861 Listera convallarioides G5 S2 - Twayblade Orchid cool ravines Colorado Wood- Juncaceae Subalpine and Endemic; infrequent in BC 16728 Luzula subcapitata G3? S3? - rush Rush alpine willow carrs Orchidaceae Shaded stream One record in BC on Green Mt.; Flws 7-8 Malaxis monophyllos ssp. White Adder's- 22636 G4Q S1 USFS sides and wet areas brachypoda mouth Orchid 7200-8000 ft Loasaceae Foothills Endemic to Front Range, Boulder to Larimer Wavy-leaf 21778 Nuttallia sinuata G3 S2 - County; common in vicinity of Boulder; on Stickleaf Loasa Flagstaff Mountain and in Gregory Canyon Great Plains Nyctaginaceae 24461 Oxybaphus decumbens G5 S1 - Four-o'clock Four O’Clock BLM/US FAMILY HABITAT NOTES FS Element State Global State Common Name Sensi- ID Scientific Name Rank Rank tivity Status Parry's Crazy- Fabaceae Subalpine Rare in BC; one record from Caribou Hill above 20266 Oxytropis parryi G5 S1 - weed Pea Nederland Papaveraceae Dry alpine Watch-listed only; rare in BC; at base of Arapahoe meadows, scree, Glacier 16807 Papaver kluanensis Alpine Poppy G5T3T4 S3S4 - Poppy and talus 11,500- 14,000 feet Kotzebue's Parnassiaceae Subalpine to alpine; Rare in BC; Flow 6-7; Fr 7-8 22774 Parnassia kotzebuei Grass-of- G4 S2 USFS Grass-of-Parnassus stream banks, wet parnassus areas; 10-12,000 ft Penstemon angustifolius Vernal Narrow- Scrophulariaceae Piedmont valleys Common in elevated parts of piedmont valley in BC 23119 G5T3 S1 - var. vernalensis leaf Penstemon