Amsinckia grandiflora
Encyclopedia
Amsinckia grandiflora is a species of fiddleneck
known by the common name large-flowered fiddleneck. This is a wildflower endemic to California and considered a Critically endangered species
on the state and national level.
in Alameda County, California
. Other populations have been established in nearby protected areas. The plant is endangered due to a number of factors, including invasive plants
, grazing, and development of the valuable land.
This fiddleneck has low reproductive output; it produces few seeds per plant. It is also heterostylous
, making the plant self-incompatible
, which means individuals cannot breed with other individuals of the same morph. This often prevents reproduction.
This fiddleneck is also sensitive to habitat; it grows on sedimentary
loam
in mesic areas
of its range. The Livermore Laboratory is actively monitoring the status of this California endemic.
Fiddleneck
A fiddleneck is a flowering plant in the genus Amsinckia. The name derives from the flower stems, bearing many small flowers, which curl over at the top in a manner reminiscent of the head of a fiddle...
known by the common name large-flowered fiddleneck. This is a wildflower endemic to California and considered a Critically endangered species
Critically Endangered
Critically Endangered is the highest risk category assigned by the IUCN Red List for wild species. Critically Endangered means that a species' numbers have decreased, or will decrease, by 80% within three generations....
on the state and national level.
Distribution
The last remaining native populations are on the grasslands near Lawrence Livermore National LaboratoryLawrence Livermore National Laboratory
The Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory , just outside Livermore, California, is a Federally Funded Research and Development Center founded by the University of California in 1952...
in Alameda County, California
Alameda County, California
Alameda County is a county in the U.S. state of California. It occupies most of the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 1,510,271, making it the 7th most populous county in the state...
. Other populations have been established in nearby protected areas. The plant is endangered due to a number of factors, including invasive plants
Invasive species
"Invasive species", or invasive exotics, is a nomenclature term and categorization phrase used for flora and fauna, and for specific restoration-preservation processes in native habitats, with several definitions....
, grazing, and development of the valuable land.
This fiddleneck has low reproductive output; it produces few seeds per plant. It is also heterostylous
Heterostyly
Heterostyly is a unique form of polymorphism and herkogamy in flowers. In a heterostylous species, two or three different morphological types of flowers, termed morphs, exist in the population. On each individual plant, all flowers share the same morph. The flower morphs differ in the lengths of...
, making the plant self-incompatible
Self-incompatibility in plants
Self-incompatibility is a general name for several genetic mechanisms in angiosperms, which prevent self-fertilization and thus encourage outcrossing...
, which means individuals cannot breed with other individuals of the same morph. This often prevents reproduction.
This fiddleneck is also sensitive to habitat; it grows on sedimentary
Sedimentary rock
Sedimentary rock are types of rock that are formed by the deposition of material at the Earth's surface and within bodies of water. Sedimentation is the collective name for processes that cause mineral and/or organic particles to settle and accumulate or minerals to precipitate from a solution....
loam
Loam
Loam is soil composed of sand, silt, and clay in relatively even concentration . Loam soils generally contain more nutrients and humus than sandy soils, have better infiltration and drainage than silty soils, and are easier to till than clay soils...
in mesic areas
Mesic habitat
In ecology, a mesic habitat is a type of habitat with a moderate or well-balanced supply of moisture, e.g., a mesic forest, a temperate hardwood forest, or dry-mesic prairie. Compared to a dry habitat, a mesic habitat is moister....
of its range. The Livermore Laboratory is actively monitoring the status of this California endemic.