Taxon Report

Phacelia greenei J.T. Howell

Scott Valley phacelia

Print Report


© 2011 Steve Matson

Taxon Summary

Phacelia greenei, commonly known as Scott Valley phacelia, is a annual herb in the Hydrophyllaceae that is found only in California. It occurs within Closed-cone coniferous forest, Lower montane coniferous forest, Subalpine coniferous forest, and Upper montane coniferous forest, growing at elevations from 800 to 2440 meters. Phacelia greenei is ranked 1B.2, Plants Rare, Threatened or Endangered in California and Elsewhere; Moderately threatened in California.


  Classification

Scientific Name:
Phacelia greenei J.T. Howell
Common Name:
Scott Valley phacelia
Family: Hydrophyllaceae
Element Code: PDHYD0C1V0
USDA Plants Symbol: PHGR2
Synonyms/Other Names:

Ecology and Life History

Lifeform: annual herb
Blooming Period: Apr-Jun Apr-Jun
Elevation: 800-2440 (2625-8005)
General Habitats: Closed-cone coniferous forest, Lower montane coniferous forest, Subalpine coniferous forest, Upper montane coniferous forest
Microhabitat: Serpentine
Microhabitat Details:

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB

Total Occurrences: 24
Element Occurrence Ranks:
   Excellent (A) 5
   Good (B) 10
   Fair (C) 3
   Poor (D) 0
   None (X) 0
   Unknown (U) 6
California Endemic:  True
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
Siskiyou (SIS), Trinity (TRI)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Callahan (4112237), China Mtn. (4112245), Duzel Rock (4112256), Eaton Peak (4112238), Fort Jones (4112257), Greenview (4112258), McConaughy Gulch (4112247), Scott Mountain (4112236), South China Mtn. (4112235), Yreka (4112266)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB

Threat List Total: 10
EOs with Threat Listed: Total EOs % of EOs
16 67 %
Other 7 29%
Road/trail construction/maint. 6 25%
Logging 5 20%
Mining 5 20%
Grazing 5 20%
ORV activity 2 8%
Recreational use (non-ORV) 1 4%
Improper burning regime 1 4%
Biocides 1 4%
Foot traffic/trampling 1 4%

Notes

Known only in the vicinity of Scott Valley.
Threats:

Possibly threatened by mining.

Taxonomy:

Similar to the more widespread P. humilis which is sometimes mistaken for P. greenei outside of Scott Valley; differentiated from P. humilis in having glabrous vs. short-hairy stamens in addition to other characters.

Selected References

USFS Potential Species of Conservation Concern Profile
Citation California Native Plant Society, Rare Plant Program. 2025. Rare Plant Inventory (online edition, v9.5.1). Website https://www.rareplants.cnps.org [accessed 5 February 2025].