Taxon Report

Swallenia alexandrae (Swall.) Soderstrom & Decker

Eureka Valley dune grass

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Taxon Summary

Swallenia alexandrae, commonly known as Eureka Valley dune grass, is a perennial rhizomatous herb in the Poaceae that is found only in California. It occurs within Desert dunes, growing at elevations from 850 to 1280 meters. Swallenia alexandrae is ranked 1B.2, Plants Rare, Threatened or Endangered in California and Elsewhere; Moderately threatened in California.


  Classification

Scientific Name:
Swallenia alexandrae (Swall.) Soderstrom & Decker
Common Name:
Eureka Valley dune grass
Family: Poaceae
Element Code: PMPOA5Y010
USDA Plants Symbol: SWAL
Synonyms/Other Names:

Ecology and Life History

Lifeform: perennial rhizomatous herb
Blooming Period: Apr-Jun Apr-Jun
Elevation: 850-1280 (2790-4200)
General Habitats: Desert dunes
Microhabitat:
Microhabitat Details:

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB

Total Occurrences: 5
Element Occurrence Ranks:
   Excellent (A) 5
   Good (B) 0
   Fair (C) 0
   Poor (D) 0
   None (X) 0
   Unknown (U) 0
California Endemic:  True
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
Inyo (INY)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
East of Joshua Flats (3711727), East of Waucoba Spring (3711717), Last Chance Range SW (3711716)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB

Threat List Total: 1
EOs with Threat Listed: Total EOs % of EOs
1 20 %
ORV activity 1 20%

Notes

Known only from dunes in Eureka Valley, within Death Valley NP. Habitat previously degraded by vehicle traffic; populations recovering well, but still threatened by vehicle trespass and recreation. See Journal of the Washington Academy of Sciences 40(1):19-21 (1950) for original description, Madroño 17(3):88 (1963) for revised nomenclature, and Biological Conservation 46:217-242 (1988) for population biology.
Threats:
Taxonomy:
Citation California Native Plant Society, Rare Plant Program. 2025. Rare Plant Inventory (online edition, v9.5.1). Website https://www.rareplants.cnps.org [accessed 18 February 2025].