Taxon Report
Silene serpentinicola T. W. & J. P. Nelsonserpentine catchfly |
 ©2008 Norman Jensen |
Taxon Summary
Silene serpentinicola, commonly known as serpentine catchfly, is a perennial rhizomatous herb in the Caryophyllaceae that is found in California and elsewhere. It occurs within Chaparral, and Lower montane coniferous forest, growing at elevations from 145 to 1650 meters. Silene serpentinicola is ranked 1B.2, Plants Rare, Threatened or Endangered in California and Elsewhere; Moderately threatened in California.Classification
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Scientific Name: |
Silene serpentinicola T. W. & J. P. Nelson |
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Common Name: |
serpentine catchfly |
| Family: | Caryophyllaceae |
| Element Code: | PDCAR0U2B0 |
| USDA Plants Symbol: | |
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Synonyms/Other Names: |
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Ecology and Life History
| Lifeform: | perennial rhizomatous herb |
| Blooming Period: May-Jul | May-Jul |
| Elevation: | 145-1650 (475-5415) |
| General Habitats: | Chaparral, Lower montane coniferous forest |
| Microhabitat: | Gravelly (sometimes), Openings, Rocky (sometimes), Serpentine |
| Microhabitat Details: |
Conservation Status
| CA Rare Plant Rank: | 1B.2 |
| Global Rank: | G3 |
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State Rank: |
S3 |
| State List: | None |
| Fed List: | None |
| Other Status: | SB_UCSC; USFS_S |
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CRPR Changes: |
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Occurrence Data from the CNDDB
| Total Occurrences: | 55 |
| Element Occurrence Ranks: | |
| Excellent (A) | 1 |
| Good (B) | 4 |
| Fair (C) | 0 |
| Poor (D) | 0 |
| None (X) | 0 |
| Unknown (U) | 50 |
| California Endemic: False | |
| California Counties and Islands: Name (Code) | |
| Del Norte (DNT) | |
| Quads: Name (Quad Code) | |
| Cant Hook Mtn. (4112368), Childs Hill (4112461), Gasquet (4112378), High Divide (4112481), High Plateau Mtn. (4112388), Hiouchi (4112471), Klamath Glen (4112358)? | |
Threat List Data from the CNDDB
| Threat List Total: | 7 | |
| EOs with Threat Listed: | Total EOs | % of EOs |
| 7 | 13 % | |
| Foot traffic/trampling | 4 | 7% |
| Improper burning regime | 2 | 3% |
| ORV activity | 2 | 3% |
| Other | 2 | 3% |
| Road/trail construction/maint. | 1 | 1% |
| Logging | 1 | 1% |
| Non-native plant impacts | 1 | 1% |
Notes
| "Red Hill" location (722C?) recorded by Jepson (#2904, JEPS) needs confirmation. Locally common in the Smith River Basin of Northwestern California. Threatened by foot traffic. Possibly threatened by fire suppression. Although distinct, formerly confused with S. californica and S. hookeri ssp. pulverulenta. Not in TJM (1993). See Madroño 51:384 (2004) for original description, and Acta Mus. Richnov., Sect. natur. 12(1):1-6 (2005) for treatment of junior homonym; S. boyd-klineana. |
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Threats: |
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Taxonomy: |
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 27 January 2025].