Taxon Report
Atriplex coronata S. Watson var. vallicola (Hoover) S.L. WelshLost Hills crownscale |
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Species Description:
Atriplex coronata var. vallicola, commonly known as Lost Hills crownscale, is a annual herb in the Chenopodiaceae that is found only in California. It occurs within Chenopod scrub, Valley and foothill grassland, and Vernal pools, growing at elevations from 50 to 635 meters. Atriplex coronata var. vallicola is ranked 1B.2, Plants Rare, Threatened or Endangered in California and Elsewhere; Moderately threatened in California.
Classification
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Scientific Name: |
Atriplex coronata S. Watson var. vallicola (Hoover) S.L. Welsh |
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Common Name: |
Lost Hills crownscale |
| Family: | Chenopodiaceae |
| Element Code: | PDCHE04371 |
| USDA Plants Symbol: | |
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Synonyms/Other Names: |
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Ecology and Life History
| Lifeform: | annual herb |
| Blooming Period: Apr-Sep | Apr-Sep |
| Elevation: | 50-635 (165-2085) |
| General Habitats: | Chenopod scrub, Valley and foothill grassland, Vernal pools |
| Microhabitat: | Alkaline |
| Microhabitat Details: |
Conservation Status
| CA Rare Plant Rank: | 1B.2 |
| Global Rank: | G4T3 |
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State Rank: |
S3 |
| State List: | None |
| Fed List: | None |
| Other Status: | BLM_S |
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CRPR Changes: |
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Occurrence Data from the CNDDB
| Total Occurrences: | 76 |
| Element Occurrence Ranks: | |
| Excellent (A) | 8 |
| Good (B) | 22 |
| Fair (C) | 7 |
| Poor (D) | 4 |
| None (X) | 0 |
| Unknown (U) | 35 |
| California Endemic: True | |
| California Counties and Islands: Name (Code) | |
| Fresno (FRE), Kern (KRN), Kings (KNG), Merced (MER), Monterey (MNT), San Benito (SBT), San Luis Obispo (SLO), Tulare (TUL) | |
| Quads: Name (Quad Code) | |
| Avenal Gap (3511978), Cholame (3512063), Cholame Valley (3512073), Chounet Ranch (3612066), Ciervo Mtn. (3612045), Coit Ranch (3612064), Conner (3511921), East Elk Hills (3511934), Firebaugh (3612074), Jamesan (3612062), Joaquin Rocks (3612034), Laguna Seca Ranch (3612077), Levis (3612054), Lillis Ranch (3612044), Lokern (3511945), Lone Tree Well (3511976), Los Viejos (3511988), Lost Hills (3511956), Lost Hills NE (3511965), Lost Hills NW (3511966), Mendota Dam (3612073), Mercey Hot Springs (3612067), Monocline Ridge (3612055), Ortigalita Peak NW (3612088), Pastoria Creek (3411887), Reward (3511936), Sausalito School (3511982), Semitropic (3511955), Taft (3511924), Tranquillity (3612063), Tumey Hills (3612056), Tupman (3511933), Wasco NW (3511964), West Camp (3511977), West Elk Hills (3511935) | |
Threat List Data from the CNDDB
| Threat List Total: | 11 | |
| EOs with Threat Listed: | Total EOs | % of EOs |
| 35 | 46 % | |
| Other | 16 | 21% |
| Grazing | 12 | 15% |
| Road/trail construction/maint. | 10 | 13% |
| Mining | 9 | 11% |
| Agriculture | 6 | 7% |
| Development | 5 | 6% |
| ORV activity | 3 | 3% |
| Erosion/runoff | 1 | 1% |
| Non-native plant impacts | 1 | 1% |
| Waterway bank protection/maintenance | 1 | 1% |
| Recreational use (non-ORV) | 1 | 1% |
Notes
| See Leaflets of Western Botany 2(8):130-131 (1938) for original description. |
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Threats: |
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Threatened by grazing, vehicles, agricultural conversion, hydrological alterations, and energy development. |
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Taxonomy: |
| The following newly described rare plants were previously attributed to A. coronata var. vallicola: A. flavida from Carrizo Plain, SLO Co. and A. gypsophila from the interior South Coast Ranges in western FRE Co. |
Selected References
| Phytoneuron 65:1–7 (2018) (A. flavida) |
| Madroño 70(2): 104–113 (2023) (A. gypsophila) |
Citation
California Native Plant Society, Rare Plant Program. 2025. Rare Plant Inventory (online edition, v9.5.1). Website https://www.rareplants.cnps.org [accessed 15 January 2025].