Taxon Report

Erythronium howellii Wats.

Howell's fawn lily

Print Report


© 2021 Scot Loring

Taxon Summary

Erythronium howellii, commonly known as Howell's fawn lily, is a perennial bulbiferous herb in the Liliaceae that is found in California and elsewhere. It occurs within Lower montane coniferous forest, and North Coast coniferous forest, growing at elevations from 200 to 1145 meters. Erythronium howellii is ranked 1B.3, Plants Rare, Threatened or Endangered in California and Elsewhere; Not very threatened in California.


  Classification

Scientific Name:
Erythronium howellii Wats.
Common Name:
Howell's fawn lily
Family: Liliaceae
Element Code: PMLIL0U080
USDA Plants Symbol: ERHO10
Synonyms/Other Names:

Ecology and Life History

Lifeform: perennial bulbiferous herb
Blooming Period: Apr-May Apr-May
Elevation: 200-1145 (655-3755)
General Habitats: Lower montane coniferous forest, North Coast coniferous forest
Microhabitat: Serpentine (sometimes)
Microhabitat Details:

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB

Total Occurrences: 11
Element Occurrence Ranks:
   Excellent (A) 0
   Good (B) 0
   Fair (C) 1
   Poor (D) 0
   None (X) 0
   Unknown (U) 10
California Endemic:  False
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
Del Norte (DNT), Siskiyou (SIS)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Takilma (4212315), Broken Rib Mtn. (4112386), Gasquet (4112378), High Divide (4112481), High Plateau Mtn. (4112388), Hiouchi (4112471), Hurdygurdy Butte (4112377), Polar Bear Mtn. (4112385), Shelly Creek Ridge (4112387)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB

Threat List Total: 3
EOs with Threat Listed: Total EOs % of EOs
2 18 %
Logging 1 9%
Mining 1 9%
Road/trail construction/maint. 1 9%

Notes

Possibly threatened by logging and associated road use. Endangered in OR. A synonym of E. citrinum in TJM (1993) and TJM 2. See Proceedings of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences 22:480 (1887) for original description, and MadroƱo 3(2):89 (1935) for taxonomic treatment.
Threats:
Taxonomy:

Selected References

CRPR List Deletion on 2013-02-01
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].