| Plagiobothrys hirtus | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Boraginales |
| Family: | Boraginaceae |
| Genus: | Plagiobothrys |
| Species: | P. hirtus |
| Binomial name | |
| Plagiobothrys hirtus (Greene) I.M.Johnst. | |
Plagiobothrys hirtus, the rough popcornflower, is a plant species with only about a dozen reportedly extant occurrences, all within the Umpqua River watershed in Douglas County, Oregon. [1] It is federally listed endangered in the United States of America. In fact P. hirtus is now considered to be one of the top three most endangered vascular plant species in the Northwest. The state of Oregon has ranked this plant as its number one recovery priority due to its high degree of threat as well as its high rating in recovery potential. [2] Its recovery depends on conservation of existing populations as well as reintroduction of new populations in protected and species-appropriate areas.
The Umpqua River on the Pacific coast of Oregon in the United States is approximately 111 miles (179 km) long. One of the principal rivers of the Oregon Coast and known for bass and shad, the river drains an expansive network of valleys in the mountains west of the Cascade Range and south of the Willamette Valley, from which it is separated by the Calapooya Mountains. From its source northeast of Roseburg, the Umpqua flows northwest through the Oregon Coast Range and empties into the Pacific at Winchester Bay. The river and its tributaries flow entirely within Douglas County, which encompasses most of the watershed of the river from the Cascades to the coast. The "Hundred Valleys of the Umpqua" form the heart of the timber industry of southern Oregon, generally centered on Roseburg.
Douglas County is a county in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 census, the population was 107,667. The county seat is Roseburg. It is named after Stephen A. Douglas, an American politician who supported Oregon statehood.
Vascular plants, also known as tracheophytes, form a large group of plants that are defined as those land plants that have lignified tissues for conducting water and minerals throughout the plant. They also have a specialized non-lignified tissue to conduct products of photosynthesis. Vascular plants include the clubmosses, horsetails, ferns, gymnosperms and angiosperms. Scientific names for the group include Tracheophyta, Tracheobionta and Equisetopsida sensu lato. The term higher plants should be avoided as a synonym for vascular plants as it is a remnant of the abandoned concept of the great chain of being.
The habitats most suitable for P. hirtus are seasonal wetlands, which are inundated with water from late fall until spring, but may dry out in summer. However, development, agriculture, and fire suppression have all played a role in the alteration and elimination of much of this species’ habitat. After overwintering submerged in water, this facultatively perennial herb bears a basal rosette of leaves which gives rise to a hairy flowering stalk that can be up to 70 cm tall. These stalks bear spirals of white and yellow inflorescences of five-petaled flowers. The flowers are self-compatible, but need insects to achieve pollination and significant seed set, and can produce up to four tan- to black-colored, one-seeded nutlets. Recruitment is highly viable in the greenhouse, with a 65 to 95 percent germination rate, and cultivated plants transplant well into the field. [3] These two – high viability and prolific growth after transplanting—are what make the reintroduction of the species so promising. [2]
In ecology, a habitat is the type of natural environment in which a particular species of organism lives. It is characterized by both physical and biological features. A species' habitat is those places where it can find food, shelter, protection and mates for reproduction.
Pollination is the transfer of pollen from a male part of a plant to a female part of a plant, later enabling fertilisation and the production of seeds, most often by an animal or by wind. Pollinating agents are animals such as insects, birds, and bats; water; wind; and even plants themselves, when self-pollination occurs within a closed flower. Pollination often occurs within a species. When pollination occurs between species it can produce hybrid offspring in nature and in plant breeding work.
Reintroduced populations of P. hirtus established by the Oregon Department of Agriculture have been thriving for sixteen years. To date, reintroductions projects have been successful in augmenting existing and creating new populations of the species, with plants persisting since the initial 1998 reintroductions. [4] During this time, information has also been gathered concerning the life history and establishment ecology of the species. Under careful monitoring and management, this species now has an excellent chance to be self-sustaining in the future, assuming additional populations can be established on administratively protected lands.
The Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) is the agency of the government of the U.S. state of Oregon responsible for promoting and regulating food production and safety. It is headed by the Director of Agriculture, appointed by the Governor of Oregon subject to senate confirmation, advised by a board of ten members, also gubernatorial appointees. Through its nine divisions, it administers no fewer than 36 chapters of Oregon laws.
