Plagiobothrys nothofulvus is a species of flowering plant in the family Boraginaceae known by the common names rusty popcornflower and foothill snowdrops. It is native to western North America from Washington, and California, to northern Mexico. It is a spring wildflower in grassy meadows, woodlands, coastal sage scrub, and wetland-riparian habitats.
It is an annual herb growing erect 20 to 70 centimeters in maximum height. It contains purple sap, the herbage edged with purple or rusty red and bleeding purple when crushed. It is hairy in texture, the hairs rough and sharp. The leaves are mostly located in a rosette around the base of the stem, with a few alternately arranged along the stem's length. The inflorescence is a series of tiny five-lobed white flowers each 3 to 9 millimeters wide. The fruit is a rounded nutlet with a pointed tip about 2 millimeters long and borne singly, in pairs or triplets which are solidly attached to each other. Deep roots are characteristic especially on drier soils.
Distribution
Plagiobothrys nothofulvus is native to parts of the Pacific Northwest. It ranges from northern California and into southern Washington. Populations have been reported as far south as Baja California, Mexico and north to the Columbia River Gorge.
Habitat
Grassy meadows, especially those along the coast, are the most common habitat for Plagiobothrys nothofulvus. It can also be found in woodlands, coastal sage scrub, and wetland-riparian habitats and are often associated with serpentine or plutonic soils. Other species that commonly grow in similar grassland habitats and are often associated with Plagiobothrys nothofulvus include Aster chilensis, Lotus angustissimus, Plantago lanceolata, Galium parisiense, Brodiaea terrestris, and other native herbs.
Etymology
The scientific name of the rusty popcorn flower, Plagiobothrys nothofulvus, describes some of its key characteristics. Plagiobothrys refers to a sideways pit formed by the position of the nutlet attachment scar. Nothofulvus comes from the words nothus, meaning bastard or false, and fulvus, meaning yellowish, as it had been at first been mistaken for Plagiobothrys fulvus, which had in turn been named for the dense tawny hairs on its calyx and pedicel.
Ecology
Plagiobothrys nothofulvus is food for many different animals. Deer, ground squirrels, and insects often forage on the plant. Turtles will also feed on the flowers in riparian zones. Black seed-harvesting ants will eat the seeds of popcorn flowers. Species of beetles will use the flower as a breeding platform. Butterflies, moths, and bees drink its nectar as they pollinate the flowers. Ctenuchid moths are frequently found on the flowers, the importance of their interactions is currently unknown.
Reproduction
The flowers of Plagiobothrys nothofulvus generally bloom from February – April. As in many other members of the family Boraginaceae, the flower consists of five petals and are bisexual with both male and female parts represented in the flower. Bees and butterflies are the main pollinators transferring the haploid microgametophyte, or pollen grain, to the pistil. The microgametophyte will then travel down the pistil to the ovule to fertilize the haploid macrogametophyte, or egg. Each pollen grain contains two sperm cells for double fertilization of the egg. One fertilization event forms a diploid zygote and the other fertilization event forms the endosperm of the seed.
Conservation
Plagiobothrys nothofulvus is a federally listed endangered species in Oregon. The major threat to Plagiobothry nothofulvus is habitat loss by the transformation of its historical range to agricultural land. The loss of seasonal wetlands by habitat degradation and changing climate as well as the introduction of invasive species also pose large threats to the rusty popcorn flower. Efforts to restore the population include establishing protected populations, saving seeds, providing education to land owners, and restoring natural habitats.
Related Research Articles
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Eryngium pinnatisectum is an uncommon species of flowering plant in the carrot family, known by the common names Tuolumne eryngo and Tuolumne button celery.
Phacelia affinis is a species of flowering plant in the borage family, Boraginaceae, known by the common names limestone phacelia and purple-bell scorpionweed. It is native to the southwestern United States and Baja California and Sonora in Mexico. It can be found in scrub, woodland, forest, and other habitat.
Plagiobothrys acanthocarpus is a species of flowering plant in the borage family known by the common name adobe popcornflower. It is native to California and northwestern sections of Mexico, where it can be found in moist areas on clay soil, such as vernal pools. It is an annual herb with a spreading or erect stem 10 to 40 centimeters in length. The leaves are linear or lance-shaped to oblong and several centimeters in length. The plant is coated in rough hairs. The inflorescence is a series of tiny flowers, each with a yellow-throated, five-lobed white corolla less than 3 millimeters wide. The nutlets are covered in long prickles with some bristles between.
Plagiobothrys arizonicus is a species of flowering plant in the borage family known by the common name Arizona popcornflower.
Plagiobothrys austiniae is a species of flowering plant in the borage family known by the common name Austin's popcornflower. It is native to California, where it can be found in the Central Valley and Sierra Nevada foothills. It is also known from southern Oregon.
Plagiobothrys bracteatus is a species of flowering plant in the borage family known by the common name bracted popcornflower.
Plagiobothrys canescens is a species of flowering plant in the borage family known by the common name valley popcornflower. It is endemic to California, where it is a common wildflower in valley, foothill, desert, coastline, and canyon habitat in the central and southern regions of the state.
Plagiobothrys collinus is a species of flowering plant in the borage family known by the common name Cooper's popcornflower.
Plagiobothrys fulvus is a species of flowering plant in the borage family known by the common names field popcornflower or fulvous popcornflower. It is native to California and Oregon in the United States, as well as Chile.
Plagiobothrys humistratus is a species of flowering plant in the borage family known by the common names dwarf popcornflower or low popcornflower. It is endemic to the Central Valley of California, where it grows in grassland habitats, including vernal pools and other wetland areas.
Plagiobothrys parishii, known by the common name Parish's popcornflower, is an uncommon species of flowering plant in the borage family.
Plagiobothrys shastensis is an uncommon species of flowering plant in the borage family known by the common name Shasta popcornflower. It is native to southern Oregon and northern California, where it grows in grassland, woodland, and other types of habitat. It is an annual herb growing erect to about 30 centimeters in maximum height. It is coated in hairs. The leaves are located in a basal rosette with a few arranged alternately along the stem. The inflorescence is a straight branch holding paired flowers, rarely coiling at the tip as many other Plagiobothrys do. Each tiny white flower has a five-lobed corolla no more than 3 millimeters wide. The fruit is a cross-shaped nutlet 2 or 3 millimeters wide divided in half by a rough scar.
Plagiobothrys uncinatus is a species of flowering plant in the borage family known by the common names Salinas Valley popcornflower and hooked popcornflower. It is endemic to the Central Coast Ranges of California, where it is known mainly from the Santa Lucia Mountains and Gabilan Range in Monterey County.
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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. 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. Its recovery depends on conservation of existing populations as well as reintroduction of new populations in protected and species-appropriate areas.
References
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