Brodiaea filifolia
| Brodiaea filifolia | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Order: | Asparagales |
| Family: | Asparagaceae |
| Subfamily: | Brodiaeoideae |
| Genus: | Brodiaea |
| Species: | B. filifolia
|
| Binomial name | |
| Brodiaea filifolia | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Hookera filifolia | |
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Brodiaea filifolia, known by the common name threadleaf brodiaea, is a rare species of flowering plant in the cluster-lily genus . It is endemic to southern California, mostly in the region around the junction of Orange, Riverside, and San Diego Counties.
The bulb is a resident of scattered remaining vernal pool and grassland habitats. It is a federally listed threatened species and it is listed as an endangered species on the state level.
Description[edit]
Brodiaea filifolia is a perennial producing an inflorescence 20 to 30 centimeters tall which bears bright purple flowers. Each flower has six spreading tepals 1 to 1.5 centimeters long with a center containing three stamens and narrow or small staminodes, which are flat sterile stamens lying against the tepals.
Conservation[edit]
This plant occurs in grassland areas, often in floodplains, and it is a member of the local vernal pool flora.[1] It requires heavy clay soils.[1] This type of habitat is becoming very rare as it is being cleared for development, especially as residential areas expand.[1] Undeveloped land near residential areas is degraded by exotic vegetation, mowing and other fire suppression efforts, sewage dumping, grazing of livestock, off-road vehicle use, and other processes.[1][2]
The plant is also at risk for reduced genetic variability. It often reproduces vegetatively by producing new corms, a method of cloning which does not produce individuals with new combinations of genes.[1] When the plant does reproduce sexually, it requires unrelated individuals which have different genes; it cannot fertilize itself, nor can it successfully reproduce with closely related individuals.[1] Small population sizes that have low genetic diversity and wide distances between populations make it less likely the plant will successfully undergo sexual reproduction.[1][2] The plant sometimes hybridizes with Brodiaea orcuttii.[2]
There are about 68 occurrences remaining in widely spaced locations between the San Gabriel Mountains and west-central San Diego County.[2] Several occurrences have been discovered since the plant joined the endangered species list, including locations on Camp Pendleton, and a few have been extirpated.[2]
References[edit]
External links[edit]
Media related to Brodiaea filifolia at Wikimedia Commons- Jepson Manual Treatment
- USDA Plants Profile
- Flora of North America
- USFS Wildflowers
- Photo gallery
