National Collection of Imperiled Plants

CPC National Collection Plant Profile

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Lynda Pritchett-Kozak

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CPC National Collection Plant Profile

Lilaeopsis schaffneriana var. recurva

Family:	Apiaceae
Common Names:	Cienega false-rush, Huachuca water umbel
Author:	(A.W. Hill) Affolter
Growth Habit:	Forb/herb
CPC Number:	9357

Distribution
Protection
Conservation
References

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Photographer: Lynda Pritchett-Kozak

Lilaeopsis schaffneriana var. recurva is Fully Sponsored

Primary custodian for this plant in the CPC National Collection of Endangered Plants is:

Desert Botanical Garden

Kathleen C. Rice contributed to this Plant Profile.

Lilaeopsis schaffneriana var. recurva

Lilaeopsis schaffneriana var. recurva is a herbaceous semi-aquatic perennial growing in marshy wetlands in Arizona (Affolter 1985, Hendrickson and Minckley 1984, Falk and Warren 1994). This species rhizomes creep along streambeds and form dense mats (Affolter 1985). Tiny 3-10 flowered umbels grow from the nodes along the rhizomes. From March through October small greenish flowers adorn this plant giving way to red fruits in late fall.

Distribution & Occurrence

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State Range

Arizona

Habitat

The habitat preferred by Lilaeopsis is in cienegas, or marshy wetlands at elevations ranging from 4,000 to 6,000 feet (Marrs-Smith 1983, Hendrickson and Minckley 1984). It requires perennial water, gentle stream gradients, and mild winters (Gori et al. 1990) . Associated vegetation includes willow, alder and cottonwood, cattails, rushes, sedges, grasses and watercress Hendrickson and Minckley 1984). It may be largely spread vegetatively, with small fragments drifting downstream and rooting, thus having little genetic diversity (Warren et al. 1989, 1991). Plants are vegetatively reduced during cooler months, resuming active growth in March (USFWS 1995, 1997). Lilaeopsis is one of the first established plants after spring floods 'scour out' a riparian system. If competition with other plants becomes excessive, Lilaeopsis will decline due to root crowding and shading.

Distribution

This species is known from Arizona and Mexico.

Number Left

There are 8 known populations in the U.S. and 4 documented sites in Mexico. The species has been lost from at least four historic sites in Arizona, which may be a result of the general loss and decline of cienega and stream habitats throughout Arizona (USFWS 1997).

Protection

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Global Rank:	G4T2	8/21/2000	Guide to Global Ranks
Federal Status:	LE	1/1/1997	Guide to Federal Status
Recovery Plan:	No

State/Area Protection

State/Area	Rank	Status	Date
Arizona	S2		8/1/2002
Sonora	S2		7/8/1992

Conservation, Ecology & Research

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Ecological Relationships

The success of this species is closely tied to water fluctuations in spring. It is often the first species to appear after spring flooding.

Threats

Threats to Lilaeopsis and its habitat include watershed degradation due to livestock grazing and development, diversion of water and drainage of habitats, and flash flooding (USFWS 1995, 1997).

Current Research Summary

None known.

Current Management Summary

Plants are monitored regularly.

Research Management Needs

Molecular work would reveal the degree of genetic diversity of this species along the respective drainages. Additional information as to the reproductivity in habitat would be useful. Habitat protection and watershed management are necessary for the survival of this species.

Ex Situ Needs

Currently, Lilaeopsis is held at the Desert Botanical Garden in the form of live plants. Although the plants are easily grown and propagated vegetatively, they seldom flower in conventional cultivation. There is a crucial need to establish a genetically representative seed bank of this plant, and to investigate seed storage and germination requirements.

References

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Books (Single Authors)

Affolter, J.M. 1985. A monograph of the genus Lilaeopsis (Umbelliferae). Ann Arbor, MI: American Society of Plant Taxonomists. 140p.

CDFG. 1988. California Native Plant Status Report: Lilaeopsis masonii. Sacramento, Ca: California Department of Fish and Game Endangered Plant Project and the Natural Diversity Data Base.

Correll, D.S.; Correll, H.B. 1972. Aquatic and wetland plants of southwestern United States. Stanford, California: Stanford University Press. 1777p.

Kartesz, J.T. 1996. Species distribution data at state and province level for vascular plant taxa of the United States, Canada, and Greenland (accepted records), from unpublished data files at the North Carolina Botanical Garden.

Kearney, T.H.; Peebles, R.H. 1973. Arizona flora. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press. 1085p.

Rutman, S. 1992. Handbook of Arizona's endangered, threatened, and candidate plants. Phoenix, Arizona: U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.

Shreve, F.; Wiggins, I.L. 1964. Vegetation and flora of the Sonoran Desert. Stanford, CA: Stanford Univ. Press. 1740p.

Warren, P.L.; Anderson, L.S.; Shafroth, P.B. 1989. Population studies of sensitive plants of the Huachuca and Patagonia Mountains, Arizona. Tucson, Arizona: The Nature Conservancy. 98p.

Books (Sections)

Kartesz, J.T. 1999. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the U.S., Canada, and Greenland. In: Kartesz, J.T.; Meacham, C.A., editors. Synthesis of the North American Flora, Version 1.0. North Carolina Botanical Garden. Chapel Hill, NC.

Electronic Sources

(2000). Center for Plant Conservation's National Living Collection--Profiles. Desert Botanical Garden. http://www.dbg.org/Collections/cpc.html. Accessed: 2002.

(2002). Threatened and Endangered Species in Pima County; Priority Vulnerable Species in Pima County. The On-line Sonoran Desert Educational Center. http://www.co.pima.az.us/cmo/sdcp/sdcp2/fsheets/index.html. Accessed: 2002.

Arizona Game and Fish Department. (1999). Plant Abstracts. Compiled and edited by the Heritage Data Management System, Arizona Game and Fish Department, Phoenix, AZ. http://www.gf.state.az.us/frames/fishwild/hdms_site/Abstracts/Plants/abstracts%20-%20plants.htm. Accessed: 2002.

Journal Articles

Fonseca, J. 1992. Southwestern Rare and Endangered Plant Conference. The Plant Press. 16: 6-7.

Hendrickson, D.A.; Minckley, W.L. 1984. Cienegas: Vanishing climax communitites of the American Southwest. Desert Plants. 6, 3: 1-175.

Hill, A.W. 1927. The genus Lilaeopsis: a study in geographical distribution. Journal of the Linnaeus Society of Botany. 47: 525-551.

USFWS. 1992. Regional News--Regions 2 & 4. Endangered Species Technical Bulletin. 17, 9-11: 9, 13-15.

USFWS. 1993. Review of plant taxa for listing as endangered or threatened species. Federal Register. 58, 188: 51144-51190.

USFWS. 1995. Proposal to determine endangered status for three wetland species found in southern Arizona and northern Sonora. Federal Register. 60, 63: 16836-16846.

USFWS. 1995. Reopening of Comment Period and Notice of Public Hearing on Proposed Endangered Status for Three Wetland Species in Southern Arizona and Northern Sonora. Federal Register. 60, 120: 32483-32484.

USFWS. 1997. Determination of endangered status for three wetland species found in southern Arizona and northern Sonora. Federal Register. 62, 3: 665-689.

USFWS. 2000. Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan (SDCP) for Pima County, Arizona. Federal Register. 65, 174: 54295-54297.

Reports

2001. Draft Report: Priority Vulnerable Species in Pima County, Arizona, as part of the Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan. Pima County, Arizona: Board of Supervisors.

2002. General Species Information. Phoenix, Arizona: Arizona Ecological Services Field Office.

Fonseca, J.; Scalero, D. 1999. Determining Valuable Species within Pima County, AZ: a discussion paper for the Sonoran desert conservation plan. Tuscon, AZ: Pima County Flood Control District.

Gori, D.F.; Warren, P.L.; Anderson, L.S. 1990. Population studies of sensitive plants of the Huachuca, Patagonia and Atacosa Mountains, Arizona. Tucson, AZ: Prepared by The Arizona Nature Conservancy and Submitted to Coronado National Forest in completion of P.O. No. 40-8197-0-0215.

NOAA. 1986. Climatological data annual summary: Arizona 90 (13). Asheville, North Carolina: U.S. Department of Commerce, National Environmental Satellite, Data and Information Service, National Climatic Data Center.

Warren, P.L., ; Gori, D.F.; Anderson, L.S.; Gebow, B.S. 1991. Status report: LIlaeposis schafferiana var. recurva. Tucson, Az: The Arizona Nature Conservancy.

Warren, P.L., ; Gori, D.F.; Gebow, B.; Malusa, J. 1991. Recovery of Lilaeopsis schaffneriana var. recurva at San Bernadino National Wildlife Refuge. Tucson, AZ: The Arizona Nature Conservancy.

Theses

Marrs-Smith, G. 1983. Vegetation and Flora of the San Bernardino Ranch, Cochise Co. [M.S. Thesis]: Tempe, AZ. 95p.

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This profile was updated on 3/4/2010