National Collection of Imperiled Plants

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CPC National Collection Plant Profile

Stephanomeria malheurensis

Family:	Asteraceae (Sunflower Family)
Common Name:	Malheur wire-lettuce
Author:	Gottlieb
Growth Habit:	Annual
CPC Number:	4128

Distribution
Protection
Conservation
References

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Photographer: Linda McMahan

Stephanomeria malheurensis is Fully Sponsored

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

The Berry Botanic Garden

Edward Guerrant, Ph.D. contributed to this Plant Profile.

Stephanomeria malheurensis

The Malheur wirelettuce is face to face with its extinction. After its discovery in 1966, Stephanomeria malheurensis battled drought in the 1970's, a major fire in 1972 followed by invasion of cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum), and heavy rain and flooding from 1981 to 1985. Only one population of Malheur wirelettuce has ever been known. It was listed as federally endangered in 1982 and the bulk of the population was last seen in the wild in 1984. From 1985 to 1987 no plants appeared and scientists determined that it had been driven to extinction. During the last 15 years, a mere handful of apparently wild plants have been seen at its original site within the eastern Oregon sagebrush steppe.

An experimental reintroduction was initiated in the summer of 1987, using seeds saved by Dr. Leslie Gottlieb of the University of California at Davis. This groundbreaking project was the first in the Pacific Northwest to attempt to introduce a plant back into its native habitat (Armstrong 1987). 1000 wirelettuce seedlings were grown at The Berry Botanic Garden in Portland, Oregon. They were planted at the original site in four different plots, each dominated by a particular native plant or introduced species (rabbitbrush, sagebrush, wild rye and cheatgrass). Researchers removed cheatgrass yearly from half of each plot. Numbers of plants have since been monitored annually. Numbers of plants have fluctuated greatly between years (see Guerrant 1996; Guerrant and Pavlik 1997), but as of 2001 some plants were still present.

Malheur wirelettuce might not be sufficiently adapted to survive for the long run, despite the best reintroduction efforts. This plant appears to have recently evolved from the widespread species Stephanomeria exigua ssp. coronaria, with which it is found growing in close proximity. Malheur wirelettuce appears to be maladapted in several respects, leading Dr. Gottlieb to suspect that the genetic changes leading to speciation were random chance events rather than adaptive changes (Gottlieb 1973). He hypothesized that without new genetic material entering the gene pool through mutation or hybridization, the probability that this taxon will persist is low.

Distribution & Occurrence

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State Range

Oregon

Habitat

• Tops of broad hills above surrounding flats (Meinke 1982).
• Soil derived from volcanic tuff layered with thin crusts of limestone (Meinke 1982).
• Associated species include Artemisia tridentata var. wyomingensis, Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus, Elymus cinereus, Bromus tectorum, and Salsola kali (Meinke 1982).

Distribution

OR
OR: Basin & Range (Harney Co.)

Number Left

As of 2001: 1 population. Population size typically ranges from 50 to 500 individuals in a given year, although some years there are few or no individuals growing (Raven 2001).

Protection

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Global Rank:	G1	7/9/2007	Guide to Global Ranks
Federal Status:	LE	11/10/1982	Guide to Federal Status
Recovery Plan:	Yes	3/21/1991

State/Area Protection

	State/Area	Rank	Status	Date
	Oregon	S1	LE	10/27/1989

Conservation, Ecology & Research

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Ecological Relationships

Based on more than a decade of field data, it appears that Malheur wirelettuce plants prefer cooler and wetter years. More plants emerged after relatively cool, wet springs and during wetter growing seasons (Raven 2001). Malheur wirelettuce does not compete well with other plants.

The seeds of Stephanomeria malheurensis do not require a chilling period, so it is possible for seeds to germinate in the fall after a late summer or early fall rain. However, harsh winter conditions kill the inappropriately timed seedlings (Parenti 1991). The seeds of the parent plant, Stephanomeria exigua ssp. coronaria, require storage in the freezer for at least six weeks for germination to occur (Gottlieb 1973). Seeds of Stephanomeria malheurensis are about twice the size of seeds from Stephanomeria exigua ssp. coronaria (Gottlieb 1977).

Threats

• Competition from introduced species, including cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum). A fire in 1972 allowed the invasion of cheatgrass, which suppressed population numbers of the wirelettuce.
• The small population is susceptible to extirpation by random events.
• Herbivory. The habitat surrounding the population has been fenced to exclude cattle. Malheur wirelettuce is also susceptible to grazing by native herbivores (such as black-tailed jackrabbits) (Parenti 1991).
• Soil compaction by researchers (Taylor 1997).

Current Research Summary

• Genetic comparison of Stephanomeria malheurensis and its parent taxon, S. exigua var. coronaria, using isozymes (Gottlieb 1973 & 1974).
• Morphological comparisons of S. malheurensis and its parent plant. In the field it is difficult to distinguish between the two species (although flower color and seed size sometimes distinguish them). When grown in a common garden, significant differences in many traits were observed (Gottlieb 1977; Gottlieb and Bennett 1983).
• Germination procedures: when moistened and kept in a dark growth chamber at 55-58ºF (Gottlieb, pers. Comm.) up to 100% germination occurs (BBG records).
• Study of the effects of cheatgrass on wirelettuce plants. Three treatments were done: 1) manual removal of all cheatgrass, 2) manual removal of 50% of the cheatgrass, and 3) no removal of cheatgrass. At the end of the growing season, plants in the 50% removed and intact (unweeded) plots were significantly smaller, slower to bolt and flower, and produced fewer seeds than in plots where all cheatgrass had been removed (Brauner 1988 in Gottlieb 1991). Subsequent studies have refuted this. According to Taylor (1997), the act of weeding might have negative impacts on wirelettuce plants.
• Experimental reintroduction of plants into plots with differing dominant vegetation. The new population was established in 1987 with a total of 1000 seedlings. The population was still extant as of 2001, but numbers fluctuate greatly each year and appear to be declining (Raven 2001). Research was inconclusive regarding the impact of different dominant vegetation types on Malheur wirelettuce.

Current Management Summary

• The only known site, which is on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land, has been fenced off and declared a Scientific Study Area (Meinke 1982).
• Experimental reintroduction at original site (Burns District BLM and Berry Botanic Garden).
• The recovery plan was finalized and implemented in 1991. The management goal is downlisting by 2003 (Parenti 1991).

Research Management Needs

• Status of remaining individuals at the original site should be monitored each year (Taylor 1997).
• Cheatgrass should be removed from the site, if possible (Raven 2001).
• Continue to restrict mining activities (Meinke 1982).
• Establish additional plants/populations (Parenti 1991; Raven 2001).
• Perform in situ soil seed bank survivorship studies to determine the number of years that seeds can survive in the soil.

Ex Situ Needs

• Continue banking seeds for future use. Determine the number of years that seeds can be stored using standard storage methods.

References

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Books (Single Authors)

Eastman, D.C. 1990. Rare and Endangered Plants of Oregon. Beautiful America Publishing Company. 194p.

Meinke, R.J. 1982. Threatened and Endangered Vascular Plants of Oregon: An Illustrated Guide. Portland, Oregon: U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Region 1. 326p.

ONHP. 2001. Rare, Threatened and Endangered Plants and Animals of Oregon. Portland, Oregon: Oregon Natural Heritage Program. 94p.

Books (Sections)

Guerrant, E.O. Jr. 1996. Experimental reintroduction of Stephanomeria malheurensis. In: Falk, D.A.; Millar, C.I.; Olwell, M., editors. Restoring diversity: strategies for reintroduction of endangered plants. Island Press. Washington, D.C. p 399-402.

Guerrant, E.O. Jr.; Pavlik, B.M. 1997. Reintroduction of rare plants: Genetics, demography and the role of ex situ conservation methods. In: Fiedler, P.L.; Kareiva, P. M., editors. Conservation Biology for the Coming Decade. Chapman and Hall. New York. p 80-108.

Weller, S.G. 1994. The relationship of rarity to plant reproductive biology. In: Bowles, M.L.; Whelan, C., editors. Recovery and Restoration of Endangered Species. Cambridge University Press. Cambridge. p 90-117.

Electronic Sources

(2002). Endangered Species Network (ESIN). Pacific Biodiversity Institute, Winthrop, WA. http://www.pacificbio.org/ESIN/ESIN.html. Accessed: 2002.

ONHDB. (2000). Oregon Natural Heritage Program Database. Portland, Oregon.

Journal Articles

Armstrong, M. 1987. Endangered Species Seedlings Planted. BLM News, Oregon and Washington.

Bohm, B.A.; Gottlieb, L.D. 1989. Flavonoids of the annual stephanomeria asteraceae. Biochemical Systematics & Ecology. 17, 6: 451-454.

Brauner, S.; Gottlieb, L.D. 1987. A Self-compatible Plant of Stephanomeria exigua ssp. coronaria (Asteraceae) and its Relevance to the Origin of its Self-pollinatin Derivative Stephanomeria malheurensis. Systematic Botany. 12, 2: 299-304.

Brauner, S.; Gottlieb, L.D. 1989. Response to Selection for Time of Bolting in Stephanomeria exigua ssp. coronaria and Implaications for the Origin of Stephanomeria malheurensis (Asteraceae). Systematic Botany. 14, 4: 516-524.

CPC. 1987. Experimental reintroduction shows success. The Center Notes (The Center for Plant Conservation). 2, 4: 4.

Gottlieb, L.D. 1973. Genetic differentiation, sympatric speciation, and the origin of a diploid species of Stephanomeria. American Journal of Botany. 60, 6: 545-553.

Gottlieb, L.D. 1974. Genetic stability in a peripheral isolate of Stephanomeria exigua ssp. coronaria that fluctuates in population size. Genetics. 76: 551-555.

Gottlieb, L.D. 1977. Phenotypic variation in Stephanomeria exigua ssp. coronaria (Compositae) and its recent derivative species "Malheurensis". American Journal of Botany. 64, 7: 873-880.

Gottlieb, L.D. 1978. Stephanomeria malheurensis (Compositae), a new species from Oregon. Madroño. 25, 1: 44-46.

Gottlieb, L.D. 1991. The Malheur Wire-Lettuce: a Rare, Recently Evolved Oregon Species. Kalmiopsis.

Gottlieb, L.D.; Bennett, J.P. 1983. Interference between individuals in pure and mixed cultures of Stephanomeria malheurensis and its progenitor. American Journal of Botany. 70, 2: 276-284.

Hartman, R.L.; Nelson, B.E. 1998. Novelties from North America north of Mexico: A 20-Year Vascular Plant Diversity Baseline. 51 pp.

Kaye, T. 1989. Endemism and Rarity in Plants. Native Plant Society of Oregon. 22: 23-24.

Kierstead, J.R. 1987. A first for Berry Garden: Species re-established in native habitat. Bulletin of the Berry Botanic Garden. 10, 3

Lindh, B. 1996. Conservation Corner: Seeds and Rare Plants. Newsletter, The Berry Botanic Garden. 9, 4: 4.

Parenti, R.L.; Guerrant, E.O. Jr. 1991. Down But Not Out: Reintroduction of the Extirpated Malheur Wirelettuce, Stephanomeria malheurensis. Endangered Species UPDATE. 8, 1: 62-63.

USFWS. 1976. Proposed Endangered Status for 1700 U.S. Plants. Federal Register. 41: 24523-24572.

USFWS. 1980. Rulemaking Actions: Malheur Wire-Lettuce Proposed as Endangered. Endangered Species Technical Bulletin. 5, 11: 8.

USFWS. 1982. Determination of Stephanomeria malheurensis (Malheur Wire-Lettuce) to be an Endangered Species, with Determination of Critical Habitat. Federal Register. 47, 218: 50881-50886.

USFWS. 1982. Malheur Wire-Lettuce Listed with Critical Habitat. Endangered Species Technical Bulletin. 7, 12: 1, 7.

USFWS. 1987. Regional News--Region 1. Endangered Species Technical Bulletin. 12, 9: 2.

USFWS. 1988. Regional News--Region 1. Endangered Species Technical Bulletin. 13, 9-10: 2, 11.

Personal Communications

Kierstead, J. 1987. Letter to Carla A Davidson dated Feb. 2, 1987. In Berry Botanic Garden File.

Reports

1990. Conservation Agreement and Study Plan for Stephanomeria malheurensis (Malheur wirelettuce). Burns District Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Endangered Species Branch).

Beck, A. 1990. Stephanomeria malheurensis Study (1989 Report). Unpublished report submitted to the Bureau of Land Management (Burns District, Oregon).

Brauner, S. 1988. Malheur Wirelettuce (Stephanomeria malheurensis) Biology and interactions with Cheatgrass: 1987 Study Results and Recommendations for a Recovery Plan. Ashland, OH: Report to Bureau of Land Management, Burns District (Oregon). p.53.

Marshall, K.A. 1995. Stephanomeria malheurensis Progress Report for 1993-1994. Unpublished report submitted to the Bureau of Land Management (Burns District, Oregon).

Owen, W.R. 1993. Stephanomeria malheurensis (1992 Report). Unpublished report submitted to the Bureau of Land Management (Burns District, Oregon).

Papenfuss, H.D. 1992. Stephanomeria malheurensis Study (1991 Report). Unpublished report submitted to the Bureau of Land Management (Burns District, Oregon).

Raven, A. 2001. A Summary of Eleven Years of Research on an Experimental Reintroduction of Malheur Wirelettuce, Stephanomeria malheurensis (1987-1997). Unpublished report submitted to the Bureau of Land Management (Burns District, Oregon).

Taylor, Nora. 1997. Report on the Status of Stephanomeria malheurensis for the Years 1995, 1996 and 1997. Unpublished report submitted to the Bureau of Land Management (Burns District, Oregon).

USFWS. 1991. Stephanomeria malheurensis (Malheur Wirelettuce) Recovery Plan. Portland, Oregon: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. p.34.

Wicklow-Howard, M. 1991. Malheur Wirelettuce Research Study (Annual Report 1990). Unpublished report submitted to the Bureau of Land Management (Burns District, Oregon).

Theses

Brauner, Soren. 1983. The Genetic Basis of Phenotypic Differences between Stephanomeria malheurensis and its Progenitor. [Ph. D. Thesis]: University of California. Davis. 129p.

This profile was updated on 11/30/2009

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