Baker's Navarretia
(A similar subspecies)
See photo info

Sacramento Fish & Wildlife Office

Species Account

FEW-FLOWERED NAVARRETIA
(Navarretia leucocephala ssp. pauciflora)

CLASSIFICATION:Federal Endangered Species (Federal Register 62:33029 pdf; June 18, 1997)

CRITICAL HABITAT:  None designated.

RECOVERY PLAN:  Draft Vernal Pool Ecosystem Recovery Plan (pdf), November 18, 2004.

DESCRIPTION:

Few-flowered navarretia (Navarretia leucocephala ssp. pauciflora) is a small, annual herb belonging to the phlox family (Polemoniaceae). This plant can be either branched or not and grows from 1-4 inches in height. Stems are white with purple streaks. Tiny flowers occur in clusters and are white or pale blue. Flowering occurs in June.

This species grows with and can be easily confused with several other navarretias. Among the closely related ones are the endangered many-flowered navarretia (Navarretia leucocephala ssp. plieantha) and Baker's navarretia (Navarretia leucocephala spp. bakeri), a species of concern. Few-flowered navarretia forms hybrids with many-flowered navarretia. The hybrids do not fit well into any established subspecies. See Hickman (1993) in General Information about California Plants, below, for a detailed description of the various subspecies of Navarretia leucocephala.

DISTRIBUTION:

Few-flowered navarretia is found in vernal pools on volcanic substrates, usually volcanic ash, in the north coast ranges of California. Volcanic ash vernal pools are considered to be a rare and endangered habitat in California. This habitat has always been rare. 

Historically, nine populations have been known from Lake and Napa counties. Currently, only three populations remain, all in Napa County. The total gross acreage of the remaining populations is just less than 12 acres. Supporting grassland watershed is about 150 acres. The elevation range is 1,400-2,800 feet.

THREATS:

Few-flowered navarretia forms hybrids with another endangered species--many-flowered navarretia (Navarretia leucocephala ssp. plieantha). These hybrids do not fit into any defined subspecies. Information is needed about the effect of competition with nonnative species such as yellow star thistle and the effect of hybridization.

This subspecies was listed as threatened by the California Department of Fish and Game in January 1990. The California Native Plant Society has placed it on List 1B (rare or endangered throughout its range).

REFERENCES FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

McCarten, N. 1985. A survey of Navarretia pauciflora and Navarretia plieantha (Polemoniaceae): Two rare endemics plant species from the vernal pools of the California North Coast Ranges. Endangered Plant Program, Dept. Fish and Game.

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. 1997. Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Endangered Status for Four Plants From Vernal Pools and Mesic Areas in Northern California. Portland, Oregon.

General Information about California Plants

Photo, Baker's navarretia, Navarretia leucocephala ssp. bakeri, a closely related subspecies, by Brother Alfred Brousseau, © 1995 Saint Mary's College of California Calphoto ID: 6212 3041 0485 0013

Prepared by Endangered Species Div., Sacramento Fish & Wildlife Office, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

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