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North Park Phacelia
This and other plants in the genus Phacelia are known as “scorpionweeds.”
About This Species
The North Park phacelia is a biennial (takes root, grows, reproduces and dies on a two-year cycle) that is endemic to Colorado (it’s found here and nowhere else on Earth). This pretty, purple flower was federally listed as endangered in 1982. Population sizes fluctuate dramatically year-to-year, which makes this species vulnerable to unusual events such as extreme drought.
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Physical Characteristics
This plant is a biennial, which means it takes two years to complete its life cycle. In its first year, it stays low to the ground, forming a basal rosette (a flat cluster of leaves at the base of the stem). The leaves are lobed, meaning they have glove-like, rounded edges. In the second year, the plant grows flower stalks up to 12 inches tall. Starting in June, bright, purple flowers bloom on these stalks. They are uniquely arranged in a coil that unrolls as the flowers open, a shape known as a scorpioid inflorescence because it resembles a scorpion's tail; inflorescence is a general term for the structure of a plant’s flower.
Range
The North Park phacelia was once originally thought to be restricted to 314 square miles within North Park in Jackson County. New genetic evidence suggests that there are also populations in Larimer and Grand county. Its elevation range is 7,830 to 8,289 feet.
Habitat
The North Park phacelia grows on barren outcrops of the coal-bearing Coalmont formation in Jackson County, Niobrara Shale outcrops in Larimer county, and barren outcrops of the Troublesome Creek formation in Grand County.
Other plants found growing nearby include big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata), Indian ricegrass (Eriocoma hymenoides), Douglas' dustymaiden (Chaenactis douglasii), sulphur buckwheat (Erigonum umbellatum), antelope bitterbrush (Purshia tridentata), rubber rabbitbrush (Ericameria nauseosa) and sticky gilia (Aliciella pinnatifida).
Threats to Species
Nearly half of all North Park phacelia sites experience off-highway vehicle use and encroachment from invasive plants. Additionally, most sites are used for livestock grazing, and some plants have been destroyed by trampling. In addition to these threats, the loss of insect pollinators is considered a danger for this species' continued genetic diversity and survival.