Pagosa Skyrocket
There are only two populations of this rare flower in existence.
About This Species
The Pagosa skyrocket is in the same genus as scarlet gilia (Ipomopsis agreggata), whose bright red flowers are well-known across Colorado. The Pagosa skyrocket has similar feathery leaves, but is adorned with showy white flowers with pink spots. This species is a Colorado endemic (meaning it’s found here and nowhere else on Earth) that is federally listed as endangered. The majority of known individuals of this rare species are found, and protected, on state lands.
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Physical Characteristics
This herbaceous (without woody tissue) flower is a perennial, meaning it lives longer than two years, but is overall a short-lived species. It begins as a rosette (a pattern in which horizontally growing leaves radiate outward, like the petals of a rose) with finely-branching leaves. They produce flowering stalks that grow 12 to 24 inches high. In June and July, plants produce clusters of white or light pink, five-petaled flowers, sometimes adorned with pink spots.
The pollen-bearing parts of a flower are tube-like structures at the center called stamen; the filament of each stamen is topped with an anther, where the pollen collects and is released. The Pagosa skyrocket’s bright blue anthers turn yellow as the pollen matures.
Range
Pagosa skyrocket is limited to 16 square miles near Pagosa Springs in Archuleta County. This species' elevation range is 6,764 to 7,364 feet.
Habitat
The Pagosa skyrocket grows only on finely-textured, light gray soils derived from the Mancos Shale. Unlike many rare plants, it does not grow on sparsely-vegetated shale outcrops or barren land, but is instead found in a variety of plant communities. This plant tends to grow in eroded soil and on sites that have naturally higher levels of moisture.
This species can be found in open grasslands, shrublands, montane meadows and ponderosa pine forests. It commonly grows with other species including hairy false goldenaster (Heterotheca villosa), Wood's rose (Rosa woodsii), rabbitbrush (species in the genus Ericameria), threadleaf sunflower (Hymenopappus filifolius), New Mexico groundsel (Packera neomexicana), nodding onion (Allium cernuum) and sagebrush (species in the genus Artemisia).
Threats to Species
This species is vulnerable to habitat loss due to development and road maintenance (as it can grow along roadsides). Improper grazing, encroachment by non-native plants and climate change also pose threats to this species.