Arenaria ursina

Taxobox
name = "Arenaria ursina"
regnum = Plantae
divisio = Magnoliophyta
classis = Magnoliopsida
ordo = Caryophyllales
familia = Caryophyllaceae
genus = "Arenaria"
species = "A. ursina"
binomial = "Arenaria ursina"
binomial_authority = B.L.Rob.

"Arenaria ursina" is a species of flowering plant in the pink family known by the common name Bear Valley sandwort. It is endemic to San Bernardino County, California, where it is known from a few occurrences in the vicinity of Big Bear. It grows on quartzite pebble-plain habitat in forest openings in the San Bernardino Mountains near the communities of Fawnskin, Sugarloaf, and Baldwin Lake.USFWS. [http://ecos.fws.gov/docs/five_year_review/doc1892.pdf Bear Valley Sandwort ("Arenaria ursina": 5-Year Review - Summary and Evaluation] . March, 2008.] It is an indicator species for the rare pebble-plain habitat which is unique to the area. [Beattie, M. H. [http://www.epa.gov/EPA-SPECIES/1995/August/Day-02/pr-346.html Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Proposed Endangered or Threatened Status for Seven Plants From the Mountains of Southern California] . US Fish & Wildlife Service. August 2, 1995.] It is a federally listed threatened species. This is a petite perennial herb forming small tufts no more than 18 centimeters tall. Its small, waxy leaves are needlelike and up to a centimeter long. The inflorescence is an open cyme of white flowers with five petals each under half a centimeter long and protruding purple-anthered stamens. The fruit is a toothed capsule containing 1 or 2 minute purple seeds. The biggest threat to the survival of this species is off-roading. Other threats include destruction of its habitat for development, mining activity, and disturbance of the landscape during fire suppression efforts.

References

External links

* [http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?2907,2912,2930 Jepson Manual Treatment]
* [http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=ARUR USDA Plants Profile]
* [http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/cgi/img_query?query_src=photos_index&where-taxon=Arenaria+ursina Photo gallery]