Image: Mono County phacelia, Phacelia monoensis
Description: Mono County phacelia, Phacelia monoensis, Nevada, White Mountains, Pinchot Creek - Columbus Salt Marsh drainage, elevation 2626 m (8615 ft). This rare annual species is a study in paradoxes. In a genus known for its showy purple flowers, Mono County phacelia belongs to a small group of yellow-flowered species adapted mostly to alkaline clay soils. This species is found only along and near both sides of the California-Nevada boundary in the southwestern Great Basin, and is limited to isolated patches of shrink-swell clay soils derived from andesitic volcanic deposits at middle elevations in the mountains. But paradoxically, most populations are found where these deposits have been bisected and disturbed by mining roads and other dirt tracks. Plants have been found in low densities on undisturbed clay deposits, but populations are generally densest on clay road banks that experience infrequent re-disturbance. It's even possible that seeds are dispersed between clay deposits by riding on muddy vehicle tires. But even so, the plants do not spread outside their preferred set of soil patches, and remain rare and vulnerable to more intensive or frequent disturbance, including road maintenance and mining exploration and development activities.
Title: Mono County phacelia, Phacelia monoensis
Credit: Mono County phacelia, Phacelia monoensis
Author: Jim Morefield from Nevada, USA
Usage Terms: Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0
License: CC BY-SA 2.0
License Link: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0
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