California Fish & Game Threatened & Endangered Flower List

The Endangered Species Act (ESA) of 1973 seeks to protect plants and animals listed as endangered or threatened. Sections seven and nine are central to this piece of federal legislation. Section seven requires federal agencies to monitor and patrol federal land and projects for the possible destruction or removal of endangered species. It allows limited removal via permit only. Section nine primarily pertains to individuals and private parties. It forbids the removal of endangered species from natural habitats and it prevents property owners from removing them from their domain. In California, a growing and heavily populated state, about twenty-eight percent of its plants are considered extinct, rare and endangered, or threatened. California has about 6300 species of plants, with 1742 falling under the protection of the state and federal government.

Definitions

• Endangered, threatened, rare, and extinct plants and animals are listed on the Federal Register, under compliance with the ESA. Federal definitions provide guidelines for determining when to list a species on the protected register. Federally endangered animals or plants are in danger of extinction in all or part of their natural habitats. Federally threatened species face a threat of becoming extinct or endangered if protective measures are not taken. Both of these classifications occur because after extensive review a final ruling places them on the Federal Register. Federally proposed species are not listed on the Federal Register, but they are under review and watch for growth and destruction rates. Finally, federal candidates are being considered for further review. States like California use these federal definitions as guidelines when placing plants on their own state protective lists. Not every plant or animal on a state list will be on the Federal Register.

Threatened

• California denotes plants and animals as threatened when their numbers decline significantly enough, either through natural or man-made removal, to warrant them becoming extinct in the near future if steps of precaution are not taken. The plants listed are referenced by their common names, and this tally is not all inclusive. These are the top species on the threatened list: Hoover's spurge, Red Bluff dwarf rush, Adobe lily, Veiny monardella, Ahart's paronychia, Butte County checkerbloom, Rose-mallow, California beaked-rush, Bidwell's knotweed, and Slender Orcutt grass. The California Natural Diversity Database at has a complete list of threatened flowers and plants in California.

Endangered

• California endangered plants are those whose numbers show that they are in serious danger of becoming extinct. Reasons for extinction stem from disease, over-consumption, careless removal, and competition with other plants. The top plants on this list are: Butte County meadowfoam, Hairy Orcutt grass, Green's tuctoria, San Luis mariposa lily, San Luis Obispo County morning-glory, San Luis sedge, Brewer's spineflower, Jones' Layia, Groundsel, rayless ragwort, and butterweed. See the California Natural Diversity Database for a complete list of endangered flowers and plants.