Overview
Red Hills vervain is a perennial herb that forms a spike of small pinkish-purple flowers that bloom from late May through September. It grows about 18 inches tall and has a fuzzy stem with long, grass-like leaves.
The plant is found within a 32 square mile (82 square kilometers) area of the Red Hills of Tuolumne County, California. Most of the sites where the Red Hills vervain is found are within the Red Hills Area of Critical Environmental Concern, which consists of about 9,988 acres (4,042 hectares) of public land managed by the Bureau of Land Management. This species was listed as threatened in 1998.
The Red Hills vervain continues to be threatened by:
- Extreme events such as extended droughts, fire and flash floods
- Competition with nonnative plants
- Hydrological changes from climate change climate change
Climate change includes both global warming driven by human-induced emissions of greenhouse gases and the resulting large-scale shifts in weather patterns. Though there have been previous periods of climatic change, since the mid-20th century humans have had an unprecedented impact on Earth's climate system and caused change on a global scale.
Learn more about climate change and adjacent development - Recreational activities, including hiking, equestrian use, mountain biking and placer gold mining
- Unmanaged grazing and trampling
- Genetic risks associated with narrow distribution and small population size
Scientific Name
Identification Numbers
Characteristics
Habitat
Red Hills vervain is found within a 32 square mile (82 square kilometers) area of the Red Hills of Tuolumne County, California. Most of the sites where the Red Hills vervain is found are within the Red Hills Area of Critical Environmental Concern, which consists of about 9,988 acres (4,042 hectares) of public land managed by the Bureau of Land Management.
The plant grows on the margins of perennial streams and in other moist habitats in serpentine soil of the Red Hills.
Areas such as marshes or swamps that are covered often intermittently with shallow water or have soil saturated with moisture.
Physical Characteristics
Red Hills vervain is a perennial herb that forms a spike of small pinkish-purple flowers that bloom from late May through September. It grows about 18 inches tall and has a fuzzy stem with long, grass-like leaves.
Life Cycle
Seed germination has been observed as early as mid-October and continues through winter. Each flower produces up to four seeds and can stay viable on plants for up to one year after formation.
Timeline
Explore the information available for this taxon's timeline. You can select an event on the timeline to view more information, or cycle through the content available in the carousel below.
15 Items