Vernal Pool with popcorn flowers
(No photo of species is available)
See photo info

Sacramento Fish & Wildlife Office

Species Account

CALISTOGA ALLOCARYA
(Plagiobothrys strictus)

CLASSIFICATION: Federal Endangered Species (Federal Register 62-54791  pdf; October 22, 1997)

CRITICAL HABITAT:  None designated.

RECOVERY PLAN:  Recovery Plan for Coastal Plants (under development)

DESCRIPTION:

Calistoga allocarya (Plagiobothrys strictus), also known as Calistoga popcorn flower, is a small erect herb belonging to the borage family (Boraginaceae). This plant grows up to 15 inches in height from a single stem or branches from the base. The lower linear leaves are small and nearly hairless.

Small, usually paired, white flowers appear in March and April. The fruit is a small egg-shaped nutlet, with a keel on the back.

Calistoga allocarya may be difficult to distinguish from many other species of popcorn flower (Plagiobothrys). Five other species have ranges that overlap the range of Calistoga allocarya. See Hickman (1993) in General Information about California Plants, below, for a detailed description of Calistoga allocarya (as "Calistoga popcorn flower") and the similar species.

DISTRIBUTION:

Calistoga allocarya grows in the foothill grasslands of Napa County. It is found in mesic (moderately wet) areas, including vernal pools, next to and fed by hot springs and small geysers. These pools have high concentrations of boron, arsenic, and sulfates, and support a uniquely adapted flora.

THREATS:

One population has been lost because of urbanization and agricultural land conversion. Two remaining populations are known. One is found at the Calistoga Airport. Another is at a small undeveloped hot springs and is bisected by a paved county road, The combined area of both is less than 900 square feet. Both are on private lands and are unprotected. The California Natural Diversity Database also lists as presumed extant a site observed in 1903.

STATE & CALIFORNIA NATIVE PLANT SOCIETY STATUS:

This species was listed as threatened by the California Department of Fish and Game in January 1990. The California Native Plant Society has placed it on List 1B (rare or endangered throughout its range).

REFERENCES FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. 1997. Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Determination of Endangered Status for Nine Plants From the Grasslands or Mesic Areas of the Central Coast of California. Portland, Oregon.

General Information about California Plants

Photo credit: Vernal pool at Pixley, California (not Plagiobothrys strictus) © 1981 Dr. Oren D. Pollak Calphoto ID: 0000 0000 1000 0294. (If you have a photo of Calistoga allocarya, we would be happy to put it on our page.)

Prepared by Endangered Species Div., Sacramento Fish & Wildlife Office, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

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