Loch Lomond Coyote-Thistle
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Sacramento Fish & Wildlife Office

Species Account

LOCH LOMOND COYOTE-THISTLE
(Eryngium constancei)

CLASSIFICATION:  Federal Endangered Species (Federal Register 51:45904 (pdf); December 23, 1986).
Reclassification to threatened proposed in Federal Register 58:62629 (pdf); November 29, 1993.

CRITICAL HABITAT: None designated.

RECOVERY PLAN:  Draft Vernal Pool Ecosystem Recovery Plan (pdf), November 18, 2004.

DESCRIPTION:

Loch Lomond coyote-thistle (Eryngium constancei), also known as Loch Lomond button-celery, is a perennial herb of the carrot family (Apiaceae). It annually produces slender, weak, leafless flowering stalks up to 12 inches in height from its over-wintering rootstock. The basal leaves range from4 to 8 inches in length. Slender petioles (the stalk that connects the leaf to the rest of the plant), 3 to 5 inches in length and usually longer than the leaf blade, bear diminutive spines.

A dense "down" of minute hairs, unique to this species, covers the leaves and especially the stalks. This character together with the species' sparse flowers, which bloom from April to June, distinguish it from its closest relative, Eryngium aristulatum var. aristulatum, and all other species of western North American Eryngium.

See Hickman (1993) in General Information about California Plants, below, for a more detailed description of the species (as Loch Lomond button-celery).

DISTRIBUTION:

There are three populations in Lake County and another is in Sonoma County. All are in the Lake-Napa Vernal Pool Region. See the draft recovery plan for details.

Based on an analysis of soils, slope, elevation, and climate, only a very limited area in Lake and Napa Counties is considered to be suitable habitat for the species.

THREATS:

Habitat loss and fragmentation are the largest threats to the survival and recovery of vernal pool species. Loss of habitat generally results from urbanization, agricultural conversion and mining.

Habitat loss also occurs in the form of habitat alteration and degradation as a result of changes to natural hydrology, invasive species, incompatible grazing regimes, infrastructure projects (e.g., roads, water storage and conveyance, utilities), recreational activities (e.g., off-highway vehicles and hiking), erosion, contamination and inadequate management and monitoring.

One specific threat is that at least one occupied pool may be converted to a vineyard. And the owner of another has proposed excavating the pool for a reservoir.

Changes in hydrology threaten three occurrences. In addition, runoff from adjacent roads and swimming pools creates excess water flow, whereas drainage ditches, culverts, and diversion of a natural spring are reducing the flow of water. Larger-scale hydrological alterations, including commercial development and timber harvesting, are also occurring in all the watersheds where species the species grows, thus posing added hydrological threats.

The extremely restricted distribution of Eryngium constancei is an additional threat. Although the individual populations are sufficiently large that intrinsic problems such as genetic drift are not a concern, other random events could cause the species to go extinct. Catastrophic weather events, climate change, or other unforeseen circumstances potentially could eliminate all of the populations.

STATE & CALIFORNIA NATIVE PLANT SOCIETY STATUS:

The species was listed as endangered by the California Department of Fish and Game in January 1987 under the name Loch Lomond button-celery. The California Native Plant Society has placed it on List 1B (rare or endangered throughout its range), also as button-celery.

REFERENCES FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Sheikh, M. Y. 1978. A systematic study of west North American Eryngium (Umbelliferae-Apiaceae) Ph.D. dissertation, University of California, Berkeley.

Sheikh, M. Y. 1983. New taxa of western North American Eryngium (Umbelliferae). Madroño 30:93-101.

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. 1986. Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Determination of Endangered Status for Eryngium constancei (Loch Lomond Coyote-Thistle). Portland, Oregon.

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. 1993. Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Proposed Reclassification of the Plant Eryngium constancei (Loch Lomond Coyote-thistle) From Endangered to Threatened Status. Portland, Oregon.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 2004. Draft Recovery Plan for Vernal Pool Ecosystems of California and Southern Oregon. Portland, Oregon.

General Information about California Plants

Photo credit: Loch Lomond Coyote-Thistle by Rick York ©1986 California Native Plant Society Calphoto ID: 0000 0000 0502 1121

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

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