''Eremogone ursina'' is a species of flowering plant in the family

Caryophyllaceae Caryophyllaceae, commonly called the pink family or carnation family, is a family of flowering plants. It is included in the dicotyledon order Caryophyllales in the APG III system, alongside 33 other families, including Amaranthaceae, Cactacea ...

known by the common name Bear Valley sandwort.

Distribution

It is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

to San Bernardino County, California, where it is known from a few occurrences in the vicinity of

Big Bear Big Bear, also known as ( cr, ᒥᐢᑕᐦᐃᒪᐢᑿ; – 17 January 1888Mistahimaskwa
...

. It grows on

quartzite Quartzite is a hard, non- foliated metamorphic rock which was originally pure quartz sandstone.Essentials of Geology, 3rd Edition, Stephen Marshak, p 182 Sandstone is converted into quartzite through heating and pressure usually related to tect ...

pebble plain A pebble is a clast of rock with a particle size of based on the Udden-Wentworth scale of sedimentology. Pebbles are generally considered larger than granules ( in diameter) and smaller than cobbles ( in diameter). A rock made predominantl ...

habitat in forest openings in the

San Bernardino Mountains The San Bernardino Mountains are a high and rugged mountain range in Southern California in the United States. Situated north and northeast of San Bernardino and spanning two California counties, the range tops out at at San Gorgonio Mountain � ...

near the communities of

Fawnskin Fawnskin is an unincorporated community in San Bernardino County, California, United States. Its altitude is 6,827 feet (2,081 m). The community has a post office, which was established on May 18, 1918. History The small township was ...

, Sugarloaf, and Baldwin Lake.USFWS
Bear Valley Sandwort (''Arenaria ursina''): 5-Year Review - Summary and Evaluation
March 2008. It is an indicator species for the rare pebble plain habitat, which is unique to the area.Beattie, M. H

US Fish & Wildlife Service. August 2, 1995. It is a federally listed

threatened species Threatened species are any species (including animals, plants and fungi) which are vulnerable to endangerment in the near future. Species that are threatened are sometimes characterised by the population dynamics measure of ''critical depensa ...

Description

''Eremogone ursina'' is a petite perennial herb forming small tufts no more than 18 centimeters tall. Its small, waxy leaves are needlelike and up to a centimeter long. The

inflorescence An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Morphologically, it is the modified part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed o ...

is an open cyme of white flowers with five petals each under half a centimeter long and protruding purple-anthered

stamen The stamen (plural ''stamina'' or ''stamens'') is the pollen-producing reproductive organ of a flower. Collectively the stamens form the androecium., p. 10 Morphology and terminology A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filame ...

s. The fruit is a toothed capsule containing 1 or 2 minute purple seeds.

Threats

The biggest threat to the survival of this species is off-roading. Other threats include destruction of its habitat for development, mining activity, and disturbance of the landscape during fire suppression efforts.

References

External links

Jepson Manual Treatment — ''Arenaria ursina''The Nature ConservancyUSDA Plants Profile''Arenaria ursina'' — U.C. Photo gallery
Caryophyllaceae Endemic flora of California ~ Natural history of the Transverse Ranges Natural history of San Bernardino County, California Threatened flora of California {{Caryophyllaceae-stub