''Phacelia formosula'' is a rare species of flowering plant in the borage family known by the common name North Park phacelia. 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 the state of

Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of t ...

in the United States, where it is known only from the North Park region in Jackson County.''Phacelia formosula''.
Center for Plant Conservation It is threatened by a number of human activities, such as

motorcycle A motorcycle (motorbike, bike, or trike (if three-wheeled)) is a two or three-wheeled motor vehicle steered by a handlebar. Motorcycle design varies greatly to suit a range of different purposes: long-distance travel, commuting, cruising ...

and off-road vehicle use in its habitat. It is a federally listed

endangered species An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and inv ...

of the United States. This plant was first collected on August 6, 1918, near

Walden, Colorado The Town of Walden is the Statutory Town that is the county seat, the most populous community, and the only incorporated municipality in Jackson County, Colorado, United States. It is situated in the center of a large open valley called North ...

. It was placed on the US Endangered Species List on September 1, 1982.USFWS
North Park Phacelia Recovery Plan.
March 1986. There are eight to eleven occurrences of the plant for a total of fewer than 5000 individuals. All but two of the occurrences are small. This biennial herb grows to a maximum height around 22 centimeters. The leaves have blades deeply cut into lobes. 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 a scorpioid cyme, an array of branches curved into a curl that resembles the tail of a

scorpion Scorpions are predatory arachnids of the order Scorpiones. They have eight legs, and are easily recognized by a pair of grasping pincers and a narrow, segmented tail, often carried in a characteristic forward curve over the back and always end ...

. Blooming occurs in July and August. The flowers are pollinated by insects, including the pollen wasp ''

Pseudomasaris zonalis ''Pseudomasaris'' is a genus of pollen wasps of the family Vespidae, found in arid regions of western North America. They feed their larvae on the pollen and nectar of a variety of plants, though many species prefer flowers in the genus '' Phace ...

''. The plant only grows in North Park, a large basin in northern Colorado. There it is limited to ravines and bare slopes of eroding rock originating from the

Coalmont Formation The Coalmont Formation (Tmc) is a Formation (geology), geologic formation that outcrops in the North Park (Colorado basin), North Park intermountain basin in Colorado. It contains fossils, fossil plants and coal layers dating back to the Paleogene ...

. The substrate is sandy and

rust Rust is an iron oxide, a usually reddish-brown oxide formed by the reaction of iron and oxygen in the catalytic presence of water or air moisture. Rust consists of hydrous iron(III) oxides (Fe2O3·nH2O) and iron(III) oxide-hydroxide (FeO(OH ...

-colored and it contains

coal Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock, formed as rock strata called coal seams. Coal is mostly carbon with variable amounts of other elements, chiefly hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen. Coal is formed when dea ...

. Few other plants grow on the slopes. The decomposing rock slopes are popular with off-road vehicle users. The vehicles erode the substrate, disturbing the plants. Other threats include trampling and grazing by livestock, coal extraction, and petroleum exploration. In early 2024 it was reported that there might be more individuals in the wild than previously thought. File:North Park Phacelia (5716434630).jpg, P. formosula in full bloom in late July. File:Phacelia formosula FWS 13859.jpg, Detail of flower File:Phacelia formosula (29809152858).jpg,

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 ...

detail File:Phacelia formosula FWS 13860 (cropped).jpg, Foliage and flowers

References

External links

USDA Plants Profile for ''Phacelia formosula''
{{Taxonbar, from=Q7179889 formosula Flora of Colorado Jackson County, Colorado Endemic flora of the United States Critically endangered flora of the United States