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A4153 Lasthenia californica - Plantago erecta - Vulpia microstachys Meadow Alliance

Type Concept Sentence: This herbaceous alliance includes one or a combination of Lasthenia californica, Lasthenia gracilis, Plantago erecta, and/or Vulpia microstachys as characteristic or dominant herbs found throughout cismontane California, into the western Mojave Desert, and extending south into Baja California, Mexico.

Common (Translated Scientific) Name: California Goldfields - Dot-seed Plantain - Small Six-weeks Grass Meadow Alliance

Colloquial Name: Goldfields - Plantain - Six-weeks Grass Meadow

Hierarchy Level:  Alliance

Type Concept: This herbaceous alliance includes one or a combination of Lasthenia californica, Lasthenia gracilis, Plantago erecta, and/or Vulpia microstachys as characteristic or dominant herbs found throughout cismontane California below 1220 m (4000 feet) elevation. A variety of other herbaceous species occur in stands, and also may be dominants, including native plants such as Castilleja exserta, Crassula connata, Lepidium nitidum, Lupinus spp., Pectocarya spp., Plagiobothrys canescens, Selaginella hansenii, Trifolium spp., and non-native plants such as Bromus rubens, Bromus hordeaceus, Erodium spp., Lolium perenne, and Hordeum spp. This alliance is found on flats and slopes of all aspects and ridges. Soils are often shallow loams and clays, and stands are especially well-developed on volcanic and serpentine substrates.

Diagnostic Characteristics: Either one or a combination of Lasthenia californica, Lasthenia gracilis, Plantago erecta, and/or Vulpia microstachys as characteristic or dominant herbs with other native and non-native species in the herbaceous layer (Evens et al. 2004, Klein et al. 2007).

Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available

Classification Comments: Stands occur throughout much of cismontane California (Hobbs and Mooney 1991, McCarten 1991, Weiss 1999, Rodriguez-Rojo et al. 2001a, b, Evens and San 2004, Bartolome et al. 2007, Klein et al. 2007). This alliance represents a triad of native species that have a broad tolerance of adaptation to the area''s Mediterranean climate. Bartolome et al. (2007) found that native annual grassland types replace steppe types wherever annual rainfall is below 21 cm. Vulpia microstachys var. pauciflora is the most frequent annual grass of these semi-desert grasslands.

This alliance appears seasonally abundant on infertile soils of less frequent disturbance, whereas other herbaceous stands with more disturbance-related taxa appear more regularly on deeper and disturbed soils (cf. Hobbs and Mooney 1991, Seabloom et al. 2003, Howard 2006). Adaptation to local site/soil conditions allows these native species to dominate on serpentine soils (Rajakaruna and Bohm 1999, Howard 2006, Espeland and Rice 2007). The three species commonly co-occur, though in some areas only one or two may predominate. Lasthenia californica and Plantago erecta appear to decrease in years with low rainfall. In addition, these native species may lack a persistent seed bank and have limited dispersal distances, affecting their presence and abundance (Bartolome 1979, Seabloom et al. 2003).

Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: No Data Available

Floristics: No Data Available

Dynamics:  No Data Available
Environmental Description:  No Data Available
Geographic Range: This alliance is found throughout cismontane California, into the western Mojave Desert, and extending south into Baja California, Mexico.

Nations: MX,US

States/Provinces:  CA, MXBCN


Confidence Level: Low - Poorly Documented

Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: G4

Greasons: No Data Available
Type Name Database Code Classification Code
Class 2 Shrub & Herb Vegetation Class C02 2
Subclass 2.B Temperate & Boreal Grassland & Shrubland Subclass S18 2.B
Formation 2.B.1 Mediterranean Scrub & Grassland Formation F038 2.B.1
Division 2.B.1.Na Californian Scrub & Grassland Division D327 2.B.1.Na
Macrogroup 2.B.1.Na.3 Purple Needlegrass - Harvest Brodiaea - Rusty Popcorn-flower Native Grassland Macrogroup M045 2.B.1.Na.3
Group 2.B.1.Na.3.a Californian Annual Grassland & Forb Meadow Group G766 2.B.1.Na.3.a
Alliance A4153 California Goldfields - Dot-seed Plantain - Small Six-weeks Grass Meadow Alliance A4153 2.B.1.Na.3.a
Concept Lineage: No Data Available

Predecessors: No Data Available

Obsolete Names: No Data Available

Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: = Lasthenia californica - Plantago erecta - Festuca microstachys Herbaceous Alliance (Rodriguez et al. 2017)
= Lasthenia californica - Plantago erecta - Vulpia microstachys (California goldfields - Dwarf plantain - Six-weeks fescue
flower fields) Alliance (Sawyer et al. 2009) [44.108.00]
= Lasthenia californica-Plantago erecta-Vulpia microstachys Alliance (California goldfields-Dwarf plantain-Six-weeks fescue flower fields) (Buck-Diaz et al. 2012)
= Lasthenia californica-Plantago erecta-Vulpia microstachys Herbaceous Alliance (CNPS 2017) [44.108.00]
< California Annual Grassland Series (Sawyer and Keeler-Wolf 1995)
>< Native Grassland (#42100) (Holland 1986b)
>< Wildflower Field (#42300) (Holland 1986b)
Concept Author(s): J. Evens and M.S. Reid after Sawyer et al. (2009)

Author of Description: J. Evens

Acknowledgements: No Data Available

Version Date: 01-20-15
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