ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT PROFILE

PROTECTION STATUS: Endangered

YEAR PLACED ON LIST: 1998

CRITICAL HABITAT: 9,603 acres in Southern California, including four areas within the greater Coachella Valley in Riverside County near Palm Springs, designated in 2013

RECOVERY PLAN: None

RANGE: Coachella Valley in Riverside County, California

THREATS: Habitat destruction due to urban development, off-road vehicle use, trampling, wind energy farms, sand and gravel mining, dams, and the introduction of nonnative plants

POPULATION TREND: During years of heavy rainfall, hundreds to thousands of seeds germinate, resulting in bountiful numbers of plants in a single area. Many of these fail to survive. During drought conditions, fewer than 20 plants are often the only survivors throughout the species' range.

Photo courtesy of USFWS