By Kale Williams

When it comes to endangered species, most people think of animals. Wolves and salmon and spotted owls garner most of the attention, but Oregon is home to dozens of species of plants that face challenges similar to their furry and feathered counterparts.

There are nearly 60 species of plants that have been listed as either endangered -- meaning they are at imminent risk of extinction -- or threatened -- meaning they could be gone in the near future if measures aren't taken to protect them.

Below you'll find the 30 species that are at the highest risk, along with the threats they face and where you can find them, with maps from the Oregon Flora Project.

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Pink sandverbena

(Abronia umbellata var. breviflora)

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Status: Endangered

Habitat: The pink sandverbena thrives in fine sand, usually on broad beaches or near the mouths of creeks and rivers.

Range: Historically, the pink sandverbena grew on beaches and sandy patches from Vancouver Island, in British Columbia, down to northern California. It was thought to have gone extinct north of Washington, but two populations were discovered in Canada in 2000, though it's unclear if the flowering plant has survived in the area. The number of sandverbena populations in Oregon has been cut in half over the last 30 years, from 10 to five, with the most stable holdouts along the southern coast.

Threats: The primary threat facing pink sandverbena is non-native plants, specifically European beachgrass, which prefers similar habitat to the native plant, but competes with it for resources.

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McDonald's rockcress

(Arabis macdonaldiana)

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ODA/Maureen Jules

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Status: Endangered

Habitat: McDonald's Rockcress prefers rocky soils at elevations below 5,900 feet in dry woods or on brush-covered slopes.

Range: In Oregon, McDonald's rockcress is only found in the Siskiyou mountains of Curry and Josephine counties.

Threats: McDonald's rockcress is under threat from mining in the mineral-rich areas where it grows, as well as road maintenance and over-collection.

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Northern wormwood

(Artemisia campestris var. wormskioldii)

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ODA/Melissa Carr

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Status: Endangered

Habitat: The northern wormwood grows only in basalt, compacted cobble and sand on the banks of the Columbia River.

Range: Historically, the northern wormwood grew on the banks of the Columbia from the mouth of the John Day River in Sherman County west to Hood River. The species is thought to have been entirely extirpated from Oregon, with only two pockets existing just across the river in Klickitat and Grant counties in Washington.

Threats: Northern wormwood is under threat from water diversion due to dams, agricultural development and competition from non-native species.

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Applegate's milkvetch

(Astragalus applegatei)

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ODA/Melissa Carr

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Status: Endangered

Habitat: Applegate's milkvetch only occurs in very specific areas, in meadows and in roadside ditches with alkaline soils at roughly 4,100 feet of elevation. It is believed that this particular milkvetch is reliant on other symbiotic plants for survival.

Range: Given its very specific habitat, Applegate's milkvetch occurs only in the Klamath Basin near the city of Klamath Falls. Currently, there are only six known sites where the plant still grows.

Threats: Habitat loss around the growing city of Klamath Falls has put the future of Applegate's milkvetch at risk, as well as competition from other invasive species, seed predation by insects and a depressed gene pool given the few number of surviving individual plants.

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Mulford's milkvetch

(Astragalus mulfordiae)

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ODA/Andrea Thorpe

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Status: Endangered

Habitat: Mulford's milkvetch grows in sandy substrates including old river deposits, bluffs and dunes in the shrub-steppe and desert shrub foothills of Eastern Oregon. The plant only grows between elevations of 2,200 and 2,790 feet.

Range: Inhabiting an area of approximately 100 square miles straddling Malheur County and Idaho in the Snake River Valley, Mulford's milkvetch only occurs in 14 known locations in Oregon.

Threats: The primary threat to Mulford's milkvetch comes from developments and urbanization, with secondary threats coming from invasive plants species, overgrazing, fires, mining and off-road vehicle use.

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Crinite mariposa lily

(Calochortus coxii)

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ODA/Nancy Fredricks

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Status: Endangered

Habitat: Crinite mariposa lily grows only in the rocky soils of grasslands, woodlands and on the margins of forests on semi- to moderately-steep slopes. This lily grows from mid-slope to the top of ridges between 840 and 2,780 feet in elevation.

Range: Growing only in scattered populations along a specific ridge system in southwestern Oregon, the crinite mariposa lily only occurs in eight known locations in an area of less than 30 square miles. The species prefers dry areas that are open or have filtered sunlight.

Threats: In areas where fire has been suppressed, crinite mariposa lily is under threat from encroaching woody species and invasive plants like yellow starthistle. Logging practices, which disturb soil, and replanting, which results in dense forest canopies, have also played a role in the species' decline.

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Sexton Mountain mariposa lily

(Calochortus indecorus)

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Courtesy/OSU Herbarium

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Status: Endangered, possibly extinct

Habitat: As the name suggests, the Sexton Mountain mariposa lily lives only on the moist, rocky slopes of Sexton Mountain in Josephine County and the nearby Red Mountains. Attempts to find the species at its original collection site have been unsuccessful, according to the Oregon Department of Agriculture, and the species may be extinct.

Range: The Sexton Mountain mariposa lily is thought to have only grown in Josephine County.

Threats: Collection, grazing and developments are thought to have severely impacted the species, though construction on Interstate 5 is thought to be the main contributor to the extirpation of the Sexton Mountain mariposa lily.

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Umpqua mariposa lily

(Calochortus umpquaensis)

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ODA Staff

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Status: Endangered

Habitat: The Umpqua mariposa lily prefers rocky soils between grassy fields and semi-forested pine woodlands.

Range: Aptly named, the Umpqua mariposa lily lives primarily in the Umpqua River basin in Douglas County, where it occurs in at least 15 locations, some sporting thousands of individual plants. Some smaller populations have been observed in Jackson and Josephine counties.

Threats: Loss of habitat due to logging poses a serious threat to the Umpqua mariposa lily as well as competition from non-native species and bulb collection.

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Golden paintbrush

(Castilleja levisecta)

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ODA/Thomas Kaye

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Status: Endangered

Habitat: Golden paintbrush prefers sandy, well-drained soils of glacial origin in areas where sea spray is present. The plant has historically grown in areas of the Willamette Valley where Native Americans set fires to maintain the landscape. There is evidence it also occurred along the banks of the Columbia and Santiam rivers.

Range: In the past, golden paintbrush is thought to have grown in the Willamette Valley north up to British Columbia, but experts believe the species has been extirpated from Oregon, now growing only in Washington's Puget Trough and British Columbia.

Threats: Golden paintbrush is under threat from habitat loss, competition from non-native plant species and grazing by rabbits, voles, deer and other ungulates.

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Point Reyes bird's-beak

(Cordylanthus maritimus ssp. palustris)

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ODA/Melissa Carr

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Status: Endangered

Habitat: A resident of saltwater marshes, Point Reyes bird's beak lives in sandy soil just above the tide line. The species is hemiparasitic, which means it forms root connections with a host plant where it gets some of its resources.

Range: Point Reyes bird's beak grows along the Pacific Coast from Tillamook County down to the San Francisco Bay, but in Oregon is thought to only exist in Netarts Bay, Yaquina Bay and Coos Bay.

Threats: The species is threatened by habitat loss due to development, water pollution and competition from non-native species.

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White rock larkspur

(Delphinium leucophaeum)

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ODA/Melissa Carr

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Status: Endangered

Habitat: White rock larkspur grows in shallow soils with a high organic matter content and high level of sand. Within those confines, though, the species grows in a variety of locations, from flat plateaus to vertical cliffs and from open sun to highly shaded sites.

Range: In Oregon, the white rock larkspur occurs only in the northern Willamette Valley at fewer than 20 sites, with at least one known occurrence in Washington.

Threats: White rock larkspur is threatened by habitat loss due to development, competition from invasive species and small population size. Beyond that, hybridization could impact the genetic integrity of the species.

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Peacock larkspur

(Delphinium pavonaceum)

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ODA/Melissa Carr

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Status: Endangered

Habitat: Peacock larkspur prefers the low-elevation, moist soils of the Willamette Valley floodplain in native wet prairies usually growing along roadsides and fence lines.

Range: The species grows primarily in the middle Willamette Valley, mostly in Benton and Polk counties, with the largest occurrence in the William L. Finley National Wildlife Refuge.

Threats: Development and urbanization have contributed to the species' decline, as have road maintenance and application of herbicides. Deer, rodents and slugs that eat the plant have also contributed to its endangered status.

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Willamette daisy

(Erigeron decumbens)

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ODA/Melissa Carr

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Status: Endangered

Habitat: Willamette daisy prefers seasonally flooded bottomland and well-drained upland prairies at elevations below 1,000 feet.

Range: Historically, the species grew throughout the Willamette Valley, but is currently restricted to Clackamas, Washington and Yamhill counties, though populations there have not been located recently. It is believed that any remaining growth sites are on private land.

Threats: The primary threat to Willamette daisy is development, especially, as noted above, on private land. Grazing, road maintenance, competition from non-native species and inbreeding also pose significant threats to the species.

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Gentner's fritillary

(Fritillaria gentneri)

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ODA/Melissa Carr

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Status: Endangered

Habitat: Despite being endangered, Gentner's fritillary grows in a wide variety of locales, from shaded riverbanks to open grasslands to chaparral. The species prefers transitional areas between meadows and woodlands, but can thrive in at least 25 different types of soil.

Range: Gentner's fritillary occurs from the far north of California to Josephine County with the highest concentration near Jacksonville in Jackson County.

Threats: The species is threatened by loss of habitat, grazing and competition from non-native species.

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Grimy ivesia

(Ivesia rhypara var. rhypara)

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ODA/Thomas Kaye

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Status: Endangered

Habitat: Grimy ivesia thrives in extremely dry soil conditions with no canopy cover, usually in ash-tuff or on outcrops of volcanic ash deposited with riverbed gravels.

Range: This species is only found in southeastern Oregon and northern Nevada.

Threats: Grimy ivesia is threatened by overgrazing, off-road vehicle use and mining in its native habitat.

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Western lily

(Lilium occidentale)

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ODA/Kelly Armsberry

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Status: Endangered

Habitat: The western lily is usually found in freshwater wetlands near the coast, either in deep, organic peat or acidic mineral-rich soil with poor drainage.

Range: The species grows in a thin band, roughly 4 miles wide, from the central Oregon coast to northern California.

Threats: The primary threat to the western lily is habitat loss from commercial, residential and agricultural development, particularly from cranberry farms. The species is also vulnerable to encroachment from shrubs and trees as well as other non-native species.

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Big-flowered wooly meadowfoam

(Limnanthes floccosa ssp. grandiflora)

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ODA/Melissa Carr

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Status: Endangered

Habitat: Big-flowered wooly meadowfoam grows mostly on the wet inner edges of vernal pools.

Range: This species lives in only one place, the vernal pools of the Agate Desert region, north of Medford near White City.

Threats: Because the big-flowered wooly meadowfoam only grows in such particular circumstances, it is under threat from development, which often drains the pools it depends on to survive.

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Bradshaw's desert parsley

(Lomatium bradshawii)

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ODA/Melissa Carr

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Status: Endangered

Habitat: Bradshaw's desert parsley, despite its name, grows in wet prairie in clay soils and seasonally saturated floodplains near creeks and small rivers.

Range: This species grows in Willamette Valley from the city of Creswell north to Clark County in Washington. Most of the Oregon sites have small populations, between 10 and 1,000 plants, but the Washington sites hold more individual plants than all the Oregon spots combined.

Threats: The primary threats to Bradshaw's desert parsley are habitat loss, competition from non-native plants, grazing and herbicide use near roads.

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Cook's desert parsley

(Lomatium cookii)

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ODA/Ian Silvernail

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Status: Endangered

Habitat: Cook's desert parsley grows in two types of habitat: ephemeral wet meadows and along the edges of vernal pools in poorly drained clay soils.

Range: This species grows in the Illinois River Valley near Cave Junction and in the Rogue River Valley on the northeast side of Medford. It was only discovered in 1981 so little is known about its historic range.

Threats: Cook's desert parsley faces a number of threats, including grazing, habitat loss, off-road vehicles, herbicides, non-native plants species and encroachment from trees and shrubs due to fire suppression.

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Red-fruited lomatium

(Lomatium erythrocarpum)

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ODA/Robert Meinke

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Status: Endangered

Habitat: The red-fruited lomatium occurs only in dry, gravelly soil on south-facing slopes at elevations of 7,600 feet or higher.

Range: This species only grows along the central Elkhorn Ridge of the Blue Mountains

in northeastern Oregon and there are only six known sites where it occurs, some with as few as 30 individual plants

Threats: The primary threat to this species is trampling, both from mountain goats and hiking trails that were constructed prior to the discovery of this rare plant.

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Cusick's lupine

(Lupinus lepidus var. cusickii)

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ODA/Robert Meinke

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Status: Endangered

Habitat: Cusick's lupine prefers eroding slopes of volcanic ash between elevations of 2,850 and 4,200 feet.

Range: With just five small populations known to exist, Cusick's lupine is only found in the Blue Mountain foothills near the town of Unity in Baker County and in Grant, Harney, Malheur and Umatilla counties.

Threats: Given its tiny population, little is known about what this plant needs to survive, but experts believe it faces threats from grazing, off-road vehicle use and a small gene pool.

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Smooth mentzelia

(Mentzelia mollis)

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ODA Staff

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Status: Endangered

Habitat: Smooth mentzelia lives only in green or gray montmorillonite substrates derived

from a specific rock formation that sports extremely high levels of potassium at elevations between 2,500 and 4,420 feet.

Range: Given its specific preferred soil conditions, smooth mentzelia is only known to occur in Oregon in Malheur County, though there are some populations in neighboring Idaho and Nevada.

Threats: The primary threat facing smooth mentzelia is from mining activity in its native range, though it has also declined due to competition with invasive plants. The species is also extremely vulnerable to changes in climate, specifically drought conditions.

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Macfarlane's four o'clock

(Mirabilis macfarlanei)

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ODA Staff

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Status: Endangered

Habitat: Macfarlane's four o'clock prefers gravelly and sandy soil on steep, sunny slopes between 1,000 and 3,000 feet.

Range: Living only in steep canyons, Macfarlane's four o'clock lives in only four places in Oregon, namely in the Salmon, Snake, and Imnaha river canyons in the northeastern corner of the state. There are also nine known sites where it grows across the border in Idaho.

Threats: Macfarlane's four o'clock faces a multitude of threats including competition from non-native weeds, landslides, off-road vehicle use and grazing from native ungulates like Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep, elk, mule deer and mountain goats. Of major concern as well is the indirect impact of livestock, which can help proliferate invasive species and cut down on plant diversity.

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Rough popcornflower

(Plagiobothrys hirtus)

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ODA/Melissa Carr

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Status: Endangered

Habitat: Rough popcornflower lives only in seasonal pools that are saturated during the rainy season but completely evaporate by midsummer. It prefers poorly drained clay and loam soils usually found in depressions on alluvial stream terraces.

Range: This species lives only in the Sutherlin Creek, Calapooya Creek and

Yoncalla Creek watersheds in Douglas County.

Threats: Development and draining of wetlands have been the primary threats to rough popcornflower, historically, though recent threats include drought and competition from invasive species.

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Shiny-fruited allocarya

(Plagiobothrys lamprocarpus)

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Courtesy/B. Angell

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Status: Endangered, possibly extinct

Habitat: According to the Oregon Department of Agriculture "Data from the type specimen of shiny-fruited allocarya describe the species from 'moist places in an old road.'" No other habitat information is available.

Range: The species is historically known to exist in only one location that may now be within the city limits of Grants Pass.

Threats: If it still exists, the primary threat to the shiny-fruited allocarya is agricultural and urban development.

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Snake River goldenweed

(Pyrrocoma radiata)

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ODA Staff

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Status: Endangered

Habitat: Snake River goldenweed prefers dry, rocky, open soil on moderate south- and west-facing slopes between 2,000 and 6,000 feet of elevation.

Range: Aptly named, the Snake River goldenweed occurs only in the lower Snake River

Canyon and adjacent slopes in eastern Oregon and neighboring Idaho.

Threats: The Snake River goldenweed faces threats from seed predation by insects, grazing and competition from non-native species.

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Spalding's campion

(Silene spaldingii)

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ODA/Ryan Woolverton

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Status: Endangered

Habitat: This species prefers open, moist grassland or sagebrush-steppe and sometimes in open pine forests. It usually occurs in deep, rich soils on north facing slopes at elevations between 1,200 and 5,300 feet.

Range: Spalding's campion occurs in northeastern Oregon, specifically near the town of Joseph. It also can be found in Washington, Idaho, Montana and stretching north just over the border to British Columbia.

Threats: The primary threats to this species are development and competition from non-native species but other threats include grazing, trampling by livestock and a lack of genetic diversity due to small, fragmented populations.

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Malheur wire-lettuce

(Stephanomeria malheurensis)

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ODA/Melissa Carr

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Status: Endangered

Habitat: Malheur wire-lettuce occurs in exactly one place: a hillside above Harney Lake with soils derived from volcanic tuff and layered with thin crusts of limestone.

Range: As noted above, this species is only known to exist in one location in Harney County.

Threats: Because there is only one known location where Malheur wire-lettuce occurs, it is extremely vulnerable to any change in conditions as well as threats from grazing and competition from non-native species.

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Howell's spectacular thelypody

(Thelypodium howellii ssp. spectabilis)

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ODA/Melissa Carr

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Status: Endangered

Habitat: This species prefers moist alkaline meadow habitats, but only within the narrow elevation range of 3,000 to 3,500 feet. Howell's spectacular thelypody is frequently found near streams that experience springtime flooding.

Range: Howell's spectacular thelypody occurs only in the Baker-Powder River Valley in Union

and Baker Counties, and the Willow Creek Valley in Malheur County.

Threats: A large portion of this species' native habitat has been lost due to valley meadows being converted to agriculture, but Howell's spectacular thelypody also faces threats from urban development, off-road vehicle use and competition from non-native species.

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Owyhee clover

(Trifolium owyheense)

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ODA Staff

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Status: Endangered

Habitat: This particular clover lives on barren slopes and mounds from lower slopes to ridge crest locations at elevations ranging between 2,700 and 5,400 feet.

Range: Most occurences of Owyhee clover can be found in the Owyhee Uplands of eastern Malheur County in southeastern Oregon, though some populations also occur in Owyhee County across the border in Idaho.

Threats: Owyhee clover faces threats from grazing, off-road vehicle use, competition from non-native species and range improvement, which often includes spraying of herbicides and reseeding.

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For a full list of all the endangered and threatened plant species in Oregon, as well as species that have been listed as candidates for protection, click

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-- Kale Williams

kwilliams@oregonian.com

503-294-4048