The Colorado Natural Heritage Program (CNHP) maintains a database for threatened, endangered and sensitive species, and imperiled natural communities for the State of Colorado. Boulder County also maintains this database, and receives annual updates from CNHP. A data request for the Planning Area was submitted to CNHP in 1999. Pictureleaf wintergreen (Pyrola picta) is found in Boulder Canyon on the Platt Rogers Memorial Park. This species is typically found on cool, moist, north-facing slopes between 7,100’ and 9,800’ elevation. The wood lily (Lilium philadelphicum) has been recorded in Twin Sisters Road and the Pinecliff area. This species is found in moist aspen forests and wet meadows and is considered rare in Colorado.
Table 4.1
Other rare plant species potentially found in the Planning Area
|
Common Name |
Scientific Name |
Colorado Status |
|
Rocky Mountain cinquefoil |
Potentilla effusa var. rupincola |
imperiled |
|
Grass-fern |
Asplenium septentrionale |
watchlisted |
|
Broad-leaved twayblade |
Listera convallariodes |
imperiled |
|
White adder’s-mouth |
Malaxis brachypoda |
critically imperiled |
|
Weatherby’s spikemoss |
Selaginella weatherbiana |
watchlisted |
|
Larimer aletes |
Aletes humilis |
rare endemic |
|
Yellow lady’s slipper |
Cypripedium calceolus ssp. parviflorum |
imperiled |
|
dwarf rattlesnake-plantain |
Goodyera repens |
imperiled |
CNHP documents two plant communities of note. One is a foothills riparian shrubland along South Boulder Creek above Gross Reservoir. This community is dominated by water birch (Betula occidentalis). The second is a thinleaf alder riparian shrubland in Forsythe Canyon just above Gross Reservoir. This community is dominated by thinleaf alder (Alnus incana ssp. Tenuifolia). Both of these communities are considered imperiled in Colorado. In addition, CNHP notes that South Boulder Creek above Gross Reservoir is a significant site and may qualify as a potential conservation area.
 |
 |
 |
 |