BC Conservation Data Centre: Conservation Status Report
Phemeranthus sediformis
Okanogan fameflower
| Scientific Name: | Phemeranthus sediformis |
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| Scientific Name Synonyms: |
Talinum sediforme
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| English Name: | Okanogan fameflower |
| Provincial Status Summary | |
| Status: | S4 |
| Date Status Assigned: | April 30, 2010 |
| Date Last Reviewed: | April 30, 2019 |
| Reasons: | Talinum sediforme is known from at at least 24 locations in BC. Approximately ten populations occur in Lac du Bois Grasslands Protected Area, Tranquille Ecological Reserve and Mount Savona Provincial Park. The total number of mature individuals is unknown, but is at least 28,000 individuals. In BC, the extent of occurrence is estimated to be 4,670 square kilometers, while the area of occupancy is 88 square kilometers. There is little evidence that existing populations have undergone reductions either in size of vigour. Talinum sediforme appears to tolerate prolonged drought and is adaptable to garden conditions. The rocky habitat preferred by this species is not generally at risk and there appears to be little immediate threat to the survival of populations. Talinum sediforme appears to tolerate trampling by livestock and wildlife. If there is a threat to the long term survival of this species in BC, it is likely to come from recreationalists. |
| Range | |
| Range Extent: | D = 1000-5000 square km |
| Range Extent Comments: | The extent of occurrence for Talinum sediforme is 4,670 square kilometres. |
| Area of Occupancy (km2): | D = 20-100 square km (about 5000-25,000 acres) |
| Area of Occupancy Comments: | The area of occupancy is 88 square kilometres, based on a 2km x 2km square grid. |
| Occurrences & Population | |
| Number of Occurrences: | C = 21 - 80 |
| Comments: | At least 24 occurrences of Talinum sediforme are known in British Columbia. |
| Number of Occurrences with Good Viability / Ecological Integrity: | D = Some (13-40) occurrences with good viability |
| Comments: | Goward and Knight (1990) reported that the populations which they visited seemed to show good vigour, with many young seedlings growing among the plenteous and apparently healthy, older plants (Goward and Knight). |
| Number of Occurrences Appropriately Protected & Managed: | C = Several (4-12) occurrences appropriately protected and managed |
| Comments: | Approximately 10 occurrences within Lac du Bois Grasslands Protected Area, Tranquille Ecological Reserve and Mount Savona Provincial Park. |
| Population Size: | F = 10,000 - 100,000 individuals |
| Comments: | Inventories conducted for the COSEWIC status report revealed ca. 24,588 plants in 9 localities, with 10,900 individuals reported for the Mara Hill locality (Goward and Knight, 1990). Additional populations were subsequently discovered on Blue Grouse Mountain, the summit of the Shannon Woods Trail, McDougall Rim near Kelowna, at Buse Hill and Mount Savona in the Kamloops region and at Summerland. A population found on the Cache Creek Hills may be the most productive and largest locality for fameflower in B.C. as more than 3,500 plants were counted and only a small portion of the suitable habitat was examined (Scotter and Martin, 2005). |
| Threats (to population, occurrences, or area affected) | |
| Degree of Threat: | G = Slightly threatened |
| Comments: | [D] The rocky habitat preferred by this species is not generally at risk and there appears to be little immediate threat to the survival of fameflower sites, with the possible exception of the small site near Summerland (Scotter and Martin, 2005). Fameflower appears to be able to survive considerable disturbance such as trampling by deer, cattle and other animals. Grazing cattle on or near a few of the populations appeared to present no obvious detriment to the species and if there is a threat to the long term survival of this species in BC, it is likely to come from recreationalists (Goward and Knight, 1990). |
| Trend (in population, range, area occupied, and/or condition of occurrences) | |
| Short-Term Trend: | E = Stable (unchanged or within +/- 10% fluctuation in population, range, area occupied, and/or number or condition of occurrences |
| Comments: | [G] During field studies conducted in connection with the COSEWIC status report (1990), there was little evidence that populations were undergoing reductions either in size or vigour (Goward and Knight, 1990). |
| Long-Term Trend: | U = Unknown |
| Other Factors | |
| Intrinsic Vulnerability: | C = Not intrinsically vulnerable |
| Comments: | Fameflower reproduces by seed or by rooted cuttings, appears to be adaptable to garden conditions and is under cultivation by various individuals in Kamloops, Victoria and Vancouver, and at the University of British Columbia Botanical Garden. The species appears to be well adapted to prolonged drought and germination was noted during severe drought conditions in the years between 1985 to 1988. Pollination appears to be affected by flying insects including Bombus sp, the syrphid fly (Eupeodes perplexus), the tachina fly (Ptilodexia conjuncta) and the bee fly (Bombylius lancifer). Seeds possess no obvious specialized adaptation for dispersal and are probably scattered mechanically by wind. Besides extreme drought, the only strong cause of mortality seems to be competition with mat-forming species such as Selaginella wallacei and Tortula ruralis, among others (Goward and Knight, 1990). |
| Environmental Specificity: | C = Moderate. Generalist or community with some key requirements scarce. |
| Comments: | Talinum sediforme seems to be restricted to shallow well-drained soils that have derived from highly friable, brecciated volcanic rock. It typically grows in exposed, south-facing or southwest-facing outcrops at an elevation of between 770m to 1900m (Scotter and Martin 2005), though a majority of populations occur between 1000m and 1200m. In all cases, it favors either hilltop sites or escarpment edges, often of a southerly or southwesterly exposure (Goward and Knight, 1990). Talinum appears to become established most readily in disturbed soils, where the lichen crust is unable to take hold (Goward and Knight, 1990). |
| Other Rank Considerations: | |
| Information Gaps | |
| Research Needs: | |
| Inventory Needs: | |
| Stewardship | |
| Protection: | |
| Management: | |
| Version | |
| Author: | Donovan, M. |
| Date: | March 24, 2010 |
| References | |
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British Columbia Conservation Data Centre. Botany Program. 2000. Database containing records of rare plant collections and observations in the province of British Columbia.
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Goward, T., and H. Knight. 1990. Status report on Okanagan Fameflower, Talinum sediforme, in Canada. Unpubl. rep. submitted to the Comm. on the Status of Endangered Wildl. in Can. Ottawa. 36pp.
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Scotter, G. W. and M.E. Martin. 2005. More sites for Okanagan fameflower. Menziesia. Oct. 2005. 10(3).
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Please visit the website Conservation Status Ranks for information on how the CDC determines conservation status ranks. For global conservation status reports and ranks, please visit the NatureServe website http://www.natureserve.org/.
Suggested Citation:
B.C. Conservation Data Centre. 2010. Conservation Status Report: Phemeranthus sediformis. B.C. Minist. of Environment. Available: https://a100.gov.bc.ca/pub/eswp/ (accessed Jun 9, 2026).