Basic Information
Common Name: Gander's Ragwort
Scientific Name: Packera ganderi
Species Code: PACGAN
Management Category: SO (significant occurrence at risk of loss)
Occurrence Map
Table of Occurrences
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Species Information

MSP Species Background

Goals and Objectives

Goal: Maintain or enhance existing Gander's ragwort occurrences to ensure multiple conserved occurrences with self sustaining populations to increase resilience to environmental and demographic stochasticity, maintain genetic diversity, and ensure persistence over the long term (>100 years) in chaparral vegetation communities.

regional and/or local NFO 2018, 2020 SO
MON-IMP-IMG PACGAN-1

Management units: 3, 4

Beginning in 2018, inspect Gander's ragwort occurrences on Conserved Lands (see occurrence table) every 3 years using the regional rare plant IMG monitoring protocol to record abundance and collect habitat and threats covariate data to determine management needs.

Action Statement Action status Projects
IMP-1 Based upon occurrence status and threats, determine management needs including whether routine management or more intensive management is warranted. on hold
IMP-2 Modify IMG protocol to improve mapping and estimating abundance of large occurrences with difficult to delineate boundaries. In 2018 focus on mapping occurrence boundaries. on hold
IMP-3 Submit project metadata, monitoring datasets and management recommendations to the MSP Web Portal. on hold
Criteria Deadline year
Surveys Completed Every 3 Years with Management Recommendations 2021
Threat Name Threat Code
Altered fire regimeALTFIR
Human uses of the PreservesHUMUSE
Invasive plantsINVPLA
Code Obj. code Statement
PACGAN-2 MGT-IMP-IMG Beginning in 2017, conduct routine management actions identified through the IMG monitoring in 2016 and subsequent years at Gander's ragwort occurrences on Conserved Lands (see occurrence table). Depending on the type and level of threat, management should be conducted as needed, not necessarily every year, and using BMPs with precautions to do no harm.
local NFO 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 SO
MGT-IMP-IMG PACGAN-2

Management units: 3, 4

Beginning in 2017, conduct routine management actions identified through the IMG monitoring in 2016 and subsequent years at Gander's ragwort occurrences on Conserved Lands (see occurrence table). Depending on the type and level of threat, management should be conducted as needed, not necessarily every year, and using BMPs with precautions to do no harm.

Action Statement Action status Projects
IMP-1 Perform routine management activities such as protecting occurrences from disturbance through enforcement and controlling invasive non-native plant species to less than 20% absolute cover. available for implementation
IMP-2 Submit project metadata and management datasets to the MSP Web Portal. available for implementation
Criteria Deadline year
Routine Management Completed as Needed Based Upon Monitoring Recommendations 2021
Threat Name Threat Code
Altered fire regimeALTFIR
Human uses of the PreservesHUMUSE
Invasive plantsINVPLA
Code Obj. code Statement
PACGAN-1 MON-IMP-IMG Beginning in 2018, inspect Gander's ragwort occurrences on Conserved Lands (see occurrence table) every 3 years using the regional rare plant IMG monitoring protocol to record abundance and collect habitat and threats covariate data to determine management needs.
Rare Plant Inspect and Manage Monitoring 2014-2026
From 2014-2026, a Management and Monitoring Strategic Plan (MSP Roadmap) monitoring objective for 30 rare plant species is to inspect occurrences to determine management needs. The inspect and manage (IMG) objective is implemented to document the status of rare plant occurrences and assess habitats and threats to develop specific management recommendations. IMG monitoring is implemented by a combination of land managers and contracted biologists in coordination with the SDMMP. Available rare plant data is posted below. New annual updates are typically posted in March. Based upon an evaluation of these data, a 2014-2026 monitoring schedule has been developed for the 30 rare plant species (attached below). Coordinating data collection across the region allows analyses of species and population trends over time and provides a better understanding of the association between habitat and threat covariates and population dynamics.
Valley Fire Rare Plant Discovery Surveys
A project between the SDMMP and US Forest Service to establish and prioritize survey areas on Conserved Lands within the perimeter of the 2020 Valley Fire to document whether historic occurrences are extant and to discover new occurrences for 18 rare plant species. In 2022, AECOM and Conservation Biology Institute botanists surveyed areas for 18 target rare plant species and mapped the spatial extent of each new occurrence, counted or estimated the occurrence population size, and collected voucher specimens. They also photographed each new occurrence from a georeferenced location that captured a representative view of the occurrence. Botanists created a species list for the areas surveyed within the Valley Fire footprint. These areas included locations where rare plants were detected and mapped and negative data point areas where rare plants were not detected. In 2023, botanists shall again conduct surveys on suitable habitat on USFS lands burned in the 2020 Valley Fire. Results from these surveys should lead to a greater understanding of post-fire rare plant composition. In 2023, botanists may see species that did not emerge in the first year of surveys, and species found in the first year of surveys may have expanded their range. The 18 rare plant species included in the surveys are: San Diego thornmint (Acanthomintha ilicifolia), Marvin's allium (Allium marvinii), Western spleenwort (Asplenium vespertinum), Deane's milkvetch (Astragalus deanei), Encinitas baccharis (Baccharis vanessae), San Diego goldenstar (Bloomeria clevelandii), Orcutt's brodiaea (Brodiaea orcuttii), Lakeside ceanothus (Ceanothus cyaneus), San Miguel savory (Clinopodium chandleri), Variegated dudleya (Dudleya variegata), Mission Canyon bluecup (Githopsis diffusa filicaulis), Ramona horkelia (Horkelia truncata), Heart-leaved pitcher sage (Lepechinia cardiophylla), Felt-leaved pitcher sage (Monardella hypoleuca lanata), Chaparral nolina (Nolina cismontana), Gander's ragwort (Packera ganderi), Moreno currant (Ribes canthariforme), and Parry's tetracoccus (Tetracoccus dioicus).

Current Distribution Rangewide

A very localized California endemic, reported from Riverside and San Diego Counties [1,2].Occurs at three locations on Conserved Lands within the MSP area: in MU3 in small occurrences (<500 individuals) at McGinty Mountain and Sycuan Peak, and in MU4 at the former Salvation Army Camp [3].

List Status

None

Habitat Affinities

Reported as preferring chaparral understory, often beneath chamise [1]; reported from burned areas [2, 4] and gabbroic outcrops [2]. Elevational range 400-1200m [2]. While often associated with burned areas not restricted to such areas [5].

Taxonomy and Genetics

Family Asteraceae. Previous classified in genus Senecio; currently genus Packera [6]. Falls within a grouping called the aureoid Senecio complex, or more recently, the aureoid Senecio (Packera) complex [7]. Previous work recognized the aureoids as a distinct genus (Packera) and recent treatments of Senecioneae have adopted this.

Life History Demography

Corollas brick-colored or distinctly orange [5]. Species in the aureoid Senecio complex (which includes this species as named Senecio ganderi) are obligate outbreeders and reported to be pollinated by a variety of flying insects [5].

Seasonal Phenology

Perennial herb that blooms March-June [2].

Pollination Seed Dispersal

Species in the aureoid Senecio complex (which includes this species as named Senecio ganderi) have seeds adapted for wind dispersal (presence of pappus of numerous capillary bristles; [5]).

Threats

Threatened by recreational activities, vehicles and trampling [2].

Special Considerations:

No information.

Literature Sources

[1] Reiser, C.H. 1994. Rare Plants of San Diego County. Aquafir Press, Imperial Beach, CA. Available online: http://sandiego.sierraclub.org/rareplants/

[2] CNPS, Rare Plant Program. 2014. Inventory of Rare and Endangered Plants (online edition, v8-02). California Native Plant Society, Sacramento, CA. Website http://www.rareplants.cnps.org [accessed 19 June 2014].

[3] MSP-MOM. 2014. Management Strategic Plan Master Occurrence Matrix. http://sdmmp.com/reports_and_products/Reports_Products_MainPage.aspx

[4] Trock, D.K. 2013. Packera, in Jepson Flora Project (eds.) Jepson eFlora, http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_IJM.pl?tid=77386, accessed on Jun 19 2014.

[5] Barkley, T.M. and R.M. Beauchamp. 1974. A new Senecio (Compositae) from California. Brittonia 26:106-108.

[6] Weber, W.A. and A. Love. 1981. New combinations in the Genus Packera (Asteraceae). Phytologia 49(1):44-50.

[7] Bain, J.F. and R.K. Jansen. 1996. Numerous chloroplast DNA polymorphisms are shared among different populations and species in the aureoid Senecio (Packera) complex. Canadian Journal of Botany 74: 1719-1728.

[8] Barkley, T.M. 1988. Variation among the Aureoid Senecios of North America: a geohistorical interpretation. Botanical Review 54:82-106.