(DRAFT) - Taxonomy
Species GRASS, DUNE, EUREKA
Species Id ESIS701023
Date 13 MAR 96

TAXONOMY

NAME - GRASS, DUNE, EUREKA

OTHER COMMON NAMES - GRASS, DUNE, EUREKA;GRASS, DUNE+, EUREKA, VALLEY; DUNEGRASS, EUREKA and VALLEY

ELEMENT CODE -

CATEGORY - Angiosperm

PHYLUM AND SUBPHYLUM - MAGNOLIOPHYTA,

CLASS AND SUBCLASS - LILIOPSIDA,

ORDER AND SUBORDER - CYPERALES,

FAMILY AND SUBFAMILY - POACEAE,

GENUS AND SUBGENUS - SWALLENIA,

SPECIES AND SSP - ALEXANDRAE,

SCIENTIFIC NAME - SWALLENIA ALEXANDRAE

AUTHORITY -

TAXONOMY REFERENCES -

COMMENTS ON TAXONOMY -
Eureka Dune Grass

Swallenia alexandrae (Swallen) Soderstrom & Decker

KINGDOM: Plant GROUP: Angiosperm

DIVISION: Magnoliophyta CLASS: Liliopsida
ORDER: Cyperales FAMILY: Poaceae

A robust perennial grass, Swallenia alexandrae (Eureka Dune
grass) often forms large hummocks as much as 2 by 4 meters in diameter
(04); branching at the base from an erect or creeping, thick scaly
rhizome with wooly nodes; branches stiff, flowering culms erect or
ascending, 1.5 to 10 dm tall, puberulent at the summit, otherwise
glabrous; leaves distant, the sheaths villous on the margins near the
summit; ligule a ring of hairs about 1 mm long; blades stiff, rigid,
pungently tipped, 2.5-12 cm long, 3-5 mm wide; panicles erect, narrow,
simple, 5-10 cm long, with pubescent compressed branches; spikelets
several-flowered, the glumes and lemmas persistent on the
short-jointed rachilla; glumes subequal, broad, 9-14 mm long; lemmas
rounded on back, 7-9 mm long, densely villous on margins of lower
part; palea equal to lemma (02,03,05); florets unisexual (male or
female) or bisexual (07); caryopsis broadly elliptic (05), often
readily falling from the floret (naked) or sometimes remaining with
Taxonomy - 1 (DRAFT) - Taxonomy
Species GRASS, DUNE, EUREKA
Species Id ESIS701023
Date 13 MAR 96

attached floral bracts (07).
This is a monotypic genus - this rigid, coarse grass with short,
firm pungent blades and narrow, simple panicles of broad spikelets can
be mistaken for no other in the area (02,05). The species also may
be known by the common name Eureka Valley dunegrass (03).
Originally described and named as Ectosperma alexandrae by
Swallen (12); changed to Swallenia alexandrae (10) because the former
generic designation was used for a group of green algae in 1803 (02,
03,06,10). Swallen and later Pilger placed it in the classical tribe
Festuceae (06,08,12) and more recently it has been allied in the tribe
Aeluropodeae, subfamily Eragrostoideae by Stebbins and Crampton (06,
11). However, it is an odd and interesting endemic of uncertain
affinities (03,06).
Type specimen: Alexander and Kellogg 5655, 24 May 1949 (US;
isotype:UC) (02).
Illustrations may be found in DeDecker 1976 (01), DeDecker 1977
(02), DeDecker 1982 (03), Henry 1979 (04), Hitchcock 1951 (05), Pavlik
1979 (06), and Swallen 1950 (12).

Taxonomy - 2 (DRAFT) - Status
Species GRASS, DUNE, EUREKA
Species Id ESIS701023
Date 13 MAR 96

STATUS

Coded Status

E: Federal Endangered

COMMENTS ON STATUS -
U.S. STATUSES AND LAWS:
The Eureka Dune grass (Swallenia alexandrae) has been designated
an Endangered species pursuant to the Endangered Species Act of 1973
(50 CFR 17.12; P.L. 93-205, 87 Stat. 884; 16 U.S.C. 1531-1540), as
amended. The species has this status wherever found including the
State of California. Critical Habitat has not been designated.
Removal and reduction to possession of any federally listed plant
from an area under Federal jurisdiction is unlawful (50 CFR 17.61 and
17.71).
This species is protected by the Lacey Act (P.L. 97-79, as
amended; 16 U.S.C. 3371 et seq.) which makes it unlawful to possess
any wild plant (including roots, seeds, and other parts) within U.S.
territorial or special maritime jurisdiction (as defined in 18 U.S.C.
7); or to import, export, transport, sell, receive, acquire, or
purchase in interstate or foreign commerce any wild plant (including
roots, seeds, and other parts) taken, possessed, transported, or sold
in violation of any State law or regulation. It is also unlawful to
import, export, transport, sell, receive, acquire, or purchase any
wild plant (including roots, seeds, and other parts) taken or
possessed in violation of any U.S. law, treaty, or regulation or in
violation of Indian tribal law.

RESPONSIBLE FEDERAL AGENCIES:

USFWS -Responsible for the management/recovery, listing, and
law enforcement/protection of this species.
BLM -Responsible for the law enforcement/protection of this
species with applicable State and Federal laws on
public land under their control (43 CFR 4140). Also
responsible for management/recovery on Bureau of Land
Management lands.

All Federal agencies have responsibility to ensure that any
action authorized, funded, or carried out by that agency is not likely
to jeopardize the continued existence of the species or result in the
destruction or adverse modification of Critical Habitat (50 CFR 402),
and to utilize their authorities to carry out programs for the
conservation of the species.

STATE STATUSES AND LAWS:

Status - 1 (DRAFT) - Status
Species GRASS, DUNE, EUREKA
Species Id ESIS701023
Date 13 MAR 96

STATE: California
DESIGNATED STATUS: Rare
ADMINISTRATIVE AGENCY: California Department of Fish and Game
STATE STATUTE: California Endangered Species Act; Fish and Game
Code, Chapt. 1.5, Art. 1, Sec. 2050.

INTERNATIONAL STATUSES, TREATIES, AND AGREEMENTS:
Swallenia alexandrae is listed as Vulnerable in the IUCN Plant
Red Data Book, 1980.

ECONOMIC STATUSES:
None.

76/06/16:41 FR 24524/24572 - Proposed rule, list as Endangered
78/04/26:43 FR 17916/ - Final rule, listed as Endangered
83/12/08:48 FR 55100/55102 - Notice of 5 year review
85/07/22:50 FR 29900-29901 - Five year review completion
85/09/27:50 FR 39526/39584 - Notice of review (candidates)

Status - 2 HABITAT ASSOCIATIONS

HABITAT - TERRESTRIAL
TERRESTRIAL

LAND USE -
Shrub and Brush Rangeland
Sandy Areas other than Beaches

COMMENTS ON HABITAT ASSOCIATIONS -
Swallenia alexandrae (Eureka Dune grass) occurs from about 2900
to 4300 feet elevation, only in the southern Eureka Valley on very
sandy habitats associated with arid desert sand dune systems. It
occurs on large active, but relatively stable, dunes (described
variously as a longitudinal system or as transverse dunes with a sand
mountain) (09,14), and it occurs on the obstacle type of dune system
where the sand covers the spur ridges of the Saline Range (09,14).
All of these habitats have deep sand substrate.
On the upper slopes of the Eureka Dunes, Swallenia occurs on
slopes of 20-34 degrees (deg.) that are mostly unstable. It occurs on
the lower dunes on slopes of 5-25 deg. that are mostly stable (06).
The satellite dune areas, where Swallenia occurs west of the Eureka
Dunes, are of moderate to gentle slope and mostly stable (14).
Soils of the Eureka Dunes are alkaline (pH ranging from 8.1 to
9.3), non-saline, non-sodic, and very low in nitrogen (less than
0.06 ppm) (06). No data is available for the soils in the satellite
dune areas.
Little climatological data has ever been reported for the Eureka
Valley (06,09,14). Summers are quite hot with daily temperatures
commonly exceeding 40 deg. C (104 deg. F) in June, July, and August.
Winters are cool, daytime maximum temperatures are probably always
above freezing, while night temperatures commonly drop below freezing
from November through March. Summer thunderstorms, generally
occurring in July and August, may in some years account for a
significant proportion of the year's total precipitation (06,09,14).
It is thought that the dunes act as an aquifer, providing the
dune system with an above average supply of available soil moisture
(06,09).
Vegetation on the dunes where Swallenia occurs is very sparse and
consists of few species. On the higher dune slopes only Swallenia and
Dicoria canescens are found. On the lower and more stable slopes,
Swallenia is associated with Dicoria, Oenothera avita ssp. eurekensis,
Astragalus lentiginosus var. micans, Tiquilia plicata, Oryzopsis
hymenoides and a few other species (01,03,06,09,14). Surrounding the
dunes are creosote bush scrub and allscale-alkali scrub (01,06,09).

Habitat Associations - 1 (DRAFT) - Food Habits
Species GRASS, DUNE, EUREKA
Species Id ESIS701023
Date 13 MAR 96

FOOD HABITS

TROPHIC LEVEL -
AUTOTROPH

Food Habits - 1 (DRAFT) - Environment Associations
Species GRASS, DUNE, EUREKA
Species Id ESIS701023
Date 13 MAR 96

ENVIRONMENTAL ASSOCIATIONS

G = General A = Adult
LIM = Limiting RA = Resting Adult
J = Juvenile FA = Feeding Adult
RJ = Resting Juvenile BA = Breeding Adult
FJ = Feeding Juvenile P = Pupae
L = Larvae E = Egg
RL = Resting Larvae
FL = Feeding Larvae

LIFESTAGE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSOCIATIONS
G
G

Environment Associations - 1 (DRAFT) - Life History
Species GRASS, DUNE, EUREKA
Species Id ESIS701023
Date 13 MAR 96

LIFE HISTORY

HABIT:
Swallenia alexandrae, Eureka Dune grass, as its name implies, is
a grass (01,02,03,04,05,06,08,09,10,11,12).

LIFE CYCLE:
Perennial (01,02,03,04,05,06,08,09,10,11,12).

TYPE OF REPRODUCTION:
Observations suggest that vegetative reproduction in the dune
grass is not a common event (06). The maintenance of these
populations depends heavily on seed production by sexual means (04,
07).

REPRODUCTIVE PHENOLOGY:
Germination occurs in September; leafing in March; budding in
April; and anthesis in May and June. Fruiting begins in May and
possibly continues into July. Seed is dispersed in June and July (03,
06,14).

SEX OR SPORE STATUS:
Polygamous - both male and female unisexual florets occur on the
same plant as bisexual florets (07).

POLLINATION, SPORE AND SEED DISSEMINATION:
Both pollen and seed are disseminated by wind (07).

SEED BIOLOGY:
Pavlik reports an apparent high viability of seed (100 percent),
but low percent germination (06). At constant temperatures the best
results were at 20 degrees (deg.) C with only 2 percent germination;
thermoperiodic alterations increased this greatly, an optimal regime
of 25/20 deg. C with 35 percent germination was noted (06).
Scarification had a minor positive effect on germination but also
made the caryopses very susceptible to fungal attack (06).
Seed production is low, Pavlik and Barbour estimate annual seed
production at about 4 seeds per cubic dm of canopy volume or about
3,100 filled seeds per year for an average sized Swallenia hummock
(about 750 cubic dm) (07). Estimates of seed rain were also quite
low, 63 seeds/sq. m/year (07). Supplements of water and nitrogen in
field experiments produced no significant effect on seed production
(07). Nothing is known of seed longevity and dormancy requirements.

POPULATION BIOLOGY:
In general, little is known about the population biology of sand
dune plants in North America (07). Little is known about Swallenia in
particular. Two studies have recently begun (07,14). Results of
Pavlik's studies on survival/mortality rates, density and population
trends have not been published yet, although results from studies of
seed dispersal and effects of herbivores are available (07). Studies
by Bagley produced data on population density and cover but
information on population trends awaits further work (14). At the
Life History - 1 (DRAFT) - Life History
Species GRASS, DUNE, EUREKA
Species Id ESIS701023
Date 13 MAR 96

north end of the Eureka Dunes measured stands of Swallenia range from
80 to 340 mature plants per hectare with a cover of 1.3 to 10.3
percent (avg. 5.4 percent) (14). Line transects across the middle
portions of the dunes gave values of 1.5 to 2 percent for overall
cover of Swallenia (14).

ECOLOGICAL/EDAPHIC FACTORS:
Eureka Dune grass occurs only on sand dunes. Soils are psamment
Entisols. Detailed data is available only for the Eureka Dunes. The
dune sands are dominated by quartz grains with some finer, dark, heavy
materials of magnetite, hornblend, augite, and olivine (06,09).
Grains tend to be coarse and poorly sorted on the low northern and
southern toes of the dunes, but are finer and well sorted with
elevation (06,09). Mean grain size of 0.30 mm is considerably larger
than in the other desert dunes of Inyo County (06). Soils of the
Eureka Dunes are alkaline (pH ranging from 8.1 to 9.3), non-saline,
non-sodic, and very low in nitrogen (less than 0.06 ppm) (06). No
data is available for the soils in the satellite dune areas.
Swallenia occurs in an arid climate, average annual precipitation
is probably about 115 mm (4.5 in) (06). Summer thunderstorms,
generally occurring in July and August may, in some years, account for
a significant proportion of the year's total precipitation (06,09,
14). The dune system appears to act as an aquifer, providing an above
average supply of available soil moisture (06,09).
Little climatological data has ever been reported for the Eureka
Valley (06,09,14). Summers are quite hot with daily temperatures
commonly exceeding 40 deg. C (104 deg. F) in June, July, and August.
Winters are cool, daytime maximum temperatures are probably always
above freezing, while night temperatures commonly drop below freezing
from November through March.
On the upper slopes of the Eureka Dunes, Swallenia occurs on
slopes of 20-34 degrees (deg.) that are mostly unstable. It occurs on
the lower dunes on slopes of 5-25 deg. that are mostly stable (06).
The satellite dune areas, where Swallenia occurs west of the Eureka
Dunes, are of moderate to gentle slope and mostly stable (14).

TROPHIC STATUS:
Phototrophic (06).

CHARACTERISTIC DOMINANCE:
Where it occurs, Swallenia forms a major portion of the total
plant cover (14). In this sense it is certainly the dominant plant
species. But the total cover is small (generally less than 15
percent) and plants are widely spaced, so their influence upon
environmental conditions may be rather small (14).

COMMUNITY ECOLOGY:
Vegetation on the dunes where Swallenia occurs is very sparse and
consists of few species. On the higher dune slopes only Swallenia and
Dicoria canescens are found. On the lower and more stable slopes,
Swallenia is associated with Dicoria, Oenothera avita ssp.
eurekensis, Stragalus lentiginosus var. micans, Tiquilia plicata,
Oryzopsis hymenoides and a few other species (01,03,06,09,14).
Life History - 2 (DRAFT) - Life History
Species GRASS, DUNE, EUREKA
Species Id ESIS701023
Date 13 MAR 96

Surrounding the dunes are Creosote Bush Scrub and Allscale-Alkali
Scrub (01,06,09) vegetation associations.
Nothing is known about community stability and successional
trends (except that some Swallenia hummocks are very large and
therefore probably very old and that hummocks come and go and may
divide within a few years) (04).

SPECIES INTERRELATIONSHIPS:
None known.

OTHER LIFE HISTORY DESCRIPTORS:
None.

Life History - 3 (DRAFT) - Management Practices
Species GRASS, DUNE, EUREKA
Species Id ESIS701023
Date 13 MAR 96

MANAGEMENT PRACTICES

RESULT MANAGEMENT PRACTICE

Beneficial Controlling/Restricting Off-Road Vehicles
Beneficial Restricting/regulating human disturbance of populations
Beneficial Maintaining undisturbed/undeveloped areas
Adverse Off Road Vehicles
Existing Off Road Vehicles
Adverse Low Gene Pool
Existing Low Gene Pool
Adverse Erosion
Existing Erosion

COMMENTS ON MANAGEMENT PRACTICES -
During the 1960's, the high slopes of the Eureka Dunes began
attracting off-road vehicle (ORV) enthusiasts. Because the access
road reaches the dunes at their northern end, most ORV activity
centered there or nearby (03). This northern end of the dunes is also
where the populations of Swallenia alexandrae (Eureka Dune grass) are
best developed (03,09,14). ORV use increased fairly rapidly through
the mid-1970's on the Eureka Dunes (03) as it did throughout much of
California's desert regions. During this time such ORV activity was
unrestricted and constituted a serious threat to the plants and
animals of the Eureka Dunes ecosystem (02,03,04,13). Swallenia
seedlings and small plants were destroyed by spinning wheels. Large
hummocks were generally avoided by ORV's, but on the steep slopes ORV
use caused sand to cascade over the plants and routes between the
hummocks gradually eroded the soil (02). A serious possibility was
that increasing ORV use could effect sand strength and result in
increased wind erosion with unknown consequences (02,06) - possibly
changing the character of the dunes.
This serious ORV impact to the plants and to their habitat was of
special concern because of the very restricted distribution of this
species and the relatively small known population. Little is known of
the genetic diversity within this rare species, a low gene pool may
already exist. The population biology of Swallenia remains virtually
unknown (06).
In the fall of 1976 the dunes were closed to ORV use (02,03,06,
09). Since that official closure, vehicle trespasses have occurred on
a regular basis with some major violations occurring in 1978 and 1979
(01,03,04,09,15). Apparently in the 1980's enforcement has been more
evident and only sporadic ORV activity has taken place (03,09).

APPROVED PLAN:
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 1982. The Eureka Valley Dunes
Recovery Plan. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Portland, OR. 80 pp.

The primary objective of this recovery plan is to restore the
Eureka dune grass to non-endangered status by protecting the extant
populations from existing human threats and ensuring that vigorous
Management Practices - 1 (DRAFT) - Management Practices
Species GRASS, DUNE, EUREKA
Species Id ESIS701023
Date 13 MAR 96

self-sustaining populations are maintained in their natural dune
habitat (estimated at 6,000 acres) without the need for intense
management.
In order for the plant to survive and flourish, its ecosystem must
continue to be protected and maintained. The dunes must remain
closed to all off-road vehicles (ORVs) from designated roads and
camping areas. Developments such as camping and picnic areas should
be prohibited on dune slopes and borders. Interpretive signs and
displays must be provided and maintained.
The dunes were closed to all ORV activities in 1976. Since the
closure, seedlings have appeared in ecologically damaged areas. Signs
were erected, and law enforcement patrols have been initiated.

Management Practices - 2 (DRAFT) - References
Species GRASS, DUNE, EUREKA
Species Id ESIS701023
Date 13 MAR 96

References

***** REFERENCES FOR ALL NARRATIVES EXCEPT N-OCCURRENCE *****

01 DeDecker, M. 1976. The Eureka Dunes. Fremontia 3:17-20.
02 DeDecker, M. 1977. California Native Plant Society rare plant
status report: Swallenia aleandrae. Available from: Calif.
Native Plant Soc., Sacramento, CA. Mimeo. 3 pp.
03 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 1982. Eureka Valley Dunes
Recovery Plan. U.S. Fish and Wildl. Service, Portland, OR. 80 pp.
04 Henry, M.A. 1979. A rare grass on the Eureka Dunes. Fremontia
7:3-6.
05 Hitchcock, A.S. 1951. Manual of the grasses of the United States,
2nd ed. Revised by A. Chase. Misc. Publ. No. 200. U.S. Dept.
Agric., Wash., D.C. 1051 pp.
06 Pavlik, B.M. 1979. Demography of endemic psammophytes, Eureka
Valley, California, and its relation to off-road vehicle impact.
CA Desert Plan, BLM Contract No. CA-060-CT8-000049. 110 pp.
07 Pavlik, B.M. and M.G. Barbour. 1985. Demography of endemic
psammophytes, Eureka Valley, California, I. Seed production,
dispersal and herbivory. Calif. Dept. Fish and Game, Endang. Plant
Prog., Sacramento. 77 pp.
08 Pilger, R. 1954. Das system der Gramineae unter Ausschluss der
Bambusoideae. Bot. Jahrb. 76(3):281-384.
09 Rowlands, P.G. 1982. Physical and biotic attributes of the Eureka
Dunes Region, Eureka Valley, California. Unpubl. rept. submitted to
BLM, Calif. Desert Dist. Library, Riverside, CA.
10 Soderstrom, T.R. and H.F. Decker. 1963. Swallenia, a new name for
the California genus Ectosperma (Gramineae). Madrono 17:88.
11 Stebbins, G.L. and B. Crampton. 1961. A suggested revision of the
grass general of temperate North America. IN: Recent advances in
botany. IX Int. Bot. Congress, Montreal, 1959. 1:133-145.
12 Swallen, J.R. 1950. Ectosperma, a new genus of grasses from
California. J. Wash. Acad. Sci. 40:19-20.
13 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. April 26, 1978. Determination
that various plant taxa are endangered or threatened species. Fed.
Reg. 43(81):17910-17916.
14 Bagley, M. 1986. Baseline data for a sensitive plant monitoring
study on the Eureka Valley Dunes, Inyo County, California. BLM,
Riverside, CA. BLM Contract No. CA-065-R04-61. 104 pp.
15 DeDecker, M. 1979. Can BLM protect the dunes? Fremontia 7:6-8.

***** REFERENCES FOR N-OCCURRENCE NARRATIVE ONLY *****

01 Bagley, M. 1986. Baseline data for a sensitive plant monitoring
study on the Eureka Valley Dunes, Inyo County, California. BLM,
Riverside, CA. BLM Contract NO. CA-065-R04-61. 104 pp.
02 Bagley, M. 1986. Unpubl. field notes from May 29-30 survey of
Marble Canyon Dunes and Saline Spur Dunes, Eureka Valley, CA.
P.O. Box 1431, Bishop, CA 93514.
03 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 1982. Eureka Valley Dunes
Recovery Plan. U.S. Fish & Wildl. Serv., Portland, OR. 80 pp.
References - 1 (DRAFT) - References
Species GRASS, DUNE, EUREKA
Species Id ESIS701023
Date 13 MAR 96

04 Pavlik, B.M. 1979. The biology of endemic psammophytes, Eureka
Valley, California, and its relation to off-road vehicle impact.
CA Desert Plan, BLM Contract No. CA-060-CT8-000049. 110 pp.
05 Rowlands, P.G. 1982. Physical and biotic attributes of the Eureka
Dunes Region, Eureka Valley, California. Unpubl. rep. submitted to
BLM, Calif. Desert Dist. Library, Riverside, CA.

References - 2