Species of Greatest Conservation Need

1279 species
Taxonomic Group
Federal Status
State Status
Endemic

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Species of Greatest Conservation Need (Updated: 01/31/2024)
Common Name Scientifc Name Taxonomic Group Federal Status State Status Global Rank State Rank Endemic General Habitat Type(s)
Chaffey's cory cactus Escobaria dasyacantha var. chaffeyi Plants Not Listed Not Listed G3T1 S1 False Pine-oak-juniper woodlands on rocky igneous and limestone soils at 1425-2225 m (4675-7300 ft).; flowering March-June; fruiting June-September
dense cory cactus Escobaria dasyacantha var. dasyacantha Plants Not Listed Not Listed G3T3 S3 False Lechuguilla-sotol or creosote bush shrublands, grasslands, and oak-juniper woodlands on gravelly, rocky, and/or loamy soils over igneous or limestone substrates at moderate elevations 750-1800 m (2450-5900 ft) in the Chihuahuan Desert; flowering March-May (-July), fruiting (May-) June-August
Duncan's cory cactus Escobaria dasyacantha var. duncanii Plants Not Listed Not Listed G3T2T3 S1S2 False Chihuahuan Desert scrub at low to moderate elevations 650-1825 m (2150-6000 ft) on hills, ledges, and benches in cracks and crevices of limestone outcrops; flowering February-March (-May, or July in New Mexico), fruiting mostly May-June
Guadalupe Mountains pincushion cactus Escobaria guadalupensis Plants Not Listed Not Listed G1 S1 True On exposed slabs and fractured limestone rock on steep, mostly south-facing slopes in pine-oak-juniper woodlands at (1370-) 1825-2650 m ([4500-] 6000-8700 ft) in the Guadalupe Mountains; flowering April-May; fruiting October-November
Hester's cory cactus Escobaria hesteri Plants Not Listed Not Listed G2 S2 True Grasslands on novaculite hills or limestone hills and alluvial fans, also in pine-oak-juniper woodlands on igneous substrates; flowering April-early June (-November), also during growing season possibly in response to significant rainfall; fruiting June-August (-January)
Nellie's cory cactus Escobaria minima Plants LE E G1 S1 True Novaculite outcrops in full sun among Chihuahuan Desert scrub, usually in cracks or chips of novaculite or in mats of Selaginella; flowering March-June, probably most consistently from mid April - mid May; fruiting within one month or less of flowering
Sneed's pincushion cactus Escobaria sneedii var. sneedii Plants LE E G2G3QT2Q S2 False Xeric limestone outcrops on rocky, usually steep slopes in desert mountains, in the Chihuahuan Desert succulent shrublands or grasslands; flowering April-September (peak usually in April, sometimes opportunistically after summer rains; fruiting August - November
alkali spurge Euphorbia astyla Plants Not Listed Not Listed G2 S1 False In Pecos County, locally frequent in nearly bare areas within alkali sacaton (Sporobolus airoides) grasslands on alkaline and/or saline silt loam on alluvial flats along a spring-fed desert stream; in Mexico, on windblown gypsum deposits and gypsum flats, Coahuila locally abundant; flowering and fruiting at least March-June and August-September, probably throughout the growing season depending on rainfall
three-tongue spurge Euphorbia chaetocalyx var. triligulata Plants Not Listed Not Listed G5T1 S1 False In Texas, in crevices in steep limestone cliffs and on scree and colluvium below; In Coahuila, on basalt and tuff cliffs; flowering/fruiting July-October, perhaps earlier in growing season too.
Wheeler's spurge Euphorbia geyeri var. wheeleriana Plants Not Listed Not Listed G5T2 S1 False Sparingly vegetated, loose eolian quartz sand on reddish sand dunes or coppice mounds; flowering and fruiting at least August-September, probably earlier and later, as well
swallow spurge Euphorbia golondrina Plants Not Listed Not Listed G2 S2 False Alluvial or eolian sand along Rio Grande, occasionally on adjacent shale or limestone slopes; flowering June-November
velvet spurge Euphorbia innocua Plants Not Listed Not Listed G3 S3 True Open or brushy areas on coastal sands and the South Texas Sand Sheet; Perennial; Flowering Sept-April; Fruiting Nov-July
dwarf broomspurge Euphorbia jejuna Plants Not Listed Not Listed G2 S2 True According to specimen collections, found on grama-grass prairie on caliche uplands, also dry caliche slopes, and limestone hills; flowering late March through July
low spurge Euphorbia peplidion Plants Not Listed Not Listed G3 S3 True Occurs in a variety of vernally-moist situations in a number of natural regions; Annual; Flowering Feb-April; Fruiting March-April
perennial broomspurge Euphorbia perennans Plants Not Listed Not Listed G3 S3 False Occurring in sparsely vegetated low elevation sites on gypseous or calcareous substrates; Perennial; Flowering April-Oct; Fruiting Oct
Big Bend spurge Euphorbia simulans Plants Not Listed Not Listed G3 S3 True Occurs in sparsely vegetated low elevation sites on gypseous or calcareous substrates (Carr 2015).
tall plains spurge Euphorbia strictior Plants Not Listed Not Listed G3 S3 False Occurs in shortgrass grasslands on dry rocky or, more commonly, deep sandy sites; Perennial; Flowering/Fruiting June-Sept
Hinckley's spreadwing Eurytaenia hinckleyi Plants Not Listed Not Listed G3 S3 True Loose sandy soils of the Monahans/Kermit Sandhills; Annual; Flowering/Fruiting May-July
spiny kidney-wood Eysenhardtia spinosa Plants Not Listed Not Listed G2 S2 False Grasslands or sparse shrublands on igneous outcrops or limestone hills; in the Chinati Mountains on rocky hills and gravelly drainages of mixed igneous origin; flowering July - October
stiff fendlerbush Fendlera linearis Plants Not Listed Not Listed G3 S1 False Locally common in several locations in the Chisos Mountains and the Solitario (Carr 2015).
Guadalupe fescue Festuca ligulata Plants LE E G1 S1 False Pine-oak-juniper woodlands on mesic slopes and in creek bottoms above 1800 m (5900 ft); Chisos Mountains substrates are gravelly and sandy loams derived from igneous materials; Guadalupe Mountains substrates are unknown but presumed to be loamy soils over limestone; flowering August-September, occasionally in spring after sufficient rainfall
Texas fescue Festuca versuta Plants Not Listed Not Listed G3 S3 False Occurs in mesic woodlands on limestone-derived soils on stream terraces and canyon slopes; Perennial; Flowering/Fruiting April-June
Shinner's brickellbush Flyriella parryi Plants Not Listed Not Listed G3 S3 False Dry rocky limestone slopes; Perennial; Flowering/Fruiting April-June
Johnston's frankenia Frankenia johnstonii Plants Not Listed Not Listed G3 S3 False Dwarf shrublands on strongly saline, highly alkaline, calcareous or gypseous, clayey to sandy soils of valley flats or rocky slopes; mapped soils at many sites are of the Catarina and/or Maverick Series, other mapped soils include Copita, Brennan, Zapata, and Montell series; most sites are underlain by Eocene sandstones and clays of the Jackson Group or the Yegua and Laredo formations; a few are underlain by El Pico clay or the Catahoula and Frio formations shrublands; flowering throughout the growing season depending upon rainfall
Chihuahua ash Fraxinus papillosa Plants Not Listed Not Listed G2G3Q S1 False Occurs in the canyons of the Chinati Mountains (Carr 2015).