A small succulent tied to rocky serpentine outcrops in Santa Clara County is getting help from local scientists. CBS San Francisco reported this week on efforts to protect the Santa Clara Valley dudleya.
What it is
According to the Santa Clara Valley Habitat Agency, the Santa Clara Valley dudleya is a perennial in the stonecrop family. It forms compact rosettes of fleshy leaves and sends up pale yellow flowers in spring. It is listed as endangered under both federal and state law. It grows on serpentine and peridotite outcrops, mainly along Coyote Ridge, Tulare Hill and the Santa Teresa Hills. Populations are often isolated on small outcrops and are vulnerable to development, recreation and habitat fragmentation, the agency says.
The research
Santa Clara University biology professor Justen Whittall first found the plant in Santa Teresa Park as a student. He now leads a federally funded project, backed by a Bureau of Reclamation grant, that studies the plant’s pollinators, seed dispersal and genetic diversity. His team built a modified leaf blower to recreate local wind and found the dudleya’s tiny seeds travel only about 5 to 12 meters. “These seeds are not going to make it across ridge tops, or over highways and housing developments,” Whittall said in a university profile.
Students extracted DNA from more than 700 plants to find pockets of genetic diversity, which will guide which plants are grown in the university’s greenhouse for reintroduction. Partners include Creekside Science, UC Berkeley and CSU East Bay.
Seeing it
The plant grows in protected serpentine grasslands. If you hike Santa Teresa County Park or Coyote Ridge, stay on trails, because the outcrops it depends on are fragile.