Index of Species Information
SPECIES: Fendlera rupicola
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| Cliff fendlerbush. Wikimedia Commons image By Andrey Zharkikh from Salt Lake City, UT. |
Introductory
SPECIES: Fendlera rupicola
AUTHORSHIP AND CITATION :
Tesky, Julie L. 1993. Fendlera rupicola. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online].
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station,
Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available:
https://www.fs.usda.gov/database/feis/plants/shrub/fenrup/all.html [].
Revisions:
On 6 July 2018, the common name of this species was changed in FEIS
from: fendlerbush
to: cliff fendlerbush. Images were also added.
ABBREVIATION :
FENRUP
SYNONYMS :
Fendlera rupicola var. rupicola
Fendlera rupicola var. falcata Gray, sickle-leaf fendlerbush [12,16,22]
SCS PLANT CODE :
FERU
COMMON NAMES :
cliff fendlerbush
false mockorange
fendlera
fendlerbush
TAXONOMY :
The scientific name of cliff fendlerbush is Fendlera rupicola Gray (Hydrangeaceae) [12,16,20,22,24].
LIFE FORM :
Shrub
FEDERAL LEGAL STATUS :
No special status
OTHER STATUS :
NO-ENTRY
DISTRIBUTION AND OCCURRENCE
SPECIES: Fendlera rupicola
GENERAL DISTRIBUTION :
Cliff fendlerbush is found from the Sabinal River to the Pecos River in
scattered locations in Texas. It is common in the higher mountains of
the Trans-Pecos region. It also occurs in the Davis, Chisos, and
Guadalupe mountains; northward and westward into New Mexico, Colorado,
Utah, and Arizona; and southward into Mexico [12,22].
 |
| Distribution of cliff fendlerbush in the United States. Map courtesy of USDA, NRCS. 2018. The PLANTS Database.
National Plant Data Team, Greensboro, NC [2018, July 6] [20]. |
ECOSYSTEMS :
FRES29 Sagebrush
FRES30 Desert shrub
FRES32 Texas savanna
FRES33 Southwestern shrubsteppe
FRES35 Pinyon - juniper
FRES34 Chaparral - mountain shrub
FRES40 Desert grasslands
STATES :
AZ CO NM TX UT MEXICO
BLM PHYSIOGRAPHIC REGIONS :
7 Lower Basin and Range
12 Colorado Plateau
13 Rocky Mountain Piedmont
KUCHLER PLANT ASSOCIATIONS :
K023 Juniper - pinyon woodland
K024 Juniper steppe woodland
K031 Oak - juniper woodlands
K032 Transition between K031 and K037
K037 Mountain-mahogany - oak scrub
K053 Grama - galleta steppe
K054 Grama - tobosa prairie
K058 Grama - tobosa shrubsteppe
K086 Juniper - oak savanna
SAF COVER TYPES :
238 Western juniper
239 Pinyon - juniper
SRM (RANGELAND) COVER TYPES :
NO-ENTRY
HABITAT TYPES AND PLANT COMMUNITIES :
Cliff fendlerbush is often found in desert shrub, pinyon-juniper
(Pinus-Juniperus spp.)/mountain shrub and blue grama (Bouteloua
gracilis) communities throughout its range [7,15].
Cliff fendlerbush is often found associated with oneseed juniper (Juniperus
monosperma), alligator juniper (J. deppeana), true pinyon (Pinus
edulis), wavyleaf oak (Quercus undulata), skunkbush sumac (Rhus
trilobata), mountain-mahogany (Cercocarpus breviflorus), and antelope
bitterbrush (Purshia tridentata) [7,15].
MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS
SPECIES: Fendlera rupicola
IMPORTANCE TO LIVESTOCK AND WILDLIFE :
Cliff fendlerbush is browsed by goats, deer, bighorn sheep, and cattle [12].
In the San Cayetano Mountains, Arizona, cliff fendlerbush made up 11 percent
of the white-tailed deer diet during the hot, dry season (April- June);
this season appears to be the most critical period of the year for deer
herds in the desert southwest [1,2].
PALATABILITY :
Cliff fendlerbush palatability is high for goats in New Mexico. It is closely
grazed by cattle in central Arizona [21], and is a frequent diet item of
white-tailed deer in the San Cayetano Mountains, Arizona [1,2].
NUTRITIONAL VALUE :
NO-ENTRY
COVER VALUE :
NO-ENTRY
VALUE FOR REHABILITATION OF DISTURBED SITES :
NO-ENTRY
OTHER USES AND VALUES :
Cliff fendlerbush is grown as an ornamental. It is suitable for rock gardens
in well-drained, sunny situations, and has been grown as far north as
New England [4,12,18].
OTHER MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS :
Cliff fendlerbush decreases in response to grazing [25].
Cliff fendlerbush has vesicular-arbuscular endomycorrhizal associations
[6,26]. These fungi increase cliff fendlerbush growth by increasing
phosphorus absorption [26].
BOTANICAL AND ECOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS
SPECIES: Fendlera rupicola
GENERAL BOTANICAL CHARACTERISTICS :
Cliff fendlerbush is a native, deciduous, widely-branched shrub [12,22,24].
It grows 3 to 9 feet (1-3 m) high [4,12,22,24]. The leaves are thick,
twisted, 0.2 to 1.6 inches (5-40 mm) long and 0.08 to 0.28 inches (2-7
mm) wide [13,24]. The flowers are solitary or two to three together at
the ends of short branches [24]. The fruit is a four-celled capsule
which remains on the plant all year [11,13]. Cliff fendlerbush bark is
shreddy [11]. It generally has deep roots [4]. Cliff fendlerbush can endure
intense heat and considerable drought [21].
RAUNKIAER LIFE FORM :
Phanerophyte
REGENERATION PROCESSES :
Cliff fendlerbush reproduces by seed [4,22]. Commercial production is
accomplished through seed that is stratified at 41 degrees Fahrenheit (5
deg C) for 60 to 90 days [4]. Cliff fendlerbush can also reproduce via branch
cuttings [4,22].
SITE CHARACTERISTICS :
Cliff fendlerbush is commonly found on rocky ledges and steep slopes of cliffs
and canyons at elevations of 3,000 to 7,000 feet (914-2,133 m)
[16,22,23]. Cliff fendlerbush thrives on very dry, well-drained, poor soils
that may be rocky and/or alkaline [4,21,22]. Less than 15 inches (38.1 cm)
of annual precipitation have been measured in its natural habitat [4].
SUCCESSIONAL STATUS :
Cliff fendlerbush occurs in nearly all stages of succession. It is most
common in mid- to late-seral communities. In Mesa Verde National Park,
cliff fendlerbush maximum cover and frequency was not reached until 80 years
after a fire in a pinyon-juniper community. In an adjacent 400-year-old
climax pinyon-juniper stand, cliff fendlerbush cover was only 2 percent;
frequency was 8 percent [7].
SEASONAL DEVELOPMENT :
Cliff fendlerbush generally flowers from March through June, depending on the
location [12,22]. In the Trans-Pecos, Texas, cliff fendlerbush sometimes
flowers through August [16]. Cliff fendlerbush fruits mature in July and
August [22].
FIRE ECOLOGY
SPECIES: Fendlera rupicola
FIRE ECOLOGY OR ADAPTATIONS :
Little information is available regarding cliff fendlerbush fire ecology and
adaptations. Erdman [7] suggested that cliff fendlerbush probably recovers
after fire by sprouting from the root crown. Pinyon-juniper communities
where cliff fendlerbush is commonly found historically burned every 10 to 30
years, which favored dominance by grasses. However, for the last 70
years, heavy livestock grazing has reduced grass competition and fuel,
and shrub cover has increased. This has decreased fire occurrence and
lowered the intensity of fires that do occur [27,28]. On 23 grazed
transects in desert shrub communities where cliff fendlerbush occurs in the
Guadalupe Mountains, New Mexico, shrubs had only 6.4 to 6.6 percent
cover. Bare ground cover was 33.8 to 42.4 percent, and litter cover was
6.1 to 12 percent [25].
POSTFIRE REGENERATION STRATEGY :
Small shrub, adventitious-bud root crown
Secondary colonizer - off-site seed
FIRE REGIMES :
Find fire regime information for the plant communities in
which this species may occur by entering the species name in the
FEIS home page under "Find Fire Regimes".
FIRE EFFECTS
SPECIES: Fendlera rupicola
IMMEDIATE FIRE EFFECT ON PLANT :
Information was not available regarding the immediate effects of fire on
cliff fendlerbush. Cliff fendlerbush is probably top-killed or killed by most fires.
PLANT RESPONSE TO FIRE :
In Mesa Verde National Park, 4 years after a July/August, 1959 natural
fire in a pinyon-juniper community, cliff fendlerbush had no significant
cover. Cliff fendlerbush frequency was 2 percent. Twenty-nine years
following a July fire in a nearby pinyon-juniper community, cliff fendlerbush
made up 1 percent of the cover and had 6 percent frequency. Cliff fendlerbush
maximum cover and frequency was not reached until almost 80 years after
a pinyon-juniper fire in Mesa Verde National Park. At this time
cliff fendlerbush made up 14 percent of the cover and had 48 percent frequency
[7].
FIRE MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS :
NO-ENTRY
REFERENCES
SPECIES: Fendlera rupicola
REFERENCES :
1. Anthony, Robert G. 1976. Influence of drought on diets and numbers of
desert deer. Journal of Wildlife Management. 40(1): 140-144. [11558]
2. Anthony, Robert G.; Smith, Norman S. 1977. Ecological relationships
between mule deer and white-tailed deer in southeastern Arizona.
Ecological Monographs. 47: 255-277. [9890]
3. Bernard, Stephen R.; Brown, Kenneth F. 1977. Distribution of mammals,
reptiles, and amphibians by BLM physiographic regions and A.W. Kuchler's
associations for the eleven western states. Tech. Note 301. Denver, CO:
U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management. 169 p.
[434]
4. Borland, Jim. 1989. Fendlera rupicola. American Nurseryman. 169(5): 146.
[21970]
5. Dick-Peddie, W. A.; Moir, W. H. 1970. Vegetation of the Organ Mountains,
New Mexico. Science Series No. 4. Fort Collins, CO: Colorado State
University, Range Science Department. 28 p. [6699]
6. Dittberner, Phillip L.; Olson, Michael R. 1983. The plant information
network (PIN) data base: Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, Utah, and
Wyoming. FWS/OBS-83/86. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of the Interior,
Fish and Wildlife Service. 786 p. [806]
7. Erdman, James A. 1970. Pinyon-juniper succession after natural fires on
residual soils of Mesa Verde, Colorado. Brigham Young University Science
Bulletin. Biological Series. 11(2): 1-26. [11987]
8. Eyre, F. H., ed. 1980. Forest cover types of the United States and
Canada. Washington, DC: Society of American Foresters. 148 p. [905]
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1977. Vegetation and environmental features of forest and range
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Agriculture, Forest Service. 68 p. [998]
10. Goodrich, Sherel. 1985. Utah flora: Saxifragaceae. Great Basin
Naturalist. 45(2): 155-172. [15656]
11. Harrington, H. D. 1964. Manual of the plants of Colorado. 2d ed.
Chicago: The Swallow Press Inc. 666 p. [6851]
12. Kearney, Thomas H.; Peebles, Robert H.; Howell, John Thomas; McClintock,
Elizabeth. 1960. Arizona flora. 2d ed. Berkeley, CA: University of
California Press. 1085 p. [6563]
13. Kelly, George W. 1970. A guide to the woody plants of Colorado. Boulder,
CO: Pruett Publishing Co. 180 p. [6379]
14. Kuchler, A. W. 1964. Manual to accompany the map of potential vegetation
of the conterminous United States. Special Publication No. 36. New York:
American Geographical Society. 77 p. [1384]
15. Pieper, Rex D.; Montoya, James R.; Groce, V. Lynn. 1971. Site
characteristics on pinyon-juniper and blue grama in south-central New
Mexico. Bulletin 573. Las Cruces, NM: New Mexico State University,
Agricultural Experiment Station. 21 p. [4540]
16. Powell, A. Michael. 1988. Trees & shrubs of Trans-Pecos Texas including
Big Bend and Guadalupe Mountains National Parks. Big Bend National Park,
TX: Big Bend Natural History Association. 536 p. [6130]
17. Raunkiaer, C. 1934. The life forms of plants and statistical plant
geography. Oxford: Clarendon Press. 632 p. [2843]
18. Steger, Robert E.; Beck, Reldon F. 1973. Range plants as ornamentals.
Journal of Range Management. 26: 72-74. [12038]
19. Stickney, Peter F. 1989. Seral origin of species originating in northern
Rocky Mountain forests. Unpublished draft on file at: U.S. Department of
Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station, Fire
Sciences Laboratory, Missoula, MT; RWU 4403 files. 7 p. [20090]
20. U.S. Department of Agriculture, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service.
2018. PLANTS Database, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural
Resources Conservation Service (Producer). Available: https://plants.usda.gov/.
[34262]
21. Van Dersal, William R. 1938. Native woody plants of the United States,
their erosion-control and wildlife values. Washington, DC: U.S.
Department of Agriculture. 362 p. [4240]
22. Vines, Robert A. 1960. Trees, shrubs, and woody vines of the Southwest.
Austin, TX: University of Texas Press. 1104 p. [7707]
23. Weber, William A. 1987. Colorado flora: western slope. Boulder, CO:
Colorado Associated University Press. 530 p. [7706]
24. Welsh, Stanley L.; Atwood, N. Duane; Goodrich, Sherel; Higgins, Larry
C., eds. 1987. A Utah flora. Great Basin Naturalist Memoir No. 9. Provo,
UT: Brigham Young University. 894 p. [2944]
25. Wester, David B.; Wright, Henry A. 1987. Ordination of vegetation change
Guadalupe Mountains, New Mexico, USA. Vegetatio. 72: 27-33. [11167]
26. Williams, Stephen E.; Aldon, Earl F. 1976. Endomycorrhizal (vesicular
arbuscular) associations of some arid zone shrubs. Southwestern
Naturalist. 20(4): 437-444. [5517]
27. Wright, Henry A.; Bailey, Arthur W. 1982. Fire ecology: United States
and southern Canada. New York: John Wiley & Sons. 501 p. [2620]
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FEIS Home Page
https://www.fs.usda.gov/database/feis/plants/shrub/fenrup/all.html
