Fremontodendron decumbens (Pine Hill Flannelbush)
Credit: Steven Perry
about the species
Fremontodendron decumbens R.M. Lloyd, “Pine Hill flannelbush”, (Malvaceae) is a state (rare) and federally (endangered) listed shrub species with a California Rare Plant Rank of 1B.2. It is known only from a few populations in the Pine Hill area (El Dorado County) of the Sierra Nevada foothills where it occurs on gabbro outcrops in chaparral and pine woodland.
why species was selected
Fremontodendron, one of which ( F. californicum) is widespread and highly variable, the other two of which (F. decumbens and F. mexicanum) are restricted in distribution and considered rare and endangered. Comparative genomic analyses of the three species of will help to elucidate the taxonomic identities of several populations that may represent hybrids between F. californicum and F. decumbens. Genomic data for this species will also help to understand how genomic variation in these plants is related to morphological variation, taxonomic identity, and status as rare.
