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OJAI FRITILLARY
Fritillaria ojaiensis
The Ojai
fritillary is only found in and around the Los Padres National
Forest, from the Santa Lucia Range to the Topatopa Mountains. Ojai fritillary
has not been documented anywhere else in the world other than in
Ventura, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, and Monterey counties. With fewer than forty documented
occurrences, Ojai fritillary is considered quite rare and
endangered.
Also called
"Ojai missionbells," the Ojai fritillary is a member
of the lily family. The plant re-sprouts from an underground
bulb each year. First to emerge from the bulb is a flat,
strap-shaped leaf that grows along the ground. Then the
flowering stalk emerges, reaching heights of two feet. It has nodding, bell- or
cup-shaped flowers that face towards the ground when blooming in
the spring (roughly February through May or June). The
lime-yellow flowers have purple spotting, and some characterize
them as having "a
rather disagreeable scent." The long, straight, very narrow
leaves grow in whorls in the lower stem and in pairs near the
top. Ojai fritillary grows mostly on moist, shaded slopes in
chaparral, river basins in upland woodland, and conifer forests
from about 900-2200 feet in elevation.
Even though
Ojai fritillary has a relatively wide distribution (Monterey to
Ventura counties), it is still considered uncommon due to only a
small number of plants being present at most known sites. Ojai
fritillary is therefore considered a sensitive species by the
Forest Service, because any number of impacts could
significantly threaten these populations. Threats include
maintenance of roads and trails, recreational trampling, and construction/maintenance of fuelbreaks.
Protecting the Ojai
Fritillary
The
U.S. Forest Service is planning to construct a fuelbreak along Camino Cielo in
Santa Barbara County without any protective measures in place to
protect Ojai fritillaries that grow in the area. ForestWatch is
working to ensure that the Forest Service adequately evaluates
impacts to this and other sensitive plant species. Because of
its endangered status, it's important that all remaining
populations of Ojai fritillary be protected and avoided.
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