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| Colorado butterfly plant | |
|---|---|
| Name | Colorado butterfly plant |
| Genus | Erysimum |
| Species | asperum |
| Authority | (Nutt.) P.S. Short |
| Family | Brassicaceae |
| Common names | Colorado wallflower, butterfly plant |
Colorado butterfly plant is a herbaceous perennial in the family Brassicaceae native to western North America. It is valued for its bright flowers and role in local pollination networks across montane and plains ecosystems. The species has been the subject of botanical surveys by institutions such as the United States Department of Agriculture and regional herbaria associated with universities like the University of Colorado Boulder.
The plant is placed in the genus Erysimum, a lineage treated in floras compiled by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and regional taxonomic monographs. The basionym was published by Thomas Nuttall and later emended by taxonomists including Peter S. Short. Synonyms and nomenclatural history are recorded in databases maintained by the Integrated Taxonomic Information System and the Global Biodiversity Information Facility. The specific epithet asperum reflects diagnostic characters used in keys appearing in works such as the Flora of North America.
Colorado butterfly plant is characterized by an upright habit with narrow, lanceolate leaves and a branched flowering stalk. Diagnostic morphological features are detailed in treatments by the Missouri Botanical Garden and regional botanists from the Colorado Native Plant Society. Flowers are typically bright yellow to orange, borne in racemes similar to descriptions in the Jepson Manual. Fruits are linear siliques, a form noted across the family in publications from the Smithsonian Institution herbarium programs. Chromosome counts and anatomical studies referenced by the American Journal of Botany aid species delimitation within Erysimum.
The species occurs across parts of the Rocky Mountains, Great Plains, and intermontane basins, with herbarium records from states such as Colorado (state), Wyoming, Montana (U.S. state), and New Mexico. Typical habitats include open meadows, disturbed slopes, and sagebrush-steppe communities described in inventories by the United States Geological Survey and conservation assessments by the NatureServe network. Elevational range spans foothill to subalpine zones noted in field guides produced by the Colorado State University Extension. Distribution maps appear in regional floristic surveys curated by the Denver Botanic Gardens.
Colorado butterfly plant participates in pollination networks involving native Lepidoptera, Hymenoptera such as solitary bees, and occasionally managed honey bees documented in studies from the Xerces Society. Nectar and floral morphology attract butterfly species recorded by citizen science platforms like iNaturalist and monitoring programs run by the National Park Service in western parks. The species can host specialist herbivores and parasitoids studied in ecological research at institutions including the University of Wyoming and publications in journals like Ecological Monographs. It also contributes to soil stabilization in disturbed sites—an ecosystem service referenced in restoration projects by the Bureau of Land Management.
Gardeners cultivate the plant for ornamental value in native plantings promoted by the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center and municipal xeriscaping programs such as those in Denver, Colorado. Cultural requirements follow recommendations from cooperative extension services at the University of California, Davis and the University of Minnesota, emphasizing well-drained soils and full sun. Propagation is by seed or division; seeds are included in native wildflower mixes distributed by regional nurseries and non-profits like the Native Plant Society of Texas. The species features in restoration contracts overseen by agencies such as the Natural Resources Conservation Service and in pollinator-friendly planting guides published by the Environmental Protection Agency.
Populations face pressures from land conversion, invasive plant species noted by the United States Forest Service, and altered disturbance regimes documented in reports by the Nature Conservancy. Conservation status assessments are conducted by state natural heritage programs and federal agencies, with occurrence data aggregated by the Global Biodiversity Information Facility and monitoring frameworks used by the North American Pollinator Protection Campaign. Management actions include habitat protection on public lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management and restoration protocols developed by university extension programs. Climate change impacts projected by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and regional modeling conducted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration may alter suitable habitat and phenology, informing adaptive conservation planning by organizations such as the World Wildlife Fund.
Category:Flora of the Rocky Mountains Category:Brassicaceae