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Sairocarpus kingii

(S. Wats.) D.A. Sutton

King's Snapdragon

G4Apparently Secure Found in 9 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G4Apparently SecureGlobal Rank
UnknownThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.151371
Element CodePDSCR2S040
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
Endemicendemic to a single nation
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassDicotyledoneae
OrderPlantaginales
FamilyPlantaginaceae
GenusSairocarpus
Synonyms
Antirrhinum kingiiS. Wats.
Other Common Names
Least Snapdragon (EN)
Concept Reference
Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
Conservation Status
Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2
Review Date2026-04-16
Change Date1991-01-24
Edition Date2026-04-16
Edition AuthorsSoteropoulos (2026)
Threat ImpactUnknown
Range Extent200,000-2,500,000 square km (about 80,000-1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences81 - 300
Rank Reasons
Sairocarpus kingii is a wide-ranging annual herb found in gravelly slopes and flats, scree and rocky slopes, in washes, on wash banks in creosote bush, Joshua tree, or other warm desert shrub, sagebrush, and shadscale communities. It is endemic to the western United States from southwestern Idaho and southeastern Oregon south to northwestern Arizona and east-central California. There are over 90 occurrences, which face threats from habitat degradation due to grazing, invasive plants, and drought. Little is known about trends, but with a large range extent and moderate number of occurrences, abundant habitat, and broad habitat preferences, this species is considered apparently secure.
Range Extent Comments
Sairocarpus kingii is endemic to the western United States from southwestern Idaho and southeastern Oregon south to northwestern Arizona and east-central California (FNA 2019, Jepson Flora Project 2026). Range extent was estimated to be over 300,000 square kilometers using herbarium specimens, photo-based observations, and NatureServe Network occurrence data documented between 1994 and 2025 (RARECAT 2025, GBIF 2026, iNaturalist 2026, NatureServe 2026, SEINet 2026).
Occurrences Comments
By applying a 1 km separation distance to herbarium specimens, photo-based observations, and NatureServe Network occurrence data documented between 1994 and 2025, it is estimated that there are over 90 occurrences rangewide (RARECAT 2025, GBIF 2026, iNaturalist 2026, NatureServe 2026, SEINet 2026). The small plants may be difficult to see among other vegetation, so the number of occurrences may be an underestimate (Welsh et al. 2015).
Threat Impact Comments
This species is threatened by habitat degradation due to grazing, invasive plants, and drought (Wrobleski 2023, UNHP 2024), though there is insufficient data, including anecdotal accounts, to understand scope and severity of threats for this species rangewide.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Sairocarpus kingii grows in gravelly slopes and flats, scree and rocky slopes, in washes, on wash banks in creosote bush, Joshua tree, or other warm desert shrub, sagebrush, and shadscale communities (Welsh et al. 2015, FNA 2019, Jepson Flora Project 2026).

Reproduction

This taxon flowers from April to July (FNA 2019, Jepson Flora Project 2026).
Terrestrial Habitats
Shrubland/chaparralDesertBare rock/talus/scree
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN4
ProvinceRankNative
OregonS2Yes
NevadaS3Yes
IdahoS1Yes
UtahS2Yes
ArizonaS1Yes
CaliforniaSNRYes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
2 - Agriculture & aquacultureUnknownUnknownHigh (continuing)
2.3 - Livestock farming & ranchingUnknownUnknownHigh (continuing)
8 - Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseasesUnknownUnknownHigh (continuing)
8.1 - Invasive non-native/alien species/diseasesUnknownUnknownHigh (continuing)
8.1.1 - Unspecified speciesUnknownUnknownHigh (continuing)
11 - Climate change & severe weatherUnknownUnknownHigh (continuing)
11.2 - DroughtsUnknownUnknownHigh (continuing)

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Plant Characteristics
DurationANNUAL
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (9)
California (6)
AreaForestAcres
Birch CreekInyo National Forest28,816
Black CanyonInyo National Forest32,421
Boundary Peak (CA)Inyo National Forest210,884
Coyote NorthInyo National Forest11,932
PaiuteInyo National Forest58,712
Soldier CanyonInyo National Forest40,589
Nevada (3)
AreaForestAcres
Pine Grove SouthHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest88,945
SaulsburyHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest30,957
Warm SpringsHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest29,540
References (12)
  1. Barringer, K.A. 2020. Flora of North America. <i>Sairocarpus kingii</i>. Accessed: September 22, 2022. http://floranorthamerica.org/Sairocarpus_kingii
  2. Flora of North America Editorial Committee (FNA). 2019. Flora of North America north of Mexico. Vol. 17: Magnoliophyta: Tetrachondraceae to Orobanchaceae. Oxford Univ. Press, New York. xxiv + 737 pp.
  3. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). 2026. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) data portal. Online. Available: https://www.gbif.org/ (accessed 2026).
  4. iNaturalist. 2026. Online. Available: https://www.inaturalist.org (accessed 2026).
  5. Jepson Flora Project (eds.) 2026. Jepson eFlora. Online. Available: https://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/ (accessed 2026).
  6. Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
  7. NatureServe. 2026. NatureServe Network Biodiversity Location Data. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia.
  8. <p>NatureServe's Rapid Analysis of Rarity and Endangerment Conservation Assessment Tool (RARECAT). 2025. Version: 2.1.1 (released April 04, 2025).</p>
  9. Southwest Environmental Information Network (SEINet). 2026. Collections Databases. Online. Available: https://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/collections/index.php (accessed 2026).
  10. Utah Natural Heritage Program (UNHP). 2024. Element Subnational Ranking Form: <i>Sairocarpus kingii</i> in Biotics 5 database. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia (accessed 16 April 2026).
  11. Welsh, S.L., N.D. Atwood, S. Goodrich, and L.C. Higgins. (Eds). 2015. A Utah flora, fifth edition, revised 2015. Monte L. Bean Life Science Museum, Provo, Utah. 987 pp.
  12. Wrobleski, A., Ernst, S., Weber, T., and A. Delach. 2023. The impact of climate change on endangered plants and lichen. PLOS Climate 2(7): e0000225.