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Wildlife, Animals, and Plants
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Introductory
SPECIES: Krameria parvifolia | Range Ratany
ABBREVIATION :
KRAPAR
SYNONYMS :
Krameria glandulosa Rose & Painter
SCS PLANT CODE :
KRPA
KRPAG
KRPAI
COMMON NAMES :
range ratany
chacate
littleleaf krameria
little-leaf krameria
littleleaf ratany
pima
ratany
sticky little-leaf krameria (KRPAG)
spiny little-leaf krameria (KRPAI)
wood ratany
TAXONOMY :
The currently accepted scientific name of range ratany is Krameria
parvifolia Benth. [22].
There are two recognized varieties: Krameria parvifolia var. glandulosa
(Rose & Painter) J.F. Macbr. and K. p. var. imparata J.F. Macbr.
Variety glandulosa is differentiated from var. imparata by its stipitate
glands on the pedicels [22]
Various authors have included the genus Krameria in the families
Leguminosae, Polygalaceae, and Krameriaceae [15]. Dhillon [10]
concluded that, based on the vascular anatomy of the flower, range
ratany belongs in the family Polygalaceae.
LIFE FORM :
Shrub
FEDERAL LEGAL STATUS :
No special status
OTHER STATUS :
NO-ENTRY
COMPILED BY AND DATE :
Randy Scott Griffith, July 1991.
LAST REVISED BY AND DATE :
NO-ENTRY
AUTHORSHIP AND CITATION :
Griffith, Randy Scott. 1991. Krameria parvifolia. In: Remainder of Citation
DISTRIBUTION AND OCCURRENCE
SPECIES: Krameria parvifolia | Range Ratany
GENERAL DISTRIBUTION :
Range ratany is found in the arid regions of the southwestern United
States and northern Mexico. It occurs from southern California east to
western Texas and from southern Nevada and Utah south to northern Mexico
[17,34].
ECOSYSTEMS :
FRES30 Desert shrub
FRES32 Texas savanna
FRES33 Southwestern shrubsteppe
FRES34 Chaparral - mountain shrub
FRES35 Pinyon - juniper
FRES40 Desert grasslands
STATES :
AZ CA NV NM TX UT MEXICO
ADMINISTRATIVE UNITS :
DEVA GRCA LAME MOCA ORPI SAGU
BLM PHYSIOGRAPHIC REGIONS :
6 Upper Basin and Range
7 Lower Basin and Range
12 Colorado Plateau
13 Rocky Mountain Piedmont
KUCHLER PLANT ASSOCIATIONS :
KO23 Juniper - pinyon woodland
KO31 Oak - juniper woodland
KO33 Chaparral
KO39 Blackbrush
K041 Creosotebush
K042 Creosotebush - bursage
K043 Paloverde - cactus shrub
KO44 Creosote bush - tarbush
KO45 Ceniza shrub
KO58 Grama - tobosa shrubsteppe
KO59 Trans-Pecos shrub savanna
SAF COVER TYPES :
66 Ashe juniper - redberry (Pinchot) juniper
67 Mohrs ("shin") oak
68 Mesquite
220 Rocky Mountain juniper
239 Pinyon - juniper
241 Western live oak
242 Mesquite
SRM (RANGELAND) COVER TYPES :
NO-ENTRY
HABITAT TYPES AND PLANT COMMUNITIES :
Range ratany commonly occurs in the understory of catclaw acacia (Acacia
greggii), Joshua tree (Yucca brevifolia), juniper (Juniperus spp.),
pinyon pine (Pinus edulis), and shrub live oak (Quercus turbinella)
[9,28,31]. In the shrub layer, range ratany is associated with
creosotebush (Larrea spp.) and white bursage (Ambrosia dumosa) [5].
Range ratany is listed as a dominant in the chaparral plant association
classification of Arizona by Carmichael and others [9].
VALUE AND USE
SPECIES: Krameria parvifolia | Range Ratany
WOOD PRODUCTS VALUE :
NO-ENTRY
IMPORTANCE TO LIVESTOCK AND WILDLIFE :
Range ratany is an important forage species for all classes of livestock
and for deer (Odocoileus spp.) [6]. It also provides cover for small
mammals and reptiles [25,26].
In Arizona range ratany is an important component in the diet of deer.
It comprises approximately 10 percent of white-tailed deer's (O.
virginianus) diet and 23 percent of mule deer's (O. hemionus) diet
[2,3].
PALATABILITY :
Palatability of range ratany is rated fair to good for cattle and sheep
[16]. Mule and white-tailed deer browse range ratany year-long with
seasonal peaks. Mule deer peak use is from February to April and from
August to October, and white-tailed deer peak use is from August to
October [2,3].
The relish and degree of use shown by livestock and wildlife species for
range ratany in several western states is rated as follows
[2,16,24,29,30]:
AZ NM NV TX UT
Cattle fair fair fair fair fair
Sheep good good good good good
Mule deer good good good good good
White-tailed deer fair fair fair fair fair
NUTRITIONAL VALUE :
Krausman and others [18] reported the bimonthly nutritional value
(percent composition) of range ratany as follows:
Dry Cell Hemi-
matter Protein Lignin soluble Cellulose cellulose
Jan. 66.11 5.81 10.33 37.63 31.60 20.62
March 58.75 5.79 9.63 39.14 29.65 21.62
May 58.42 6.58 9.36 45.64 23.69 21.09
July 62.35 7.87 11.74 40.68 27.84 19.57
Sept. 52.37 7.30 11.16 39.46 29.67 19.86
Nov. 60.63 6.28 11.16 39.34 24.52 23.28
The in-vitro digestibility of range ratany varies with the species of
deer. Mule deer are able to utilize 40 percent of it while white-tailed
deer only utilize 31 percent [30].
COVER VALUE :
Range ratany provides thermal cover for rattlesnakes (Crotalus spp.) and
the western whiptail (Cnemidophorus tigris) [25]. Small mammals, such
as the Bailey's pocket mouse (Perognathus baileyi), use range ratany for
hiding cover [26]. For large mammals it provides poor to fair hiding
cover.
VALUE FOR REHABILITATION OF DISTURBED SITES :
NO-ENTRY
OTHER USES AND VALUES :
The Papago Indians used an infusion of the twigs externally for treating
sore eyes and internally for dysentery. The roots provided them with a
red dye for wool and other materials. The dye was also used as an ink
[19,24].
MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS :
Range ratany decreases in response to heavy grazing [7]. Judd [16]
suggests that 25 to 50 percent of the current year's growth be used on a
well-grazed range. Beyond 50 percent range ratany is receiving too much
grazing pressure.
BOTANICAL AND ECOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS
SPECIES: Krameria parvifolia | Range Ratany
GENERAL BOTANICAL CHARACTERISTICS :
Range ratany is a native, long-lived, deciduous, perennial shrub that
grows from 12 to 24 inches (30-60 cm) tall. It is densely branched,
thorny, and drought resistant. The leaves are alternate and pubesent;
flowers are irregular and purple in color; and the fruit is globose,
indehiscent, thick walled, and spiny [14,17,22,33].
The root system is shallow, with 40 percent of the root mass in the top
4 inches (10 cm) of the soil, and spreads horizontally and radially
[36]. The roots form grafts with members of the same or different
species forming protocooperation or a parasitic relationship. These
relationships and the hypothesis that range ratany obtains atmospheric
moisture through its foliage may explain how it can maintain active
growth after soil moisture has dropped below 3 percent [35].
RAUNKIAER LIFE FORM :
Undisturbed State: Phanerophyte (nanophanerophyte)
Burned or Clipped State: Cryptophyte (geophyte)
REGENERATION PROCESSES :
Range ratany reproduces sexually by seed. In years with high soil
moisture it will flower twice, in the spring and again in the fall
[31].
SITE CHARACTERISTICS :
Range ratany's habitat is the desert environs, where it occupies open,
sandy to rocky flats, bajadas, and playas [17,31].
Soil: Range ratany occurs in Alfisol, Aridisol, and Entisol soil orders
[12].
Climate: Range ratany inhabits areas where the winters are short and
mild, and the summers are long and hot. Precipitation is received
primarily in the fall and winter in the northern portion of its range
and in the summer in the southern portion. The annual precipitation is
8 to 25 inches (20-65 cm) [8,9].
Elevation: Range ratany generally grows at elevations ranging from 500
to 5,000 feet (150-1,500 m) [34].
SUCCESSIONAL STATUS :
Range ratany is a component of some climax desert shrub communities
[37]. It is a dominant in the shrub live oak-mixed shrub and shrub live
oak-birchleaf mountain-mahogany (Cercocarpus betuloides) plant
associations [9].
SEASONAL DEVELOPMENT :
Compared to associated species, range ratany remains dormant for at
least a month longer in the spring and retains its leaves for up to 2
months longer in the fall [1,35].
The mean dates and one standard deviation [(SD) in days] of the
phenological developement of range ratany are as follows [27]:
Development Date SD
---------------------------------------------------------------
Leaf budding April 7 +/- 4.5
flowering May 5 +/- 4.6
Fruiting May 22 +/- 4.6
The phenological development of range ratany is based primarily on the
temperature regime and secondarily on the moisture regime [4,27]. It
does not go dormant during the summer no matter how dry the soil. Range
ratany can photosynthesize when its water potential is at negative 72
bars. Dormancy starts when night temperatures consistently drop below
40 degrees F (4 deg C) [1].
FIRE ECOLOGY
SPECIES: Krameria parvifolia | Range Ratany
FIRE ECOLOGY OR ADAPTATIONS :
Range ratany resprouts from the root crown after fire [9].
POSTFIRE REGENERATION STRATEGY :
survivor species; on-site surviving root crown or caudex
off-site colonizer; seed carried by animals or water; postfire yr 1&2
FIRE EFFECTS
SPECIES: Krameria parvifolia | Range Ratany
IMMEDIATE FIRE EFFECT ON PLANT :
Range ratany is top-killed by fire [9]. Information on fire effects on
this species is lacking.
DISCUSSION AND QUALIFICATION OF FIRE EFFECT :
NO-ENTRY
PLANT RESPONSE TO FIRE :
Range ratany resprouts from the root crown following top-kill by fire
[9].
DISCUSSION AND QUALIFICATION OF PLANT RESPONSE :
NO-ENTRY
FIRE MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS :
NO-ENTRY
REFERENCES
SPECIES: Krameria parvifolia | Range Ratany
REFERENCES :
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between mule deer and white-tailed deer in southeastern Arizona.
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terrestrial vegetation. Cambridge; New York: Cambridge University Press.
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[434]
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chaparral: plant associations and ecology. Res. Pap. RM-202. Fort
Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky
Mountain Forest and Range Experiment Station. 16 p. [3038]
10. Dhillon, M. 1976. Vascular anatomy of the flower of Krameria parvifolia
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Index
Related categories for Species: Krameria parvifolia
| Range Ratany
|
 |
