phoenix — the u.s. fish and wildlife service protected the arizona eryngo, a wetland wildflower, under the endangered species act on thursday.

cié·​na·​ga
variants: or cienega \ ˈsyānəgə , ˈsyen- ˈsin- , – ˌgä \
plural -s
definition of ciénaga
southwest
: swamp, marsh
spanish ciénaga, from cieno mud, slime, from latin caenum dirt, filth, (“silt”).

–ciénagas are usually associated with seeps or springs, found in canyon headwaters or along margins of streams. ciénagas often occur because the geomorphology forces water to the surface, over large areas, not merely through a single pool or channel. in a healthy ciénaga, water slowly migrates through long, wide-scale mats of thick, sponge-like wetland sod. ciénaga soils are squishy, permanently saturated, highly organic, black in color or anaerobic.

read : advocates hope endangered status for wildflower helps save san pedro, too
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