Yellow-blossom Pearly Mussel, 2022
mixed media on paper with metallic accents
5.125" x 7"
$97 including US shipping
From the US Fish and Wildlife Service proposal for removing 23 species from the Federal Lists of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants due to extinction:
The yellow blossom (pearly mussel), Epioblasma florentina florentina, was listed as endangered on June 14, 1976. At the time of listing, the single greatest factor contributing to the species' decline was the alteration and destruction of stream habitat due to impoundments.
The yellow blossom seldom achieved more than 2.4 inches (6 centimeters) in length. The slightly inflated valves were of unequal length, and the shell surface was marked by uneven growth lines. The shell was a shiny honey-yellow or tan with numerous green rays uniformly distributed over the surface. The inner shell surface was bluish-white.