Harperocallis flava
Harperocallis flava | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Monocots |
Order: | Alismatales |
Family: | Tofieldiaceae |
Genus: | Harperocallis |
Species: | H. flava
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Binomial name | |
Harperocallis flava McDaniel
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Harperocallis flava, known by the common name Harper's beauty, is a species
The wildflower was first described in 1968 and by 1979 there were only three known populations totaling fewer than 100 individuals.[1] Two of these populations were actually close enough together to be considered one population. These were all located in the Apalachicola National Forest and the United States Forest Service managed the area specifically for the conservation of this rare plant.[1] More occurrences have been discovered since this time. The plant, previously known from Franklin and Liberty Counties, was found in Bay County in 2003.[2] The population of seventy plants there is located on private property and it is not protected. The original Franklin County occurrence contains about 31 plants. In Liberty County there are about 16 occurrences with an uncertain estimate of over 8,000 plants in total.[3]
This is a rhizomatous perennial herb with tufts of stiff, grasslike leaves up to 21 centimeters long. The inflorescence is a single flower on a long, erect stalk, blooming in April and May. It has yellow tepals up to 1.5 centimeters long which turn green as the plant produces fruit.[4] While the plant can fertilize itself, it may also be pollinated by insects, particularly halictid bees.[5]
This plant's natural habitat is a
Fire suppression is practiced today, altering the habitat from its natural state of disturbance. This is the main cause of the plant's increasing rarity.[5] Today the plant does best in areas that are kept open by human-caused disturbance, such as roadsides and land that is mowed, but only to a point; severe disturbance from cars and machinery can destroy populations.[2] Other threats include loss of plants to collectors and admirers of wildflowers who pick the blooms, and vandalism.[4] Genetic analysis of plants from different populations has been performed and it reveals that the species has a very low genetic diversity; this is a threat to the species' survival.[3]
References
- ^ a b c USFWS. Determination that Harperocallis flava is an endangered species. Federal Register October 2, 1979.
- ^ a b c d e Harperocallis flava. The Nature Conservancy.
- ^ a b USFWS. Harper's Beauty Five-year Review. September 11, 2009.
- ^ a b c Harperocallis flava. Archived 2010-12-15 at the Wayback Machine Center for Plant Conservation.
- ^ a b Pitts-Singer, T., J. L. Hanula, and J. L. Walker. (2002). Insect pollinators of three rare plants in a Florida longleaf pine forest. Florida Entomologist 85:2 308.
- ^ Walker, J. L. and A. M. Silletti. A three-year demographic study of Harper's Beauty (Harperocallis flava McDaniel), an endangered Florida endemic. Journal of the Torrey Botanical Society 132:4 551-60.