Conradina etonia

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Conradina etonia
Conradina etonia.jpg
Status TNC G1.svg
Critically Imperiled  (NatureServe) [1]
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Lamiales
Family: Lamiaceae
Genus: Conradina
Species:
C. etonia
Binomial name
Conradina etonia
Kral & McCartney

Conradina etonia is a rare species of shrub in the mint family known by the common name Etonia rosemary. It is endemic to Putnam County, Florida, where it is known from about 8 populations on Etoniah Creek State Forest containing fewer than 1000 total individuals. [2] [3] It has a specific habitat requirement and the main threat it faces is destruction and degradation of its habitat. [2] It is a federally listed endangered species of the United States.

Contents

Characteristics

This is an aromatic, branching shrub that reaches 1.5 meters in maximum height. The leaves have hairy, veiny, glandular blades with rolled edges. The inflorescence is a cluster of several double-lipped lavender flowers marked with darker streaks and dots. [1] They are attractive to bees and butterflies. [3]

Habitat

This plant is a member of the Florida scrub ecosystem. It is found alongside sand pines (Pinus clausa), scrub palmetto (Sabal etonia), oaks (Quercus spp.), and wild blueberries (Vaccinium spp.). [2] It is part of the vegetation that is home to the federally threatened Florida scrub jay (Aphelocoma coeleruscens). [4]

Endangered status

This plant was discovered in 1990 and described to science as a new species in 1991. [4] [5] In 1993 it was added to the endangered species list because it was known from only two locations and both were slated for development. [4] Much of the land was subsequently purchased by the State of Florida, and when more occurrences of the plant were found, the state purchased many of them as well; these lands are mainly located within Etoniah Creek State Forest and Dunns Creek State Park. [2] The state is still attempting to purchase any private land that contains the plant. [6] As do many other Florida scrub plant species, this shrub suffers from lack of the habitat's natural fire regime. It does not tolerate shade and requires open areas to thrive. When fires are prevented in the habitat, it eventually becomes overgrown with brush and tall, woody vegetation that shades out the smaller plants. The plant has been shown to benefit from thinning of the forest as sand pines are harvested. Controlled burns may become part of the recovery and management plans if research indicates them. [2]

The majority of populations occur on protected land today. The Fish and Wildlife Service has recommended the species be downlisted to threatened status.

Related Research Articles

Etoniah Creek State Forest

Etoniah Creek State Forest is in the U.S. state of Florida. The 8,679-acre (35 km2) forest is located in North Central Florida, west of Palatka near Florahome. This area is the only known site for Conradina etonia, an endangered plant.

Florida scrub Ecological region in Florida, US

Florida sand pine scrub is an endangered subtropical forest ecoregion found throughout Florida in the United States. It is found on coastal and inland sand ridges and is characterized by an evergreen xeromorphic plant community dominated by shrubs and dwarf oaks. Because the low-nutrient sandy soils do not retain moisture, the ecosystem is effectively an arid one. Wildfires infrequently occur in the Florida scrub. Most of the annual rainfall falls in summer. It is endangered by residential, commercial and agricultural development, with the largest remaining block in and around the Ocala National Forest. Lake Wales Ridge National Wildlife Refuge also holds a high proportion of remaining scrub habitat, while the Archbold Biological Station near Lake Placid contains about 20 km2 (7.7 sq mi) of scrub habitat and sponsors biological research on it.

<i>Asimina tetramera</i> Species of tree

Asimina tetramera, commonly known as the four-petal pawpaw, is a species of flowering plant endemic to the state of Florida. It is a small tree or large perennial shrub with one or more main stems. There is a total population count of about 950 plants, all of which are limited to areas in Martin and Palm Beach Counties in Florida. This is a federally listed endangered species of the United States.

<i>Conradina</i> Genus of flowering plants

Conradina is a genus of flowering plants in the mint family, Lamiaceae. Its common name is false rosemary, or rarely, short leaf rosemary. There are 7 species of Conradina, all native to the southeastern United States. Conradina verticillata grows on the Cumberland Plateau in Kentucky and Tennessee. The other five grow mainly in Florida. All of the species are closely related and there is some doubt about whether they are all separate. Most species occupy xeric habitats with well-drained soils composed of white sand. The genus Conradina was established by Asa Gray in 1870. It was named for the American botanist Solomon White Conrad.

<i>Warea carteri</i>

Warea carteri is a species of plant in the mustard family, Brassicaceae, known by the common names Carter's pinelandcress and Carter's mustard. It is an endangered, fire-dependent annual herb occurring in xeric, shrub-dominated habitats on the Lake Wales Ridge of central Florida in the United States.

<i>Bonamia grandiflora</i> Species of flowering plant

Bonamia grandiflora is a rare species of flowering plant in the morning glory family known by the common names Florida lady's nightcap, Florida bonamia, and scrub morning glory. It is endemic to Central Florida, where there are about 100 known populations remaining, many of which are within the bounds of the Ocala National Forest. The plant has declined in recent decades primarily due to the development of its habitat, which is being converted to urban zones and citrus groves. This is the primary reason that the plant was federally listed as a threatened species in 1987.

<i>Chionanthus pygmaeus</i> Species of flowering plant

Chionanthus pygmaeus is a rare species of flowering plant in the olive family known by the common name pygmy fringetree. It is endemic to Florida, where there are 46 known occurrences as of 2010. The plant is found in increasingly rare habitat in Central Florida that is being consumed for development, and some protected areas are not managed adequately. Most populations are small. It is a federally listed endangered species of the United States.

<i>Chrysopsis floridana</i> Species of plant

Chrysopsis floridana is a rare species of flowering plant in the aster family, known by its common name, Florida golden aster. It is endemic to Florida in the United States, where it is known from Hillsborough, Hardee, Manatee, and Pinellas Counties. It is considered an endemic of the west-central coast of the state in the general vicinity of Tampa Bay. There are 17 to 20 occurrences, many of which have few individuals, but one of which has over one million plants. In 1986 the plant was added to the US endangered species list because it was becoming increasingly rare, it was growing only on private property, and its habitat was unprotected and being destroyed and degraded by a number of forces. It is found at Bell Creek Nature Preserve in Riverview, Florida.

<i>Clitoria fragrans</i> Species of legume

Clitoria fragrans is a rare species of flowering plant in the legume family known by the common name pigeon wings, or sweet-scented pigeon wings. It is endemic to Central Florida, where it was known most recently from 62 occurrences, but no current estimates of the total global population are available. The plant is a federally listed threatened species of the United States.

<i>Conradina brevifolia</i> Species of flowering plant

Conradina brevifolia is a rare species of shrub in the mint family known by the common name short-leaved false rosemary. It is endemic to Central Florida, where it is known only from the Lake Wales Ridge. There are perhaps 36 occurrences of the plant remaining, and 10 of these are likely to be destroyed as their habitat is fragmented in the coming years. About 15% of the Lake Wales Ridge, the only home territory of the plant, remains today, the rest having been cleared for development and citrus groves. Few of the extant populations have more than 25 plants. This is a federally listed endangered species of the United States.

<i>Conradina glabra</i> Species of flowering plant

Conradina glabra is a rare species of shrub known by the common name Apalachicola rosemary. It is endemic to Liberty County, Florida, where it is known from about ten populations. It is found only in a small area and it is threatened by habitat destruction. It is a federally listed endangered species.

<i>Dicerandra christmanii</i> Species of flowering plant

Dicerandra christmanii is a rare species of flowering plant in the mint family known by the common names Garrett's mint, yellow scrub balm, and Lake Wales balm. It is endemic to Highlands County, Florida, in the United States, where it is known from only four sites on the Lake Wales Ridge. All are contained within a tract of land measuring 6 kilometers by 3 kilometers. The plant is steadily declining due to the destruction and degradation of its habitat, and only one of the four occurrences is on protected land. It is a federally listed endangered species.

Dicerandra cornutissima is a rare species of flowering plant in the mint family known by the common name longspurred mint, longspurred balm, and Robin's mint. It is endemic to Florida in the United States. It is found in Marion County, and possibly Sumter County, but it may have been totally extirpated from the latter. There are 15 known occurrences remaining. The plant was federally listed as an endangered species in 1985.

<i>Dicerandra frutescens</i> Species of plant

Dicerandra frutescens is a rare species of flowering plant in the mint family known by the common names scrub mint and scrub balm. It is endemic to Highlands County, Florida, where it is known only from the Lake Wales Ridge. Its habitat is quickly being lost as it is converted to residential and agricultural use. It was federally listed as an endangered species of the United States in 1985.

<i>Eryngium cuneifolium</i> Species of flowering plant in the celery family Apiaceae

Eryngium cuneifolium is a rare species of flowering plant in the carrot family known by the common names wedgeleaf eryngo, wedge-leaved button-snakeroot, and simply snakeroot. It is endemic to the state of Florida in the United States where it is known only from Highlands County. It is one of many rare species that can be found only on the Lake Wales Ridge, an area of high endemism. It was federally listed as an endangered species of the United States in 1987.

<i>Hypericum cumulicola</i> Species of flowering plant in the St Johns wort family Hypericaceae

Hypericum cumulicola is a rare species of flowering plant in the family Hypericaceae known by the common name highlands scrub hypericum, or highlands scrub St. John's wort. It is endemic to Florida, where it is threatened by habitat loss and degradation. It is a federally listed endangered species of the United States.

<i>Lupinus aridorum</i> Species of legume

Lupinus aridorum is a rare species of lupine known by the common name scrub lupine. It is endemic to Florida in the United States, where there were 10 known populations remaining in 2003. Fewer than 6000 individual plants were counted. It is threatened by the loss and degradation of its habitat. The scrub lupine is a federally listed endangered species of the United States.

<i>Prunus geniculata</i> Species of tree

Prunus geniculata is a rare species of plum known by the common name scrub plum. It is endemic to Florida in the United States, where it occurs on the Lake Wales Ridge in the central ridges of the peninsula. It is threatened by the loss of its habitat and is a federally listed endangered species of the United States.

<i>Conradina grandiflora</i> Species of flowering plant

Conradina grandiflora is a species of flowering plant in the mint family known by the common name largeflower false rosemary, or large-flowered rosemary. It is endemic to Florida in the United States, where it occurs on the Atlantic coastal ridge. Its distribution spans Brevard, Broward, Dade, Highlands, Indian River, Martin, Osceola, Palm Beach, Polk, St. Lucie, and Volusia Counties.

The Florida peninsula inland scrub is a shrubland community found on the Florida peninsula. The largest remaining blocks of inland scrub are in and around the Ocala National Forest and in the Lake Wales Ridge National Wildlife Refuge. The Archbold Biological Station near Lake Placid contains about 20 km2 (7.7 sq mi) of scrub habitat and sponsors biological research on it. The scrub occurs on a series of north-south running ridges composed of sand derived from ancient dune fields. The soil, a type of entisol, is derived from quartz and is low in organic matter, silt, and clay. Because the low-nutrient sandy soils do not retain moisture, the ecosystem is effectively an arid one.

References

  1. 1 2 Conradina etonia. The Nature Conservancy.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 USFWS. Conradina etonia Five-year Review. June 2007.
  3. 1 2 Conradina etonia. Archived 2011-03-06 at the Wayback Machine Center for Plant Conservation.
  4. 1 2 3 USFWS. Endangered or threatened status for five Florida plants. Federal Register July 12, 1993.
  5. Kral, R. and R. B. McCartney. (1991). A new species of Conradina (Lamiaceae) from northeastern peninsular Florida. Sida 14:391-398.
  6. USFWS. Conradina etonia Species Account. North Florida Ecological Services Office.