Conradina verticillata

Last updated

Conradina verticillata
Conradina verticillata wild.jpg
Wild specimen on the Big South Fork of the Cumberland River
Status TNC G3.svg
Vulnerable  (NatureServe) [1]
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Lamiales
Family: Lamiaceae
Genus: Conradina
Species:
C. verticillata
Binomial name
Conradina verticillata
Jennison

Conradina verticillata is a flowering shrub in the mint family, found in the Cumberland Plateau. It is also called Conradina montana, Cumberland rosemary or Cumberland false rosemary. It has been classified as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act since 1991.

Contents

Physical characteristics

Cumberland rosemary is a shrub which grows about 50 cm high. [4] It has needle-like leaves with an aromatic scent that resembles rosemary. Its flowers are lavender, purple, and more rarely, white. They are 1–2 cm long, with darker spots in the center. In profile, the flowers may have an “S” shape due to the curving of the floral cup. Cumberland rosemary has a bilabiate calyx, 7–9 mm long, with a glandular-hairy surface. [5]

It may be hard to distinguish individual Cumberland rosemary plants by eye. What looks like separate plants can actually be one sprawling plant. This is because Cumberland rosemary's stems fall over when they grow higher than 30 cm. These horizontal branches will root at the nodes and grow new (vertical) stems. Because the plant lives in a gravelly environment with periodic flooding, sand and rocks can cover up these horizontal connections. [6]

When it is not flowering, Cumberland rosemary may resemble other plants with needlelike leaves such as Aster linariifolius , Hypericum densiflorum , and Pycnanthemum tenuifolium . However, none of these other plants have a rosemary aroma. [5]

Life history and reproduction

Cumberland rosemary flowers from the middle of May to early June. The flower initially produces pollen for up to a day before the female parts become receptive. It is mainly pollinated by bumblebees and honeybees. Unpollinated flowers will last for a week. Pollinated flowers will fall off in two days. [6]

Seeds mature in the middle of June. [7] They are dark brown and 1 mm in diameter. [5] Various studies report low seed viability. Roulston (1994) found that less than 10% of seeds germinate. A later study by Albrecht and Penago (2012) reported a higher percentage of 26%. The poor seed development may be attributed to the Cumberland rosemary's clonal nature. Pollinating insects transport pollen between nearby flowers, which are actually the same genetic individual. [7] However, even with outcrossing, seed viability remains low. [8]

The germination process takes two weeks, [7] and it more likely to happen in warmer temperatures. [8]

Cumberland rosemary is only triploid species in the Conradina genus. [9]

Habitat

Cumberland rosemary lives on the rocky river banks of the Cumberland Plateau. It grows best in full sunlight and in well-drained soil with no visible organic matter. The soil may be mostly sand, or sand mixed with gravel. Thus, it also benefits from topographic features which enhance sand deposition. It relies on periodic flooding to eliminate taller plants which might leave Cumberland rosemary in the shade. [9] Extended flooding may induce rooting at the lower stem nodes [10] and disperse seeds and viable plant fragments downstream. [11] It has been hypothesized Cumberland rosemary may thrive with alternating floods and extreme droughts, as this regime helps eliminate competition, but data is lacking on this. [12]

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service did not designate a critical habitat for Cumberland rosemary at the time of its federal listing. The plant's locations are isolated and visitors are unlikely to stumble upon them. Announcing a critical habitat might attract collectors, or curious locals who might unknowingly cause damage. FWS stated that they would contact private landowners who have colonies of Cumberland rosemary growing on their property. [3] : 60939 

Range and population

Cumberland rosemary is only found in the Cumberland Plateau in Tennessee and Kentucky. At the time of its federal listing in 1991, there were three populations in Tennessee: one along the South Fork Cumberland River, one along the Caney Fork River, and one along the Obed River system. In total, there were 44 known colonies. [4] The population in Kentucky is also along the South Fork Cumberland River, and had four colonies. [9]

In 1996, it was reported that there were 79 colonies in Tennessee and 12 in Kentucky. [13] In 2010, observers were able to count a total of 60 colonies. In 2017, number of colonies was 66. [14]

History of ESA listing

Cumberland rosemary was first collected by Albert Ruth in 1894. [4] In 1933, H.M. Jennison named the plant Conradina verticillata. [15] 7 months later, J.K. Small named the plant Conradina montana. [16]

The Endangered Species Act was signed in 1973. In 1975, The Smithsonian Institution included Cumberland Rosemary in a review of threatened, endangered, or extinct plant species. FWS funded a survey of the plant in Tennessee and Kentucky from 1979 to 1981, and declared Cumberland rosemary as a category 1 species, meaning that the agency has enough information to classify it as endangered or threatened. [9] (This category is now outdated, and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service|U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service uses “candidate species” instead.) [17] The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officially proposed Cumberland rosemary as “threatened” in January 1991. [4] It was federally listed in November 1991, which took effect on December 30, 1991. [3] A recovery plan was published in 1996.

In Tennessee, the plant was listed as endangered in 1985. It does not have legal protection in Kentucky. [18]

Major threats

The biggest threat faced by Cumberland rosemary is habitat degradation affecting the rivers. For instance, the construction of Wolf Creek Dam in Kentucky extirpated one population. Dams can impact Cumberland rosemary in two ways: either by permanently flooding its habitat, or by altering the natural flood regime. Without flooding, the plant is unable to compete with taller plants for sunlight. Also, nearby coal mining can affect the water quality by making it more acidic. [19]

Cumberland rosemary can be found in the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area, a popular site for camping, hiking, and white water-rafting. Visitors may unknowingly damage the plant, especially with off-road vehicles. [19]

In recent years, invasive exotic species such as tree-of-heaven and mimosa have threatened the population in the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area. The National Park Service designated various sites—some of which overlap with the Cumberland rosemary population—to control these invasive species. While the specific impact of these invasive species on Cumberland rosemary is unknown, it is likely that they leave Cumberland rosemary in the shade and hinder its growth. [20]

Cumberland rosemary is also considered moderately vulnerable to the effects of climate change. [21]

Conservation efforts

According to the 1996 recovery plan, Cumberland rosemary will be considered for delisting when there are five protected colonies on five rivers for a total of 25 colonies. Each colony must have 50 genetically distinct individuals. [22] The five rivers are: Big South Fork Cumberland River, Caney Fork River, and Obed River, along with its tributaries, Clear Creek and Daddy's Creek. [23] The recovery plan predicted a completion date of 2005, but as of 2018 Cumberland Rosemary is still considered threatened.

In 1993, Cumberland rosemary was being propagated ex situ at the North Carolina Arboretum and some other nurseries in the southeastern US. [19] As of 2018, NCA only has seeds in storage. [24]

Although much of Cumberland rosemary's population is found on National Park Service land, there have not been changes made to the trails on BSFNRRA to guide visitors away from the plant. But there is also unclear data on the severity of human impact; most of it is anecdotal. [20]

Related Research Articles

<i>Hesperocyparis abramsiana</i> Californian species of western cypress

The Santa Cruz cypress is a species of North American tree within the cypress family. The species is endemic to the Santa Cruz Mountains within the Santa Cruz and San Mateo counties of west-central California. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service listed the species on the Endangered Species Act in 1987 due to increasing threats from habitat loss and disruption of natural forest fire regimes. In 2016, the conservation status of the Santa Cruz cypress changed to Threatened. The cited reasoning was a decrease in threats against their habitat.

<i>Amaranthus brownii</i> Extinct species of flowering plant

Amaranthus brownii was an annual herb in the family Amaranthaceae. The plant was found only on the small island of Nihoa in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, growing on rocky outcrops at altitudes of 120–215 m (394–705 ft). It was one of nine species of Amaranthus in the Hawaiian Islands, as well as the only endemic Hawaiian species of the genus. It is now considered extinct.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kanab ambersnail</span> Subspecies of gastropod

The Kanab ambersnail, formerly classified as Oxyloma haydeni kanabense or Oxyloma kanabense, is a small, air-breathing land snail belonging to the family Succineidae, the ambersnails. This terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusc was previously considered a critically endangered subspecies or species. In 2013, a scientific investigations report by the United States Geological Survey concluded that the Kanab ambersnail is not a genetically distinct species. In June 2021, the Fish and Wildlife Service removed the Kanab ambersnail from the United States Fish and Wildlife Service list of endangered mammals and birds and classified it with other common ambersnails within the same taxa, officially negating its status as a distinct subspecies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cracking pearlymussel</span> Species of bivalve

The cracking pearlymussel is an endangered species of freshwater mussel, an aquatic bivalve mollusk in the family Unionidae.

Alasmidonta atropurpurea, common name Cumberland elktoe, is a species of freshwater mussel, an aquatic bivalve mollusk in the family Unionidae, the river mussels.

<i>Schwalbea</i> Genus of flowering plants belonging to the broomrape family

Schwalbea americana, commonly known as American chaffseed, is the sole species currently classified in the genus Schwalbea. It is an erect, hemiparasitic, perennial herb in the family Orobanchaceae. It is native to the southeastern United States where it is found in wet acidic grasslands. This species has declined tremendously from its historical range due to fire suppression, development and collection, and it is currently listed as an endangered species by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gulf sturgeon</span> Subspecies of fish

The Gulf sturgeon is a subspecies of sturgeon that lives in the Gulf of Mexico and some rivers draining into it. The Gulf sturgeon was first recognized as a separate subspecies in 1955. The nominate subspecies is the Atlantic sturgeon, A. o. oxyrinchus. The Gulf sturgeon is listed as threatened under the United States Endangered Species Act, having been listed in 1991. Critical habitat, reflecting the range of the subspecies deemed essential for its continued survival, has been designated. The historical range is thought to have been from the Suwannee River on the western coast of Florida to the Mississippi River, and marine waters of the central and eastern portions of the Gulf of Mexico. Three sturgeon species in genus Scaphirhynchus share river territory with the Gulf sturgeon; none of the other sturgeon species is anadromous.

<i>Bidens amplectens</i> Species of flowering plant

Bidens amplectens, the Waiʻanae kokoʻolau, is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. It belongs to the genus Bidens, collectively called kokoʻolau or koʻokoʻolau in the Hawaiian language. It is found in coastal and dry lowland habitats in the Waiʻanae Range on Oʻahu. It is threatened by habitat loss due to the spread of invasive weeds and brush fires. The species is also threatened by climate change and habitat degradation, and herbivory. Bidens amplectens is currently listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act.

<i>Dromus dromas</i> Species of bivalve

Dromus dromas, the dromedary pearlymussel or dromedary naiad, is a rare species of freshwater mussel in the family Unionidae. This aquatic bivalve mollusk is native to the Cumberland and Tennessee River systems in the United States, where it has experienced a large population decline. It is a federally listed endangered species of the United States.

<i>Epioblasma brevidens</i> Species of freshwater mussel

Epioblasma brevidens, the Cumberlandian combshell, is a species of freshwater mussel, an aquatic bivalve mollusk in the family Unionidae. This species is endemic to the United States, found mainly in the states of Tennessee and Virginia. This mussel resides in medium-sized streams to large rivers. The combshell is an endangered species and protected under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA). The combshell is threatened by habitat modifications and pollution.

<i>Obovaria retusa</i> Species of bivalve

Obovaria retusa is a rare species of freshwater mussel in the family Unionidae, the river mussels. Its common names include golf stick pearly mussel and ring pink.

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

Asimina tetramera, commonly known as the four-petal pawpaw, is a rare species of small tree or perennial shrub endemic to Martin and Palm Beach Counties in the state of Florida. The species is currently listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act and as endangered by the International Union for Conservation. The four-petal pawpaw is part of the family Annonaceae alongside other Asimina species.

<i>Arctostaphylos confertiflora</i> Species of flowering plant

Arctostaphylos confertiflora is a rare species of manzanita known by the common name Santa Rosa Island manzanita. This shrub is endemic to California, where it grows on the sandstone bluffs of Santa Rosa Island in the Channel Islands. This manzanita is listed as an endangered species by the United States Government.

<i>Helianthus schweinitzii</i> Species of sunflower

Helianthus schweinitzii is a perennial wildflower endemic to the Piedmont physiographic province of North Carolina and South Carolina. Its common name is Schweinitz's sunflower. It is a member of the sunflower family (Asteraceae). It is one of the rarest species of sunflower in the United States. It is common along utility and highway rights-of-way in North Carolina and South Carolina. There are only about 90 known populations, many containing less than 40 plants each. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service listed Schweinitz's sunflower as an endangered species on May 7, 1991.

<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>Lindera melissifolia</i> Species of shrub

Lindera melissifolia, common name pondberry or southern spicebush, is a stoloniferous, deciduous, aromatic shrub in the laurel family. This endangered species is native to the southeastern United States, and its demise is associated with habitat loss from extensive drainage of wetlands for agriculture and forestry. Restoration efforts are currently being conducted.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Big Sandy crayfish</span> Species of crayfish

The Big Sandy crayfish, Cambarus callainus, are freshwater crustaceans of the family Cambaridae. They are found in the streams and rivers of Appalachia in Virginia, West Virginia, and Kentucky, in what is known as the Big Sandy watershed. Populations are often mistaken with Cambarus veteranus, but morphological and genetic data suggest that these are separate taxa; however, both are protected under the Endangered Species Act. There is very little information available on the Big Sandy crayfish because it is a relatively new species.

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

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. It has a specific habitat requirement and the main threat it faces is destruction and degradation of its habitat. It 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 names Apalachicola rosemary or Apalachicola false 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>Calamovilfa arcuata</i> Species of grass

Calamovilfa arcuata, commonly known as Cumberland sandreed, is a species of flowering plant in the grass family. It is native to the southeastern United States, where it is found in river scour zones. Due to its specialized habitat, it has a highly localized range, found only on the Cumberland Plateau and in the Ouachita Mountains.

References

  1. ↑ NatureServe (1 September 2023). "Conradina verticillata". NatureServe Network Biodiversity Location Data accessed through NatureServe Explorer. Arlington, Virginia: NatureServe. Retrieved 5 September 2023.
  2. ↑ "Cumberland rosemary (Conradina verticillata)". Environmental Conservation Online System. U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Retrieved 5 September 2023.
  3. 1 2 3 Currie, Robert R.; USFWS (29 November 1991). "Conradina Verticillata (Cumberland Rosemary) Determined To Be Threatened". Federal Register. 56 (230): 60937–60941. 56 FR 60937
  4. 1 2 3 4 Currie, Robert (18 January 1991). "Proposed Threatened Status for the Plant Conradina verticillata". Federal Register. 56: 1967.
  5. 1 2 3 Cumberland Rosemary Recovery Plan. Georgia: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 1996. p. 4.
  6. 1 2 Cumberland Rosemary Recovery Plan. Georgia: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 1996. p. 9.
  7. 1 2 3 Cumberland Rosemary Recovery Plan. Georgia: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 1996. p. 10.
  8. 1 2 Cumberland Rosemary 5-year Review: Summary and Evaluation. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 2018. p. 26.
  9. 1 2 3 4 Currie, Robert (18 January 1991). "Proposed Threatened Status for the Plant Conradina verticillata". Federal Register. 56: 1968.
  10. ↑ Cumberland Rosemary Recovery Plan. Georgia: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 1996. p. 6.
  11. ↑ Cumberland Rosemary Recovery Plan. Georgia: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 1996. p. 8.
  12. ↑ Cumberland Rosemary 5-Year Review: Summary and Evaluation. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 2018. p. 27.
  13. ↑ Cumberland Rosemary Recovery Plan. Georgia: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 1996. pp. iv.
  14. ↑ Cumberland Rosemary 5-Year Review: Summary and Evaluation. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 2018. pp. 16–17.
  15. ↑ Cumberland Rosemary Recovery Plan. Georgia: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 1996. p. 1.
  16. ↑ Cumberland Rosemary Recovery Plan. Georgia: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 1996. p. 2.
  17. ↑ "USFWS: Endangered Species Glossary". www.fws.gov. Retrieved 2020-05-13.
  18. ↑ Currie, Robert (18 January 1991). "Proposed Threatened Status for the Plant Conradina verticillata". Federal Register. 56: 1969.
  19. 1 2 3 Cumberland Rosemary Recovery Plan. Georgia: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 1996. pp. 11–12.
  20. 1 2 Cumberland Rosemary 5-Year Review: Summary and Evaluation. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 2011. p. 9.
  21. ↑ Cumberland Rosemary 5-Year Review: Summary and Evaluation. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 2018. p. 28.
  22. ↑ Cumberland Rosemary Recovery Plan. Georgia: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 1996. p. 14.
  23. ↑ Cumberland Rosemary 5-Year Review: Summary and Evaluation. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 2011. p. 4.
  24. ↑ Cumberland Rosemary 5-Year Review: Summary and Evaluation. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 2018. p. 29.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.