Macranthera

Macranthera
Macranthera flammea photographed in Jackson County, Mississippi
Conservation status
Vulnerable  (NatureServe) [1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Asterids
Order:	Lamiales
Family:	Orobanchaceae
Genus:	Macranthera Nutt. ex Benth.
Species:	M. flammea
Binomial name
Macranthera flammea (W.Bartram) Pennell
Synonyms [2]
Gerardia flammeaW.Bartram Conradia fuchsioidesNutt. Macranthera fuchsioides(Nutt.) Leconte & Benth. Macranthera lecontei Torr. Tomilix bracteata Raf. Toxopus calycinusRaf. Toxopus gymnanthesRaf. Dasistoma tubulosa Bertol. Macranthera fuchsioides var. lecontei(Torr.) Chapm.

Macranthera is a monotypic plant genus in the family Orobanchaceae containing only the species Macranthera flammea, commonly known as the flameflower or hummingbird-flower. ^{[1] [3]} It is endemic to the Coastal Plain of the south-eastern United States.

Distribution and habitat

Largely restricted to the Gulf Coastal Plain of the south-eastern United States, Macranthera flammea is native to the states of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, and Mississippi, ranging as far east as Bulloch County in eastern Georgia. ^{[1] [3] [4]} It occurs in and around bogs, bayheads, creeks, ecotones, and seepage slopes from sea level up to 100 m (330 ft) above sea level. ^{[3] [4]}

Ecology

Macranthera flammea flowers from July to October, ^[3] and has adapted to flower prolifically following fires. The flowering period coincides with the arrival of ruby-throated hummingbirds (Archilochus colubris) in its range as part of their migration across the Gulf of Mexico. ^[4]

References

1. NatureServe. "Macranthera flammea". NatureServe Explorer. Arlington, Virginia. Retrieved 18 February 2025.
2. "Macranthera flammea (W.Bartram) Pennell". Plants of the World Online . Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew . Retrieved 18 February 2025.
3. Weakley, A.S. & Southeastern Flora Team. "Macranthera flammea (flameflower)". Flora of the Southeastern United States. 2025 Edition. Chapel Hill, U.S.A.: University of North Carolina Herbarium and North Carolina Botanical Garden . Retrieved 19 February 2025.
4. Sorrie, Bruce A. (2019). "Macranthera flammea (W. Bartram) Pennell". In Flora of North America Editorial Committee (ed.). Magnoliophyta: Tetrachondraceae to Orobanchaceae. Flora of North America North of Mexico. Vol. 17. New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 562. ISBN   9780190868512. OCLC   1101573420.