Difference between revisions of "Cnidoscolus stimulosus"

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==Distribution==
 
==Distribution==
 
==Ecology==
 
==Ecology==
 +
Resprouts and flowers within two months of burning in the growing season.[[KMR]]“In all of these species, seeds are forcefully expelled after the fruit matures and dries. Three of the ballistic euphorbs (C. stimulosus, C. argyranthemus and S. sylvatica) produce seeds with elaiosomes and all of the ballistic species are collected by ants, in particular Pogonomyrex badius Latreille (Long and Lakela 1971; N.E. Stamp and J. R. Lucas, personal observation).” <ref name="Stamp and Lucas 1990"/>
 
===Habitat=== <!--Natural communities, human disturbed habitats, topography, hydrology, soils, light, fire regime requirements for removal of competition, etc.-->
 
===Habitat=== <!--Natural communities, human disturbed habitats, topography, hydrology, soils, light, fire regime requirements for removal of competition, etc.-->
 +
Cnidoscolus stimulosus was found in sparsely canopied upland habitats that occur on deep, well drained, sandy substrate suitable for construction of Gopher tortoise burrows. Sandhill, maintained by frequent fires.<ref name="Mushinsky et al 2003">Mushinsky, H. R., Terri A. Stilson and Earl D. McCoy (2003). "Diet and Dietary Preference of the Juvenile Gopher Tortoise " Herpetologists' League 59(4): 475-486.</ref> Occur in dry flatwoods/sandhill.<ref>Glitzenstein, J. S., D. R. Streng, et al. (2003). [Abstract] Long-term seasonal burning at the St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge, north Florida: changes in the sandhill plots after 23 years. Second International Wildland Fire Ecology and Fire Management Congress and Fifth Symposium on Fire and Forest Meteorology, Orlando, FL, American Meteorological Society.</ref> Cnidoscolus stimulosus is a feature of sandhill communities with frequent occurrence in the understorey.<ref name="Stamp and Lucas 1990">Stamp, N. E. and J. R. Lucas (1990). "Spatial patterns and dispersal distances of explosively dispersing plants in Florida sandhill vegetation." Journal of Ecology 78: 589-600.</ref>
 
===Phenology=== <!--Timing off flowering, fruiting, seed dispersal, and environmental triggers.  Cite PanFlora website if appropriate: http://www.gilnelson.com/PanFlora/ -->
 
===Phenology=== <!--Timing off flowering, fruiting, seed dispersal, and environmental triggers.  Cite PanFlora website if appropriate: http://www.gilnelson.com/PanFlora/ -->
 +
Have three seeds fruit and produce seeds with elaiosomes”<ref name="Stamp and Lucas 1990"/>
 
===Seed dispersal===
 
===Seed dispersal===
 
===Seed bank and germination===
 
===Seed bank and germination===
===Fire ecology=== <!--Fire tolerance, fire dependence, adaptive fire responses-->
+
===Fire ecology=== <!--Fire tolerance, fire dependence, adaptive fire responses-->Are included in the flowering plant survery – post burn – in Heuberger’s study.<ref>Heuberger, K. A. and F. E. Putz (2003). "Fire in the suburbs: ecological impacts of prescribed fire in small remnants of longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) sandhill." Restoration Ecology 11: 72-81.</ref> Cnidoscolus stimulosus was one of the plant species to increase abundance recovery post-fire in Rosemary scrub ecosystem.<ref>Menges, E. S. and N. M. Kohfeldt (1995). "Life History Strategies of Florida Scrub Plants in Relation to Fire." Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club 122(4): 282-297.</ref>Cnidoscolus stimulosus was one to resprout after burn after fire was reinstated into the ecosystem.<ref>Reinhart, K. O. and E. S. Menges (2004). "Effects of re-introducing fire to a central Florida sandhill community." Applied Vegetation Science 7: 141-150.</ref> 
 
===Pollination===  
 
===Pollination===  
 
===Use by animals=== <!--Herbivory, granivory, insect hosting, etc.-->
 
===Use by animals=== <!--Herbivory, granivory, insect hosting, etc.-->
 +
“Seeds were found in middens of harvester-ant nests of Pogonomyremex badius Latreille. In addition, seeds of all three plant species were observed being carried into the ant nests and then later deposited uneaten at the nest perimeter.”<ref name="Stamp and Lucas 1990"/>Gopher tortoises (juveniles and adults) feed on Cnidoscolus stimulosus.<ref name="Mushinsky et al 2003"/>Included in gopher tortoises’ scat.<ref>Birkhead, R. D., C. Guyer, et al. (2005). "Patterns of folivory and seed ingestion by gopher tortoises (Gopherus polyphemus) in a southeastern pine savanna." American Midland Naturalist 154: 143-151</ref>
 
===Diseases and parasites===
 
===Diseases and parasites===
 
==Conservation and Management==
 
==Conservation and Management==

Revision as of 10:31, 10 June 2015

Cnidoscolus stimulosus
Crotalaria purshii Gil.jpg
photo by Gil Nelson
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta - Flowering plants
Class: Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons
Order: Euphorbiales
Family: Euphorbiaceae
Genus: Cnidoscolus
Species: C. stimulosus
Binomial name
Cnidoscolus stimulosus
(Michx.) Govaerts
CNID STIM dist.jpg
Natural range of Cnidoscolus stimulosus from USDA NRCS Plants Database.

Description

Distribution

Ecology

Resprouts and flowers within two months of burning in the growing season.KMR“In all of these species, seeds are forcefully expelled after the fruit matures and dries. Three of the ballistic euphorbs (C. stimulosus, C. argyranthemus and S. sylvatica) produce seeds with elaiosomes and all of the ballistic species are collected by ants, in particular Pogonomyrex badius Latreille (Long and Lakela 1971; N.E. Stamp and J. R. Lucas, personal observation).” [1]

Habitat

Cnidoscolus stimulosus was found in sparsely canopied upland habitats that occur on deep, well drained, sandy substrate suitable for construction of Gopher tortoise burrows. Sandhill, maintained by frequent fires.[2] Occur in dry flatwoods/sandhill.[3] Cnidoscolus stimulosus is a feature of sandhill communities with frequent occurrence in the understorey.[1] 

Phenology

Have three seeds fruit and produce seeds with elaiosomes”[1]

Seed dispersal

Seed bank and germination

===Fire ecology=== Are included in the flowering plant survery – post burn – in Heuberger’s study.[4] Cnidoscolus stimulosus was one of the plant species to increase abundance recovery post-fire in Rosemary scrub ecosystem.[5]Cnidoscolus stimulosus was one to resprout after burn after fire was reinstated into the ecosystem.[6]

Pollination

Use by animals

“Seeds were found in middens of harvester-ant nests of Pogonomyremex badius Latreille. In addition, seeds of all three plant species were observed being carried into the ant nests and then later deposited uneaten at the nest perimeter.”[1]Gopher tortoises (juveniles and adults) feed on Cnidoscolus stimulosus.[2]Included in gopher tortoises’ scat.[7]

Diseases and parasites

Conservation and Management

Cultivation and restoration

References and notes

Photo Gallery

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Stamp, N. E. and J. R. Lucas (1990). "Spatial patterns and dispersal distances of explosively dispersing plants in Florida sandhill vegetation." Journal of Ecology 78: 589-600.
  2. 2.0 2.1 Mushinsky, H. R., Terri A. Stilson and Earl D. McCoy (2003). "Diet and Dietary Preference of the Juvenile Gopher Tortoise " Herpetologists' League 59(4): 475-486.
  3. Glitzenstein, J. S., D. R. Streng, et al. (2003). [Abstract] Long-term seasonal burning at the St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge, north Florida: changes in the sandhill plots after 23 years. Second International Wildland Fire Ecology and Fire Management Congress and Fifth Symposium on Fire and Forest Meteorology, Orlando, FL, American Meteorological Society.
  4. Heuberger, K. A. and F. E. Putz (2003). "Fire in the suburbs: ecological impacts of prescribed fire in small remnants of longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) sandhill." Restoration Ecology 11: 72-81.
  5. Menges, E. S. and N. M. Kohfeldt (1995). "Life History Strategies of Florida Scrub Plants in Relation to Fire." Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club 122(4): 282-297.
  6. Reinhart, K. O. and E. S. Menges (2004). "Effects of re-introducing fire to a central Florida sandhill community." Applied Vegetation Science 7: 141-150.
  7. Birkhead, R. D., C. Guyer, et al. (2005). "Patterns of folivory and seed ingestion by gopher tortoises (Gopherus polyphemus) in a southeastern pine savanna." American Midland Naturalist 154: 143-151