Seymeria pectinata

Seymeria pectinata
Photo taken by Kevin Robertson
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Division:	Magnoliophyta – Flowering plants
Class:	Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons
Order:	Scrophulariales
Family:	Scrophulariaceae
Genus:	Seymeria
Species:	S. pectinata
Binomial name
Seymeria pectinata Pursh
Natural range of Seymeria pectinata from USDA NRCS Plants Database.

Description

“The entire plant covered with stiff nonglandular hairs. The stem can grow up to 75cm tall, widely and stiffly branched, the longest branches arising near the base of the plant. The leaves are deeply divided with segments borader than 1 mm. The flowers are solid yellow, 1 cm long, hairy on the exterior. The capsule is ovoid, 5 mm long, covered with glandular hairs.” – Musselman and Mann 1978.

Distribution

“Combleaf seymeria is much more restricted in its distribution than senna seymeria (Seymeria cassioides) and also has a much broader host range. It prefers drier sites (such as turkey oak-scrub oak woods) than S. cassioides, but on rare occasions both may be found growing together. We have found no evidence of hybridization between the two species. In our previous studies S. pectinata parasitized yellow poplar, blackgum, water tupelo, pecan, sweetgum, green American sycamore, and four different pines. These species are not present in the communities where S. pectinata grows, which indicates a pathogen potential, especially on drier sites in the Deep South. “ – Musselman and Mann 1978.

Ecology

Pollination

Deyrup conducted a study and observed these bees, Augochlorella aurata, Augochloropsis sumptuosa, Dialictus placidensis, Anthidiellum notatum rufimaculatum, A. perplexum, Coelioxys sayi, Megachile brevis pseudobrevis, M. mendica, M. petulans, and Bombus impatiens, on S. pectinata (2002).

Mark Deyrup at Archbold Biological Station observed these Hymenoptera species on Seymeria pectinata

Halictidae: Augochlorella aurata

Halictidae: Augochloropsis sumptuosa

Halictidae: Lasioglossum placidensis

Megachilidae: Anthidiellum notatum rufomaculatum

Megachilidae: Anthidiellum perplexum

Megachilidae: Coelioxys sayi

Megachilidae: Megachile brevis pseudobrevis

Megachilidae: Megachile mendica

Megachilidae: Megachile petulans

References and notes

• Musselman, Lytton J., and William F. Mann, Jr. "Root Parasites of Southern Forests." Southern Forest Experiment Station (1978)
• Deyrup, Mark, Jayanthi Edirisinghe, and Beth Norden. 2002. The Diversity and Floral Hosts of Bees at the Archbold Biological Station, Florida (Hymenoptera: Apoidea). Insect Mundi 16.1-3: 87-120.