Pityopsis graminifolia

Pityopsis graminifolia
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Division:	Magnoliophyta - Flowering plants
Class:	Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons
Order:	Asterales
Family:	Asteraceae
Genus:	Pityopsis
Species:	P. graminifolia
Binomial name
Pityopsis graminifolia (Michx.) Nutt.
Natural range of Pityopsis graminifolia from USDA NRCS Plants Database.

Common name: narrowleaf silkgrass

Description

A description of Pityopsis graminifolia is provided in The Flora of North America.

Ecology

Habitat

Pityopsis graminifolia is restricted to native groundcover with a statistical affinity in upland pinelands of South Georgia (Ostertag and Robertson 2007).

Seed dispersal

wind dispersed Steve Brewer

Fire ecology

May or may not show fire-stimulated flowering, depending on variety or ecotype (Brewer 1995; 2009; Gowe and Brewer 2005).

Pollination

The following Hymenoptera families and species were observed visiting flowers of Pityopsis graminifolia at Archbold Biological Station (Deyrup 2015):

Andrenidae: Andrena fulvipennis

Apidae: Bombus impatiens, Epeolus pusillus, Nomada fervida

Colletidae: Colletes mandibularis

Halictidae: Agapostemon splendens, Augochlora pura, Augochlorella aurata, Augochloropsis anonyma, A. metallica, A. sumptuosa, Halictus poeyi, Lasioglossum miniatulus, L. nymphalis, L. pectoralis, L. placidensis

Leucospididae: Leucospis robertsoni

Megachilidae: Anthidiellum notatum rufomaculatum, A. perplexum, Anthidium maculifrons, Coelioxys octodentata, C. sayi, C. texana, Dianthidium floridiense, Megachile albitarsis, M. brevis pseudobrevis, M. georgica, M. inimica, M. mendica, M. petulans, M. pruina

Sphecidae: Bicyrtes capnoptera, Cerceris tolteca, Philanthus ventilabris, Prionyx thomae, Trypargilum clavatum johannis

Vespidae: Parancistrocerus salcularis rufulus, Stenodynerus beameri

Use by animals

Buds fed upon by white-tailed deer (Brewer and Platt 1994).

References and notes

Brewer J.S. and Platt W.J. 1994. Effects of fire season and herbivory on reproductive success of a clonal forb, Pityopsis graminifolia. Journal of Ecology 82:665-675.

Brewer J.S. 1995. The relationship between soil fertility and fire-stimulated floral induction in two populations of grass-leaved golden aster, Pityopsis graminifolia. Oikos 74:45-54.

Brewer, J. S. 2009. Geographic variation in flowering responses to fire and season of clipping in a fire-adapted plant. American Midland Naturalist 160:235-249.

Deyrup, M.A. and N.D. 2015. Database of observations of Hymenoptera visitations to flowers of plants on Archbold Biological Station, Florida, USA.

Gowe, A.K. and J. S. Brewer. 2005. The evolution of fire-dependent flowering in goldenasters (Pityopsis spp.). Journal of the Torrey Botanical Society 132:384-400.

Ostertag, T.E., and K.M. Robertson. 2007. A comparison of native versus old-field vegetation in upland pinelands managed with frequent fire, South Georgia, USA. Pages 109–120 in R.E. Masters and K.E.M. Galley (eds.). Proceedings of the 23rd Tall Timbers Fire Ecology Conference: Fire in Grassland and Shrubland Ecosystems.