Persea borbonia
| Persea borbonia | |
|---|---|
| |
| Photo by Rebekah D. Wallace, University of Georgia Bugwood.org | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Division: | Magnoliophyta - Flowering plants |
| Class: | Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons |
| Order: | Laurales |
| Family: | Lauraceae |
| Genus: | Persea |
| Species: | P. borbonia |
| Binomial name | |
| Persea borbonia (L.) Spreng. | |
| |
| Natural range of Persea borbonia from USDA NRCS Plants Database. | |
Common name: redbay
Contents
Taxonomic notes
This species has had many scientific names since its discovery. The genus name Persea is derived from a Greek term for a Persian tree with fruits growing from the stem[1].
Redbay is in the order Ranales (formally called Magnoliids). This order includes magnolias, yellow poplars, pawpaws, anise tree, wild cinnamon, and laurels[1].
Description
A description of Persea borbonia is provided in The Flora of North America.
There are five different varieties of redbay in the southeastern U.S., they can be easily differentiated by the flower/fruit stem lengths, and trichomes on the abaxial leaf side[1].
Distribution
The native distribution of redbay includes the Coastal Plain from south Delaware to Florida, west to southeast Texas, with isolated populations in central Texas[2].
Ecology
Habitat
In the Coastal Plain in Florida, P. borbonia has been observed in cabbage palm-live oak hammocks, pine/scrub oak communities, mixed hardwood forests, vegetated shell mounds, tropical evergreen hardwood forests, dune thickets, oak-hickory-magnolia coastal hammocks, and wet pine flatwoods. It has been found in disturbed areas such as bulldozed turkey oak/longleaf pine communities and roadsides (FSU Herbarium). Redbay requires partial to fun sun, plenty of water supply, and root oxygen[1]. It does not tolerate long periods of inundation (Conner and George 1993). Soils are mostly Histosols [3]. It grows in loamy sand, sandy loam, and limestone substrate. Associated species include Gordonia lasianthus, Quercus geminata, Celtis, Exothea paniculata, Xanthoxylum, Fagara, Persea littoralis, Rapanea guianensis, Parthenocissus quinquefolia, Plumbago scandens, Bumelia, Forestiera, Rhizophora, Baccharis halimifolia, black cherry and hackberry (FSU Herbarium).
Phenology
Flowers are perfect and monecious[1]. They flower April through May and fruit January through July (FSU Herbarium). Cross-pollination is required for viable seeds[1].
Seed dispersal
Seeds are dispersed by songbirds, white tailed deer, bobwhite, wild turkeys, and black bears [3].
Seed bank and germination
Germination is hypogeal[3]. Seeds germinate well in mucky, swampy, and poorly drained areas; however, these conditions may be stressful to an adult tree. Adults require water and plenty of root oxygen which makes perminant inundated conditions damaging[1].
Fire ecology
P. borbonia is a late successional species that does not thrive in areas of disturbance such as fire[1]. Menges et al. (1993) found that P. borbonia densities and basal areas had increased in flatwoods and bayhead communitites that were fire suppressed for over 20 years. Fire may cause substantial damage to redbay; fire scarring and deterioration of the lower trunk portion of the tree is common[3].
Pollination
The following Hymenoptera families and species were observed visiting flowers of Persea borbonia at Archbold Biological Station (Deyrup 2015):
Apidae: Apis mellifera, Bombus impatiens, Epeolus zonatus
Colletidae: Colletes banksi, C. brimleyi, C. nudus
Halictidae: Augochlora pura, Augochloropsis metallica, Lasioglossum pectoralis
Sphecidae: Cerceris fumipennis, Tachytes auricomans
Vespidae: Mischocyttarus cubensis, Pachodynerus erynnis, Parancistrocerus salcularis rufulus, Polistes metricus, Zethus spinipes
Use by animals
Fruits are a sizable portion of the bobwhite quail diet during fall and winter months[3].
Diseases and parasites
P. borbonia is susceptible to laurel wilt disease (LWD) which is a lethal vascular infection in trees of the laurel family cause by the fungus Raffaelea lauricola that transported by the non-native ambrosia beetle Xyleborus glabratus. Laurel wilt disease is characterized by mortality of redbay stems in the infected sites. Distribution of LWD includes South Carolina, Georgia, Florida and parts of North Carolina (Shearman et al. 2015). Georgia has shown the most pronounced decline in redbay populations (Fraedrich et al. 2008).
P. borbonia is also the primary host of a psyllid leaf-galler Trioza magnoliae, which produce galls on leaves. Galls use up resources that would otherwise be used for plant growth, therefore directly affecting plant fitness (Leege 2006).
It is resistant to the fungus Phytophtora cinnamomi which affects the roots of many other laurel species. This resistance is due to borbonol found in the roots and stems that is an antifungal substance[3].
Conservation and Management
Cultivation and restoration
The wood is often used for cabinetwork and lumber, while the leaves can be used to add spice and flavor to food[2].
Photo Gallery
References and notes
Conner, W. H. and R. A. George (1993). "Impact of Saltwater Flooding on Red Maple, Redbay, and Chinese Tallow Seedlings." Castanea 58(3): 214-219.
Deyrup, M.A. and N.D. 2015. Database of observations of Hymenoptera visitations to flowers of plants on Archbold Biological Station, Florida, USA.
Florida State University Robert K. Godfrey Herbarium database. URL: http://herbarium.bio.fsu.edu. Last accessed: October 2015. Collectors: Loran C. Anderson, Delzie Demaree, R.J. Eaton, J.P. Gillespie, Robert K. Godfrey, Bruce Hansen, R. Komarek, Robert Kral, H. Kurz, O. Lakela, Elbert L. Little Jr., Sidney McDaniel, K.M. Meyer, Richard S. Mitchell, T. Myint, Jackie Patman, Elmer C. Prichard, Gwynn W. Ramsey, James D. Ray Jr., G. Robertson, Cecil R. Slaughter, Annie Schmidt, C.E. Smith, R.R. Smith, R.F. Thorne, A. Townesmith, Rodie White, C.E. Wood, Jean W. Wooten, Richard P. Wunderlin. States and Counties: Florida: Alachua, Brevard, Calhoun, Citrus, Columbia, Dade, Dixie, Flagler, Franklin, Gadsden, Jackson, Jefferson, Lee, Leon, Levy, Liberty, Marion, Martin, Nassau, Okaloosa, Osceola, Pasco, Pinellas, Suwannee, St. Johns, St. Lucie, Taylor, Volusia, Wakulla, Walton. Georgia: Grady. Compiled by Tall Timbers Research Station and Land Conservancy.
Leege, L. M. (2006). "The Relationship between Psyllid Leaf Galls and Redbay (Persea borbonia) Fitness Traits in Sun and Shade." Plant Ecology 184(2): 203-212.
Menges, E. S., W. G. Abrahamson, et al. (1993). "Twenty Years of Vegetation Change in Five Long-Unburned Florida Plant Communities." Journal of Vegetation Science 4(3): 375-386.
Shearman, T. M., G. Geoff Wang, et al. (2015). "Population dynamics of redbay (Persea borbonia) after laurel wilt disease: an assessment based on forest inventory and analysis data." Biology Invasions 17: 1371-1382.
