Palafoxia feayi
| Palafoxia feayi | |
|---|---|
| |
| Photo by Shirley Denton (Copyrighted, use by photographer’s permission only) Nature Photography by Shirley Denton | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Division: | Magnoliophyta - Flowering plants |
| Class: | Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons |
| Order: | Asterales |
| Family: | Asteraceae ⁄ Compositae |
| Genus: | Palafoxia |
| Species: | P. feayi |
| Binomial name | |
| Palafoxia feayi A. Gray | |
| |
| Natural range of Palafoxia feayi from USDA NRCS Plants Database. | |
Common name: Feay's palafox
Contents
Taxonomic notes
The genus Palafoxia is named after Jose de Palafox y Melci a spanish captian-general, well known in the Peninsular War. The species is named for William T. Feay, who was an avid plant collector in the southeast[1].
Description
A description of Palafoxia feayi is provided in The Flora of North America.
Distribution
P. feayi is endemic to the southern two thirds of the Florida peninsula[1].
Ecology
Habitat
P. feayi is restricted to the well drained sandy uplands of the southern two-thirds of the Florida peninsula [1]. Habitats include oak-palmetto-Lyonia scrubs, sand pine scrubs, and pine/palmetto scrubs. It has also been observed growing with Bigelowia nuttallii in sandbur-natal grass in an open sand pine remnant. Associated species include Bigelowia nuttallii, Serenoa repens, Pinus clausa, natalgrass, sandbur, and oak species (FSU Herbarium).
Phenology
Flowers July through December (FSU Herbarium).
Seed dispersal
Seed bank and germination
Fire ecology
It has been observed growing in a burned scrub (FSU Herbarium).
Fire is important for maintaining the scrub habitat and occurs intervals ranging 10-100 years, depending on the specific scrub. Above ground P. feayi individuals are killed by fire, however it quickly resprouts after fire This species has adapted to fire by establishing seedlings between fires and resprouting postfire from the root system. Reproduction peaks during the first year post-fire and sharply declines after the first year (Ostertag and Menges 1994). Conrad and Segaves (2012) found a strong decrease in AMF colonization with time since fire, however, they propose that this is the result of an ephermal nutrient pulse associated with scrub fires and changes in light availability. On the contrary to these findings, Anderson and Menges (1997) did not find a change in mycorrhizal colonization associated with fire.
Pollination
The following Hymenoptera families and species were observed visiting flowers of Palafoxia feayi at Archbold Biological Station (Deyrup 2015):
Apidae: Apis mellifera, Bombus impatiens
Colletidae: Colletes thysanellae
Halictidae: Agapostemon splendens, Augochlorella aurata, Augochloropsis sumptuosa, Halictus poeyi, Lasioglossum pectoralis, L. placidensis
Megachilidae: Anthidiellum perplexum, Coelioxys sayi, Megachile albitarsis, M. brevis pseudobrevis, M. georgica, M. inimica, M. mendica, M. petulans, M. policaris, M. texana, M. xylocopoides
Pompilidae: Episyron conterminus posterus
Sphecidae: Ammophila urnaria, Tachytes pepticus
Vespidae: Parancistrocerus perennis anacardivora, Zethus slossonae, Z. spinipes
Use by animals
Diseases and parasites
Conservation and Management
P. feayi is endemic to the scrubs of the Florida peninsula [1] and is found in habitats along the Lake Wales Ridge. This ridge is quickly converted into urban and agricultural areas. These disturbances have fragmented the scrub into a patchwork of small scubs interspersed among urbanized patches (Sumoski et al. 2009). Fire suppression also threatens the scrub habitats by allowing for encroachment of hardwoods.
Cultivation and restoration
Photo Gallery
Flowers of Palafoxia feayi Photo by Shirley Denton (Copyrighted, use by photographer’s permission only) Nature Photography by Shirley Denton
References and notes
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, D. Burch, George R. Cooley, R.J. Eaton, Robert K. Godfrey, R. Kral, Olga Lakela, S.W. Leonard, Victoria Sullivan, D.B. Ward. States and Counties: Florida: Brevard, Collier, Highlands, Indian River, Lake, Manatee, Marion, Pinellas, Polk. Compiled by Tall Timbers Research Station and Land Conservancy.
