Pluchea odorata

Pluchea odorata
Photo taken by Gil Nelson
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Division:	Magnoliophyta - Flowering plants
Class:	Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons
Order:	Asterales
Family:	Asteraceae
Genus:	Pluchea
Species:	P. odorata
Binomial name
Pluchea odorata (L.) Cass.
Natural range of Pluchea odorata from USDA NRCS Plants Database.

Common name: sweetscent, marsh fleabane

Description

A description of Pluchea odorata is provided in The Flora of North America.

Ecology

Habitat

Pluchea odorata can be found in salt marshes, mangrove swamps, river banks, cypress swamps, marl prairies, cabbage palmetto-water hickory hammocks, pine flatwoods, coastal hammocks, and hickory mounds. It has also been found in disturbed areas such as calcareous borrow pits, roadside depressions, clear-cut pine flatwoods and drainage canals (FSU Herbarium). Soil types include loamy sand, loam, and alluvial soils (FSU Herbarium). Associated species include Cyperus, Juncus, Fuirena, Rhynchospora, Penthorum sedoides, Pluchea foetida, Boehmeria, Saururus, Pilea, and Murdannia keisak (FSU Herbarium).

Phenology

It has been observed flowering April through December (FSU Herbarium).

Pollination

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

Apidae: Mellisodes communis

Halictidae: Halictus poeyi, Lasioglossum nymphalis

Megachilidae: Anthidium maculifrons, Coelioxys germana, C. sayi, Dianthidium floridiense

Sphecidae: Ammophila procera

Vespidae: Leptochilus republicanus, Zeta argellaceum

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: Collectors: States and Counties: Compiled by Tall Timbers Research Station and Land Conservancy.