Difference between revisions of "Asimina obovata"

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A description of ''Asimina obovata'' is provided in [http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=233500178 The Flora of North America].
 
A description of ''Asimina obovata'' is provided in [http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=233500178 The Flora of North America].
  
''Asimina obovata'' is a long-lived perennial.<ref name="FNPS">[[http://www.fnps.org/plants/plant/asimina-obovata Florida Native Plant Society. Accessed: November 24, 2015]]</ref> Such as other species in the Genus ''Asimina'', it has a deep taproot and resprouts from a lignotuber after fire or disturbance (Kral 1960, 1993). Leaves are alternate and simple with pinnate venation<ref>[[http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=ASOB6 Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. Accessed: November 23, 2015.]]</ref>. It can be a shrub or a small tree growing three meters or more<ref name="Wild Florida Photo">[[http://www.wildflphoto.com/species.php?k=p&id=140]]Accessed: November 24, 2015.</ref>.
+
''Asimina obovata'' is a long-lived perennial.<ref name="FNPS">[[http://www.fnps.org/plants/plant/asimina-obovata Florida Native Plant Society. Accessed: November 24, 2015]]</ref> Such as other species in the Genus ''Asimina'', it has a deep taproot and resprouts from a lignotuber after fire or disturbance<ref name="Kral">Kral, Robert. 1960. A Revision of ''Asimina and Deeringothamnus'' (Annonaceae). Brittonia 12:233-278.
 +
</ref> (Kral 1993). Leaves are alternate and simple with pinnate venation<ref>[[http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=ASOB6 Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. Accessed: November 23, 2015.]]</ref>. It can be a shrub or a small tree growing three meters or more<ref name="Wild Florida Photo">[[http://www.wildflphoto.com/species.php?k=p&id=140]]Accessed: November 24, 2015.</ref>.
  
 
==Ecology==
 
==Ecology==
 
===Habitat===<!--Natural communities, human disturbed habitats, topography, hydrology, soils, light, fire regime requirements for removal of competition, etc.-->  
 
===Habitat===<!--Natural communities, human disturbed habitats, topography, hydrology, soils, light, fire regime requirements for removal of competition, etc.-->  
''Asimina obovata'' is endemic to the well drained sand of sand ridges, coastal dunes, hammocks and pine-turkey oak sand ridges that occur in southeastern to north central Florida (Kral 1960).
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''Asimina obovata'' is endemic to the well drained sand of sand ridges, coastal dunes, hammocks and pine-turkey oak sand ridges that occur in southeastern to north central Florida<ref name="Kral"></ref>.
 
Associated species include ''Pinus clausa, Quercus gemiata, Quercus myrtifolia, Ceratiola ericoides, Ilex opaca var. arenicola, Garberia heterophylla'', and ''Persea humilus'' (Crummer 2003).
 
Associated species include ''Pinus clausa, Quercus gemiata, Quercus myrtifolia, Ceratiola ericoides, Ilex opaca var. arenicola, Garberia heterophylla'', and ''Persea humilus'' (Crummer 2003).
  
 
===Phenology===<!--Timing off flowering, fruiting, seed dispersal, and environmental triggers.  Cite PanFlora website if appropriate: http://www.gilnelson.com/PanFlora/ -->  
 
===Phenology===<!--Timing off flowering, fruiting, seed dispersal, and environmental triggers.  Cite PanFlora website if appropriate: http://www.gilnelson.com/PanFlora/ -->  
Flowers March to June (Kral 1960) with white flowers and green fruit <ref name="FNPS"/>.
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Flowers March to June<ref name="Kral"></ref> with white flowers and green fruit <ref name="FNPS"/>.
  
''Asimina obovata'' is the only species in the genus ''Asimina'' to have flower buds that terminate the new shoot growth (Kral 1960). This species can be identified by a bright red-hairy peduncle and a reddish pubescence on the shoots and lower leaf surface (Kral 1960). The stamens are pale green to beige at anthesis <ref name="Archbold"/>.
+
''Asimina obovata'' is the only species in the genus ''Asimina'' to have flower buds that terminate the new shoot growth<ref name="Kral"></ref>. This species can be identified by a bright red-hairy peduncle and a reddish pubescence on the shoots and lower leaf surface<ref name="Kral"></ref>. The stamens are pale green to beige at anthesis <ref name="Archbold"/>.
 
<!--===Seed dispersal===-->
 
<!--===Seed dispersal===-->
 
===Seed bank and germination===
 
===Seed bank and germination===
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In the year following a fire, ''A. obovata'' resprouts with more stems than were present pre-fire, however these stems are smaller and less woody with a higher chance of herbivory. The amount of flowers blooming is the greatest in the second flowering season post-fire with flower numbers decreasing as the fire interval becomes longer. <ref name="Archbold">[[http://www.archbold-station.org/html/research/plant/asiobosppacc.html]] Archbold Biological Station. Accessed: November 24, 2015</ref>.
 
In the year following a fire, ''A. obovata'' resprouts with more stems than were present pre-fire, however these stems are smaller and less woody with a higher chance of herbivory. The amount of flowers blooming is the greatest in the second flowering season post-fire with flower numbers decreasing as the fire interval becomes longer. <ref name="Archbold">[[http://www.archbold-station.org/html/research/plant/asiobosppacc.html]] Archbold Biological Station. Accessed: November 24, 2015</ref>.
  
The species responds to a disturbance such as fire or cutting vegetatively, sending up several leafy shoots which are forming flower buds that do not open until the following growing season (Kral 1960).
+
The species responds to a disturbance such as fire or cutting vegetatively, sending up several leafy shoots which are forming flower buds that do not open until the following growing season<ref name="Kral"></ref>.
  
 
===Pollination===
 
===Pollination===
Pollination occurs entomophily <ref name="EOL"/> with beetles such as ''Typocerus zebra, Trichotinus rufobruneus, T. lunulatus'' and ''Euphoria sepulchralis'' responsible for pollination (Norman and Clayton 1986).
+
Pollination occurs entomophily <ref name="EOL"/> with beetles such as ''Typocerus zebra, Trichotinus rufobruneus, T. lunulatus'' and ''Euphoria sepulchralis'' responsible for pollination<ref>Norman, Elaine M. and David Clayton. Reproductive Biology of Two Florida Pawpaws: ''Asimina obovata'' and ''A. pygmaea'' (Annonaceae). 1986. Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club 113: 16-22.</ref>.
The following Hymenoptera families and species were observed visiting flowers of ''Asimina obovata'' at Archbold Biological Station (Deyrup 2015):
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The following Hymenoptera families and species were observed visiting flowers of ''Asimina obovata'' at Archbold Biological Station<ref>Deyrup, M.A. 2015. Database of observations of Hymenoptera visitations to flowers of plants on Archbold Biological Station, Florida, USA.</ref>:
  
 
Apidae: ''Apis mellifera''
 
Apidae: ''Apis mellifera''
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==References and notes==
 
==References and notes==
Deyrup, M.A. 2015. Database of observations of Hymenoptera visitations to flowers of plants on Archbold Biological Station, Florida, USA.
+
 
  
 
Crummer, Kathryn. Physiological Leaf Traits of Scrub Pawpaw, ''Asimina obovata'' (Willd.)Nash (Annonaceae). University of Florida, 2003.
 
Crummer, Kathryn. Physiological Leaf Traits of Scrub Pawpaw, ''Asimina obovata'' (Willd.)Nash (Annonaceae). University of Florida, 2003.
 
Kral, Robert. 1960. A Revision of ''Asimina and Deeringothamnus'' (Annonaceae). Brittonia 12:233-278.
 
 
Norman, Elaine M. and David Clayton. Reproductive Biology of Two Florida Pawpaws: ''Asimina obovata'' and ''A. pygmaea'' (Annonaceae). 1986. Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club 113: 16-22.
 

Revision as of 11:33, 18 May 2016

Asimina obovata
Asim obov.jpg
Photo by Betty Wargo, Atlas of Florida Vascular Plants
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta - Flowering plants
Class: Magnoliopsida - Dicotyledons
Order: Magnoliales
Family: Annonaceae
Genus: Asimina
Species: A. obovata
Binomial name
Asimina obovata
(Willd.) Nash
Asim obov dist.jpg
Natural range of Asimina obovata from USDA NRCS Plants Database.

Common names: Bigflower Pawpaw

Taxonomic notes

Synonym: Pityothamnus obovatus (Willdenow) Small

Description

A description of Asimina obovata is provided in The Flora of North America.

Asimina obovata is a long-lived perennial.[1] Such as other species in the Genus Asimina, it has a deep taproot and resprouts from a lignotuber after fire or disturbance[2] (Kral 1993). Leaves are alternate and simple with pinnate venation[3]. It can be a shrub or a small tree growing three meters or more[4].

Ecology

Habitat

Asimina obovata is endemic to the well drained sand of sand ridges, coastal dunes, hammocks and pine-turkey oak sand ridges that occur in southeastern to north central Florida[2]. Associated species include Pinus clausa, Quercus gemiata, Quercus myrtifolia, Ceratiola ericoides, Ilex opaca var. arenicola, Garberia heterophylla, and Persea humilus (Crummer 2003).

Phenology

Flowers March to June[2] with white flowers and green fruit [1].

Asimina obovata is the only species in the genus Asimina to have flower buds that terminate the new shoot growth[2]. This species can be identified by a bright red-hairy peduncle and a reddish pubescence on the shoots and lower leaf surface[2]. The stamens are pale green to beige at anthesis [5].

Seed bank and germination

Seedlings have been found in the shade of parent plants due to the importance of shade and seed burial to prevent seed desiccation after ripening (Crummer 2003).

Fire ecology

In the year following a fire, A. obovata resprouts with more stems than were present pre-fire, however these stems are smaller and less woody with a higher chance of herbivory. The amount of flowers blooming is the greatest in the second flowering season post-fire with flower numbers decreasing as the fire interval becomes longer. [5].

The species responds to a disturbance such as fire or cutting vegetatively, sending up several leafy shoots which are forming flower buds that do not open until the following growing season[2].

Pollination

Pollination occurs entomophily [6] with beetles such as Typocerus zebra, Trichotinus rufobruneus, T. lunulatus and Euphoria sepulchralis responsible for pollination[7]. The following Hymenoptera families and species were observed visiting flowers of Asimina obovata at Archbold Biological Station[8]:

Apidae: Apis mellifera

Vespidae: Polistes dorsalis hunteri

Use by animals

In order to protect itself from herbivory, A. obovata contains a toxin called annonaceous acetogenins which inhibits mitochondrial respiration in preditors. [6]

Gopher tortoises have been observed to eat the ripe fruit and spit out the seeds (Norman and Clayton 1986).

Conservation and Management

Global conservation status: G3-Vulnerable [9]. State status: S3-Vulnerable [9].

References and notes

Crummer, Kathryn. Physiological Leaf Traits of Scrub Pawpaw, Asimina obovata (Willd.)Nash (Annonaceae). University of Florida, 2003.

  1. 1.0 1.1 [Florida Native Plant Society. Accessed: November 24, 2015]
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Kral, Robert. 1960. A Revision of Asimina and Deeringothamnus (Annonaceae). Brittonia 12:233-278.
  3. [Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. Accessed: November 23, 2015.]
  4. [[1]]Accessed: November 24, 2015.
  5. 5.0 5.1 [[2]] Archbold Biological Station. Accessed: November 24, 2015
  6. 6.0 6.1 [Encyclopedia of Life]Accessed November 24, 2015
  7. Norman, Elaine M. and David Clayton. Reproductive Biology of Two Florida Pawpaws: Asimina obovata and A. pygmaea (Annonaceae). 1986. Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club 113: 16-22.
  8. Deyrup, M.A. 2015. Database of observations of Hymenoptera visitations to flowers of plants on Archbold Biological Station, Florida, USA.
  9. 9.0 9.1 [[3]] Nature Serve Explorer. Accessed November 24, 2015.]]