Gaylussacia dumosa

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Gaylussacia dumosa
Gaylussacia dumosa PH 2015-10.JPG
Photo taken by Kevin Robertson
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta - Flowering plants
Class: Magnoliopsida - Dicotyledons
Order: Ericales
Family: Ericaceae
Genus: Gaylussacia
Species: G. dumosa
Binomial name
Gaylussacia dumosa
(Andrews) Torr. & A. Gray
Gayl dumo dist.jpg
Natural range of Gaylussacia dumosa from USDA NRCS Plants Database.

Common names: Dwarf huckleberry; Southern dwarf huckleberry

Taxonomic notes

Synonyms: Gaylussacia dumosa (Andrews) Torrey var. dumosa; Lasiococcus dumosus (Andrews) Small

Description

A description of Gaylussacia dumosa is provided in The Flora of North America.

Distribution

Its main distribution is throughout the southeastern coastal plain, from New Jersey to Florida and west to eastern Louisiana, and less common more inland.[1] It is also native to the Canadian provinces of Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland & Labrador; it is also found in St. Pierre Miquelon located near Newfoundland & Labrador province.[2]

Ecology

Habitat

Gaylussacia dumosa is commonly found in mesic to xeric, acidic woodlands and forests.[1] It is restricted to native groundcover with a statistical affinity in upland pinelands of South Georgia. [3] G. dumosa responds negatively to soil disturbance in longleaf pine communities in South Carolina.[4]

Phenology

Generally, G. dumosa flowers from March to June and fruits from June until October.[1] It has been observed to flower March to May and in October with peak inflorescence in April.[5]

Seed dispersal

This species is thought to be dispersed by consumption by vertebrates. [6] In particular, it has found to be dispersed by gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus).[7]

Pollination

The following Hymenoptera families and species were observed visiting flowers of Gaylussacia dumosa at Archbold Biological Station: [8]

Apidae: Apis mellifera, Bombus impatiens

Halictidae: Augochlorella aurata, A. gratiosa

Megachilidae: Megachile brevis pseudobrevis, M. integrella

Conservation and management

Cultivation and restoration

Photo Gallery

References and notes

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 Weakley, A. S. (2015). Flora of the Southern and Mid-Atlantic States. Chapel Hill, NC, University of North Carolina Herbarium.
  2. USDA, NRCS. (2016). The PLANTS Database (http://plants.usda.gov, 15 May 2019). National Plant Data Team, Greensboro, NC 27401-4901 USA.
  3. 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.
  4. Brudvig, L.A. and E.I. Damchen. (2011). Land-use history, historical connectivity, and land management interact to determine longleaf pine woodland understory richness and composition. Ecography 34: 257-266.
  5. Nelson, G. PanFlora: Plant data for the eastern United States with emphasis on the Southeastern Coastal Plains, Florida, and the Florida Panhandle. www.gilnelson.com/PanFlora/ Accessed: 9 DEC 2016
  6. Kay Kirkman, Jones Ecological Research Center, unpublished data, 2015.
  7. Carlson, J. E., E. S. Menges, and P. L. Marks. 2003. Seed dispersal by Gopherus polyphemus at Archbold Biological Station, Florida. Florida Scientist, v. 66, no. 2, p. 147-154.
  8. Deyrup, M.A. and N.D. 2015. Database of observations of Hymenoptera visitations to flowers of plants on Archbold Biological Station, Florida, USA.