Lygodesmia aphylla

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Lygodesmia aphylla
Lygodesmia aphylla MS.jpg
Photo taken by Michelle M. Smith
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta - Flowering plants
Class: Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons
Order: Asterales
Family: Asteraceae ⁄ Compositae
Genus: Lygodesmia
Species: L. aphylla
Binomial name
Lygodesmia aphylla
(Nutt.) DC.
LYGO APHY dist.jpg
Natural range of Lygodesmia aphylla from USDA NRCS Plants Database.

Description

Common name: rose rush

Distribution

Ecology

Habitat

It is found in Florida scrub community (Archbold Biological Station)(Deyrup et al 2002). This species has also been found in sandhills, pine flatwoods, pine-wiregrass savannas, and mixed woodlands (FSU Herbarium). It has been observed in open areas in dry, deep, moist-peaty, and loose sands as well as in gravelly soils (FSU Herbarium). This species also occurs in human disturbed areas such as clobbered scrub oak habitats, bulldozed areas, orange groves, along roadsides, along old fields, cut-over pinelands, fallow fields, spoil banks, and parks (FSU Herbarium).

Phenology

It has been observed flowering in April and July (FSU Herbarium).

Seed dispersal

Seed bank and germination

Fire ecology

This species has been found in annually burned areas (FSU Herbarium).

Pollination

Mark Deyrup at Archbold Biological Station observed these Hymenoptera species on Lygodesmia aphylla:

Halictidae: Augochlorella aurata

Use by animals

Deyrup observed this bee, Augochlorella aurata, on L. aphylla (Deyrup et al 2002). Fire ants are not interested in the seeds of L. aphylla (Cumberland et al. 2013).

Diseases and parasites

Conservation and Management

Cultivation and restoration

Photo Gallery

References and notes

Cumberland, M. S. and L. K. Kirkman (2013). "The effects of the red imported fire ant on seed fate in the longleaf pine ecosystem." Plant Ecology 214: 717-724.

Deyrup, M. J. E., and Beth Norden (2002). "The diversity and floral hosts of bees at the Archbold Biological Station, Florida (Hymenoptera: Apoidea)." Insecta mundi 16(1-3)