Difference between revisions of "Polygala nana"

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Common names: Candyroot, Dwarf milkwort
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Common names: candyroot, dwarf milkwort
 
==Taxonomic notes==
 
==Taxonomic notes==
Synonyms: ''Pilostaxis nana'' (Michaux) Rafinesque; ''Pylostachya nana'' (Michaux) Rafinesque
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Synonyms: ''Pilostaxis nana'' (Michaux) Rafinesque; ''Pylostachya nana'' (Michaux) Rafinesque<ref name=weakley>Weakley, A.S. 2020. Flora of the Southeastern United States. Edition of 20 October 2020. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.</ref>
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Varieties: none<ref name=weakley/>
  
 
==Description==  
 
==Description==  
 
<!-- Basic life history facts such as annual/perrenial, monoecious/dioecious, root morphology, seed type, etc. -->
 
<!-- Basic life history facts such as annual/perrenial, monoecious/dioecious, root morphology, seed type, etc. -->
"Herbs, whorled or alternate rarely opposite, entire leaves. Flowers lavender, pink, white or yellow, in racemes or spikes, terminating the branches or in terminal corymbs. Flowers perfect, zygomorphic, with 3 small sepals, frequently one of these slightly larger than the others, and 2 larger petaloid sepals (wigs). The 3 petals are united into a tube, 3-lobed at apex, the 2 lateral lobes usually the longer, the center lobe usually lacerate, often thicker in texture; stamens 6-8, united to the corolla tube in 2 rows. Capsule 2 –locular, with one seed in each locule. Seeds dark brown or black, ellipsoid or ovoid, rarely globose, 0.5-3 mm long, usually densely pubescent. The genus has been divided into several genera none of which have distinct characteristics. Orange flowers turn pale yellow on drying, yellow ones bluish green; the pink or lavender ones remain the same color or fade slightly." <ref name="Radford"> Radford, Albert E., Harry E. Ahles, and C. Ritchie Bell. Manual of the Vascular Flora of the Carolinas. 1964, 1968. The University of North Carolina Press. 660. Print. </ref>
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"Herbs, whorled or alternate rarely opposite, entire leaves. Flowers lavender, pink, white or yellow, in racemes or spikes, terminating the branches or in terminal corymbs. Flowers perfect, zygomorphic, with 3 small sepals, frequently one of these slightly larger than the others, and 2 larger petaloid sepals (wigs). The 3 petals are united into a tube, 3-lobed at apex, the 2 lateral lobes usually the longer, the center lobe usually lacerate, often thicker in texture; stamens 6-8, united to the corolla tube in 2 rows. Capsule 2 –locular, with one seed in each locule. Seeds dark brown or black, ellipsoid or ovoid, rarely globose, 0.5-3 mm long, usually densely pubescent. The genus has been divided into several genera none of which have distinct characteristics. Orange flowers turn pale yellow on drying, yellow ones bluish green; the pink or lavender ones remain the same color or fade slightly."<ref name="Radford"> Radford, Albert E., Harry E. Ahles, and C. Ritchie Bell. Manual of the Vascular Flora of the Carolinas. 1964, 1968. The University of North Carolina Press. 660. Print. </ref>
  
"Similar to ''P. lutea''. 3-15 cm tall, with leaves mostly confined to a basal rosette; stem  leaves few. Flowers lemon yellow. Wings 7-8 mm long, long acuminate." <ref name="Radford"/>
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"Similar to ''P. lutea''. 3-15 cm tall, with leaves mostly confined to a basal rosette; stem  leaves few. Flowers lemon yellow. Wings 7-8 mm long, long acuminate."<ref name="Radford"/>
  
 
==Distribution==
 
==Distribution==
 
==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.-->
This species has been found in open, well-drained wiregrass-pine flatwoods and interdune swales growing on both dry and moist sands. <ref name="FSU Herbarium">Florida State University Robert K. Godfrey Herbarium database. URL: [http://herbarium.bio.fsu.edu http://herbarium.bio.fsu.edu]. Last accessed: July 2015.  Collectors: : Loran C. Anderson, Leon Neel, R. A. Norris, Robert K. Godfrey, Walter Kittredge, R. Komarek, Lisa Keppner. States and Counties: Florida: Franklin, Gadsden, Leon, Wakulla, Washington. Georgia: Grady, Thomas. Compiled by Tall Timbers Research Station and Land Conservancy.</ref> Observed species in sandhill longleaf pine habitat that has 1 to 3 year fire return intervals. Also seen near a cypress pond, about 1 to 2 feet from water’s edge of Pebble Hill Plantation C plots. (Michelle M. Smith – early summer 2014 and 2015).''P. nana'' has also been found growing along the sides of highways and in the wetlands of clear cut areas. <ref name="FSU Herbarium"/> Associated species include ''Pinus palustris'' and ''Aristida stricta.'' <ref name="FSU Herbarium"/>
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This species has been found in open, well-drained wiregrass-pine flatwoods and interdune swales growing on both dry and moist sands.<ref name="FSU Herbarium">Florida State University Robert K. Godfrey Herbarium database. URL: [http://herbarium.bio.fsu.edu http://herbarium.bio.fsu.edu]. Last accessed: July 2015.  Collectors: : Loran C. Anderson, Leon Neel, R. A. Norris, Robert K. Godfrey, Walter Kittredge, R. Komarek, Lisa Keppner. States and Counties: Florida: Franklin, Gadsden, Leon, Wakulla, Washington. Georgia: Grady, Thomas. Compiled by Tall Timbers Research Station and Land Conservancy.</ref> Observed species in sandhill longleaf pine habitat that has 1 to 3 year fire return intervals. Also seen near a cypress pond, about 1 to 2 feet from water’s edge of Pebble Hill Plantation C plots. (Michelle M. Smith – early summer 2014 and 2015).''P. nana'' has also been found growing along the sides of highways and in the wetlands of clear cut areas.<ref name="FSU Herbarium"/> Associated species include ''Pinus palustris'' and ''Aristida stricta.''<ref name="FSU Herbarium"/>
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''Polygala nana'' is an indicator species for the Upper Panhandle Savannas community type as described in Carr et al. (2010).<ref>Carr, S.C., K.M. Robertson, and R.K. Peet. 2010. A vegetation classification of fire-dependent pinelands of Florida. Castanea 75:153-189.</ref>
  
 
===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/ -->
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===Seed dispersal===
 
===Seed dispersal===
This species is thought to be dispersed by ants and/or explosive dehiscence. <ref>Kirkman, L. Katherine. Unpublished database of seed dispersal mode of plants found in Coastal Plain longleaf pine-grasslands of the Jones Ecological Research Center, Georgia.</ref>   
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This species is thought to be dispersed by ants and/or explosive dehiscence.<ref>Kirkman, L. Katherine. Unpublished database of seed dispersal mode of plants found in Coastal Plain longleaf pine-grasslands of the Jones Ecological Research Center, Georgia.</ref>   
 
<!--===Seed bank and germination===-->
 
<!--===Seed bank and germination===-->
<!--===Fire ecology===--> <!--Fire tolerance, fire dependence, adaptive fire responses-->
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===Fire ecology=== <!--Fire tolerance, fire dependence, adaptive fire responses-->
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Populations of ''Polygala nana'' have been known to persist through repeated annual burns.<ref>Robertson, K.M. Unpublished data collected from Pebble Hill Fire Plots, Pebble Hill Plantation, Thomasville, Georgia.</ref><ref>Platt, W.J., R. Carter, G. Nelson, W. Baker, S. Hermann, J. Kane, L. Anderson, M. Smith, K. Robertson. 2021. Unpublished species list of Wade Tract old-growth longleaf pine savanna, Thomasville, Georgia.</ref>
 
<!--===Pollination===-->  
 
<!--===Pollination===-->  
<!--===Use by animals===--> <!--Herbivory, granivory, insect hosting, etc.-->
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<!--===Herbivory and toxicology===<!--Common herbivores, granivory, insect hosting, poisonous chemicals, allelopathy, etc-->
 
<!--===Diseases and parasites===-->
 
<!--===Diseases and parasites===-->
  
==Conservation and management==
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==Conservation, cultivation, and restoration==
==Cultivation and restoration==
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==Cultural use==
 
==Photo Gallery==
 
==Photo Gallery==
 
<gallery widths=180px>
 
<gallery widths=180px>

Latest revision as of 10:32, 14 July 2023

Polygala nana
Polygala nana Gil.jpg
Photo taken by Gil Nelson
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta – Flowering plants
Class: Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons
Order: Polygalales
Family: Polygalaceae
Genus: Polygala
Species: P. nana
Binomial name
Polygala nana
(Michx.) DC.
POLY NANA dist.jpg
Natural range of Polygala nana from USDA NRCS Plants Database.

Common names: candyroot, dwarf milkwort

Taxonomic notes

Synonyms: Pilostaxis nana (Michaux) Rafinesque; Pylostachya nana (Michaux) Rafinesque[1]

Varieties: none[1]

Description

"Herbs, whorled or alternate rarely opposite, entire leaves. Flowers lavender, pink, white or yellow, in racemes or spikes, terminating the branches or in terminal corymbs. Flowers perfect, zygomorphic, with 3 small sepals, frequently one of these slightly larger than the others, and 2 larger petaloid sepals (wigs). The 3 petals are united into a tube, 3-lobed at apex, the 2 lateral lobes usually the longer, the center lobe usually lacerate, often thicker in texture; stamens 6-8, united to the corolla tube in 2 rows. Capsule 2 –locular, with one seed in each locule. Seeds dark brown or black, ellipsoid or ovoid, rarely globose, 0.5-3 mm long, usually densely pubescent. The genus has been divided into several genera none of which have distinct characteristics. Orange flowers turn pale yellow on drying, yellow ones bluish green; the pink or lavender ones remain the same color or fade slightly."[2]

"Similar to P. lutea. 3-15 cm tall, with leaves mostly confined to a basal rosette; stem leaves few. Flowers lemon yellow. Wings 7-8 mm long, long acuminate."[2]

Distribution

Ecology

Habitat

This species has been found in open, well-drained wiregrass-pine flatwoods and interdune swales growing on both dry and moist sands.[3] Observed species in sandhill longleaf pine habitat that has 1 to 3 year fire return intervals. Also seen near a cypress pond, about 1 to 2 feet from water’s edge of Pebble Hill Plantation C plots. (Michelle M. Smith – early summer 2014 and 2015).P. nana has also been found growing along the sides of highways and in the wetlands of clear cut areas.[3] Associated species include Pinus palustris and Aristida stricta.[3]

Polygala nana is an indicator species for the Upper Panhandle Savannas community type as described in Carr et al. (2010).[4]

Phenology

P. nana has been observed flowering from January to July with peak inflorescence in April.[3][5]

Seed dispersal

This species is thought to be dispersed by ants and/or explosive dehiscence.[6]

Fire ecology

Populations of Polygala nana have been known to persist through repeated annual burns.[7][8]

Conservation, cultivation, and restoration

Cultural use

Photo Gallery

References and notes

  1. 1.0 1.1 Weakley, A.S. 2020. Flora of the Southeastern United States. Edition of 20 October 2020. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
  2. 2.0 2.1 Radford, Albert E., Harry E. Ahles, and C. Ritchie Bell. Manual of the Vascular Flora of the Carolinas. 1964, 1968. The University of North Carolina Press. 660. Print.
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Florida State University Robert K. Godfrey Herbarium database. URL: http://herbarium.bio.fsu.edu. Last accessed: July 2015. Collectors: : Loran C. Anderson, Leon Neel, R. A. Norris, Robert K. Godfrey, Walter Kittredge, R. Komarek, Lisa Keppner. States and Counties: Florida: Franklin, Gadsden, Leon, Wakulla, Washington. Georgia: Grady, Thomas. Compiled by Tall Timbers Research Station and Land Conservancy.
  4. Carr, S.C., K.M. Robertson, and R.K. Peet. 2010. A vegetation classification of fire-dependent pinelands of Florida. Castanea 75:153-189.
  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: 12 DEC 2016
  6. Kirkman, L. Katherine. Unpublished database of seed dispersal mode of plants found in Coastal Plain longleaf pine-grasslands of the Jones Ecological Research Center, Georgia.
  7. Robertson, K.M. Unpublished data collected from Pebble Hill Fire Plots, Pebble Hill Plantation, Thomasville, Georgia.
  8. Platt, W.J., R. Carter, G. Nelson, W. Baker, S. Hermann, J. Kane, L. Anderson, M. Smith, K. Robertson. 2021. Unpublished species list of Wade Tract old-growth longleaf pine savanna, Thomasville, Georgia.