Agalinis acuta
Encyclopedia
Agalinis acuta is an annual hemiparasitic plant
plant native to Maryland
, Massachusetts
, Rhode Island
, Connecticut
, and Long Island
, New York
. Common names include sandplain gerardia and sandplain false foxglove. It is one of about 70 species
that comprise genus
Agalinis
. It currently resides within the family Orobanchaceae
, but historically was aligned with members of the Scrophulariaceae
. This was one of several re-alignments that were the consequence of the disintegration of the Scrophulariaceae
as the result of conclusions based on molecular phylogeny
data from the chloroplast genome
.
Agalinis acuta received federal protection on public lands upon being listed as in 1987 under the Endangered Species Act
. Threats to extinction mentioned in the report listing the species were those that are characteristics of most threatened species; habitat fragmentation
, lack of regulatory mechanisms protecting the species, and overexploitation
for commercial or academic purposes.
This annual herb grows up to 35 or 40 centimeters tall. The leaves are linear in shape, up to 2.5 centimeters long and one millimeter wide. Flowers are borne on pedicels
one or two centimeters long. Each flower has a hairy tubular calyx of sepal
s with triangular lobes. The flower corolla is up to 1.3 centimeters long with a tubular throat and rounded, notched lobes. It is pink with a red-spotted white throat. Flowers occur in late summer and early fall, and the flower withers after one day, often less than a full day. The flowers are self-compatible.
This plant occurs in sandy coastal plain
habitat in poor, dry soils. It is a member of sandplain
grassland
communities and openings in coniferous forest. It thrives in areas that have been disturbed by processes such as grazing
or fire, clearing out most other vegetation. Two populations grow in cemeteries
that are constantly landscaped
.
There are 22 or 23 occurrences, the population numbers fluctuating year to year. The species is threatened by the loss of its habitat to development, and alteration of remaining habitat. The plant requires open space on clear ground, and it does not do well if litter
and vegetation builds up or trees grow and form a shady canopy. Some populations of the plant are actually tended by allowing sheep to graze in their habitat.
Parasitic plant
A parasitic plant is one that derives some or all of its sustenance from another plant. About 4,100 species in approximately 19 families of flowering plants are known. Parasitic plants have a modified root, the haustorium, that penetrates the host plant and connects to the xylem, phloem, or...
plant native to Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
, Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
, and Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. Common names include sandplain gerardia and sandplain false foxglove. It is one of about 70 species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
that comprise genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
Agalinis
Agalinis
Agalinis Raf. is a genus of about 70 species in North, Central, and South America that until recently was aligned with members of the family Scrophulariaceae. As a result of numerous molecular phylogenetic studies based on various chloroplast DNA loci, it was shown to be more closely related to...
. It currently resides within the family Orobanchaceae
Orobanchaceae
Orobanchaceae, the broomrape family, is a family of flowering plants of the order Lamiales, with about 90 genera and more than 2000 species. Many of these genera were formerly included in the family Scrophulariaceae sensu lato...
, but historically was aligned with members of the Scrophulariaceae
Scrophulariaceae
Scrophulariaceae, the figwort family, are a family of flowering plants. The plants are annual or perennial herbs with flowers with bilateral or rarely radial symmetry. Members of the Scrophulariaceae have a cosmopolitan distribution, with the majority found in temperate areas, including...
. This was one of several re-alignments that were the consequence of the disintegration of the Scrophulariaceae
Scrophulariaceae
Scrophulariaceae, the figwort family, are a family of flowering plants. The plants are annual or perennial herbs with flowers with bilateral or rarely radial symmetry. Members of the Scrophulariaceae have a cosmopolitan distribution, with the majority found in temperate areas, including...
as the result of conclusions based on molecular phylogeny
Molecular phylogeny
Molecular phylogenetics is the analysis of hereditary molecular differences, mainly in DNA sequences, to gain information on an organism's evolutionary relationships. The result of a molecular phylogenetic analysis is expressed in a phylogenetic tree...
data from the chloroplast genome
Genome
In modern molecular biology and genetics, the genome is the entirety of an organism's hereditary information. It is encoded either in DNA or, for many types of virus, in RNA. The genome includes both the genes and the non-coding sequences of the DNA/RNA....
.
Agalinis acuta received federal protection on public lands upon being listed as in 1987 under the Endangered Species Act
Endangered Species Act
The Endangered Species Act of 1973 is one of the dozens of United States environmental laws passed in the 1970s. Signed into law by President Richard Nixon on December 28, 1973, it was designed to protect critically imperiled species from extinction as a "consequence of economic growth and...
. Threats to extinction mentioned in the report listing the species were those that are characteristics of most threatened species; habitat fragmentation
Habitat fragmentation
Habitat fragmentation as the name implies, describes the emergence of discontinuities in an organism's preferred environment , causing population fragmentation...
, lack of regulatory mechanisms protecting the species, and overexploitation
Overexploitation
Overexploitation, also called overharvesting, refers to harvesting a renewable resource to the point of diminishing returns. Sustained overexploitation can lead to the destruction of the resource...
for commercial or academic purposes.
This annual herb grows up to 35 or 40 centimeters tall. The leaves are linear in shape, up to 2.5 centimeters long and one millimeter wide. Flowers are borne on pedicels
Pedicel (botany)
A pedicel is a stem that attaches single flowers to the main stem of the inflorescence. It is the branches or stalks that hold each flower in an inflorescence that contains more than one flower....
one or two centimeters long. Each flower has a hairy tubular calyx of sepal
Sepal
A sepal is a part of the flower of angiosperms . Collectively the sepals form the calyx, which is the outermost whorl of parts that form a flower. Usually green, sepals have the typical function of protecting the petals when the flower is in bud...
s with triangular lobes. The flower corolla is up to 1.3 centimeters long with a tubular throat and rounded, notched lobes. It is pink with a red-spotted white throat. Flowers occur in late summer and early fall, and the flower withers after one day, often less than a full day. The flowers are self-compatible.
This plant occurs in sandy coastal plain
Coastal plain
A coastal plain is an area of flat, low-lying land adjacent to a seacoast and separated from the interior by other features. One of the world's longest coastal plains is located in eastern South America. The southwestern coastal plain of North America is notable for its species diversity...
habitat in poor, dry soils. It is a member of sandplain
Pine barrens
Pine barrens, pine plains, sand plains, or pinelands occur throughout the northeastern U.S. from New Jersey to Maine as well as the Midwest and Canada....
grassland
Grassland
Grasslands are areas where the vegetation is dominated by grasses and other herbaceous plants . However, sedge and rush families can also be found. Grasslands occur naturally on all continents except Antarctica...
communities and openings in coniferous forest. It thrives in areas that have been disturbed by processes such as grazing
Grazing
Grazing generally describes a type of feeding, in which a herbivore feeds on plants , and also on other multicellular autotrophs...
or fire, clearing out most other vegetation. Two populations grow in cemeteries
Cemetery
A cemetery is a place in which dead bodies and cremated remains are buried. The term "cemetery" implies that the land is specifically designated as a burying ground. Cemeteries in the Western world are where the final ceremonies of death are observed...
that are constantly landscaped
Landscaping
Landscaping refers to any activity that modifies the visible features of an area of land, including:# living elements, such as flora or fauna; or what is commonly referred to as gardening, the art and craft of growing plants with a goal of creating a beautiful environment within the landscape.#...
.
There are 22 or 23 occurrences, the population numbers fluctuating year to year. The species is threatened by the loss of its habitat to development, and alteration of remaining habitat. The plant requires open space on clear ground, and it does not do well if litter
Plant litter
Plant litter, leaf litter or tree litter is dead plant material, such as leaves, bark, needles, and twigs, that has fallen to the ground. Litter provides habitat for small animals, fungi, and plants, and the material may be used to construct nests. As litter decomposes, nutrients are released to...
and vegetation builds up or trees grow and form a shady canopy. Some populations of the plant are actually tended by allowing sheep to graze in their habitat.