Deeringothamnus rugelii
Encyclopedia
Deeringothamnus rugelii is a rare species of flowering plant in the custard apple family
known by the common names Rugel's pawpaw, Rugel's false pawpaw, and yellow squirrel banana. It is endemic to Volusia County, Florida
, in the United States, where there are fewer than 5000 plants remaining in severely fragmented
habitat
. The main threat to this species is habitat destruction and degradation. It was federally listed as an endangered species
in 1986.
Rugel's pawpaw is one of two species in the genus Deeringothamnus. It can be differentiated from Deeringothamnus pulchellus
by the width, shape, and color of its petal
s. This species is a small shrub
growing not more than half a meter tall from a taproot
. The leathery leaf blades are somewhat oblong or lance-shaped and measure up to 7 centimeters in length. The inflorescence
is a solitary flower nodding or held upright on a short peduncle
. The lightly scented flowers have usually six fleshy yellow, cream, or purple petals that measure 2 or 3 centimeters long. The fragrance of the flowers has been described as "rubber
y", and is caused by several compounds, including ethyl benzoate
, trans-β-ocimene
, limonene
, and germacrene
. The fruit is a large yellow-green berry
that may be up to 6 centimeters long. One flower may yield several fruits. The berry contains a few seeds each about a centimeter long or slightly larger. This plant sometimes hybridizes with its relative, Asimina pygmaea.
This plant occurs in slash pine woods on wet, sandy substrates among other plant species, including saw palmetto, fetterbush (Lyonia lucida), shiny blueberry (Vaccinium myrsinites), dwarf live oak
(Quercus minima), and wiregrass
(Aristida stricta). It is limited to Volusia County, where there are perhaps 23 occurrences remaining. Some of them are within the bounds of Tiger Bay State Forest
. The region becoming ever more urban
ized and developed, with wild habitat claimed for residential, commercial, and agricultural purposes, including pine plantations and turfgrass farms. Remaining fragments of land are degraded by a number of processes, especially fire suppression. The habitat is naturally maintained by periodic wildfire
, and this plant is fire-dependent. It requires fire to clear larger vegetation and brush away so it can receive adequate sunlight. It has also been demonstrated that fire increases the plant's flower production. Other threats to the habitat and its plants include exotic plant species
such as Bahia grass (Paspalum notatum).
Annonaceae
Annonaceae, also called the custard apple familyis a family of flowering plants consisting of trees, shrubs or rarely lianas.With about 2300 to 2500 species and more than 130 genera,...
known by the common names Rugel's pawpaw, Rugel's false pawpaw, and yellow squirrel banana. It is endemic to Volusia County, Florida
Volusia County, Florida
Volusia County is a county located in the state of Florida. The U.S. Census Bureau 2010 official county's population was 494,593 . Its county seat is DeLand, and its most populous city is currently Deltona....
, in the United States, where there are fewer than 5000 plants remaining in severely fragmented
Habitat fragmentation
Habitat fragmentation as the name implies, describes the emergence of discontinuities in an organism's preferred environment , causing population fragmentation...
habitat
Habitat
* Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows*Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play** Space habitat, a space station intended as a permanent settlement...
. The main threat to this species is habitat destruction and degradation. It was federally listed as an endangered species
Endangered species
An endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...
in 1986.
Rugel's pawpaw is one of two species in the genus Deeringothamnus. It can be differentiated from Deeringothamnus pulchellus
Deeringothamnus pulchellus
Deeringothamnus pulchellus is a rare species of flowering plant in the custard apple family known by the common names beautiful pawpaw, royal false pawpaw, and white squirrel banana. It is endemic to Florida in the United States, where there are perhaps 5000 plants remaining in severely fragmented...
by the width, shape, and color of its petal
Petal
Petals are modified leaves that surround the reproductive parts of flowers. They often are brightly colored or unusually shaped to attract pollinators. Together, all of the petals of a flower are called a corolla. Petals are usually accompanied by another set of special leaves called sepals lying...
s. This species is a small shrub
Shrub
A shrub or bush is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 5–6 m tall. A large number of plants may become either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...
growing not more than half a meter tall from a taproot
Taproot
A taproot is an enlarged, somewhat straight to tapering plant root that grows vertically downward. It forms a center from which other roots sprout laterally.Plants with taproots are difficult to transplant...
. The leathery leaf blades are somewhat oblong or lance-shaped and measure up to 7 centimeters in length. The inflorescence
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
is a solitary flower nodding or held upright on a short peduncle
Peduncle (botany)
In botany, a peduncle is a stem supporting an inflorescence, or after fecundation, an infructescence.The peduncle is a stem, usually green and without leaves, though sometimes colored or supporting small leaves...
. The lightly scented flowers have usually six fleshy yellow, cream, or purple petals that measure 2 or 3 centimeters long. The fragrance of the flowers has been described as "rubber
Rubber
Natural rubber, also called India rubber or caoutchouc, is an elastomer that was originally derived from latex, a milky colloid produced by some plants. The plants would be ‘tapped’, that is, an incision made into the bark of the tree and the sticky, milk colored latex sap collected and refined...
y", and is caused by several compounds, including ethyl benzoate
Ethyl benzoate
Ethyl benzoate, C9H10O2, is the ester formed by the condensation of benzoic acid and ethanol. It is a colorless liquid that is almost insoluble in water, but miscible with most organic solvents....
, trans-β-ocimene
Ocimene
Ocimene refers to several isomeric hydrocarbons. The ocimenes are monoterpenes found within a variety of plants and fruits. α-Ocimene and the two β-ocimenes differ in the position of the isolated double bond: it is terminal in the alpha isomer. α-Ocimene is 3,7-dimethyl-1,3,7-octatriene. ...
, limonene
Limonene
Limonene is a colourless liquid hydrocarbon classified as a cyclic terpene. The more common D isomer possesses a strong smell of oranges. It is used in chemical synthesis as a precursor to carvone and as a renewably-based solvent in cleaning products....
, and germacrene
Germacrene
Germacrenes are a class of volatile organic hydrocarbons, specifically, sesquiterpenes. Germacrenes are typically produced in a number plant species for their antimicrobial and insecticidal properties, though they also play a role as insect pheromones...
. The fruit is a large yellow-green berry
Berry
The botanical definition of a berry is a fleshy fruit produced from a single ovary. Grapes are an example. The berry is the most common type of fleshy fruit in which the entire ovary wall ripens into an edible pericarp. They may have one or more carpels with a thin covering and fleshy interiors....
that may be up to 6 centimeters long. One flower may yield several fruits. The berry contains a few seeds each about a centimeter long or slightly larger. This plant sometimes hybridizes with its relative, Asimina pygmaea.
This plant occurs in slash pine woods on wet, sandy substrates among other plant species, including saw palmetto, fetterbush (Lyonia lucida), shiny blueberry (Vaccinium myrsinites), dwarf live oak
Quercus minima
Quercus minima, the Dwarf Live Oak, is a rhizomatous oak tree. Growth is shrub-like, with it commonly forming extensive cloned colonies. Leaves are alternate, simple, and entire or with irregular teeth or lobes. Lobes when present are usually spine tipped. Leaves are retained through the winter,...
(Quercus minima), and wiregrass
Aristida stricta
Aristida stricta is a warm-season grass, native to North America, that dominates understory vegetation in sandhills and flatwoods coastal plain ecosystems of the Southeastern United States...
(Aristida stricta). It is limited to Volusia County, where there are perhaps 23 occurrences remaining. Some of them are within the bounds of Tiger Bay State Forest
Tiger Bay State Forest
The Tiger Bay State Forest is in the U.S. state of Florida. The forest is located in Volusia County, Florida, between Daytona Beach and DeLand.-History:...
. The region becoming ever more urban
Urban area
An urban area is characterized by higher population density and vast human features in comparison to areas surrounding it. Urban areas may be cities, towns or conurbations, but the term is not commonly extended to rural settlements such as villages and hamlets.Urban areas are created and further...
ized and developed, with wild habitat claimed for residential, commercial, and agricultural purposes, including pine plantations and turfgrass farms. Remaining fragments of land are degraded by a number of processes, especially fire suppression. The habitat is naturally maintained by periodic wildfire
Wildfire
A wildfire is any uncontrolled fire in combustible vegetation that occurs in the countryside or a wilderness area. Other names such as brush fire, bushfire, forest fire, desert fire, grass fire, hill fire, squirrel fire, vegetation fire, veldfire, and wilkjjofire may be used to describe the same...
, and this plant is fire-dependent. It requires fire to clear larger vegetation and brush away so it can receive adequate sunlight. It has also been demonstrated that fire increases the plant's flower production. Other threats to the habitat and its plants include exotic plant species
Introduced species
An introduced species — or neozoon, alien, exotic, non-indigenous, or non-native species, or simply an introduction, is a species living outside its indigenous or native distributional range, and has arrived in an ecosystem or plant community by human activity, either deliberate or accidental...
such as Bahia grass (Paspalum notatum).