Hexastylis naniflora
Encyclopedia
Hexastylis naniflora is a rare species of flowering plant in the birthwort family
known by the common name dwarf-flowered heartleaf. It is endemic to the Piedmont
region of the United States, where it is limited to a small area straddling the border between North Carolina
and South Carolina
. It is a federally listed threatened species.
This is a rhizomatous
perennial herb forming a small patch on the ground, the leaves emerging from the underground rhizome. The evergreen leaves have leathery heart-shaped blades. The plant produces one new leaf per year. The fleshy brown flowers are jug
-shaped and may remain buried in the leaf litter.
This plant occurs in oak
-hickory
-pine
plant communities. It typically grows on slopes near streams in moist, acidic soils. It is associated with Kalmia latifolia
(mountain-laurel) and can often be found growing beneath it. It is associated with several species of oak, particularly Quercus coccinea (scarlet oak), Quercus montana (chestnut oak), and Quercus velutina (black oak).
The plant is known from eleven counties in southern North Carolina and northern South Carolina. In 2004 there were about 150 populations known, but many of these are very small. The main threat to the species is the loss and degradation of its habitat. Much of the plant's historical habitat has been converted to agriculture
, particularly peach
orchard
s, and developed into residential areas. Remaining populations can be found on land which is threatened by cattle grazing
, agriculture, expanding residential and commercial areas, timber
harvesting, and construction of pond
s and lake
s.
Aristolochiaceae
The Aristolochiaceae, or the Birthwort family, are a family of flowering plants with 7 genera and about 400 species belonging to the order Piperales...
known by the common name dwarf-flowered heartleaf. It is endemic to the Piedmont
Piedmont (United States)
The Piedmont is a plateau region located in the eastern United States between the Atlantic Coastal Plain and the main Appalachian Mountains, stretching from New Jersey in the north to central Alabama in the south. The Piedmont province is a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian division...
region of the United States, where it is limited to a small area straddling the border between North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
and South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
. It is a federally listed threatened species.
This is a rhizomatous
Rhizome
In botany and dendrology, a rhizome is a characteristically horizontal stem of a plant that is usually found underground, often sending out roots and shoots from its nodes...
perennial herb forming a small patch on the ground, the leaves emerging from the underground rhizome. The evergreen leaves have leathery heart-shaped blades. The plant produces one new leaf per year. The fleshy brown flowers are jug
Jug (container)
A jug is a type of container used to hold liquid. It has an opening, often narrow, from which to pour or drink, and nearly always has a handle. One could imagine a jug being made from nearly any watertight material, but most jugs throughout history have been made from clay, glass, or plastic...
-shaped and may remain buried in the leaf litter.
This plant occurs in oak
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
-hickory
Hickory
Trees in the genus Carya are commonly known as hickory, derived from the Powhatan language of Virginia. The genus includes 17–19 species of deciduous trees with pinnately compound leaves and big nuts...
-pine
Pine
Pines are trees in the genus Pinus ,in the family Pinaceae. They make up the monotypic subfamily Pinoideae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authorities accept between 105 and 125 species.-Etymology:...
plant communities. It typically grows on slopes near streams in moist, acidic soils. It is associated with Kalmia latifolia
Kalmia latifolia
Kalmia latifolia, commonly called Mountain-laurel or Spoonwood, is a species of flowering plant in the blueberry family, Ericaceae, that is native to the eastern United States. Its range stretches from southern Maine south to northern Florida, and west to Indiana and Louisiana. Mountain-laurel is...
(mountain-laurel) and can often be found growing beneath it. It is associated with several species of oak, particularly Quercus coccinea (scarlet oak), Quercus montana (chestnut oak), and Quercus velutina (black oak).
The plant is known from eleven counties in southern North Carolina and northern South Carolina. In 2004 there were about 150 populations known, but many of these are very small. The main threat to the species is the loss and degradation of its habitat. Much of the plant's historical habitat has been converted to agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
, particularly peach
Peach
The peach tree is a deciduous tree growing to tall and 6 in. in diameter, belonging to the subfamily Prunoideae of the family Rosaceae. It bears an edible juicy fruit called a peach...
orchard
Orchard
An orchard is an intentional planting of trees or shrubs that is maintained for food production. Orchards comprise fruit or nut-producing trees which are grown for commercial production. Orchards are also sometimes a feature of large gardens, where they serve an aesthetic as well as a productive...
s, and developed into residential areas. Remaining populations can be found on land which is threatened by cattle grazing
Grazing
Grazing generally describes a type of feeding, in which a herbivore feeds on plants , and also on other multicellular autotrophs...
, agriculture, expanding residential and commercial areas, timber
Timber
Timber may refer to:* Timber, a term common in the United Kingdom and Australia for wood materials * Timber, Oregon, an unincorporated community in the U.S...
harvesting, and construction of pond
Pond
A pond is a body of standing water, either natural or man-made, that is usually smaller than a lake. A wide variety of man-made bodies of water are classified as ponds, including water gardens, water features and koi ponds; all designed for aesthetic ornamentation as landscape or architectural...
s and lake
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
s.