Liatris ohlingerae
Encyclopedia
Liatris ohlingerae is a rare species of flowering plant
in the aster family
known by the common names Florida blazing star, Florida gayfeather, scrub blazing star, and sandtorch. It is endemic to Florida
in the United States
, where it occurs only on the Lake Wales Ridge
along with many other rare plants. It is threatened by the loss and degradation of its habitat, and it is federally listed as an endangered species
.
This is a perennial herb growing 30 centimeters to one meter in height from a cylindrical corm
. The glandular leaves are linear in shape and the longest near the base of the plant may reach 15 centimeters long. The inflorescence
is a flower head
containing up to 30 disc florets. It is lined with purple-edged green phyllaries
and contains tubular lavender corollas.
This plant grows in Florida scrub
habitat on the Lake Wales Ridge of Central Florida
. It grows on rosemary balds in areas of sand pine scrub, open areas where sunlight reaches through the canopy of taller vegetation. It also grows in the ecotone
between open sunny areas and shaded understory
, showing some preference for shade. It often grows beneath Florida rosemary
(Ceratiola ericoides) bushes, and is apparently resistant to the allelopathic
compounds the rosemary produces. It is pollinated
by butterflies
. This relationship is necessary for the plant's reproduction, because it is self-incompatible
, unable to fertilize itself. The plant is relatively long-lived, often living over nine years.
Herbivory often impacts the plant. Its flower production is reduced as the plants are "topped" by browsing vertebrates, particularly white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). Up to 30% of flower buds are consumed by boring insects. After the seeds are dispersed
they are heavily predated by insects and vertebrates.
As of 2009 there were 91 occurrences of the plant. Some are on protected land, so their habitat will not be lost to development or agriculture
. However, even protected land is often improperly managed. It lacks the natural fire regime
on which the Florida scrub ecosystem
depends. When fire burns the habitat, this plant can resprout from its corm.
Flowering plant
The flowering plants , also known as Angiospermae or Magnoliophyta, are the most diverse group of land plants. Angiosperms are seed-producing plants like the gymnosperms and can be distinguished from the gymnosperms by a series of synapomorphies...
in the aster family
Asteraceae
The Asteraceae or Compositae , is an exceedingly large and widespread family of vascular plants. The group has more than 22,750 currently accepted species, spread across 1620 genera and 12 subfamilies...
known by the common names Florida blazing star, Florida gayfeather, scrub blazing star, and sandtorch. It is endemic to Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, where it occurs only on the Lake Wales Ridge
Lake Wales Ridge
The Lake Wales Ridge is a low ridge running for about 150 miles south to north in Central Florida. The greater part of the ridge is in Highlands County and Polk County, but it extends north into Osceola, Orange and Lake Counties. It is named for the city of Lake Wales, roughly at the mid point of...
along with many other rare plants. It is threatened by the loss and degradation of its habitat, and it is 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...
.
This is a perennial herb growing 30 centimeters to one meter in height from a cylindrical corm
Corm
A corm is a short, vertical, swollen underground plant stem that serves as a storage organ used by some plants to survive winter or other adverse conditions such as summer drought and heat ....
. The glandular leaves are linear in shape and the longest near the base of the plant may reach 15 centimeters long. 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 flower head
Head (botany)
The capitulum is considered the most derived form of inflorescence. Flower heads found outside Asteraceae show lesser degrees of specialization....
containing up to 30 disc florets. It is lined with purple-edged green phyllaries
Bract
In botany, a bract is a modified or specialized leaf, especially one associated with a reproductive structure such as a flower, inflorescence axis, or cone scale. Bracts are often different from foliage leaves. They may be smaller, larger, or of a different color, shape, or texture...
and contains tubular lavender corollas.
This plant grows in Florida scrub
Florida scrub
Florida scrub is an endangered temperate coniferous forest ecoregion of the state of Florida in the United States. It is found on coastal and inland sand ridges and is characterized by a xeromorphic plant community dominated by shrubs and dwarf oaks. Scrub soils, a type of entisol, are derived...
habitat on the Lake Wales Ridge of Central Florida
Central Florida
Central Florida is a regional designation for the area surrounding Orlando in east central Florida, United States. The area represents the third largest population concentration in Florida, after the South Florida and Tampa Bay regions, respectively....
. It grows on rosemary balds in areas of sand pine scrub, open areas where sunlight reaches through the canopy of taller vegetation. It also grows in the ecotone
Ecotone
An ecotone is a transition area between two biomes but different patches of the landscape, such as forest and grassland. It may be narrow or wide, and it may be local or regional...
between open sunny areas and shaded understory
Understory
Understory is the term for the area of a forest which grows at the lowest height level below the forest canopy. Plants in the understory consist of a mixture of seedlings and saplings of canopy trees together with understory shrubs and herbs...
, showing some preference for shade. It often grows beneath Florida rosemary
Ceratiola ericoides
The Sandhill-rosemary, Florida-rosemary or Sand heath, Ceratiola ericoides, is a shrub usually included in the plant family Ericaceae, though treated by some botanists in the Empetraceae....
(Ceratiola ericoides) bushes, and is apparently resistant to the allelopathic
Allelopathy
Allelopathy is a biological phenomenon by which an organism produces one or more biochemicals that influence the growth, survival, and reproduction of other organisms. These biochemicals are known as allelochemicals and can have beneficial or detrimental effects on the target organisms...
compounds the rosemary produces. It is pollinated
Pollination
Pollination is the process by which pollen is transferred in plants, thereby enabling fertilisation and sexual reproduction. Pollen grains transport the male gametes to where the female gamete are contained within the carpel; in gymnosperms the pollen is directly applied to the ovule itself...
by butterflies
Butterfly
A butterfly is a mainly day-flying insect of the order Lepidoptera, which includes the butterflies and moths. Like other holometabolous insects, the butterfly's life cycle consists of four parts: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Most species are diurnal. Butterflies have large, often brightly coloured...
. This relationship is necessary for the plant's reproduction, because it is self-incompatible
Self-incompatibility in plants
Self-incompatibility is a general name for several genetic mechanisms in angiosperms, which prevent self-fertilization and thus encourage outcrossing...
, unable to fertilize itself. The plant is relatively long-lived, often living over nine years.
Herbivory often impacts the plant. Its flower production is reduced as the plants are "topped" by browsing vertebrates, particularly white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). Up to 30% of flower buds are consumed by boring insects. After the seeds are dispersed
Seed dispersal
Seed dispersal is the movement or transport of seeds away from the parent plant. Plants have limited mobility and consequently rely upon a variety of dispersal vectors to transport their propagules, including both abiotic and biotic vectors. Seeds can be dispersed away from the parent plant...
they are heavily predated by insects and vertebrates.
As of 2009 there were 91 occurrences of the plant. Some are on protected land, so their habitat will not be lost to development or 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...
. However, even protected land is often improperly managed. It lacks the natural fire regime
Fire regime
A fire regime is the pattern, frequency and intensity of the bushfires and wildfires that prevails in an area. It is an integral part of fire ecology, and renewal for certain types of ecosystems. If fires are too frequent, plants may be killed before they have matured, or before they have set...
on which the Florida scrub ecosystem
Ecosystem
An ecosystem is a biological environment consisting of all the organisms living in a particular area, as well as all the nonliving , physical components of the environment with which the organisms interact, such as air, soil, water and sunlight....
depends. When fire burns the habitat, this plant can resprout from its corm.