Physaria globosa is a species of flowering plant in the mustard family

Brassicaceae

Brassicaceae, a medium sized and economically important family of flowering plants , are informally known as the mustards, mustard flowers, the crucifers or the cabbage family....

 commonly known as Globe bladderpod. It is native to Indiana

Indiana

Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...

, Kentucky

Kentucky

The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...

, and Tennessee

Tennessee

Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...

, with an unverified report from Ohio

Ohio

Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...

. It is a rare species throughout its range and currently a candidate for listing 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...

.

Overview

Physaria globosa is a small plant covered with dense hairs giving it a grayish appearance. It produces yellow flowers in the spring, and its fruit is globe-shaped. Its preferred habitat is dry limestone cliffs, barrens, cedar glades, steep wooded slopes, and talus areas. Some have also been found in areas of deeper soil and roadsides.

Physaria globosa is thought to have greatly declined throughout its range. Niche

Ecological niche

In ecology, a niche is a term describing the relational position of a species or population in its ecosystem to each other; e.g. a dolphin could potentially be in another ecological niche from one that travels in a different pod if the members of these pods utilize significantly different food...

 competition from invasive

Invasive species

"Invasive species", or invasive exotics, is a nomenclature term and categorization phrase used for flora and fauna, and for specific restoration-preservation processes in native habitats, with several definitions....

Brassicaceae along with human construction have decreased its available habitat. It is also likely that trails of native large herbivores may have promoted habitat for this species in historic times. Today there are only 33 known locations for this species, with a total estimate of 2000 individual plants. Lack of suitable areas to colonize have made these small populations vulnerable to extirpation.