Polygonella myriophylla
Encyclopedia
Polygonella myriophylla is a rare species of flowering plant in the knotweed family
known by the common names sandlace, woody wireweed, and Small's jointweed. It is endemic to Florida
in the United States, where it is limited to the central ridges of the peninsula, including the Lake Wales Ridge
. It is threatened by the loss and degradation of its habitat. It is a federally listed endangered species
of the United States.
This plant is a mat-forming subshrub
which spreads along the ground and grows up to 2 meters long. The sprawling branches have shreddy bark. The leaves are needle-like and under a centimeter long. The small inflorescence
contains white, pink or yellow flowers each 1 or 2 millimeters long. The plant reproduces sexually
via its seeds and vegetatively
by cloning. It engages in allelopathy
, the release of chemicals including gallic acid
and hydroquinone
, to prevent other plants from growing directly next to it. Visitors to the flowers include the bee Dialectus placidensis, the shore fly Allotrichoma abdominalis, and the hairstreak butterfly Hemiargus ceraunus.
This plant is a member of the Florida scrub
plant community. It occurs in dry white-sand scrub dominated by Florida rosemary, as well as oak scrub, flatwoods
, roadsides, and occasionally sandhill
s.
Threats to this species include the destruction of its habitat during the conversion to residential and agricultural property, particularly citrus
groves. Fire suppression may have a negative effect on this plant, because it is adapted to a habitat that depends on wildfire
.
As of 2010 there were 140 occurrences. It is difficult to count or estimate the number of individuals, because what may appear to be many separate individuals may be the clones of one plant.
Polygonaceae
Polygonaceae is a family of flowering plants known informally as the "knotweed family" or "smartweed family"— "buckwheat family" in the United States. The name is based on the genus Polygonum and was first used by Antoine Laurent de Jussieu in 1789 in his book, Genera Plantarum. The name refers...
known by the common names sandlace, woody wireweed, and Small's jointweed. 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, where it is limited to the central ridges of the peninsula, including 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...
. It is threatened by the loss and degradation of its habitat. It is a federally listed 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...
of the United States.
This plant is a mat-forming subshrub
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...
which spreads along the ground and grows up to 2 meters long. The sprawling branches have shreddy bark. The leaves are needle-like and under a centimeter long. The small 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...
contains white, pink or yellow flowers each 1 or 2 millimeters long. The plant reproduces sexually
Sexual reproduction
Sexual reproduction is the creation of a new organism by combining the genetic material of two organisms. There are two main processes during sexual reproduction; they are: meiosis, involving the halving of the number of chromosomes; and fertilization, involving the fusion of two gametes and the...
via its seeds and vegetatively
Vegetative reproduction
Vegetative reproduction is a form of asexual reproduction in plants. It is a process by which new individuals arise without production of seeds or spores...
by cloning. It engages in allelopathy
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...
, the release of chemicals including gallic acid
Gallic acid
Gallic acid is a trihydroxybenzoic acid, a type of phenolic acid, a type of organic acid, also known as 3,4,5-trihydroxybenzoic acid, found in gallnuts, sumac, witch hazel, tea leaves, oak bark, and other plants. The chemical formula is C6H23COOH. Gallic acid is found both free and as part of...
and hydroquinone
Hydroquinone
Hydroquinone, also benzene-1,4-diol or quinol, is an aromatic organic compound that is a type of phenol, having the chemical formula C6H42. Its chemical structure, shown in the table at right, has two hydroxyl groups bonded to a benzene ring in a para position. It is a white granular solid...
, to prevent other plants from growing directly next to it. Visitors to the flowers include the bee Dialectus placidensis, the shore fly Allotrichoma abdominalis, and the hairstreak butterfly Hemiargus ceraunus.
This plant is a member of the 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...
plant community. It occurs in dry white-sand scrub dominated by Florida rosemary, as well as oak scrub, flatwoods
Flatwoods
Flatwoods, Pineywoods, Longleaf Pine-Wiregrass Ecosystem refers to an ecological community in the Southeastern coastal plain of North America...
, roadsides, and occasionally sandhill
Sandhill
A sandhill is a type of ecological community or xeric wildfire-maintained ecosystem. It is not the same as a sand dune. It features very short fire return intervals, one to five years. Without fire, sandhills undergo ecological succession and become more oak dominated.Entisols are the typical...
s.
Threats to this species include the destruction of its habitat during the conversion to residential and agricultural property, particularly citrus
Citrus
Citrus is a common term and genus of flowering plants in the rue family, Rutaceae. Citrus is believed to have originated in the part of Southeast Asia bordered by Northeastern India, Myanmar and the Yunnan province of China...
groves. Fire suppression may have a negative effect on this plant, because it is adapted to a habitat that depends on 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...
.
As of 2010 there were 140 occurrences. It is difficult to count or estimate the number of individuals, because what may appear to be many separate individuals may be the clones of one plant.