Rugel's pawpaw facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Rugel's pawpaw |
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| Conservation status | |
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| Genus: |
Asimina
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| Species: |
rugelii
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The Asimina rugelii is a very rare flowering plant. People often call it Rugel's pawpaw, Rugel's false pawpaw, or yellow squirrel banana. It belongs to the custard apple family. This plant grows only in Volusia County, Florida, in the United States. There are fewer than 5,000 of these plants left. Their homes are broken up into small pieces, which means they are in danger. The biggest threat to this plant is that its natural areas are being destroyed or damaged. Because it is so rare, the government listed it as an endangered species in 1986.
Contents
What is Rugel's Pawpaw?
This plant used to be in a different group called Deeringothamnus. But after scientists studied its family tree, they moved it back into the Asimina group. You can tell it apart from a similar plant, Asimina pulchella, by looking at its petals. Its petals are different in size, shape, and color.
Plant Size and Leaves
Rugel's pawpaw is a small shrub. It usually grows less than half a meter (about 20 inches) tall. It has a long main root called a taproot that goes deep into the ground. Its leaves are tough and feel like leather. They are shaped a bit like an oval or a spear and can be up to 7 centimeters (about 2.8 inches) long.
Flowers and Fruit
The plant has single flowers that hang down or stand up straight on a short stem. These flowers have a light smell. They usually have six thick petals that are yellow, cream, or sometimes purple. Each petal is about 2 or 3 centimeters (about 1 inch) long. Some people say the flowers smell like "rubber". This smell comes from special chemicals inside the flower.
After the flower blooms, it can grow into a large, yellow-green berry. This fruit can be up to 6 centimeters (about 2.4 inches) long. One flower can even make several fruits! Inside the berry, there are a few seeds. Each seed is about a centimeter (about 0.4 inches) long or a bit bigger. Sometimes, this plant can mix with its relative, Asimina pygmaea, to create a hybrid plant.
Where Does Rugel's Pawpaw Live?
This plant lives in slash pine forests. It prefers wet, sandy ground. It often grows among other plants like saw palmetto, fetterbush (Lyonia lucida), shiny blueberry (Vaccinium myrsinites), dwarf live oak (Quercus minima), and wiregrass (Aristida stricta).
Its Home in Florida
Rugel's pawpaw is only found in Volusia County, Florida. There are probably only about 23 places left where it grows. Some of these places are inside Tiger Bay State Forest. However, the area around Volusia County is becoming more and more developed. Wild areas are being turned into homes, shops, and farms. This includes pine plantations and farms that grow turfgrass for lawns.
Why Its Home Is in Danger
The remaining small pieces of land where Rugel's pawpaw lives are getting damaged. One big problem is that wildfires are stopped. This plant's home naturally needs fires to stay healthy. Fires help clear away bigger plants and brush. This allows the pawpaw to get enough sunlight. Scientists have also shown that fires help the plant make more flowers. Other things that threaten the plant's home include plants from other places, like Bahia grass (Paspalum notatum). These new plants can take over and harm the native plants.
See also
In Spanish: Deeringothamnus rugelii para niños
