Highlands scrub hypericum facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Highlands scrub hypericum |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Hypericum
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| Species: |
cumulicola
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| Synonyms | |
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Sanidophyllum cumulicola Small (basionym) |
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Hypericum cumulicola is a very special flowering plant. It is also known as the highlands scrub hypericum or highlands scrub St. John's wort. This plant is super rare! It only grows in one place: Florida. Because its home is disappearing, it is an endangered species in the United States.
Contents
About the Highlands Scrub St. John's Wort
This plant is a type of herb that lives for many years. It has thin, sometimes woody, stems. These stems can grow up to about 60 centimeters (about 2 feet) long. The plant grows from a deep main root called a taproot.
Its leaves are small and linear, meaning they are long and narrow. They are only a few millimeters long. The leaves are a little bit juicy, like tiny succulents.
Its Flowers and Life Cycle
The flowers grow on the upper branches of the plant. Each flower has five bright yellow petals. These petals are about 3 to 4 millimeters long. In the middle of the flower, there are many stamens. These are the parts that make pollen.
The flowers have a cool trick! They open in the morning. But by midday, they close up again. Tiny bees, especially those from the group Dialictus, love to visit these flowers. They help the plant make seeds.
Where It Lives
This special plant only grows in two counties in Florida. These are Highlands and Polk Counties. It is one of many unique plants found on the Lake Wales Ridge. This ridge is a very old sandy area in Florida.
There are 66 known places where this plant grows. But only 31 of these spots are on protected land. Even land that is protected might not always be managed in the best way for the plant.
Its Special Habitat
The highlands scrub hypericum lives in a special place called the Florida scrub. This habitat is also in danger. The ground there is made of white sand. This plant often grows next to other rare scrub plants. One example is the wedge-leaved button snakeroot.
This plant is a "gap specialist." This means it likes to grow in open spots. These open spots are gaps in the trees and bushes. Sunlight can reach the ground in these gaps.
Why Wildfires Are Important
These gaps in the scrub are usually kept open by natural wildfires. Fires help clear out taller plants. This lets sunlight reach the smaller plants on the ground. One big threat to this plant is when people stop fires. This is called fire suppression.
If there are no fires, the taller trees and bushes grow too much. They shade out the smaller plants like the highlands scrub hypericum. This plant actually needs fire to survive! It grows back stronger after a fire. It becomes more common in the seasons after a fire has passed through an area.
Why It Needs Help
The plant's home is disappearing. This happens when land is used for buildings or farms. People build homes and use the land for agriculture. This includes ranches and citrus groves.
How We Can Help
There are ways to help this plant. We can let natural fires happen more often. But we should avoid fires during very dry times. We can also create gaps in the scrub in other ways. It is also important to avoid disturbing the soil. The soil's top layer might protect the young seedlings.
