Largestipule leather-root facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Orbexilum stipulatum |
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Psoraleeae
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Orbexilum
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O. stipulatum
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| Orbexilum stipulatum (Torr.) A.Gray
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Orbexilum stipulatum, also known as the largestipule leather-root or Falls-of-the-Ohio scurfpea, was a type of flowering plant. It was only found on Rock Island, which is part of the Falls of the Ohio National Wildlife Conservation Area. This area has rapids and rocky limestone in the Ohio River in Kentucky. No living plants have been seen since 1881, so it is believed to be extinct, meaning it has completely died out.
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About This Plant
This special plant, Orbexilum stipulatum, was unique to its home on Rock Island. It was a flowering plant, which means it produced flowers, just like many plants you see today. Scientists have studied old records to learn about it.
Why It Disappeared
Scientists think that Orbexilum stipulatum grew in places where many large plant-eating animals gathered. Rock Island was the shallowest part of the Ohio River. Historically, American buffalo used this area a lot when they migrated.
The Role of Buffalo
The plant's population might have shrunk when the buffalo disappeared from the area. The buffalo helped keep the land open, which was good for the plant. Without them, the plant may have struggled to survive.
The Dam's Impact
Even if the buffalo's disappearance didn't completely wipe out the plant, another big change happened. In the 1920s, Rock Island and its rapids were flooded. This happened when US Dam 41 was built. This flooding sealed the fate for Orbexilum stipulatum at the Falls of the Ohio. The plant's habitat was gone forever.
Hope for Other Plants
People have searched for Orbexilum stipulatum, but they haven't found any living plants. However, two other plant species that also grew where buffalo lived were once thought to be extinct. These are Trifolium stoloniferum and Solidago shortii. Both of these plants have been rediscovered! They were found on old buffalo trails and at places where animals licked minerals from the ground. Solidago shortii even used to grow on Rock Island too.
A Unique Problem
Orbexilum stipulatum was different from these other plants. For 20 years, botanists (plant scientists) watched it, and it was never seen to produce seeds. This makes scientists wonder if it could have ever spread to other places beyond Rock Island. If it couldn't make seeds, it would have been very hard for it to grow new plants elsewhere.
