Rare Plants | NYFA

Torrey’s Mountain Mint (Pycnanthemum torreyi)

Michael Adamovic — Sat, 17 Jul 2021 13:04:08 +0000

**Torrey’s Mountain Mint (Pycnanthemum torreyi)**

Seven species of mountain mint (Pycnanthemum spp.) are found in 91��Ƭ��. Of these, four are state listed as either threatened or endangered. These mountain mints include: blunt (P. muticum), whorled (P. verticillatum var. verticillatum), basil (P. clinopodioides), and Torrey’s (P. torreyi). Outside of 91��Ƭ��, only the last two are widely regarded as rare.

Range and Protective Status

Torrey’s mountain mint currently ranges along the Appalachians from northern Georgia to New Hampshire. A southern arc extends from this same chain to the western reaches of Kentucky, Tennessee, and southern Illinois. There are only around 35 extant occurrences of this species. With such low numbers, it receives a G2 rating of “imperiled” on the global conservation scale. It is state endangered. While always rare, habitat loss caused by both development and succession, along with deer browse, has considerably reduced its range over the years. In 91��Ƭ��, it is confined to the southeastern portion of the state where it continues to hold on in a few strongholds, such as in the southern Hudson Highlands.

Habitat

This species favors upland environments and can most frequently be found inhabiting dry, open woods or along forest margins. It performs best in sun-dappled conditions and can attain a height of over a meter. Plants situated in full sun are often stunted and the lack the lushness and vigor of those in shadier locales. At first glance, these stunted plants that can easily be mistaken for Virginia mountain mint (P. virginianum).

Pycnanthemum torreyi (Torrey’s mountain mint).

Identifying Characteristics

Since many species in the genus Pycnanthemum look similar and possess relatively minor distinguishing characteristics, not to mention their often-great morphological variation and propensity to easily hybridize, it can be a challenge to positively identify this species. Recent work cataloging herbarium specimens has revealed that numerous specimens identified as Torrey’s mountain mint have been mislabeled. Most of these erroneous classifications have proven to be P. torreyi’s closest congener, whorled mountain mint (P. verticillatum).

Actinomorphic or regular (radially symmetric) calyx.

Lanceolate calyx teeth 1.0 – 2.0 mm in length.

The florets of Torrey’s mountain mint usually have strongly exserted pollen-rich stamens, in contrast to the shorter and often abortive stamens of whorled mountain mint. Plants are in bloom from late June through September.

(Above) Pollen-rich, strongly exserted stamens. (Top-Right) Pycnanthemum flowers are pollinator magnets. (Bottom-Right) Juniper hairstreak on a Dutchess County plant.

Another diagnostic feature is that the stem is covered with fine, uniformly distributed hairs on both the faces and angles. Other species have glabrous or densely hoary stems, or those with hairs more prominent on the stem angles.

What’s more, the top of the leaves of P. torreyi are glabrous (vs. the canescence of P. verticillatum). The bottoms of the leaves are sparsely pubescent, usually following along the midvein. The leaf margins may be entire or possess a few low teeth. Narrow, lanceolate leaves are borne on short petioles. Leaf width does not surpass 1.5 cm. Whorled mountain mint generally has slightly wider leaves than P. torreyi.

(Above) Fine hairs uniformly distributed. (Top-Right) Glabrous upper leaf surface. Short petiole. A few low teetch on leaf margins. Leaf width of less than 1.5 cm. (Bottom-Right) A few fine hairs on the midvein.

Big-leaved Avens

Michael Hough — Tue, 04 Aug 2020 01:52:00 +0000

Geum macrophyllum (Big-leaved Avens)

Geum macrophyllum is an attractive, late spring- to early summer-flowering species that is listed as endangered in the State of 91��Ƭ��. There are two varieties, a widely distributed var. macrophyllum (with shallowly lobed leaves), and a more western var. perincisum (with more deeply incised leaves). The only variety that occurs in the northeast, including NY, is var. macrophyllum.

If you are an iNaturalist user you will find that observations of Geum macrophyllum extend well south of the range of this species documented by other sources. The BONAP (www.bonap.org) range map, which is based primarily on specimen data, indicates that in the Northeast G. macrophyllum does not occur south of WI, MI, NY, VT, or NH. A few counties shown on the map for NY are also probably in error. For example, the specimens that form the basis for the Chemung County records are G. laciniatum that were probably misidentified based on large basal leaves produced late in the season…more on that later.

BONAP range map for Geum macrophyllum

iNaturalist range map for Geum macrophyllum

On the iNaturalist map the states and provinces shaded in green represent areas where observations are “research grade”, that is ones where there is consensus among users as to the identity of plants pictured in the observation. Notice all the red dots south of the aforementioned states are in need of ID. These all contain photos of plants without flowers or fruit and are typically of basal leaves taken late in the season and are most certainly not Geum macrophyllum.

Based on the first map it is evident that Geum macrophyllum is a primarily northern species that is seemingly intolerant of high summer temperatures. In growing this species from seed I have managed to get plants to flower after a year but they get smaller and smaller in subsequent years and will likely not survive long term. They seem to struggle the most during the heat of summer. In the southern part of its range it is mostly confined to cool microclimates and is unlikely to be found in open areas as is G. aleppicum. The southernmost location in 91��Ƭ�� is the Peekamoose Valley where cold headwater streams from the Catskill High Peaks drain into Rondout Creek. On one visit in the middle of July the temperature was in the mid 80’s entering the valley but where G. macrophyllum was growing was closer to 70°F!

Geum macrophyllum is probably the most frequently misidentified species of the genus in the northeast and the specific epithet and common name likely play a role in this. The basal leaves are actually not all that large compared to other species most of the year. The name derives from the large terminal leaflet that is indeed much larger than the lateral leaflets (a shape known as lyrate) and this leaf shape tends to be consistent throughout the growing season. Other Geum spp. tend to produce more pinnately lobed or lacerate basal leaves early in the season, however the basal leaves produced from around the time of flowering through the remainder of the growing season are frequently much enlarged and can look quite similar to and exceed the size of the basal leaves of G. macrophyllum. These other species include G. aleppicum, G. canadense, G. urbanum, G. laciniatum, and G. vernum. The latter, because of its early bloom time, actually starts producing large basal leaves as early as late May!

Basal leaves collected on July 23^rd from cultivated plants, from left to right: G. rivale, G. macrophyllum, G. urbanum, G. aleppicum, G. laciniatum, G. canadense. The basal leaves of G. macrophyllum can be larger than the one shown (though not necessarily larger than the basal leaves of the other species pictured), but all I had was one from one of the unhappy plants in my garden. More typical would be about the size of the G. aleppicum or G. laciniatum leaves.

This image is of a basal leaf from a more healthy G. macrophyllum collected in June and is typical of the species.

A group of young vegetative G. macrophyllum plants. Note they are not particularly large and similar leaves can be found on other Geum spp. late in the year.

The fruit of several species are also frequently confused with those of G. macrophyllum. The main ones are G. aleppicum and G. laciniatum because they are equally large, while other Geum spp. tend to have smaller fruit or the fruit that looks quite different.

Two characteristics can be used to separate the fruit of G. macrophyllum from the other large-fruited species. One is the presence of stipitate glands on the persistent style of the achene (sometimes called the ‘beak’).

Glands on the style of the fruit of G. macrophyllum

Geum aleppicum has hairs on the styles but they are eglandular. Geum laciniatum sometimes has eglandular hairs (var. trichocarpa) but they are mostly confined to the body of the achene and the very base of the style.

A few other species can have stipitate glands on the fruit. These include G. rivale and G. vernum, however both of these species have the head of achenes elevated on a stipe (short stem). Another species that can sometimes have glands is Geum canadense, though this species and G. vernum have much fewer achenes and thus the head is significantly smaller.

Columns show fruiting structures of G. laciniatum (left), G. aleppicum (middle) and G. macrophyllum (right). The top row is of the receptacle with the achenes removed. On G. laciniatum the receptacle is constricted near the base and this allows the upper part of the receptacle to disarticulate at maturity, a characteristic unique to this species. Note the receptacle of G. aleppicum has some short hairs in the middle and longer hairs at the base and apex and the whole structure is elongate. The receptacle of G. laciniatum has some short hairs and that of G. macrophyllum is completely without hairs (glabrous). The bottom row shows a single achene of each species. Note lack of hairs on G. laciniatum (one variety can have eglandular hairs on the body of the achene and base of the beak), eglandular hairs on G. aleppicum, and mix of eglandular and stipitate glandular hairs on G. macrophyllum.

Head of achenes of G. laciniatum. Note spherical shape, relatively short beaks, and how the beaks radiate in all directions.

Head of achenes of G. aleppicum. Note elongate head, longer beaks, and how beaks are oriented downward. The hairiness is also pronounced on this species.

Head of achenes of G. macrophyllum. Note beaks long and oriented downward as in G. aleppicum but head not as elongate. The stalked glands are difficult to see at this resolution but are evident as glistening dots in the light.

Another unique characteristic of the fruit (and also the flowers) of G. macrophyllum is the lack of epicalyx bractlets. These are small green structures that alternate with the sepals. Occasionally an individual flower of G. macrophyllum can have a few, very poorly developed bracts but I have never seen them well-developed as in other species. The only other Geum species in 91��Ƭ�� that lacks epicalyx bracts is G. vernum but it has much smaller achenes that are fewer in number and the head of achenes, as previously mentioned, is elevated on a stipe.

View of underside of flowers of G. macrophyllum (top) and G. aleppicum (bottom). The purple arrow indicates the location of one of the epicalyx bractlets on G. aleppicum. Note these structures are absent from the flower of G. macrophyllum.

Finally, the shape of the middle stem leaves of G. macrophyllum var. macrophyllum can be useful in separating this species from other similar yellow-flowered species, particularly G. aleppicum. They tend to have three rounded, relatively shallow lobes. The variety of G. macrophyllum with more deeply incised stem leaves (var. perincisum), which might be confused with G. aleppicum, is not found within our range.

Stems (cauline) leaves of Geum macrophyllum var. macrophyllum

Stem leaves of Geum aleppicum

21 New Rare Plant Guides for Long Island Posted

admin — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 00:36:14 +0000

The 91��Ƭ�� Natural Program recently posted 21 new rare plant guides on their guides website. Most of these are rare plants that might occur along roadsides on the island. The list is below. If you would like to access the site . In the next year many more plants will be posted as they are completed.

Cenchrus tribuloides Dune Sandspur

Crocanthemum dumosum Bushy Rockrose

Desmodium ciliare Little-leaf Tick-trefoil

Digitaria filiformis Slender Crabgrass

Diospyros virginiana Persimmon

Eupatorium album var. subvenosum Trinerved White Boneset

Euphorbia ipecacuanhae American Ipecac

Ipomoea pandurata Wild Potato-vine

Linum intercursum Sandplain Wild Flax

Linum sulcatum Yellow Wild Flax

Oenothera oakesiana Oake’s Evening Primrose

Paspalum laeve Field Beadgrass

Plantago maritima var. juncoides Seaside Plantain

Platanthera ciliaris Orange Fringed Orchid

Platanthera cristata Crested Fringed Orchid

Quercus phellos Willow Oak

Scleria minor Slender Nutrush

Symphyotrichum concolor var. concolor Silvery Aster

Tripsacum dactyloides Northern Gamma Grass

Viburnum dentatum var. venosum Southern Arrowwood

Viola brittoniana Coast Violet

NY Times: Plants We Have Lost From 91��Ƭ�� City

admin — Sun, 10 Apr 2011 19:02:46 +0000

to read and article and view drawings by Marielle Anzelone and Wendy Hollender about the plants that once grew in 91��Ƭ�� City but are now gone.

One of the plants that has not been seen in years is white trillium, Trillium grandiflorum. Photo Steve Young.

Pennsylvania Rare Plant Forum to be Held April 9, 2011

admin — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 18:42:33 +0000

PENNSYLVANIA RARE PLANT FORUM

9:30 AM-about 2:30 PM

Saturday, 9 April 2011

Jennings Environmental Education Center

12 miles north-west of Butler, on PA Route 528 just west of Route 8

40.9° N 80.1° W, Elevation 350 m

All people interested in the conservation of Pennsylvania’s native flora are encouraged to attend this meeting. The Rare Plant Forum is a function of the Vascular Plant Technical Committee of the Pennsylvania Biological Survey, and for over thirty years has served in an advisory role to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for issues related to the conservation of the native flora of Pennsylvania. In addition to discussing proposed changes to the list of Plants of Special Concern in Pennsylvania (POSCIP), there will be a few related presentations. This is an excellent opportunity to connect and work with other botanists, amateur and professional, who share your interest in the flora of Pennsylvania.

It is fitting for us to meet at a facility named for Otto E. Jennings, late Curator of Botany at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History and early advocate of native plant conservation. If you know of people who might be interested in attending, especially in NW Pennsylvania or adjacent parts of Ohio and New York, please extend this invitation to them.

The proposal form is in an Excel spreadsheet, downloadable at www.paconserve.org/256. Related documents such as the definitions of the status categories and the minutes from past meetings are also available here. Please start working on your proposals right away, as John Kunsman and I will need some lead time to help gather the data. Please submit your proposals by 4 March. Proposals will be posted to the above url shortly after I receive them, and a summary will be distributed at least a week before the meeting along with an agenda.

Presentations

You are encouraged to consider presenting on recent work you have done related to the conservation of the flora of our region. One of the advantages of holding the Rare Plant Forum is the opportunity to share the results of our work. This can increase the value of your work by allowing others to build upon it. It also encourages collaboration and minimizes duplication of effort. Email or call me with the subject and how much time you would like.

There will be time on the agenda for un-premeditated announcements, but it helps me plan if I have some idea how many there will be, so let me know if you can.

Dinner on Friday

Some of us will be having dinner on Friday at North Country Brewing in Slippery Rock. Let me know (sgrund@paconserve.org) if you would like to join us; I will make a reservation.

River Running!

Some of us are going to take advantage of the spring thaw on Sunday to explore a local stream, probably Wolf Creek. WPC owns land at Wolf Creek Narrows where we can take out and botanize. It is one of the best spring wildflower sites in the Commonwealth. Some experienced whitewater enthusiasts might brave Slippery Rock Creek Gorge. Email me if you are interested.

Camping

We have reserved the Muskrat Cove group camping site at Moraine State Park for Friday and Saturday (http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/stateparks/parks/moraine/moraine_mini.pdf). This will be primitive camping with water, but no hot water. The cost will be $10/night divided between everyone who camps. Please contact Kelly Sitch at c-ksitch@state.pa.us if you are interested.

See you soon! – Steve

Steve Grund

Chair, Pennsylvania Rare Plant Forum

Botanist, Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Program

Western Pennsylvania Conservancy

800 Waterfront Drive

Pittsburgh, PA 15222

sgrund@paconserve.org

(412) 586-2350

Report: Only 39 percent of North American endangered plant species are protected in collections.

admin — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 15:17:20 +0000

Washington, D.C. – Only 39 percent of the nearly 10,000 North American plant species threatened with extinction are protected by being maintained in collections, according to the first comprehensive listing of the threatened plant species in Canada, Mexico and the United States. Seed banks or living collections maintained by public gardens and conservation organizations across North America provide an insurance policy against extinction for many threatened species.

The North American Collections Assessment – conducted collaboratively by Botanic Gardens Conservation International U.S., the U.S. Botanic Garden, and Harvard University’s Arnold Arboretum – found that 3,681 of 9,494 of North America’s most threatened plant species are maintained in 230 collections. Much more collaborative work is needed to conserve North America’s botanical wealth and to provide true protection against extinction, says the report, Conserving North America’s Threatened Plants, released this week

Andrea Kramer, Botanic Gardens Conservation International U.S. executive director, said, “These assessment results are hopeful, but also a call to action. For many public gardens, this report marks the first time their potential to assist in the conservation effort has been recognized. We hope this is a watershed moment.”

“As the U.S. Botanic Garden, we felt a critical need for a common baseline of understanding among the entire conservation community,” said Ray Mims, one of the authors. “To move forward together to protect North America’s native plants, we have to understand where we are today. Now that we know both what is threatened and what needs to be protected, there is a solid foundation on which to build future conservation work.”

“One of the lessons we learned from this assessment is how important it is to curate for conservation,” said Michael Dosmann, curator of living collections at the Arnold Arboretum. “Curators and horticulturists have not always considered conservation value as they go about their routines. Yet by participating in this assessment, many for the very first time saw the direct value of their plants in bolstering efforts to conserve our threatened flora. We hope this becomes a new paradigm in collections management.”

Assessment results indicate that North America did not reach the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation’s (GSPC) Target 8 goal set in 2002 of protecting 60 percent of threatened plant species in collections by 2010. While botanical organizations across Canada, Mexico and the United States are making progress to achieve these targets, the report found that 3,500 or more additional threatened plant species will need to be added to current collections to meet the new GSPC goal of conserving 75 percent of known threatened species in North America by 2020. This will require nearly doubling the current capacity.

The assessment calls for the strengthening of conservation networks and collaboration in conservation planning and data sharing. Institutions are urged to contribute plant lists to BGCI’s PlantSearch database and update them regularly. It is crucial to increase cooperation and coordination among a broad and diverse network of gardens and conservation organizations with different expertise and resources. To win this race against extinction, conservation organizations will need to prioritize the development of genetically diverse and secure collections to ensure meaningful protection of threatened plants.

Additional information and the full report can be found at

Long Island Flora Sampler 2010

admin — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 02:18:40 +0000

If you are tired of the frigid cold and mountains of snow, here is a sampling of some of my favorite photos from the summer of 2010 that I took during my travels around Long Island. Something to look forward to next field season. Keep abreast of our newsletter and calendar for announcements of future NYFA field trips for 2011. You can click on the photos for a larger image- Steve Young

Welcome to the Hempstead Plains in Nassau County where volunteers work hard to preserve a remnant of the Hempstead Plains grasslands.

Looking west across the plains dominated by little bluestem and other grasses.

A salt marsh on Shelter Island's Mashomack Preserve.

An inlet of the salt marsh at Mashomack.

Bracken ferns line the sandy roadsides on a cloudy day.

You need a good search image to count the long basal leaves of the rare Platanthera ciliaris, orange fringed orchid.

Platanthera ciliaris, orange fringed orchid, in bud on the South Fork.

A new cone of pitch pine at Hither Hills.

The shiny rust-colored capsule of the rare Crocanthemum dumosum, bushy rockrose help identify it in late summer.

The cool fog blows over the dunes at Napeague.

On the road to the Shelter Island Ferry is the only place I have see grape vine grow all the way across the road on electric lines. How come this doesn't happen more often?

A little crab spider on a flower of the rare salt marsh plant Sabatia stellaris, sea pink.

New Rare Plant Finds in NY State Parks During 2010

admin — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 18:41:52 +0000

From Kim Smith – NY Natural Heritage State Parks Botanist

This was an exciting year for botanical discoveries in 91��Ƭ�� state parks. Everyone heard about the federally-threatened Isotria medeoloides (small whorled pogonia) that turned up in Orange County in May. But there were eight more new state-rare plant populations documented in state parks this year.

Five of these species were found on Long Island, which was a focus area for the NYNHP state parks surveyed this year. Three of the species found are listed as state-endangered; these are Juncus brachycarpus (short-fruit rush, S1) at Montauk Point State Park, Bartonia paniculata ssp. paniculata (twining screwstem, S1) at Connetquot River State Park, and Polygonum aviculare ssp. buxiforme (Small’s knotweed, S1) at Hither Hills State Park. The discovery of another population of short-fruit rush is particularly exciting, as there is only one other extant population known in the state. The other two species found on Long Island are Eupatorium torreyanum (Torrey’s thoroughwort, S2) and Desmodium ciliare (hairy small-leaved tick-trefoil, S2S3), both found at Shadmoor State Park and listed as state-threatened.

Back up north, during additional surveys for Isotria medeoloides, a new population of the state-endangered Endodeca serpentaria (Virginia snakeroot, S2) was discovered at Highland Lakes State Park. At Taconic State Park, Symphyotrichum boreale (boreal aster, S2, threatened) was discovered, and at Chenango Valley State Park, a new population of Botrychium oneidense (blunt-lobe grape-fern, S2S3, endangered) was found.

All of these discoveries point to the need for continued survey efforts for rare plants throughout 91��Ƭ��. It’s a big state and we still have a lot to learn!

Boreal aster in Taconic State Park 2010

NY Rare Plant List Now Available in Online Sortable List

admin — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 03:01:33 +0000

CLICK HERE to see the 91��Ƭ�� Natural Heritage Program’s rare plant list that you can sort by family, scientific name, common name, Heritage rank or protected status.

Northeastern Bulrush (Scirpus ancistrochaetus) Rediscovered in 91��Ƭ��

admin — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 18:10:15 +0000

From Steve Y0ung, NY Natural Heritage Program – This federally-threatened plant is known from Virginia north to Vermont. Learn more about it at the Center for Plant Conservation website . In 91��Ƭ��, there was only one historical collection, from the Putnam Mountain area in Washington County in northeastern 91��Ƭ��, from September 1900, and it was listed as extirpated from the state. The location for the historical record has been searched numerous times but no plants have been found again. In recent years more populations of the bulrush were found in adjacent Vermont and in northern Pennsylvania in a county adjacent to 91��Ƭ��. It was frustrating that we couldn’t find it in 91��Ƭ�� – it was so close by.

This year I received funds from the US Fish and Wildlife Service to look for it again in the Southern Tier of 91��Ƭ�� to see if there were populations extending north from Pennsylvania. On the second day of searching small wetlands in Steuben County, south of Corning, I finally found it. It was growing in a small (40 m diameter) vernal wetland at the top of a hill that I had identified as a place to search using topographic maps and Bing birds-eye-view aerial photos on the web. One month shy of the 110th anniversary of its last collection in 91��Ƭ��, it was back in our flora. I spent two more days searching other wetlands in the county, and I have more days to search later in the month so I hope I can discover more populations. Dr. Rob Naczi from the NY Botanical Garden will also be searching areas near Vermont. Let’s hope he will find some in that area as well. Stay tuned to this blog . . .

Below are some of the photos from the population in Steuben County.

This is what the wetland looked like as I approached through the hemlock woods.

In the middle was a small open muddy area surrounded by Northeastern bulrush.

The species has rays that arch down from the top of the culm.

The culms usually lay down and root in the mud.

The peripheral open muddy areas had different plant species but the area covered by the bulrush was almost a monoculture.