Biology:Blephilia subnuda
| Blephilia subnuda | |
|---|---|
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| Blephilia subnuda in flower; note the glabrous leaves and long petioles | |
Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Lamiales |
| Family: | Lamiaceae |
| Genus: | Blephilia |
| Species: | B. subnuda
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| Binomial name | |
| Blephilia subnuda Simmers & Kral
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Blephilia subnuda, commonly known as the Cumberland pagoda-plant, smooth woodmint, or Cumberland woodmint, is a species of flowering plant in the mint family, Lamiaceae. It is a narrowly endemic species of the southeastern United States, restricted to portions of Alabama and Tennessee.[2][3]
Description
Blephilia subnuda is a perennial herb typically 30–60 cm tall, with erect stems that are usually unbranched or sparsely branched.[4] The stems are characteristically glabrous or nearly so below the midpoint, becoming sparsely pubescent above.[3]
Leaves are opposite, with blades broadly ovate to lanceolate, 3.6–10 cm long, and acute to acuminate at the apex. The leaf surfaces are generally glabrate, with only sparse trichomes, especially along veins on the lower surface.[4]
The inflorescences are terminal, consisting of 1–4 compact, globose clusters of flowers. The calyx is 5–8.6 mm long, with a distinctive puberulent tube bearing short trichomes, a key diagnostic feature of the species.[4] The corolla is 8.8–12 mm long, typically white to pale lilac or mauve with purple markings on the lower lip.[4]
Fruits consist of four small nutlets, typically dark brown to black.[4]
Identification
Blephilia subnuda is most similar to Blephilia ciliata and Blephilia hirsuta, the two more widespread species in the genus, but differs in a combination of morphological characters.[4]
From B. ciliata, it differs in having glabrous or nearly glabrous lower stems, smoother leaf surfaces, longer petioles, smaller and paler corollas, and decumbent offshoots produced after flowering rather than stolons during anthesis.[4]
From B. hirsuta, it differs in its reduced pubescence, smaller stature, shorter calyx tube, and paler corollas, as well as differences in leaf texture and trichome distribution.[4]
Among species of Blephilia, B. subnuda is distinguished by its relatively smooth vegetative surfaces and the presence of a puberulent calyx tube with short trichomes, a feature not seen in the same combination in other members of the genus.[4]
Taxonomy and evolution
Blephilia subnuda was first described in 1992 by R. W. Simmers and R. Kral based on material collected from the Cumberland Plateau of northern Alabama.[4]
The species exhibits a combination of traits found in both B. ciliata and B. hirsuta, and has been interpreted as a stabilized hybrid lineage derived from these taxa.[4][1]
Distribution and habitat
Blephilia subnuda is endemic to the Cumberland Plateau region of northeastern Alabama and southeastern Tennessee, including Jackson and Madison counties in Alabama and Franklin County in Tennessee.[3]
It occurs in calcareous habitats, particularly moist to dry hardwood forests over limestone, including rocky slopes, ledges, and cove forests.[3][1]
Ecology
Blephilia subnuda is a perennial species of mesic hardwood forests, often associated with limestone substrates.[1] It may occur in partially shaded environments and can form locally abundant populations under suitable conditions.
Flowering occurs from mid-May through mid-June.[1]
Within its range, it may occur alongside other rare plant species associated with calcareous habitats.[4]
Conservation
Blephilia subnuda is considered globally imperiled, with a NatureServe conservation status of G1–G2 (critically imperiled to imperiled).[1] It has a very limited range (less than 250 km2) and is known from relatively few occurrences.[1]
The species is vulnerable to habitat disturbance, particularly timber harvesting and associated forest degradation.[1] It is ranked S1–S2 in Alabama and S1 in Tennessee, indicating that it is critically imperiled within both states.[1]
Management recommendations include protection of existing populations, control of invasive species such as Lonicera japonica and Ligustrum sinense, and continued monitoring of population trends.[1]
References
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 "Blephilia subnuda". NatureServe Explorer. https://explorer.natureserve.org/Taxon/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.156687/Blephilia_subnuda.
- ↑ "Blephilia subnuda Simmers & Kral". Plants of the World Online, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:305711-2.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 "Blephilia subnuda". Flora of the Southeastern United States. https://fsus.ncbg.unc.edu/main.php?pg=show-taxon.php&plantname=Blephilia+subnuda.
- ↑ 4.00 4.01 4.02 4.03 4.04 4.05 4.06 4.07 4.08 4.09 4.10 4.11 Simmers, R.W.; Kral, R. (1992). "A new species of Blephilia (Lamiaceae) from northern Alabama". Rhodora 94 (877): 1–14.
Wikidata ☰ Q15348494 entry
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