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Pinguicula ionantha

Godfrey

Violet-flowered Butterwort

G2Imperiled Found in 4 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G2ImperiledGlobal Rank
HighThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.154869
Element CodePDLNT01020
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
Endemicendemic to a single state or province
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassDicotyledoneae
OrderScrophulariales
FamilyLentibulariaceae
GenusPinguicula
Other Common Names
Godfrey's Butterwort (EN) Violet Butterwort (EN) violet butterwort (EN)
Concept Reference
Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
Conservation Status
Rank MethodLegacy Rank calculation - Excel v3.1x
Review Date2018-04-20
Change Date1983-01-01
Edition Date2018-04-20
Edition AuthorsHardin, E.D. rev. C. Russell; rev. D.L. White, rev. A. Tomaino (2014) rev. J. Annis (2018)
Threat ImpactHigh
Range Extent1000-5000 square km (about 400-2000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences81 - 300
Rank Reasons
Pinguicula ionantha is endemic to the central Florida panhandle counties. It is known from about 90 occurrences with most sites having few individuals. The species' habitat is declining in extent and quality due to logging, drainage alteration, and lack of fire.
Range Extent Comments
Pinguicula ionantha is restricted to the central panhandle region of Florida with known occurrences in Bay, Calhoun, Franklin, Gulf, Liberty, and Walton counties (Wunderlin and Hansen 2008; USFWS 2009).
Occurrences Comments
There are 90 extant occurrences, excluding historical EOs (NatureServe Network Database as of April 2018).
Threat Impact Comments
This species is threatened by land conversion and by habitat degradation due to lack of fire, shading by planted pines, and encroachment of shrubs and saplings (e.g., Cyrilla racemiflora and Cliftonia monophylla) into grassy bog and savannah vegetation. Other threats include excessive ground disturbance, improved drainage, fertilization of pine plantations, road widening and new roads, off-road vehicles, and collecting (USFWS 2009; USFS 2014).
Ecology & Habitat

Diagnostic Characteristics

Distinguished from other southeastern Pinguicula species by corolla lobes longer than broad, uniformly violet to white (no ring of white above the throat), deeper violet in the throat, corolla tube violet, with darker violet veins, and white trichomes on the inner side wall of the corolla tube (Godfrey and Wooten, 1981).

Habitat

This species occurs on open, acidic soils of seepage bogs on gentle slopes, deep quagmire bogs, ditches, and depressions in grassy pine flatwoods and grassy savannas, often occurring in shallow standing water. Pinguicula ionantha occurs in herb bog habitats embedded in longleaf pine savannas. Specifically, it is found between a lower elevation habitat dominated by pond cypress (Taxodium ascendens) overstory and a slightly higher elevation pine flatwoods dominated by an overstory of longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) (USFWS 2009).
Terrestrial Habitats
Forest/WoodlandWoodland - ConiferSavanna
Palustrine Habitats
Bog/fen
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN2
ProvinceRankNative
FloridaS2Yes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
1 - Residential & commercial developmentRestricted (11-30%)Moderate or 11-30% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
2 - Agriculture & aquacultureLarge (31-70%)Moderate or 11-30% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
2.2 - Wood & pulp plantationsLarge (31-70%)Moderate or 11-30% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
4 - Transportation & service corridorsRestricted (11-30%)Moderate - slightHigh (continuing)
5 - Biological resource useLarge - restrictedModerate or 11-30% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
5.2 - Gathering terrestrial plantsSmall (1-10%)Slight or 1-10% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
5.3 - Logging & wood harvestingLarge - restrictedModerate or 11-30% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
7 - Natural system modificationsLarge - restrictedModerate or 11-30% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
7.1 - Fire & fire suppressionLarge - restrictedModerate or 11-30% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
7.2 - Dams & water management/useLarge - restrictedModerate or 11-30% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
8 - Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseasesLarge - restrictedModerate or 11-30% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
8.1 - Invasive non-native/alien species/diseasesLarge - restrictedModerate or 11-30% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
8.2 - Problematic native species/diseasesLarge - restrictedModerate or 11-30% pop. declineHigh (continuing)

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Plant Characteristics
DurationPERENNIAL, SPRING-FLOWERING
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (4)
Florida (4)
AreaForestAcres
Gum BayApalachicola National Forest11,645
Gum BayApalachicola National Forest11,645
Long BayApalachicola National Forest5,726
SavannahApalachicola National Forest1,927
References (17)
  1. Annis, J.M.,  J.E. O’Brien, J.M. Coons, and B. Molano-Flores. 2013. Seed Ecology of Federally Threatened <i>Pinguicula ionantha</i> (Godfrey’s Butterwort). Department of Biological Sciences, Poster. Eastern Illinois University, Charleston, IL. [http://www.eiu.edu/biology/posters/2013-02.pdf]
  2. Clewell, A.F. 1985. Guide to vascular plants of the Florida panhandle. Florida State Univ. Press, Tallahassee, Florida. 605 pp.
  3. Godfrey, R.K., and J.W. Wooten. 1981. Aquatic and wetland plants of southeastern United States: Dicotyledons. Univ. Georgia Press, Athens. 933 pp.
  4. Hall, D.W. 1993. Illustrated plants of Florida and the Coastal Plain. Maupin House, Gainesville, Florida. 431 pp.
  5. Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
  6. Kephart, S.R. 2004. Inbreeding and reintroduction: progeny success in rare <i>Silene</i> populations of varied density. Conservation Genetics 5:49-61.
  7. Kesler, H.C. 2006. Conservation of a Florida endemic carnivorous plant: Godfrey’s butterwort, <i>Pinguicula ionantha</i>. Thesis. Auburn University, Auburn AL. 85 pp.
  8. Kesler, H.C., J.L. Trusty, S.M. Hermann, and C. Guyer. 2008. Demographic responses of <i>Pinguicula ionantha</i> to prescribed fire: a regression-design LTRE approach. Oecologia 156: 545-557.
  9. Kral, R. 1983c. A report on some rare, threatened, or endangered forest-related vascular plants of the South. U.S. Dept. of Agriculture Forest Service Technical Publication R8-TP2, Athens, GA. 1305 pp.
  10. Robinson, A.F., Jr., ed. 1980b. Endangered and threatened species of the southeastern United States including Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. U.S. Forest Service General Rept. SA-GA 7.
  11. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). 1992. Proposed threatened status for the plant <i>Pinguicula ionantha</i> (Godfrey's butterwort). Federal Register 57(98): 21377-21381.
  12. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). 2009. <i>Pinguicula ionantha, </i>Godfrey’s butterwort, 5-Year Review: Summary and Evaluation. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Southeast Region, Panama City Field Office, Panama City, Florida.
  13. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). 2022. Initiation of 5-Year Status Reviews for 35 Southeastern Species. Notice of initiation of reviews; request for information. Federal Register 87(93): 29364-29366.
  14. U.S. Forest Service (USFS). 2014. Threatened, Endangered, and Proposed (TEP) Plant Profile for <i>Pinguicula ionantha</i>, Godfrey’s butterwort. Online. Available: http://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/Rare_Plants/profiles/TEP/pinguicula_ionantha/index.shtml (accessed 2014).
  15. Wunderlin, R.P. 1982. Guide to the vascular plants of central Florida. Univ. Presses Florida, Gainesville. 472 pp.
  16. Wunderlin, R. P., and B. F. Hansen. 2008. Atlas of Florida Vascular Plants. Online. Available: http://www.plantatlas.usf.edu. [S. M. Landry and K. N. Campbell (application development), Florida Center for Community Design and Research.] Institute for Systematic Botany, University of South Florida, Tampa.
  17. Zaya, D.N., B. Monano-Flores, M.A. Feist, J.A. Koontz, and J. Coons. 2017. Assessing genetic diversity for the USA endemic carnivorous plant <i>Pinguicula ionantha</i> R.K. Godfrey (Lentibulariaceae). Conservation Genetics 18:171-180.