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Shortia brevistyla

(P.A. Davies) L.L. Gaddy

Northern Shortia

G2Imperiled Found in 1 roadless area NatureServe Explorer →
G2ImperiledGlobal Rank
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.153545
Element CodePDDIA04011
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
Endemicendemic to a single state or province
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassDicotyledoneae
OrderDiapensiales
FamilyDiapensiaceae
GenusShortia
Synonyms
Shortia galacifolia var. brevistylaDavies
Other Common Names
Oconee bells (EN) Oconee Bells (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.
Taxonomic Comments
Shortia brevistyla is distinguished as a distinct species, rather than a variety of Shortia galacifolia, by Gaddy et al. (2019), who say, "Shortia brevistyla has significantly smaller flowers, shorter styles, shorter petals, and smaller leaves than S. galacifolia. Genetic data indicate that the two species differ at five of 210 nucleotide positions in the ITS1 ribosomal region. Genetic divergence models indicate that the two species diverged approximately 20,000 years ago during the glacial maximum of the Pleistocene."
Conservation Status
Rank MethodLegacy Rank calculation - Excel v3.1x
Review Date2015-10-14
Change Date2006-12-11
Edition Date2015-10-14
Edition AuthorsM. Franklin (2006), rev. A. Treher (2015)
Range Extent<100 square km (less than about 40 square miles)
Number of Occurrences6 - 20
Rank Reasons
Known from eight occurrences in the Catawba River drainage in McDowell County and possibly Burke County, North Carolina. It has been falsely reported in South Carolina and Georgia. Threats are development for second homes and collection for the horticultural trade.
Range Extent Comments
McDowell County, North Carolina, on several tributaries of the Catawba River and North Fork Catawba River. Has also been reported in Burke County, North Carolina, but this is questionable (Weakley, 1996). Falsely reported in Georgia and South Carolina.
Occurrences Comments
Shortia galacifolia var. brevistyla is known from 7 extant populations in McDowell County, NC. No new populations have been found since 1986 and there is one known extirpated population (Franklin 2006).
Threat Impact Comments
Potential threats include development for second homes and collection for the horticultural trade (Jame Amoroso, North Carolina Natural Heritage Program, 1998). In addition to general habitat loss, this species is threatened by forest management practices (harvest, site prep, Rx fire) (Southern Appalachian Species Viability Project 2002).
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

On moist slopes, creekbanks, and rock outcrops in humid escarpment gorges with high rainfall, generally in deep shade under Rhododendron maximum, at elevations of 350-550 m (Weakley 1996).
Palustrine Habitats
Riparian
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN2
ProvinceRankNative
North CarolinaS2Yes
Plant Characteristics
DurationPERENNIAL
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (1)
North Carolina (1)
AreaForestAcres
Woods MountainPisgah National Forest9,602
References (7)
  1. Amoroso, Jame L. 1998. Botanist, North Carolina Natural Heritage Program Division. Email to D. Gries, The Nature Conservancy, Arlington, Virginia. January 13.
  2. Flora of North America Editorial Committee (FNA). 2009. Flora of North America north of Mexico. Vol. 8. Magnoliophyta: Paeoniaceae to Ericaceae. Oxford University Press, New York. xxiv + 585 pp.
  3. Gaddy, L.L, T.H. Carter, B. Ely, S. Sakaguchi, A. Matsuo, and Y. Suyama. 2019. <i>Shortia brevistyla </i>comb. et stat. nov., (Diapensiaceae), a narrow endemic from the headwaters of the Catawba River in North Carolina, U.S.A. Phytologia 101: 113-119.
  4. 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.
  5. Southern Appalachian Species Viability Project. 2002. A partnership between the U.S. Forest Service-Region 8, Natural Heritage Programs in the Southeast, NatureServe, and independent scientists to develop and review data on 1300+ regionally and locally rare species in the Southern Appalachian and Alabama region. Database (Access 97) provided to the U.S. Forest Service by NatureServe, Durham, North Carolina.
  6. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). 2007. Conference of the parties to the convention on international trade in endangered species of wild fauna and flora (CITES); amendments to appendices I and II adopted by the conference of the party to CITES at its fourteenth regular meeting (CoP14). Federal Register 72(155):45260-45264.
  7. Weakley, A.S. 1996. Flora of the Carolinas and Virginia: working draft of 23 May 1996. The Nature Conservancy, Southeast Regional Office, Southern Conservation Science Dept., Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Unpaginated.