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Phoebanthus tenuifolius

(Torr. & Gray) Blake

Pineland False Sunflower

G3Vulnerable Found in 1 roadless area NatureServe Explorer →
G3VulnerableGlobal Rank
MediumThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.159152
Element CodePDAST75020
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
Endemicendemic to a single state or province
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassDicotyledoneae
OrderAsterales
FamilyAsteraceae
GenusPhoebanthus
Synonyms
Phoebanthus tenuifolia(T. & G.) Blake
Other Common Names
pineland false sunflower (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 Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2
Review Date2025-04-07
Change Date1989-10-26
Edition Date2025-04-07
Edition AuthorsHerring, Brenda (1997), rev. C. Nordman (2025).
Threat ImpactMedium
Range Extent1000-5000 square km (about 400-2000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences21 - 80
Rank Reasons
Pineland False Sunflower (Phoebanthus tenuifolius) occurs in the southeastern United States, it occurs in Florida, in pinelands near the Apalachicola River in Bay, Calhoun, Franklin, Gulf and Liberty counties, and historically in Escambia County, in southern Alabama. It occurs in sandy pinelands including sandhills, scrubby flatwoods, mesic flatwoods, and wet flatwoods. It is estimated that there are between 21 and 80 occurrences, most are on the Apalachicola National Forest, it also occurs on Saint Joseph Bay State Buffer Preserve, Tate's Hell State Forest and Wildlife Management Area, and on private conservation land. Threats include fire suppression (or lack of fire), site preparation activities (such as bedding, deep chop, or double chop) for establishing pine plantations, cattle grazing, herbicide applications, and invasive species.
Range Extent Comments
Pineland False Sunflower (Phoebanthus tenuifolius) occurs in the southeastern United States in Florida, where it grows in pinelands near the Apalachicola River in Bay, Calhoun, Franklin, Gulf and Liberty counties, and historically in Escambia County of southern Alabama (Cronquist 1980, Clewell 1985, Chafin 2000, FNA 2006). Range extent was estimated to be about 4700 square kilometers, using herbarium specimens, photo-based observations, and NatureServe Network occurrence data collected between 1994 and 2025 (GBIF 2025, iNaturalist 2025, NatureServe 2025, RARECAT 2025, SEINet 2025).
Occurrences Comments
By applying a 1 km separation distance to herbarium specimens, photo-based observations, and NatureServe Network occurrence data documented between 1994 and 2025, it is estimated that there are between 21 and 80 occurrences of Phoebanthus tenuifolius rangewide (GBIF 2025, iNaturalist 2025, NatureServe 2025, RARECAT 2025, SEINet 2025).
Threat Impact Comments
Occurrences of Phoebanthus tenuifolius within the Apalachicola National Forest face several threats, but threats are higher on private lands, where ecosystem management is not used. Fire suppression (or lack of fire) allows the canopy to close and very little light reaches the herbaceous plants. Site preparation activities (such as bedding, deep chop, or double chop) for establishing pine plantations causes much damage to the ground layer, including to this rare plant. Other threats are from cattle grazing, herbicide applications, and invasive species. Occurrences which are not burned with prescribed fire every few years may be expected to decline (Anglin, pers. comm., 1997, Chafin 2000, NatureServe 2025).
Ecology & Habitat

Diagnostic Characteristics

Phoebanthus grandiflorus has wider leaves (3-5 mm wide) and appressed phyllaries, whereas Phoebanthus tenuifolius leaves are very narrow (1- 2 mm wide) and spreading phyllaries. Vernonia angustifolia has purple flowers, it is otherwise similar, but Phoebanthus tenuifolius has more slender stems, and is much less branched (Chafin 2000).

Habitat

Phoebanthus tenuifolius occurs in sandy pinelands generally with Pinus palustris (Longleaf Pine), including sandhills, scrubby flatwoods, mesic flatwoods, and wet flatwoods, at elevations of about 6 - 40 meters. Associated species include Baptisia simplicifolia, Stylisma patens, Asclepias amplexicaulis, Serenoa repens, Aristida stricta, Pteridium aquilinum var. pseudocaudatum, Quercus falcata, Quercus laevis, Quercus pumila, Q. minima, Liatris tenuifolia, Silphium compositum, Sericocarpus tortifolius, Carphephorus pseudoliatris, Ctenium aromaticum, Ilex glabra, Rhexia alifanus, Asimina longifolia var. spatulata, Vernonia angustifolia, Helianthus radula, Eryngium yuccifolium, Pluchea rosea, Solidago odora, Asclepias cinerea, Euphorbia telephioides, Smilax auriculata, Rhus copallinum, Tephrosia sp., Chamaecrista sp., Ilex glabra, Elephantopus elatus, and Vaccinium myrsinites (Clewell 1985, Cronquist 1980, Chafin 2000, FNA 2006, NatureServe 2025, SEINet 2025).

Ecology

Phoebanthus tenuifolius responds well to frequent fire, ongoing frequent prescribed burning should allow the populations to remain stable or expand (Chafin 2000).
Terrestrial Habitats
Woodland - ConiferSavanna
Palustrine Habitats
FORESTED WETLAND
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN3
ProvinceRankNative
FloridaS3Yes
AlabamaSHYes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
2 - Agriculture & aquacultureRestricted (11-30%)Serious or 31-70% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
2.2 - Wood & pulp plantationsRestricted (11-30%)Serious or 31-70% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
2.3 - Livestock farming & ranchingRestricted - smallModerate or 11-30% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
7 - Natural system modificationsRestricted - smallSerious or 31-70% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
7.1 - Fire & fire suppressionRestricted - smallSerious or 31-70% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
7.1.2 - Suppression in fire frequency/intensityRestricted - smallSerious or 31-70% pop. declineHigh (continuing)

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Plant Characteristics
DurationPERENNIAL
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (1)
Florida (1)
AreaForestAcres
SavannahApalachicola National Forest1,927
References (14)
  1. Anglin, Guy. Personal Communication. Botanist. U.S. Forest Service (retired).
  2. BLAKE. 1916. PROC. AMER. ACAD. ARTS. 51:520.
  3. Chafin, L. G. 2000. Field guide to the rare plants of Florida. Florida Natural Areas Inventory, Tallahassee. [https://www.fnai.org/]
  4. Clewell, A.F. 1985. Guide to vascular plants of the Florida panhandle. Florida State Univ. Press, Tallahassee, Florida. 605 pp.
  5. Cronquist, A. 1980. Vascular flora of the southeastern United States. Vol. 1. Asteraceae. Univ. North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill. 261 pp.
  6. Flora of North America Editorial Committee (FNA). 2006c. Flora of North America north of Mexico. Vol. 21. Magnoliophyta: Asteridae, part 8: Asteraceae, part 3. Oxford Univ. Press, New York. xxii + 616 pp.
  7. Gholson, Angus K., Jr. Personal communication. Chattahoochee, FL. Resource Mgr. (Retired), U.S.Army Corps of Engineers, Lake Seminole.
  8. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). 2025. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) data portal. Online. Available: https://www.gbif.org/ (accessed 2025).
  9. iNaturalist. 2025. Online. Available: https://www.inaturalist.org (accessed 2025).
  10. 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.
  11. NatureServe. 2025. NatureServe Network Biodiversity Location Data. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia.
  12. <p>NatureServe's Rapid Analysis of Rarity and Endangerment Conservation Assessment Tool (RARECAT). 2025. Version: 2.1.1 (released April 04, 2025).</p>
  13. Small, J.K. 1933. Manual of the southeastern flora. Two volumes. Hafner Publishing Company, New York.
  14. Southwest Environmental Information Network (SEINet). 2025. Collections Databases. Online. Available: https://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/collections/index.php (accessed 2025).