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Home/Species/ Godfrey's False Dragonhead

Physostegia godfreyi

Cantino

Godfrey's False Dragonhead

G3Vulnerable Found in 3 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G3VulnerableGlobal Rank
MediumThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.144501
Element CodePDLAM1G040
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
Endemicendemic to a single state or province
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassDicotyledoneae
OrderLamiales
FamilyLamiaceae
GenusPhysostegia
Other Common Names
Godfrey's false dragonhead (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
Physostegia godfreyi was described as a new species by Cantino (1979). This species, as treated here has been accepted in subsequent publications (Cantino 1982, Scheen et al. 2008, Weakley and Southeastern Flora Team 2025).
Conservation Status
Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2
Review Date2025-05-08
Change Date1991-05-23
Edition Date2025-05-08
Edition AuthorsA.F. Johnson (1991), rev. C. Nordman (2025).
Threat ImpactMedium
Range Extent1000-5000 square km (about 400-2000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences21 - 80
Rank Reasons
Godfrey's False Dragonhead (Physostegia godfreyi) occurs in the southeastern United States, where it is endemic to open wet pine flatwoods and savannas of the Florida Panhandle from Walton to Wakulla counties, with most occurrences in Bay, Gulf, Liberty, and Franklin counties, west of the Ochlockonee River. It is estimated there are about 60 occurrences rangewide, including 25 which have good or excellent viability, and about 8 occurrences which have more than 100 plants. It occurs on the Apalachicola National Forest, Apalachicola River Wildlife and Environmental Area, Tates Hell State Forest (and Wildlife Management Area), and Tyndall Air Force Base. Threats include land disturbances such as drainage and site preparation for silviculture activities, such as in slash pine plantations.
Range Extent Comments
Godfrey's False Dragonhead (Physostegia godfreyi) occurs in the southeastern United States, where it is endemic to the Florida Panhandle. It only is known from open wet pine flatwoods and savannas of the Florida Panhandle from Walton to Wakulla counties; most occurrences are in Bay, Gulf, Liberty, and Franklin counties, west of the Ochlockonee River (Cantino 1979, Cantino 1982, Godfrey and Wooten 1981, Scheen et al. 2008, FNAI 2025, Weakley and Southeastern Flora Team 2025). Range extent was estimated to be 4850 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 there are about 60 occurrences rangewide (GBIF 2025, iNaturalist 2025, NatureServe 2025, RARECAT 2025, SEINet 2025).
Threat Impact Comments
Godfrey's False Dragonhead (Physostegia godfreyi) is "likely sensitive to certain land disturbances such as drainage and site preparation for silviculture activities. It likely requires the hydrology to be maintained" (FNAI 2025).
Ecology & Habitat

Diagnostic Characteristics

Physostegia godfreyi is a small, thin, colony forming perennial, with underground rhizomes, and narrow leaves and pale pink to lavender flowers with dark venation. The calyx and rachis of the inflorescence has minute, stalked glands. It is smaller and has narrower leaves than other Physostegia species. There are a couple others that also don't have sharply serrate leaves or leaves clasping the stem. Physostegia leptophylla has wider, more robust leaves and occurs in large clusters, often in water. Physostegia purpurea has robust flower stalks with more and much larger flowers (Godfrey and Wooten 1981, FNAI 2025).

Habitat

Physostegia godfreyi occurs in wet pine flatwoods and savannas, seepage slopes, bogs, adjacent ditches, swamps, often in shallow water (Cantino 1979, Godfrey and Wooten 1981, FNAI 2025, Weakley and Southeastern Flora Team 2025). It has been reported from elevations of 2 - 55 meters (GBIF 2025, iNaturalist 2025, NatureServe 2025, SEINet 2025).

Ecology

Physostegia godfreyi forms colonies connected by underground rhizomes (FNAI 2025).

Reproduction

The seeds of Physostegia lack structures which would facilitate dispersal by wind or by sticking to animals (Cantino 1982).
Terrestrial Habitats
Woodland - ConiferSavannaGrassland/herbaceous
Palustrine Habitats
HERBACEOUS WETLANDFORESTED WETLANDBog/fen
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN3
ProvinceRankNative
FloridaS3Yes
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)

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Plant Characteristics
DurationPERENNIAL
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (3)
Florida (3)
AreaForestAcres
Gum BayApalachicola National Forest11,645
Long BayApalachicola National Forest5,726
SavannahApalachicola National Forest1,927
References (12)
  1. Cantino, P.D. 1979. <i>Physostegia godfreyi </i>(Lamiaceae), a new species from northern Florida. Rhodora 81: 409-417.
  2. Cantino, P.D. 1982. A monograph of the genus Physostegia (Labiatae). Contributions Gray Herbarium 211: 1-105.
  3. Florida Natural Areas Inventory (FNAI). 2025. Field Guide Account for Apalachicola Dragon-head <i>Physostegia godfreyi</i> Cantino. Online. Available: https://www.fnai.org/PDFs/FieldGuides/Physostegia_godfreyi.pdf (Accessed 2025).
  4. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). 2025. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) data portal. Online. Available: https://www.gbif.org/ (accessed 2025).
  5. Godfrey, R.K., and J.W. Wooten. 1981. Aquatic and wetland plants of southeastern United States: Dicotyledons. Univ. Georgia Press, Athens. 933 pp.
  6. iNaturalist. 2025. Online. Available: https://www.inaturalist.org (accessed 2025).
  7. 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.
  8. NatureServe. 2025. NatureServe Network Biodiversity Location Data. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia.
  9. <p>NatureServe's Rapid Analysis of Rarity and Endangerment Conservation Assessment Tool (RARECAT). 2025. Version: 2.1.1 (released April 04, 2025).</p>
  10. Scheen, A-C., C. Lindqvist, C.G. Fossdal, and V.A. Albert. 2008. Molecular phylogenetics of tribe Synandreae, a North American lineage of lamioid mints (Lamiaceae). Cladistics 24: 299-314. doi: 10.1111/j.1096-0031.2007.00180.x
  11. Southwest Environmental Information Network (SEINet). 2025. Collections Databases. Online. Available: https://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/collections/index.php (accessed 2025).
  12. Weakley, A.S., and Southeastern Flora Team. 2025. Flora of the southeastern United States Web App. Edition of February 18, 2025. University of North Carolina Herbarium (NCU), North Carolina Botanical Garden, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Online. Available: https://fsus.ncbg.unc.edu (accessed 2025).