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Verbesina chapmanii

J.R. Coleman

Chapman's Crownbeard

G3Vulnerable Found in 1 roadless area NatureServe Explorer →
G3VulnerableGlobal Rank
MediumThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.141569
Element CodePDAST9R040
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
Endemicendemic to a single state or province
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassDicotyledoneae
OrderAsterales
FamilyAsteraceae
GenusVerbesina
Other Common Names
Chapman's crownbeard (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 Date2025-04-02
Change Date1999-05-28
Edition Date2025-04-02
Edition AuthorsHardin, E.D. rev. D.L.White; rev. L. Chafin (1998), rev. C. Nordman (2025).
Threat ImpactMedium
Range Extent1000-20,000 square km (about 400-8000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences21 - 300
Rank Reasons
Chapman's Crownbeard (Verbesina chapmanii) occurs in the southeastern United States, where it is endemic to the Florida Panhandle and occurs in Bay, Gulf, western Franklin, western Liberty, and southeastern Walton counties, Florida. Occurrences in southern Calhoun and southwestern Washington counties were most recently documented in 1988. It is an herbaceous plant up to 1 meter tall, with opposite leaves which are rough like sandpaper, and discoid flowers with yellow corollas. It is estimated that there are between 40 and 100 occurrences rangewide, and about 25 occurrences are considered to have good or excellent viability. It has been documented at various locations on Apalachicola National Forest, and on Pine Log State Forest, Point Washington State Forest, Dear Lake State Park, Saint Joseph Bay State Buffer Preserve and Tyndall Air Force Base. Threats include the conversion of natural wet pine flatwoods and savanna habitat for development and to planted slash pine plantations, shading and competition from shrub understory with the lack of frequent enough prescribed fire also are threats.
Range Extent Comments
Chapman's Crownbeard (Verbesina chapmanii) occurs in the southeastern United States, where it is endemic to the Florida Panhandle and occurs in Bay, Gulf, western Franklin, western Liberty, and southeastern Walton counties, Florida (Godfrey and Wooten 1981, FNAI 2025, Weakley and Southeastern Flora Team 2025). Occurrences in southern Calhoun and southwestern Washington counties were most recently documented in 1988. Range extent was estimated to be about 5100 square kilometers, using herbarium specimens, photo-based observations, and NatureServe Network occurrence data collected between 1984 and 2025 (RARECAT 2024, GBIF 2025, iNaturalist 2025, NatureServe 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 1984 and 2025, it is estimated that there are between 40 and 100 occurrences rangewide (RARECAT 2024, GBIF 2025, iNaturalist 2025, NatureServe 2025, SEINet 2025).
Threat Impact Comments
Threats to Chapman's Crownbeard (Verbesina chapmanii) include the conversion of natural wet pine flatwoods and savanna habitat for development and to planted slash pine plantations (especially the forestry practices of root rake, deep double chop, bulldozing, bedding, and hydrological alteration), shading and competition from shrub understory and vigorous grasses and other herbaceous plants with the lack of frequent enough prescribed fire also are threats (Kral 1983, FNAI 2025).
Ecology & Habitat

Diagnostic Characteristics

Leaves opposite, or lower and median opposite, the upper bracteal leaves or bracts alternate; heads discoid rather than radiate; stem not winged (Godfrey and Wooten 1981, Kral 1983). The leaves which are rough like sandpaper, with the bright yellow discoid flowers can distinguish this plant from similar composites (FNAI 2025).

Habitat

Chapman's Crownbeard (Verbesina chapmanii) occurs in wet sandy peats of bogs, seasonally wet pine savannas and flatwoods, open stands of slash or longleaf pine, grass-sedge formations where wiregrass often dominates, and grassy cypress depressions, at elevations of 7 - 30 meters (Godfrey and Wooten 1981, Kral 1983, Clewell 1985, FNA 2006, FNAI 2025, SEINet 2025).

Reproduction

This species flowers from June to August (FNA 2006).
Terrestrial Habitats
Forest/WoodlandWoodland - MixedSavanna
Palustrine Habitats
Bog/fen
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN3
ProvinceRankNative
FloridaS3Yes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
1 - Residential & commercial developmentSmall (1-10%)Serious or 31-70% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
1.1 - Housing & urban areasSmall (1-10%)Serious or 31-70% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
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)
7 - Natural system modificationsRestricted (11-30%)Serious or 31-70% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
7.1 - Fire & fire suppressionRestricted (11-30%)Serious or 31-70% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
7.1.2 - Suppression in fire frequency/intensityRestricted (11-30%)Serious or 31-70% pop. declineHigh (continuing)

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Plant Characteristics
DurationPERENNIAL, SPRING-FLOWERING, SUMMER-FLOWERING
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (1)
Florida (1)
AreaForestAcres
SavannahApalachicola National Forest1,927
References (12)
  1. Clewell, A.F. 1985. Guide to vascular plants of the Florida panhandle. Florida State Univ. Press, Tallahassee, Florida. 605 pp.
  2. 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.
  3. Florida Natural Areas Inventory (FNAI). 2025. Field Guide Account for Chapman's Crownbeard <i>Verbesina chapmanii</i> J.R. Coleman. Online. Available: https://www.fnai.org/PDFs/FieldGuides/Verbesina_chapmanii.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. 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.
  9. NatureServe. 2025. NatureServe Network Biodiversity Location Data. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia.
  10. Southwest Environmental Information Network (SEINet). 2025. Collections Databases. Online. Available: https://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/collections/index.php (accessed 2025).
  11. Ward, D.B., ed. 1979. Rare and endangered biota of Florida. Vol. 5: Plants. Univ. Presses of Florida, Gainesville.
  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).