Endangered and Threatened Species
Gentiana penelliana, wiregrass gentian. Photographed in the Apalachicola National Forest, January 4, 2003.
©
Shirley Denton
Florida is the home of numerous rare plant species many of which are considered to be
"Endangered" or "Threatened" by one or more federal, state, or local governments.
Criteria for listing varies with the listing agency. As of this writing, the federal government, through the US Fish and Wildlife
Service considers 54 plant species to be Endangered or Threatened. The Florida Department of Agriculture and consumer affairs lists around 480 (the
number varies as recommendations for listing and delisting are ongoing). The Department of Community Affairs maintains
a second list specifically for protection of species potentially impacted by large-scale developments. The Florida
Natural Areas Inventory maintains an independent list. Links on this page will lead you to these lists and additional governmental
information on listed plant species. Regardless of listing criteria, these are Florida's rare plants.
Florida is generally considered to have more rare species than any other continental state except California. This distinction comes
from a variety of geographical and biogeographical factors which are unique to our location. First, Florida is a peninsula
that extends southward from the remainder of the continental US. The climate is mild, but varies. Caribbean species have managed to colonize
extreme southern Florida, and due to limited area and restricted areas of habitat, many are rare.
Florida also has many habitat islands that have been isolated for very long periods of time. Isolation of small populations is
a prime factor involved in speciation. Florida's scrub islands on the central ridges are prime examples. Other small habitat islands
may be responsible for the occurrence of a number of species of Dicerandra that are found only in very local areas.
Biogeographical history is also important. Florida was a refuge for plants whose ranges were pushed southward during
glacial epochs. Some of these have remained in limited areas. This is especially true in extreme northern Florida. Species such
as Taxus floridana and Torreya taxifolia are good examples. Extreme northern Florida is also the southern limit for species
more widespread to the north, and some of these species are rare in Florida; others are rare wherever they occur.
Man is responsible for many instances of rareness. Orchid hunters have totally extirpated some species (driven them to extinction
at least in Florida). Development threatens many species with highly restricted ranges and highly specific habitat requirements.
Natural and introduced diseases and pests threaten other species. Examples include the European wild boar which digs up native plants from the forest floor, Melaleuca
which colonizes moist areas so densely that it excludes most other species, and a weevil which is attacking and severely decimating
populations of our larger bromeliads.
The links provided on this page provide information on the protection and listing of rare species, as well as information on
some specific species considered to be endangered and threatened by some of the listing agencies.
Links
Dicerandra christmanii Archbold Biological Station Species Account
Dicerandra frutescens Archbold Biological Station Species Account
Eriogonum floridanum Archbold Biological Station Species Account
Eryngium cuneifolium Archbold Biological Station Species Account
FFWCC Endangered and Threatened Species List
Field Guide to the Rare Plants and Animals of Florida A new resource produced by the Florida Natural Areas Inventory.
Florida Administrative Code, Rule 9j-2.041 Large developments are required to survey for plants listed as critically imperilled, imperilled, or rare in this rule. These include Developments of Regional Impact and Florida Quality Developments. If a species listed by this rule is encountered, development review typically requires some conservation measures for the species observed on site. This rule also has a clause limiting the use of the endangered and threatened species list in 581.185 for development review purposes. Awful download but important. Go to Chapter 9, page 284.
Florida Natural Areas Inventory The FNAI provides lots of information on Florida's biota and its conservation status and needs.
Florida's Endangered and Threatened Plants By Nancy Coile
Florida's Federally Listed Plant Species A FL Division of Forestry site with line drawings of listed plant species.
FNAI Rare Plant Book
FNAI Rare Plants and Animals Guides
Hypericum cumulicola
Hypericum cumulicola Archbold Biological Station Species Account
Literature Useful to the Study of Rare Plants A list of books and articles by the University of Florida Herbarium.
Orchid Picture Catalogue By Clifford Pelchat.
Polygala lewtonii Archbold Biological Station Species Account
Polygonella basiramia Archbold Biological Station Species Account
Preservation of Native Flora of Florida Act (581.185) This legislation controls movement and sale of endangered, threatened, and commercially exploited species.
Prunus geniculata Archbold Biological Station Species Account
Rare and Endangered Biota of Florida Edited by R. Ashton, this series has not yet revised the volume on plants.
South Florida Orchids Text and photographs by John G. Zahina
Ten Rare Plants of Georgia Georgia Endangered Plant Stewardship Network - some of these species are endangered in Florida also
USFW Multi-Species Recovery Plan for South Florida This is a voluminous work that includes species accounts for federally listed plant species whose ranges overlap into the Kissimmee/Everglades/Big Cypress Basins in southern Florida.
USFWS - Endangered Species Info about specific federally listed endangered or threatened species.
USFWS Endangered Species Site
USFWS Endangered Species Information
USFWS Recovery Plan for Brooksville Bellflower and Cooley's Water Willow. USFWS Recovery Plan for Brooksville Bellflower (Campanula robinsiae) and Cooley's water-willow (Justica cooleyi). According to the web site, this file cannot be read with Adobe Acrobat 5.0 (it reads well with 4.0)
USFWS Recovery Plan: Nineteen Florida Scrub Species Recovery Plan for Nineteen Central Florida Scrub and High Pineland Plants (revised). bonamia: Bonamia grandiflora, pygmy fringe-tree: Chionanthus pygmaeus, Florida perforate cladonia:adonia perforata,pigeon wing: Clitoria fragrans, short-leaved rosemary: Conradina brevifolia, Avon Park harebells: Crotalaria avonensis, scrub buckwheat: Eriogonum longifolium var. gnaphalifolium, scrub-celery snakeroot: Eryngium cuneifolium, highlands scrub hypericum: Hypericum cumulicola, scrub blazing-star: Liatris ohlingerae, scrub lupine: Lupinus aridorum, Britton's beargrass: Nolina brittoniana, papery whitlow-wort: Paronychia chartacea, Lewton's polygala: Polygala lewtonii, a wireweed: Polygonella basiramia, sandlace: Polygonella myriophylla, scrub plum: Prunus geniculata, Carter's mustard: Warea carteri, Florida ziziphus: Ziziphus celata. According to the USFWS, this file cannot currently be read with Adobe 5.0 (it loads fine with 4.0)
USFWS Recovery Plan: Four Species from Apalachicola Region Recovery Plan for Four Plants of the Lower Apalachicola Region, Florida: Euphorbia telephioides (Telephus spurge), Macbridea alba (white bird-in-a-nest), Pinguicula ionantha (Godfrey's butterwort), and Scutellaria floridana (Florida skullcap). According to the site, this file cannot be read with Adobe Acrobat 5.0 (4.0 works fine).
Warea carteri Archbold Biological Station Species Account
Zizaphus celata Archbold Biological Station Species Account