Partnering with Plants

Harrelson, Dave, Endangered Species Bulletin

Once, clouds of a unique wildflower, the decurrent false aster (Boltonia decurrens), lined the banks of the Illinois River, but the construction of a system of locks and dams has nearly eliminated the plant's habitat. Loss of wetlands habitat also was a primary reason for the decline of the swamp pink (Helonias bullata), a plant endemic to freshwater wetlands along the eastern seaboard. In 1992, a single specimen of Delissea undulata was discovered in North Kona, Hawaii. Botanists were able to germinate seeds from this plant, which was thought to have been extinct since 1971, and today the species appears to have a chance for recovery. Elsewhere in Hawaii, at least 12 native plant species are represented by only a single known individual.

Faced with the expanding development of natural areas, competition from invasive non-native species, loss of pollinators, and over-collection for ornamental and other uses, many of our native plants face an uncertain …

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Publication information: Article title: Partnering with Plants. Contributors: Harrelson, Dave - Author. Magazine title: Endangered Species Bulletin. Volume: 26. Issue: 1 Publication date: September 2001. Page number: 34. © 1999 U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. COPYRIGHT 2001 Gale Group.

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