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Plant Profile

Limerock Arrow-wood (Viburnum bracteatum)

The terminal clusters of small white flowers and toothed leaves of the bracted viburnum. Photo Credit: Tom Ward

Global Rank: G1 - Critically Imperiled
Legal Status: N/A
Family: Adoxaceae
State: AL, GA, TN
Nature Serve ID: 144580
Lifeform: Shrub
Date Inducted in National Collection: 02/10/1987

Description:

The name "arrowwood" belongs to a larger species, V. dentatum, that probably includes V. bracteatum. Indians used strong shoots of these viburnums for the shafts of their arrows. Bracted viburnum is a deciduous shrub up to 3 m tall that is different from other arrowwoods in its special habitat, late flowering time, leaf shape and texture, persistent conspicuous bracts (structures of leaf origin underneath the flower), and some other minute characters (Rheder 1904, Rheder 1940).

Where is Limerock Arrow-wood (Viburnum bracteatum) located in the wild?

Habitat:

V. bracteatum is part of the shrub understory in open deciduous woodland coating the calcareous bluffs, cliffs, and ledges along the Coosa River and on the escarpment of the Cumberland Plateau (Foote and Jones 1994).

Distribution:

V. bracteatum historical range was northwestern Georgia to northwestern Alabama. It was known from the banks of the Coosa R. near Rome in Georgia and from the Appalachian Valley in Alabama (Small 1933

States & Provinces:

Limerock Arrow-wood can be found in Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee

Which CPC Partners conserve Limerock Arrow-wood (Viburnum bracteatum)?

The Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University

Conservation Actions

Nature Serve Biotics

05/02/2017

Based upon current data, the few populations in Georgia do not have many plants. However, as recently as 2003, new occurrences have been located in Tennessee and thus it is possible that more will be found. Based upon the few occurrences now known, relatively small numbers of individuals, and threats, Viburnum bracteatum is an imperiled species. If threats such as limestone quarries persists or worsen, a G1 rank would be justified.

Irina Kadis

01/01/2010

The main threat to this shrub is from quarrying of the dolomitic limestones. This has destroyed most of the type locality along the Coosa at the southern outskirts of Rome, GA, and has wiped out the Alabama locality known to Roland Harper (Kral 1983). P

Irina Kadis

01/01/2010

Remaining numbers are unknown.

Irina Kadis

01/01/2010

None known.

Irina Kadis

01/01/2010

There is no formal management plan.

Irina Kadis

01/01/2010

Since there are many steep limestone bluffs along and near the Coosa River where the plants should be found, further search should be conducted and likely areas should be purchased and preserved (Kral 1983).