Radford's Dicerandra (Dicerandra radfordiana)

flower Photo Credit: Jason Ligon

Global Rank: G1 - Critically Imperiled
Legal Status: N/A
Family: Lamiaceae
State: GA
Nature Serve ID: 132246
Lifeform: Forb/herb
Date Inducted in National Collection: 12/19/2019

Description:

Where is Radford's Dicerandra (Dicerandra radfordiana) located in the wild?

States & Provinces:

Radford's Dicerandra can be found in Georgia

Which CPC Partners conserve Radford's Dicerandra (Dicerandra radfordiana)?

Atlanta Botanical Garden

Partially Sponsored

Conservation Actions

Jason Ligon, Laurie Blackmore

12/23/2019

Seed was collected November 20 & 21, 2019 from 7 sites at Townsend Wildlife Management Area (EO#2) and 1 site at Barrington Hunting Club (EO #1). Collectively Flowers from 432 maternal lines were collected. Upon extraction of seed from the flowers, we noticed a range of seed color assumed to be associated with maturity. Most were dark brown. Some collected flowers were found to not contain seed during processing. As a result, a total of 1800 seeds from 374 maternal lines were successfully logged and banked.

When collecting seed it was difficult to distinguish which flowers held mature seed . A bump at the base of the corolla of browning flowers was felt for to determine the presence of mature seed.

EO #1 is most threatened by bluff erosion, EO #2 by vehicle damage. According to census data of the Townsend WMA population, annual population size varies from about 1200-3600 individual plants.

Germination tests are planned for 4 maternal lines. An additional trip in 2021 is proposed. The majority of mature plants at time of harvest had a range of flower maturation, from buds to flowers that had set seed. Two collections, one earlier and one later, within one season may better capture the population's genetic diversity associated with variation in temporal seed maturity.