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Plant Profile

Alabama Leatherflower (Clematis socialis)

Clematis socialis roadside population in Alabama.

Photo Credit: Loy Xingwen

Global Rank: G1 - Critically Imperiled
Legal Status: Federally Endangered
Family: Ranunculaceae
State: AL, GA
Nature Serve ID: 137478
Lifeform: Vine
Date Inducted in National Collection: 02/09/1992

Description:

Alabama leather flower is an erect, non-viney perennial herb known from only five sites in northeast Alabama and one in northwest Georgia (USFWS 1989; NatureServe 2001). It was first discovered in St. Clair county Alabama in 1980 (USFWS 1989). It is found in silt-clay alluvial soils in full sun to part shade in grass-sedge-rush communities. These sites include highway rights-of-way, pasture land, and logged forests (USFWS 1989; NatureServe 2001). It blue-violet flowers emerge in late April through May and fruit development begins in June. Alabama leather flower also spreads vegetatively and its most distinctive feature is its rhizomatous habit and the formation of dense clones with erect stems reaching 18 to 30 cm. in height (Kral 1982).

Where is Alabama Leatherflower (Clematis socialis) located in the wild?

Habitat:

silt-clay alluvial soils in full sun to part shade in grass-sedge-rush communitieshighway rights-of-waypasture landlogged forests(USFWS 1989)

Distribution:

Ridge and Valley physiographic region of northeast Alabama and northwest Georgia (USFWS 1989).

States & Provinces:

Alabama Leatherflower can be found in Alabama, Georgia

Which CPC Partners conserve Alabama Leatherflower (Clematis socialis)?

North Carolina Botanical Garden

Conservation Actions

Jason Ligon

03/20/2023

Team work for the win! A site assessment was conducted at Alabama EO#1. Across 3 subsites, 642 reproductive individuals were observed. 61 of these individuals had their achenes bagged for subsequent seed collection. Only achenes that appeared more developed and likely to set seed were bagged. However, we found that not every achene bagged reliably produced seeds when we returned to collect seeds. In all from this population, 106 fresh seeds from 19 maternal lines were collected and shipped to NLGRP, correlating with North Carolina Botanical Garden’s original accession collected in 1993. This seed collection is one of many that contribute to CPC's Seed Longevity Study.

Center for Plant Conservation

08/18/2021

In 2021, CPC contracted the Atlanta Botanical Garden to recollect seed from a population currently held in long term orthodox seed storage at North Carolina Botanica Garden as part of an IMLS-funded seed longevity experiment. The National Laboratory for Genetic Resources Preservation will evaluate how germination tested viability and RNA Integrity of seed lots decline over time in storage.

10/13/2020

Population dynamics, fire management and logging management studies are being conducted in Alabama (TNC and USFWS)

10/13/2020

Genetic work on this species was also done at Auburn University (Trusty et al., 2009). Based on the genetics work done at Auburn University, it was recommended that "additional in vitro collections be made from each of the five extant populations and placed in cryostorage" (Trusty et al., 2009).

Valerie Pence

01/08/2018

Based on the genetics work done at Auburn University, it was recommended that "additional in vitro collections be made from each of the five extant populations and placed in cryostorage" (Trusty et al., 2009). A tissue culture propagation protocol and a shoot tip cryopreservation protocol for this species were developed at CREW. Tissue culture lines were used to provide shoot tips for long-term storage in liquid nitrogen in CREW's CryoBioBank. Genetic work on this species was also done at Auburn University (Trusty et al., 2009).

Nature Serve Biotics

05/02/2017

Only known from a few occurrences in northeastern Alabama and northwestern Georgia. Sexual reproduction is limited in this species, so there are probably few genetic individuals. Populations mostly occur in areas subject to right-of-way maintenance activities, such as along highways or pipelines. Highway crews are working with the Fish and Wildlife Service to find maintainance techniques that are compatible with the species.

01/01/2010

The loss of habitat is the main threat to C. socialis. This includes overgrowth of hardwood canopy, competition from other plants, herbicide use, mowing, road maintenance, and logging.

01/01/2010

Active management is under way at one protected site in Alabama. This includes maintaining an open canopy and reducing competition from surrounding vegetation. Prescribed burns and selective logging have also been implemented at some sites as a management tools. All landowners and other involved parties have been notified in regards to the presence of this rare plant on their properties. Some monitoring is currently carried out by the USFWS.

01/01/2010

Research: More extensive monitoring programs are needed as well as basic research on C. socialis reproduction biology and associated community structure. Land use history of the extant populations is also needed. Management: Land management that opens the canopy, such as prescribed burning and selective logging, is needed.

01/01/2010

Seed collection from all populations not represented in collection.

Alabama Leatherflower (Clematis socialis) Characteristics

Nomenclature

Taxon	Clematis socialis
Authority	Kral
Family	Ranunculaceae
CPC Number	1004
ITIS	195027
USDA	CLSO3
Duration	Perennial
Common Names	Alabama leather flower
Associated Scientific Names	Clematis socialis
Distribution	Ridge and Valley physiographic region of northeast Alabama and northwest Georgia (USFWS 1989).

State Rank

State	State Rank
Alabama	S1
Georgia	S1

Ecological Relationships

Photos

This picture shows the bell-shaped blue flower of the Alabama leather flower. Photo Credit: Robert Kral

This picture shows several flowers of the Alabama leather flower, which forms dense clumps of clonal stems from rhizomes. Photo Credit:

Clematis socialis roadside population in Alabama.

Photo Credit: Loy Xingwen

Clematis socialis achenes at a site in Alabama are collected by Atlanta Botanical Garden’s Micropropagation & Seed Bank Coordinator, Jason Ligon.

Photo Credit: Jason Ligon

ABG’s Ian Sabo (Field Biologist) inputs coordinates while Loy Xingwen (Research Scientist) harvests seeds of C. socialis.

Photo Credit: Jason Ligon

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