In November 2001, several young plants were transplanted from the Conservation area to Mercers Endangered Species Garden. These Abronia macrocarpa transplants provided a beautiful display of blooms for the public during the Spring of 2002 and should provide a permanent exhibit for years to come. The Endangered Species Garden, established in 1994 with support from Star Enterprises, displays rare native plants for the public to view year-round.

Germination protocols continue to be standardized by staff at Mercer Arboretum. Plants produced for educational display gardens or for specific restoration and reintroduction projects are produced within Mercers nursery greenhouses and within our Conservation Area. The Conservation Area provides secure, raised beds for mass propagation of plants/seeds. Each bed is provided with independently controlled irrigation and substrates that meet the unique requirements for each species. Mercer has maintained an experimental population of Abronia macrocarpa for ~9 years at our Conservation area. Seeds gathered from these plants are used for educational garden displays and propagation experiments.

In January of 2002 Mercer Arboretum and Botanic Gardens received seed collected during the 2001 growing season from the six wild populations studied by Dr. Paula Williamson in 2001. Subsets of these seeds were banked at Mercer Arboretum and Botanic Gardens, the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Austin, TX and the National Center for Genetic Resources Preservation (NCGRP) in Ft. Collins, CO (formerly called the National Seed Storage Laboratories). Mercer maintains wild collected seeds for this species dating to 1989.

In January of 2002 Mercer Arboretum and Botanic Gardens received seed collected during the 2001 growing season from the six wild populations studied by Dr. Paula Williamson in 2001. Subsets of these seeds were banked at Mercer Arboretum and Botanic Gardens, the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Austin, TX and the National Center for Genetic Resources Preservation (NCGRP) in Ft. Collins, CO (formerly called the National Seed Storage Laboratories). Mercer maintains wild collected seeds for this species dating to 1989.

The few known occurrences of Abronia macrocarpa all occur within a 3-county area in eastern Texas. Habitat is sandy soils in openings in post oak savannah (USFWS 1992). Abronia macrocarpa is threatened by residential development, oil field development, fire suppression, recreational use, and non-native pasture grasses.

Residential development, oil field development, exotics (South African lovegrass, weeping lovegrass), trail bikes, off-road vehicles, deer grazing, grass encroachment, low numbers, limited distribution, hikers, fire suppression, over collection (USFWS 199

9 sites with a total of many 1000 plants (Texas State University - San Marcos) Report from 2006 for 9 populations: Population 1 Freestone County, TX ~28K on 20 acres Population 2 Leon County, TX ~6,200 on 5.5 acres Population 3 Leon County, TX ~12K on over 90 acres Population 4 Leon County, TX ~8K on 8.5 acres Population 5 Robertson County, TX ~5K on 2.7 acres Population 6 Robertson County, TX 750 on 10.6 acres Population 7 Robertson County, TX 4,500 on12 acres Population 8 Leon County, TX ~30K on 30 acres Population 9 Leon County, TX area and number not determined (discovered in 2006) Therefore, a total nearly 100,000 plants in all size classes have been observed by Dr. Paula Williamson of Texas State University at San Marcos, TX and Gena K. Janssen of Janssen Biological of Austin, TX for 6 of the populations.

Extensive research on pollination biology, genetics , phenology etc., by Dr. Paula Williamson and students at SW Texas State University, San Marcos, TX. Germination protocols continue to be standardized by staff at Mercer Arboretum. In January of 2002 Mercer Arboretum and Botanic Gardens received seed collected during the 2001 growing season from the six wild populations studied by Dr. Paula Williamson in 2001. Subsets of these seeds were banked at Mercer Arboretum and Botanic Gardens, the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Austin, TX and the National Center for Genetic Resources Preservation (NCGRP) in Ft. Collins, CO (formerly called the National Seed Storage Laboratories). Mercer maintains wild collected seeds for this species dating to 1989. Both Williamson and Janssen maintain strong partnerships with private landowners where Abronia macrocarpa grows. Dr. Williamson presented the 2002 field growing season reports and current research in her seminar Status of the Large-fruited Sand Verbena (Abronia macrocarpa) on Sept. 5, 2002 at the TX Plant Conservation Conference 2002 at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin, TX. Plants produced for educational display gardens or for specific restoration and reintroduction projects are produced within Mercers nursery greenhouses and within our Conservation Area. The Conservation Area provides secure, raised beds for mass propagation of plants/seeds. Each bed is provided with independently controlled irrigation and substrates that meet the unique requirements for each species. Mercer has maintained an experimental population of Abronia macrocarpa for ~9 years at our Conservation area. Seeds gathered from these plants are used for educational garden displays and propagation experiments. In November 2001, several young plants were transplanted from the Conservation area to Mercers Endangered Species Garden. These Abronia macrocarpa transplants provided a beautiful display of blooms for the public during the Spring of 2002 and should provide a permanent exhibit for years to come. The Endangered Species Garden, established in 1994 with support from Star Enterprises, displays rare native plants for the public to view year-round. In Spring 2002, the River Oaks Garden Club of Houston, TX provided a generous gift to be used for the initiation of the expansion and renovation of Mercers Endangered Species Garden. (Tiller 2001b)

Surveys for new populations and of existing populations

Monitor and protect existing populations from present and future threats. Continue additional survey work to locate new populations. Studies of demographic and genetic viability are needed. Continue habitat characterization.

Further investigate cultivation requirements. Expand reserve seed bank and cultivated populations.