Wedgeleaf Button-snakeroot / Center For Plant Conservation
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Plant Profile

Wedgeleaf Button-snakeroot (Eryngium cuneifolium)

Blooming from August to October, small white flowers are clustered at the ends of branching stems. Photo Credit: © 1991 Steve Shirah
  • Global Rank: G1 - Critically Imperiled
  • Legal Status: Federally Endangered
  • Family: Apiaceae
  • State: FL
  • Nature Serve ID: 146092
  • Lifeform: Forb/herb
  • Date Inducted in National Collection: 04/04/1991
Description:

Eryngium cuneifolium is an aromatic perennial herb found on the southern Lake Wales Ridge in Highlands County, Florida. It has a long, woody taproot and a persistent rosette of dark green leaves. These leaves are long, stalked, and shaped like narrow wedges. With several erect and branching flowering stems emerging from the rosette, a plant can reach a maximum height of 0.9 m. Blooming from August to October, flowers are small with white petals, filaments, styles and stigmas and powdery-blue anthers that form small heads with bristly bracts. (USFWS 1999; FNAI 2000) This species is threatened by the development of its habitat for housing and citrus production, as well as by fire suppression. This species thrives in the open gaps of scrub areas that would otherwise be closed canopies if not for the presence of occasional fire. (USFWS 1999; FNAI 2000)

Where is Wedgeleaf Button-snakeroot (Eryngium cuneifolium) located in the wild?

Habitat:

This species is found in the scrub communities of Florida's xeric uplands. (Coile 2000) It favors sunny sites of open sand or disturbed soil and most often occurs in the shrub gaps of rosemary scrub. (NatureServe 2001)

Distribution:

Found only on the southern Lake Wales Ridge in Highlands County, Florida. (FNAI 2000)

States & Provinces:

Wedgeleaf Button-snakeroot can be found in Florida

Which CPC Partners conserve Wedgeleaf Button-snakeroot (Eryngium cuneifolium)?

  • Bok Tower Gardens

    Sponsored
    Sponsors Add

    Silver Sponsor

    Andrew W. Mellon Foundation

    The Elizabeth Ordway Dunn Foundation, Inc.

    Conservation Actions
    Assigned 06/09/17
    • CPC's Plant Sponsorship Program provides long term stewardship of rare plants in our National Collection. We are so grateful for all our donors who have made the Plant Sponsorship Program so successful. We are in the process of acknowledging all our wonderful plant sponsorship donors on our website. This is a work in progress and will be updated regularly.

    Conservation Actions

    Tina Stanley
    • 05/11/2023
      • Orthodox Seed Banking

    According to a March 2023 extract of the Florida Plant Rescue Database, Bok Tower Gardens holds 4 accessions of Eryngium cuneifolium totalling approximately 51296 seeds.

    • 10/05/2020
      • Reproductive Research

    Some research on management and life history has been conducted by Eric Menges with the Archbold Biological Station.

    Nature Serve Biotics
    • 05/02/2017

    A Florida Scrub endemic with an extremely restricted range with about 20 occurrences, all in Highlands County, Florida. The species' habitat is decreasing in extent and quality due to the development of residential subdivisions and the citrus industry.

    Nick Baker
    • 01/01/2010

    Habitat threatened by development for housing and citrus production. Also threatened within its habitat by canopy closure due to fire suppression. (NatureServe 2001)

    Nick Baker
    • 01/01/2010

    17 sites, 1 site protected at Archbold Biological Station sites in southern Lake Wales Ridge, Highlands counties

    Nick Baker
    • 01/01/2010

    Some research on management and life history has been conducted by Eric Menges with the Archbold Biological Station.

    Nick Baker
    • 01/01/2010

    There are some sites on protected land that are being monitored by the Archbold Biological Station. (USFWS 1996) However, no active management programs designed for this species are being implemented. (NatureServe 2001)

    Nick Baker
    • 01/01/2010

    Specific effects of disturbance on colonization and survival needs research Small number of populations on protected land, need to acquire additional sites for preservation Controlled burning or some other mechanical disturbance needed to maintain open space for habitat

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    Nomenclature
    Taxon Eryngium cuneifolium
    Authority Small
    Family Apiaceae
    CPC Number 1818
    ITIS 29488
    USDA ERCU4
    Duration Biennial
    Common Names snakeroot | wedge-leaved button-snakeroot | wedge-leaved button-snakeroots | wedge-leaved eryngo
    Associated Scientific Names Eryngium cuneifolium
    Distribution Found only on the southern Lake Wales Ridge in Highlands County, Florida. (FNAI 2000)
    State Rank
    State State Rank
    Florida S1
    Ecological Relationships

    Photos

    Blooming from August to October, small white flowers are clustered at the ends of branching stems. Photo Credit: © 1991 Steve Shirah

    With several erect and branching flowering stems emerging from the rosette, a plant can reach a maximum height of 0.9 m Photo Credit: Jon Shaw
    Pollinators
    Common Name Name in Text Association Type Source InteractionID
    Bees
    Cellophane bees Colletes mandibularis Floral Visitor Link
    Cellophane bees Colletes sp. a Floral Visitor Link
    Sweat bees Augochlora pura Floral Visitor Link
    Sweat bees Augochlorella aurata Floral Visitor Link
    Sweat bees Augochloropsis sumptuosa Floral Visitor Link
    Sweat bees Dialictus miniatulus Floral Visitor Link
    Sweat bees Dialictus nymphalis Floral Visitor Link
    Sweat bees Dialictus placidensis Floral Visitor Link
    Sweat bees Sphecodes heraclei Floral Visitor Link
    Leaf-cutting bees Anthidiellum perplexum Floral Visitor Link
    Leaf-cutting bees Coelioxys mexicana Floral Visitor Link
    Leaf-cutting bees Coelioxys sayi Floral Visitor Link
    Leaf-cutting bees Megachile albitarsis Floral Visitor Link
    Leaf-cutting bees Megachile brevis pseudobrevis Floral Visitor Link
    Leaf-cutting bees Megachile mendica Floral Visitor Link
    Leaf-cutting bees Megachile texana Floral Visitor Link
    Bumble bees Bombus pennsylvanicus Floral Visitor Link

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