Recent genetics research projects guided by Dr. Joshua Banta, Dr. Kate Hertweck, Dr. John S. Placyk Jr.of University of Texas, Tyler have compared Neches River rose-mallow to congeners: https://scholarworks.uttyler.edu/biology_grad/43/

Germination, survivorship, and life history studies using wild collected seed from a high-quality population in Houston County are being conducted at Mercer Botanic Gardens. Seeds were collected by maternal lines for Mercer by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) staff and all plants propagated are earmarked for on-going reintroduction projects guided by TPWD and USFWS. Edwin Umanzor, while as a student with the Honors College at Lone Star College-Kingwood in 2015, conducted germination studies with these seeds.

Dr. David Creech, staff and students of Stephen F. Austin State University, Nacogdoches, TX propagate this species for reintroduction. Excellent survival & flowering occurred in summer 2000.

Reintroductions of ~700 of these plants into David Crockett National Forest, Trinity County, occurred in April of 2000. Dr. David Creech, staff and students of Stephen F. Austin State University, Nacogdoches, TX propagate this species for reintroduction. Excellent survival & flowering occurred in summer 2000.

Educational display specimens of Hibiscus dasycalyx and associated interpretive panels are on display for the public within Mercer Botanic Gardens' Endangered Species and Native Plant Garden.

Seeds are shared as backup with participating institutions of the Center for Plant Conservation, namely, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Austin, TX and the USDA National Lab for Genetic Resources Preservation, Ft. Collins, CO.

Seeds are shared as backup with participating institutions of the Center for Plant Conservation, namely, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Austin, TX and the USDA National Lab for Genetic Resources Preservation, Ft. Collins, CO.

Seed from the bank has provided wild-seed sourced plants for an ongoing restoration project in Houston County.

Mercer Botanic Gardens maintains wild-collected seed from several wild populations of Hibiscus dasycalyx for the CPC's National Collection of Endangered Plants.

As listed in https://www.fws.gov/policy/library/2013/2013-22083.html certain elements that affect Neches River rose-mallow include hydrologic change to streams and rivers; encroachment from native woody riparian species and nonnative species; herbivory; drought and others. Changing climate regimes may increase these threats and others, to Neches River rose-mallow. In addition, increased development of Neches River rose-mallow habitat may occur. Threats from climate change support the need for more research, seed banking and consideration of translocation of plant species.

Results of surveys of natural and reintroduced populations are available in U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS); 2013.Designation of Critical Habitat for Texas Golden Gladecress and Threatened Status for Neches River rose-mallow; Final Rule.  Federal Register 78 (176).  September 11, 2013.  56072-56120. Recent survey results are being compiled by the USFWS.

All management actions including canopy thinning, habitat restoration, invasive species removal, population monitoring, herbivore management, prescribed burns should be or are being utilized for the management of existing natural and introduced populations. Since some populations are located on private lands, guidance and assistance to landowners is essential.

Prior reintroductions of Hibiscus dasycalyx likely used plants produced from cuttings. Genetic comparisons between or within populations have not been examined. Plants produced at Mercer Botanic Gardens for a reintroduction planned for Montgomery County (historic location) were propagated from wild-collected seed originating from a high-quality natural population in Houston County.This reintroduction was cancelled when other hibiscus species (a potential risk for hybridization) were found on the proposed reintroduction site. A balanced genetic representation of plants grown from the wild seed would have been used for the reintroduction. See augmentation section.

July 2017, Partners (state, federal and private) and Mercer Botanic Gardens staff members met to discuss preparation of a Houston County site for augmentation. Discussion points included:

• General mowing will be required prior to adding plants. No cutting of hibiscus will take place before September during the species' active growth. Cutting should happen between late September and February. Invasive species cutting, removal, subsequent herbicide treatment, and competition from Chinese Tallow trees is an issue. To cut invasive shrubs - shredding equipment may sink into soft soils and also cut the hibiscus to less than proposed 8” high. Recommended using gas-powered weed whackers over the soft soils of the hibiscus habitat in order to keep the plants at least 8” high, and cut after the plants finish seeding and become dormant. Operators must be sure to clean all equipment before entering the site. Contractors often will agree to buy new weed whackers for maintenance in endangered plant habitats. Seed has been collected at the site during August up to November.
• Fencing the 2.9-acre site in the preserve may be needed. Otherwise, potential issues to this population includes foraging cattle from adjacent properties. Funding needed for fencing.
• The 2016 survey map with flagging of plants and the management area was shared with the group for review. Current drone images were taken during this visit.
• Plants were still in bloom and setting seed; herbarium specimens which will be held at MERCA herbarium were taken of some plants from each general population location throughout the preserve.
• Plant stock at Mercer Botanic Gardens that will be used for the augmentation will consist of an equal proportion of seed grown plants from each mother plant source from a stock of ~165 plants held at the Mercer Botanic Gardens Conservation Nursery. Other sites are still being assessed for possible reintroduction projects. Seed grown plants all originated from wild collected seed tracked by maternal lines.
• Springtime planting is being considered. Volunteers from the Magnolia Garden Club-Beaumont – Center for Plant Conservation plant sponsors – are interested in assisting with the project as well as Mercer's conservation volunteers and Texas Master Naturalists citizen scientists.

An augmentation project for a Houston County population will use a balanced genetic representation of plants grown from wild seed originating from the site. Research needs include inter and intra population genetic comparisons to guide future seed collections, augmentations and reintroductions.July 2017, Partners (state, federal and private) and Mercer Botanic Gardens staff members met to discuss preparation of a Houston County site for augmentation. Discussion points included:

• General mowing will be required prior to adding plants. No cutting of hibiscus will take place before September during the species' active growth. Cutting should happen between late September and February. Invasive species cutting, removal, subsequent herbicide treatment, and competition from Chinese Tallow trees is an issue. To cut invasive shrubs - shredding equipment may sink into soft soils and also cut the hibiscus to less than proposed 8” high. Recommended using gas-powered weed whackers over the soft soils of the hibiscus habitat in order to keep the plants at least 8” high, and cut after the plants finish seeding and become dormant. Operators must be sure to clean all equipment before entering the site. Contractors often will agree to buy new weed whackers for maintenance in endangered plant habitats. Seed has been collected at the site during August up to November.
• Fencing the 2.9-acre site in the preserve may be needed. Otherwise, potential issues to this population includes foraging cattle from adjacent properties. Funding needed for fencing.
• The 2016 survey map with flagging of plants and the management area was shared with the group for review. Current drone images were taken during this visit.
• Plants were still in bloom and setting seed; herbarium specimens which will be held at MERCA herbarium were taken of some plants from each general population location throughout the preserve.
• Plant stock at Mercer Botanic Gardens that will be used for the augmentation will consist of an equal proportion of seed grown plants from each mother plant source from a stock of ~165 plants held at the Mercer Botanic Gardens Conservation Nursery. Other sites are still being assessed for possible reintroduction projects. Seed grown plants all originated from wild collected seed tracked by maternal lines.
• Springtime planting is being considered. Volunteers from the Magnolia Garden Club-Beaumont – Center for Plant Conservation plant sponsors – are interested in assisting with the project as well as Mercer's conservation volunteers and Texas Master Naturalists citizen scientists.

Germination, survivorship, and life history studies using wild collected seed from a high-quality population in Houston County are being conducted at Mercer Botanic Gardens. Seeds were collected by maternal lines for Mercer by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) staff and all plants propagated are earmarked for on-going reintroduction projects guided by TPWD and USFWS. Edwin Umanzor, while as a student with the Honors College at Lone Star College-Kingwood in 2015, conducted germination studies with these seeds. Umanzor's research project at Mercer helped him qualify for a prestigious Jack Kent Cooke Scholarship for his undergraduate and graduate studies.

Mercer Botanic Gardens maintains wild-collected seed from several wild populations of Hibiscus dasycalyx for the CPC's National Collection of Endangered Plants. Seeds are available for research and for US Fish and Wildlife and Texas Parks and Wildlife guided restoration work. The seed bank is maintained within Mercer's research facility, The Mercer Botanical Center, a Harris County Precinct 4 facility. The facility includes an emergency standby generator. Seed from the bank has provided wild-seed sourced plants for an ongoing restoration project in Houston County. Seeds are shared as backup with participating institutions of the Center for Plant Conservation, namely, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Austin, TX and the USDA National Lab for Genetic Resources Preservation, Ft. Collins, CO.

Educational display specimens of Hibiscus dasycalyx and associated interpretive panels are on display for the public within Mercer Botanic Gardens' Endangered Species and Native Plant Garden.  This garden is certified by TPWD and NWF as a Best of Texas Wildscape Demonstration Garden and is certified by North American Butterfly Association as a Butterfly Garden. Information may be viewed on http://www.hcp4.net/Community/Parks/Mercer/Conservation . 

Mercer Botanic Gardens, a Precinct 4 Harris County facility, maintains secure greenhouse and nursery facilities and includes a conservation nursery. The conservation nursery's 8-9' hurricane fence retained the Hibiscus dasycalyx education and restoration stock during the Harvey storm flooding event of August 2017. Although 10' of flood waters inundated the stock, all plants were retained within the nursery fence and remained healthy. Mercer maintains the stock for Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and US Fish and Wildlife-guided restoration projects in east Texas and for educational display.

Pollination research specific to Neches River rose-mallow is needed. Bumble bees have been observed visiting flowers and may include the common bumble bee (Bombus pensylvanicus) and hibiscus bee (Ptilothrix bombiformis). Other pollinators include other species of bees and wasp species.  The scentless plant bug (Niesthrea louisianica) may also serve as a pollinator (Klips 1995, Warnock, 1995, Warriner 2011).
 

Recent genetics research projects guided by Dr. Joshua Banta, Dr. Kate Hertweck, Dr. John S. Placyk Jr.of University of Texas, Tyler have compared Neches River rose-mallow to congeners: https://scholarworks.uttyler.edu/biology_grad/43/
Thesis work by Julia Norrell states: 'AMOVAs did not show significant levels of admixture occurring between H. laevis, H. moscheutos, and H. dasycalyx. Bayesian clustering implemented in STRUCTURE was used determine the species relationships and gene flow between species, and revealed that H. dasycalyx clusters separately from H. laevis, and that the two species were differentiated from each other in this analysis with no evidence of admixture. The results overall do not have enough support to suggest the need, nor at the same time discredit a reclassification of H. dasycalyx. Further analysis of H. dasycalyx and H. laevis are needed to help better understand the taxonomic relationship between them." Additional research is needed to compare the inter and intra population genetics in order to help guide seed collections and guide preparation of stock for augmentations and reintroductions.

More extensive ecological research is needed for Neches River rose-mallow.  This rose-mallow is perennial and may be long-lived. Cross-pollination occurs (Blanchard 1976) and the species may have high reproductive potential (fecundity). About 50 fruits are produced by each plant (Poole 2012). Fruits are capsules largely enclosed in the calyx prior to dehiscence and are pubescent with simple, stellate and glandular hairs. Reniform-globose seeds are densely stellate-pubescent (Poole et al. 2007). Pollinators include bumble bees and may include but are not limited to, the common bumble bee (Bombus pensylvanicus) and hibiscus bee (Ptilothrix bombiformis). Other possible pollinators include but are not limited to, moths, wasps and the scentless plant bug (Niesthrea louisianica) (Klips 1995, Warnock 1995, Warriner 2011). Rose-mallows serve as hosts to various Lepidoptera including species of skippers, hairstreaks and painted lady (NPSOT Houston). Sawfly larvae (Argidae, Atomacera decepta), grasshoppers (Orthoptera) and other invertebrates feed on the plants. Seed beetle larvae and weevils(Coleoptera) are seed predators of rose-mallows(Les 2017). Seeds of rose-mallows typically are dispersed by water.

It is generally agreed by managers of Neches River rose mallow populations, that prescribed fire is beneficial tool for managing habitat. Fire, however, does not seem to be essential for germination of the seeds of Neches River rose-mallow.

An east Texas endemic. Four extant populations are known. Four formerly documented populations have not been recently observed. The species has been introduced at four other sites. Populations have been subjected to heavy herbicide use in the past, and that, along with mowing, continues to be a threat. In addition, all of the occurrences are subject to genetic swamping by more common Hibiscus species that are perhaps better adapted to human-disturbed conditions.

Known populations exist on private lands or within State highway right-of-way and National Forest lands. Habitat is impacted by drainage or filling of floodplain depressions and oxbows, channelization, drought or other impacts to hydrology and climate change. Excessive road side herbicide treatments; grazing and trampling by livestock; invasive species; hybridization with congeners; genetic degradation due to low quality material used for augmentations or reintroductions; disease and excessive herbivory; and loss of pollinators.

In 1999, two sites one bearing 8 plants, the other 200 plants in Houston County. Trinity County held three sites in 1999 at 35 plants, 17 plants and 300 plants. One plant exists in Cherokee county although more plants (pending ID) may exist in this site (Nemec 2000c). One possible location in Harrison Co. (this is from a herbarium specimen-may not still be extant, location is vague). Four total sites were listed for year 2000, with one protected by a conservation agreement in Trinity County (Nemec, 2000c).

This species is easily propagated by cuttings or germination, however, for augmentation and reintroduction, since no inter and intra population genetic comparisons have been made, material for augmentation and reintroduction should be generated from wild-collected seed tracked by maternal lines. Mercer staff and volunteers maintain as a permanent educational exhibit of Neches River rose-mallow within our Endangered Species and Native Plant Garden. This 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 (ROGC), TX provided a generous gift to begin the expansion and renovation of Mercers Endangered Species and Native Garden. In 2012, donations from Carol Kobb and the Mercer Society allowed for additional expansion of this garden. Mercer Botanic Gardens maintains a seed bank of this species. Banked wild-collected seed of this species date to 1993. Mercer also banks subsets of rare seeds collected from field surveys and from propagation work with our collaborating CPC institution, the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Austin, TX and the National Lab for Genetic Resources Preservation in Ft. Collins, CO. Plants produced for educational display gardens or for specific restoration and reintroduction projects are produced within Mercer's Conservation Nursery. The Conservation Nursery 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. Populations are propagated separately to insure genetic purity.

Management agreements have been developed for right-of-ways site in Trinity County (Nemec 2000c). Reintroductions of ~700 of these plants into David Crockett National Forest, Trinity County, occurred in April of 2000. Dr. David Creech, staff and students of Stephen F. Austin State University, Nacogdoches, TX propagate this species for reintroduction. Excellent survival & flowering occurred in summer 2000.

Research into biology and ecology of the plants is needed. Management challenges are numerous and include invasive species management, site disturbances that affect drainage of the sites, and preservation of critical habitat. Continue genetic research to include inter and intra population comparisons to help guide seed banking and reintroductions. Interspecific hybridization, namely with H. laevis (syn: H. militaris), needs to be addressed. As a threatened species, maintenance of genetic integrity, documentation of provenance and gene banking is essential.

Expand seed bank to include all populations sites. Seed bank serves research and reitroductions guided by TPWD and USFWS. Maintenance of genetic integrity, documentation of provenance and gene banking is essential for this threatened species.