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Plant Profile

White Bladderpod (Physaria pallida)

Flowers have four white petals with a yellow base and brown-colored veins. Photo Credit: Greg Wieland

Global Rank: G1 - Critically Imperiled
Legal Status: Federally Endangered
Family: Brassicaceae
State: TX
Nature Serve ID: 143884
Lifeform: Forb/herb
Date Inducted in National Collection: 03/05/1993

Description:

The White bladderpod, a member of the Brassicaceae or Mustard Family, was first discovered on prairies within an unusual geological region called the Weches formation near San Augustine, Texas in the 1830's by M.C. Leavenworth but was not noticed again until 1981 by Nixon and Ward. White Bladderpod and Leavenworthia texana, the Texas Golden Glade Cress, are unique or endemic to the Weches formation (George and Nixon 1990). The bladderpod, a winter annual that overwinters as a tap-rooted, leafy rosette, reaches a maximum height of two feet as an erect plant or may be spreading. The white flowers appear in April and May and are composed of four one-half inch long petals. White Bladderpod produces pea shaped "bladderpods" that enclose seeds before dying as its harsh habitat dries in the summer heat. Seed set occurs from late May to early June. The fine oil contained in the "bladderpods" of other Lesquerella spp. is being studied for potential industrial and cosmetic use.

Where is White Bladderpod (Physaria pallida) located in the wild?

Habitat:

Occurs within oak-hickory-pine forests within the Pineywoods of the Coastal Plain region of East Texas. L. pallida is found within these forests on rocky outcrops of an unusual geological region called the Weches formation. The Weches formation is a band of ancient marine sediments that lies parallel to the Gulf Coast from Sabine to Frio Counties. In East Texas, these alkaline """"islands"""" of soil contrast the surrounding acid soils in this region of the Pineywoods. The thin top layer of these alkaline sediments contains fossilized calcium, potassium and magnesium-containing marine shells and covers a layer of grayish-green impermeable glauconite clay that oxidizes to a reddish-brown color. This clay traps water and remains saturated during rainy periods and becomes very dry during the heat of the summer. The soils of the Weches outcrops are of the Trawick and Nacogdoches series (R. Turner 2001).Rare East Texas plants found in Weches outcrops include Sedum pulchellum, Calylophus drummondianus, Liatris mucronata, Paranychia virginica, Petalostemum pulcherrimum, Heliotropium tenellum, Eleocharis compressa and Cuphea viscosissima (George and Nixon 1990; Correll and Johnston 1970; Berkshire 1998). Other plants found as companions to L. pallida may include: Asclepias verticillata, Boerhaavia erecta, Calylophus berlandieri ssp. berlandieri, Cahamaecrista fasciculata, Cuphea viscosissima, Dracopsis amplexicaulis, Erigeron strigosus, Galactia volubilis, Mirabilis collina, Modiola caroliniana, Monarda citriodora, Oxalis dillenii, Palafoxia rosea, Polanisia dodecandra ssp. trachysperma, Polanisia erosa var. erosa, Portulaca oleracea, Sabatia campestris, Solanum carolinense, Stachys crenata, Triodanis perfoliata and Verbena haleiand others (Correll and Johnston 1970; Berkshire 1998). Woody species common to the deeper soil strata of the Weches outcrops include Gleditsia triacanthos, Liquidambar styraciflua, Rosa bracteata, Juniperus virginiana, Forestiera ligustrina, Rhamnus lanceolata, Cornus drummondii and Cissus incisa (George and Nixon 1990).

Distribution:

Found only on the Weches Outcrops of San Augustine County, TX.

States & Provinces:

White Bladderpod can be found in Texas

Which CPC Partners conserve White Bladderpod (Physaria pallida)?

Mercer Botanic Gardens

Conservation Actions

09/23/2020

Mercer and the National Seed Storage Laboratory in Ft. Collins, CO maintain seed banks for this species

09/23/2020

Mercer and the National Seed Storage Laboratory in Ft. Collins, CO maintain seed banks for this species

09/23/2020

Mercer and the National Seed Storage Laboratory in Ft. Collins, CO maintain seed banks for this species.

09/23/2020

Mercer and the National Seed Storage Laboratory in Ft. Collins, CO maintain seed banks for this species.

09/23/2020

Plants have consistently reseeded in Mercer's Endangered Species Garden since 1993 and are on display for the public. Plants maintained at Mercer thrive on garden soil and may indicate a broader adaptability to soil types.

09/23/2020

Germinations studies were completed at Mercer Arboretum and Botanic Gardens in 1993. (Wieland 1995) Plants have consistently reseeded in Mercer's Endangered Species Garden since 1993 and are on display for the public. Plants maintained at Mercer thrive on garden soil and may indicate a broader adaptability to soil types.

Nature Serve Biotics

05/02/2017

Endemic to San Augustine County, Texas, where it is known from six populations. Narrowly restricted to isolated, open, alkaline ""islands"" within the normally acidic soils of the Texas piney-woods. These formerly open areas are being rapidly invaded by shrubby species - a 1994 survey found limited numbers of L. pallida at most of the known sites due to invasions of exotic plants. The populations are also susceptible to damage from herbicide spraying, overgrazing, and road maintenance or construction. 1 population was extirpated due to mining of the Weches Formation.

Dave Berkshire

01/01/2010

Open pit mining of glauconite for road surface material (""green rock"") is the most severe and permanently destructive threat to White Bladderpod habitat (Turner 2001). Also extremely vulnerable to: Trampling, overgrazing, herbicides for treatment of b

Dave Berkshire

01/01/2010

Occurs at 6 sites with a total annual crop of ~3,000 to 15,000 individuals, with numbers varying according to climatic conditions. Over 16,000 individuals were found in 2000 and 2001 field surveys (Turner 2001). The sites are unprotected populations.

Dave Berkshire

01/01/2010

Dave Berkshire

01/01/2010

The Texas Natural Heritage Program conducted surveys for L. pallida from 1983-1988, eventually discovering two new locations in the spring of 1988. (USFWS 1992)

Dave Berkshire

01/01/2010

Basic biological/ecological studies of the plant to identify habitat requirements for reintroductions. Selection of reintroduction sites maintenance of suitable sites. Encourage landowners to preserve existing populations. Controlled burns and targeted herbicide treatments limited to July-October should be conducted wherever possible. Selected logging around populations to increase its range with concurrent management of competitive vegetation. Controlled grazing may be utilized to suppress competing vegetation where possible. Surveys for unknown populations. Continue monitoring sites.

Dave Berkshire

01/01/2010

Expansion of seed bank. Continued selection of potential reintroduction sites.