Search / Plant Profile / Rhexia aristosa

Plant Profile

Awned Meadowbeauty (Rhexia aristosa)

This shot shows a Maryland meadowbeauty plant in flower. Photo Credit: North Carolina Natural Heritage Program

Global Rank: G3 - Vulnerable
Legal Status: N/A
Family: Melastomataceae
State: AL, DE, GA, NC, NJ, SC
Nature Serve ID: 132402
Lifeform: Forb/herb
Date Inducted in National Collection: 03/08/1989

Description:

Rhexia aristosa is an erect, herbaceous perennial that grows to 1 meter tall. It has opposite, linear, lanceolate leaves and large purple flowers that are arranged in a cyme. The Awned meadowbeauty is found in a variety of wet habitats in the Coastal Plain from New Jersey to Alabama. More and more of these wet areas are being drained to make them suitable for activities such as agriculture, pine production, and commercial and residential development. This disruption of natural hydrologic processes has a negative impact on the survival of Rhexia aristosa populations. Compounded with the continuing effects of these activitieserosion, sedimentation, increased nutrient input, and herbicide and pesticide runoffit is clear that this species requires careful monitoring and protection.

Where is Awned Meadowbeauty (Rhexia aristosa) located in the wild?

Habitat:

Found in wetlands, wet savannahs, pond beds, flooded bays, cypress bays, pond-cypress savannas, wet pinelands ditches, grass-sedge dominated Carolina bays, vernal ponds, depression meadows, or limesink ponds (dolines).

Distribution:

Disjunct from NJ to AL, strictly in Coastal Plain. (AK, DE, GA, NC, NJ, SC)

States & Provinces:

Awned Meadowbeauty can be found in Alabama, Delaware, Georgia, New Jersey, North Carolina, South Carolina

Which CPC Partners conserve Awned Meadowbeauty (Rhexia aristosa)?

North Carolina Botanical Garden

Conservation Actions

Nature Serve Biotics

05/02/2017

Rhexia aristosa is known from relatively few element occurrences throughout a disjunct range; few but some of the very best occurrences are protected. It is vulnerable to habitat alteration and destruction. Very few sites have very large numbers of individuals (>50,000).

01/01/2010

Wetland (habitat) modification Silvicultural practices Fire suppression (NatureServe 2001)

01/01/2010

Very few occurrences left and very few protected. Recent populations found in Fort Bragg Army Base and Camp Lejeune Marine Base (TNC 1993)

01/01/2010

Bernadette Plair (Center for Research of Endangered Wildlife, Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden) has conducted work on the micropropagation of Rhexia aristosa to increase numbers for research and possible reintroduction as part of an IMLS-funded research on a technique for long-term germplasm storage of shoot-tips.

01/01/2010

Presently no management plan exists for Rhexia aristosa (NatureServe 2001).

01/01/2010

Protection of habitat and natural hydrologic processes Surveys to determine abundance and occurrence Pollination research

01/01/2010

Seed collection from populations not currently represented in collection (only 4 populations represented in collection at NCBG)