Search / Plant Profile / Schwalbea americana

Plant Profile

Chaffseed (Schwalbea americana)

A closeup of multiple flowers on a stem. Photo Credit: Copyright Hugh and Carol Nourse

Global Rank: G2 - Imperiled
Legal Status: Federally Endangered
Family: Orobanchaceae
State: AL, CT, DE, FL, GA, KY, LA, MA, MD, MS, NC, NJ, NY, SC, TN, TX, VA
Nature Serve ID: 144235
Lifeform: Forb/herb
Date Inducted in National Collection: 03/05/1993

Description:

A tall, perennial herb in the figwort family, this plant is distinguished by its large, purplish-yellow, tubular flowers. Schwalbea americana is a hemiparasite that feeds from the roots of a range of associated woody species. Once known historically from the coastal plain extending from Massachusetts to Florida, the species now only occurs at 51 sites and 15 distinct populations in New Jersey, the Carolinas, Georgia, Florida, and Mississippi, where it is threatened by residential development, road-building, inappropriate mowing regimes, over-collection, and fire suppression. Research and Management Summary: A number of individuals and institutions have studied many aspects of the ecology of this plant, including how to best manage for the species where it occurs. Plant Description: Schwalbea americana is an erect, perennial herb with unbranched stems that grows to a height of 80 cm (30 inches). It is densely but minutely hairy throughout, including the flowers. The alternate, 2-4 cm-long leaves are lance-shaped, untoothed, and clasp the stem. The irregular, tubular flowers, which are yellow-purple and 15-22 mm long, subtended by two small leaves (bracts) and borne singly on short stalks (pedicels). The fruit is a stout capsule 10-12 mm long, enclosed in a loose-fitting sac-like structure that gives the plant its common name, chaffseed. The green seeds are 2-6 mm long, straight, and narrow (Small 1933, Pennell 1935, Musselman and Mann 1978, Vincent 1982, Kral 1983, Gleason and Cronquist 1991).

Where is Chaffseed (Schwalbea americana) located in the wild?

Habitat:

Schwalbea americana occurs in acidic, sandy or peaty soils in open pine flatwoods, longleaf pine/oak sandhills, streamhead pocosins, pitch pine lowland forests, seepage bogs, palustrine pine savannahs, in ecotonal areas between peaty wetlands and xeric sandy soils (NatureServe 2001). Historically, the species is known from inland sandplains in Albany, New York and central Massachusetts. The species is regarded as a facultative wetland plant (USDA Plants National Database 2001); individual plants sometimes occur in drier upland communities, but rarely inhabit inundated wetlands (Rawinski and Cassin 1986). Associated plant communities are typically species-rich, and dominated by grasses and sedges. Plant genera reported to occur with Schwalbea americana in the Southeast include grass species of Andropogon, Aristida, Panicum, and Paspalum; sedge species of Carex, Dichromena, Fimbristylis, Rhynchospora, Scleria; monocot species of Aletris, Calopogon, Eriocaulon, Juncus, Lachnocaulon, Xyris; and dicot species of Asclepias, Buchnera, Erigeron, Eryngium, Helenium, Heterotheca, Orbexilum, Phlox, and Polygala. In wetter habitats, species of Cliftonia, Gaylussacia, Ilex, Lyonia, Leucothoe, Myrica, and Vaccinium occur as associates (Fernald 1939, Kral 1983, NatureServe 2001).

Distribution:

Schwalbea americana is formerly known from the Atlantic and Gulf coastal plain extending from Cape Cod, Massachusetts south to Texas. Inland sandplain populations are also historically reported from

States & Provinces:

Chaffseed can be found in Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia

Which CPC Partners conserve Chaffseed (Schwalbea americana)?

North Carolina Botanical Garden

Not Sponsored

Assigned 06/09/17

Brooklyn Botanic Garden

Conservation Actions

Tina Stanley

05/11/2023

According to a March 2023 extract of the Florida Plant Rescue Database, Bok Tower Gardens holds 4 accessions of Schwalbea americana totalling approximately 49870 seeds.

09/27/2020

The Chattahoochee Nature Center (Roswell, Georgia) maintains Schwalbea americana in their greenhouse

09/27/2020

Propagation and reintroduction of Schwalbea americana is described by Obee and Cartica (1997), but appears to have also met with mixed success.

09/27/2020

The New England Wild Flower Society has germinated limited numbers of seed from Schwalbea americana during trials in 1982. Seed sown on the soil surface and overwintered outdoors showed the best germination rate. However, seedlings grown without host plants did not survive (Brumback 1989), and survival has been poor in plantings even with a potential host plant, little bluestem

09/27/2020

Obee (1993) describes monitoring and seed collection of Scwalbea americana at one site in New Jersey.

Nature Serve Biotics

05/02/2017

Formerly found throughout much of the Atlantic and Gulf coastal plains from New England to Florida and west to eastern Texas, as well as in a few inland places. Now extirpated throughout much of this historical range. Extant sites often have few individuals, and the species is apparently declining in abundance at many sites. Much of this species' former habitat has long-since been converted to farmland. Housing development, road building, over-collection, and succession of its open habitat to woody vegetation (due to fire suppression) are significant documented threats.

Elizabeth J. Farnsworth

01/01/2010

As articulated by the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service (1992): Conversion of coastal plain habitat for residential and agricultural development Inappropriate mowing regimes (timed poorly with respect to flowering time), especially at the one existi

Elizabeth J. Farnsworth

01/01/2010

51 populations are extant, according to NatureServe (2001), composed of 1 in New Jersey, 18 in North Carolina, 26 in South Carolina, 5 in Georgia, and 1 in Florida. Many of these populations have been discovered in the past decade. However, this number is only a fraction of the 68 or more populations recorded historically (U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1992, NatureServe 2001). At least twelve of the populations in 1992 had less than 100 plants present (U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1992); thus, the total North American population probably ranges from 1,000 to 10,000 plants at most.

Elizabeth J. Farnsworth

01/01/2010

The effects of prescribed burns on Schwalbea americana have been investigated by Kirkman et al. (1998). Hemiparasitic relationships and haustorial anatomy have been elucidated by Musselman and Mann (1977, 1978) and Kirkman and Musselman (2000). Seed anatomy has been documented by Musselman and Mann (1976). Extensive field surveys have been undertaken to locate previously unknown populations of the plant (Rawinski and Cassin 1986), and several new occurrences have been noted since the original listing of the species in 1992. However, it is clear that the species occupies only a fraction of historical and available habitat. The New England Wild Flower Society has germinated limited numbers of seed from Schwalbea americana during trials in 1982. Seed sown on the soil surface and overwintered outdoors showed the best germination rate. However, seedlings grown without host plants did not survive (Brumback 1989), and survival has been poor in plantings even with a potential host plant, little bluestem. Propagation and reintroduction of Schwalbea americana is described by Obee and Cartica (1997), but appears to have also met with mixed success. The Chattahoochee Nature Center (Roswell, Georgia) maintains Schwalbea americana in their greenhouse.

Elizabeth J. Farnsworth

01/01/2010

The effectiveness of using controlled burns to foster Schwalbea americana is being explored at several sites throughout its range (Kirkman et al. 1998). Improved mowing regimes are being developed in New Jersey (USFWS 1992) and New Jersey (Rawinski and Cassin 1986). Jordan et al. (1995) present a review of recommended management for the red-cockaded woodpecker and the associated rare species (including Schwalbea americana) that co-occur in its habitat. Obee (1993) describes monitoring and seed collection of Scwalbea americana at one site in New Jersey.

Elizabeth J. Farnsworth

01/01/2010

A number of studies are needed, including: Studies of pollination and other facets of reproduction that could influence population persistence. Studies to determine ecological factors that limit recruitment and establishment of populations. Increased intensity and frequency of population monitoring (NatureServe 2001) in order to understand demographics and reasons for the decline of protected populations.

Elizabeth J. Farnsworth

01/01/2010

Improved methods for germination and maintaining viable plants need to be developed.