CPC National Collection Plant Profile
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Narthecium americanum
Family: |
Liliaceae |
Common Names: |
bog asphodel, yellow asphodel |
Author: |
Ker-Gawl. |
Growth Habit: |
Perennial |
CPC
Number: |
2926 |
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Primary
custodian for this plant in the CPC National Collection of Endangered
Plants is: |
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Elizabeth J. Farnsworth contributed to this Plant Profile. |
Narthecium americanum
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This perennial lily, growing up to half a meter tall, graces pine barrens bogs with its beautiful yellow flowers in June and July. The species' stronghold is in New Jersey, although a few far-flung populations are reported from the Carolinas and Delaware. A few dozen small populations are scattered around the New Jersey Pine Barrens, where they line the margins of streams, cedar swamps, and bog mats that are periodically flooded and flushed by moving water. These plants are threatened by activities that change the local water regime, including dam-building by people and beavers and the conversion of swamps to cranberry bogs.
Research and Management Summary:
A handful of individuals and institutions have studied this species and it's habitat. No information on management activities is available.
Plant Description:
This lily rises from a cluster of erect, basal leaves up to 20 cm long. The 4-9 mm-long, bright yellow flowers are crowded in a raceme at the top of the single stem and produce 1 cm-long, pointed fruits with 8 mm-long, elliptical seeds.
Distribution
& Occurrence |
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State Range
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Delaware
Maryland
New Jersey
New York
North Carolina
South Carolina |
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Habitat
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Stone (1911, 1912), in describing the species from New Jersey, identified its habitat as wet, sandy bogs, streams, and moist savannahs. Plants also inhabit quaking bog mats that are fed by "springy seeps" and the borders of white cedar swamps (Schuyler 1990). In general, Narthecium americanum grows in firm, sandy soils in areas that may be briefly flooded but do not accumulate deep standing water; Narthecium americanum does not tolerate stagnant water.
Associated herbaceous species include: Aster nemoralis, Calamagrostis pickeringii, Calamovilfa brevipilis, Juncus caesariensis, Lophiola americana, Muhlenbergia torreyana, Platanthera integra, Pogonia ophioglossoides, Rhynchospora oligantha, Schizaea pusilla, and Tofieldia racemosa (Stone 1912, Schuyler 1990); Sphagnum moss is also well-developed in these sites. |
Distribution
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Narthecium americanum is found in bogs and pine barrens of the coastal plain from New Jersey to South Carolina (Gleason and Cronquist 1991, NatureServe 2001). Tatnall (1946) reported two occurrences in Delaware, but the species is now considered extirpated there. Although Radford et al. (1968) reported Narthecium americanum from both North and South Carolina, recent data indicate that the species has been extirpated from these states (NatureServe 2001). |
Number Left
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35 extant populations (the only ones remaining of 60 historic occurrences) are known from New Jersey (NatureServe 2001). Since populations generally consist of fewer than 100 individual plants, the total world population is likely less than 3000. |
State/Area
Protection
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State/Area |
Rank |
Status |
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Conservation,
Ecology & Research |
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Ecological
Relationships
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• Narthecium americanum reproduces both by seed and, more commonly, through vegetative propagation via rhizomes.
• Flowers appear in June and July, and form seed by a combination of selfing and cross-pollination via insect vectors (Summerfield 1974). Although copious amounts of seed may be produced and appear to germinate successfully, very few seedlings are found in wild populations of the plant (Schuyler 1990). This begs the question of whether seedling establishment is hindered by various ecological factors such as seed predation or seedling herbivory, but these factors have not been studied to date.
• A related lily, the rare swamp pink (Helonias bullata) suffers extensive herbivory by deer in similar Pine Barrens habitats (E. Farnsworth, personal observation); Narthecium americanum is impacted as well, and deer management is being promoted in New Jersey as a means to reduce herbivory on both species (Steve Eisenhauer, Natural Lands Trust, personal communication).
• Studies of the closely related congener, Narthecium ossifragum (Summerfield 1974), suggest that shading may inhibit both growth and reproduction of N. americanum. Low numbers of flowering stems are found in areas shaded by white cedar, where bogs are succeeding to forest (Schuyler 1990).
• Conversely, where stands of cedar have been killed by fire, locally dense patches of flowering Narthecium americanum have been observed, according to field forms from the New Jersey Natural Heritage Program. Therefore, Narthecium americanum may benefit from openings in the canopy.
• This species may also be somewhat fire-tolerant, if its rhizomes remain intact or it may recolonize following moderate burns. Work by Summerfield (1974) on N. ossifragum cautions that more extreme burns (which kill rhizomes) can greatly reduce the viability of populations, however. |
Threats
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• Hydrological change -- Narthecium americanum is primarily threatened by changes to the local hydrologic regime. Increased inundation caused by beaver impoundments or by conversion of swamp habitat to cranberry bogs or recreational lakes has exterminated populations (Schuyler 1990, NatureServe 2001). Alteration of drainages that prevent swamps from being regularly flushed (i.e., through road-building or water diversion) leads to build-up of stagnant waters that kill Narthecium americanum.
• Trampling of plants by off-road vehicles has also been cited as a threat (NatureServe 2001). |
Current Research Summary
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• Links between water chemistry, ecosystem function and plant community composition are being studied as of June 2000 in the Pine Barrens by Matthew Palmer, graduate student at Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey (thesis advisor: Dr. Joan Ehrenfeld).
• The New England Wild Flower Society (Framingham, Massachusetts) has successfully germinated seeds of N. americanum. Dried seed will germinate without refrigeration, but chilling improves germination. Stored seed remains viable for at least 7 years.
• Leslie Duthie at Norcross Sanctuary (Monson, Massachusetts) has propagated the plants from cuttings. |
Current Management Summary
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• No information is available on specific management activities addressing Narthecium americanum. |
Research Management Needs
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• Field and greenhouse studies to identify factors that inhibit seedling establishment
• Long-term studies to determine how long populations can persist using only vegetative reproduction
• Population viability analysis from multi-year studies of several populations
• Field studies to quantify the prevalence of herbivory in populations and the degree to which this threatens viability
• Controlled-burn studies to determine thresholds of fire tolerance and the ecophysiology of seed germination and seedling colonization following fire
• Canopy removal studies that document the responses of plants to clearing and removal of shade
• Surveys of suitable swamp habitat in Delaware, Maryland, and the Carolinas to potentially identify more populations of the plant
• Molecular phylogenetic studies to determine relatedness of Narthecium americanum to the congeners N. asiaticum, N. ossifragum, and N. californicum. |
Ex Situ Needs
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• Seed longevity studies to determine whether propagules are recalcitrant or tolerant of storage
• If storage is feasible, seed should be collected from marginal or threatened populations
• Seed bank and survival of plants following germination |
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Books (Single Authors)
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Gleason, H.A. 1952. The New Britton and Brown illustrated flora of the northeastern United States and adjacent Canada. New York, NY: Hafner Press. 1732p.
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Gleason, H.A.; Cronquist, A. 1991. Manual of Vascular Plants of Northeastern United States and Adjacent Canada. Bronx: The New York Botanical Garden.
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Hough, M.Y. 1983. New Jersey wild plants. Harmony, NJ: Harmony Press. 414p.
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Radford, A.E.; Ahles, H.E.; Bell, C.R. 1968. Manual of the vascular flora of the Carolinas. Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press. 1183p.
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Tatnall, R.R. 1946. Flora of Delaware and the Eastern Shore. The Society of Natural History of Delaware. 313p.
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Tucker, A.O.; Dill, N.H.; Broome, C.R.; Phillips, C.E.; Maciarello, M.J. 1979. Rare and endangered vascular plant species in Delaware. Newton Corner, MA: U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service. x + 89p.
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Electronic Sources
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NatureServe. (2008). NatureServe Explorer: An online encyclopedia of life [web application]. [Internet].Version 7.0. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia. http://www.natureserve.org/explorer. Accessed: (June 17, 2008).
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Journal Articles
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Bassett, G.W. 1912. Trials and Pleasures of the Collector. Bartonia. 4, 11-13
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Bassett, G.W. 1913. The Trail of the Winding Water. Bartonia. 5: 6-10.
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Gates, R.R. 1918. A Systematic Study of the North American Melanthaceae from the Genetic Standpoint. Botanical Journal of the Linnaean Society. 44: 131-172.
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Hoch, J.H. 1969. Poisonous Plants of South Carolina. 5. Acta Phytother. 16: 181-184.
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Small, J.K. 1924. A New bog-asphodel from the Mountains. Torreya. 24, 5: 86-87.
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Stone, W. 1912. Abama americana (Ker) Morong. Bartonia. 4: 1-5.
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Summerfield, R.J. 1974. Narthecium ossifragum (L.) Huds. Journal of Ecology. 62: 325-339.
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USFWS. 1985. Review of plant taxa for listing as endangered or threatened species. Federal Register. 50, 188: 39526-39527.
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USFWS. 1997. Review of Plant and Animal Taxa that are Candidates or Proposed for Listing as Endangered and Threatened, Annual Notice of findings on Recycled Petetions, and Annual Description of Progress on Listing Actions; Notice of Review. Proposed Rule. Federal Register. 62, 182: 49398-49411.
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Reports
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Schuyler, A.E. 1990. Element Stewardship Abstract for Narthecium americanum. Trenton, New Jersey: New Jersey Natural Heritage Program.
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Stone, W. 1911. The Plants of Southern New Jersey with special reference to the flora of the pine barrens. Trenton, New Jersey: New Jersey State Museum. annual report 1910, Part II, 21-828.
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Sutter, R.D.; Frantz, V.; McCarthy, K.A. 1987. Atlas of rare and endangered plant species in North Carolina. Raleigh, NC: North Carolina Dept. Agriculture, Plant Protection Section, Conservation Program. p.174.
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This
profile was updated on 3/4/2010 |
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