Erythronium propullans
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| Dwarf trout lily | ||||||||||||||||
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| Erythronium propullans |
The Dwarf trout lily, Erythronium propullans, is a rare plant endemic only to the Cannon River and North Fork Zumbro River watersheds in Rice County, Goodhue County and the extreme northern edge of Steele County, Minnesota[1], in the United States. The plants are believed to be a mutation or sport of the white trout lily (Erythronium albidum) and evolved following the most recent ice age. The plant is also known as the Minnesota dwarf trout lily and Minnesota adder's tongue.
The plants flower in the spring at the same time as Hepaticas, Dutchman's breeches, Bloodroot, and other spring wildflowers. Nerstrand-Big Woods State Park, River Bend Nature Center, and several tracts owned by The Nature Conservancy protect portions of its habitat.
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[edit] Discovery
The lily was first noted by Mary Hodges, a high school science instructor at St. Mary's School (now Shattuck-St. Mary's) in Faribault, Minnesota, and then formally listed as a new species by botanist Asa Gray in 1871[2].
[edit] Reproduction
Research suggests that propullans rarely reproduces from seed on its own, but is highly dependent on vegetative reproduction, or limited cross pollination with Erythronium albidum, thus limiting population growth[3] and spread of the species.
[edit] Threats
Due to the very limited historical and current distribution of propullans, the primary threats include development and flooding along the floodplains and ridges where it currently exists, trampling and recreational use impacts, as well as habitat changes brought on by invasive species such as common Buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica).
[edit] External links
- Trout Lily Preserve by The Nature Conservancy
- Dwarf Trout Lily by USFWS
- Plant Profile by Center for Plant Conservation
- Spring Wildflowers by River Bend Nature Center
[edit] References
- ^ Minnesota Dwarf Trout Lily, An Endangered Minnesota Wildflower
- ^ Gray, A. 1871. A new species of Erythronium. The American Journal of Pharmacy
- ^ The Reproductive Biology of Erythronium propullans Gray and Sympatric Populations of E. albidum Nutt. (Liliaceae)Jo Ann Banks; Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club, Vol. 107, No. 2 (Apr. - Jun., 1980), pp. 181-188
