AVON PARK HAREBELLS - Florida Natural Areas Inventory

<strong>AVON</strong> <strong>PARK</strong> <strong>HAREBELLS</strong><br />

Crotalaria avonensis (K.R. DeLaney & Wunderlin)<br />

Synonyms: none<br />

Family: Fabaceae (pea)<br />

FNAI Ranks: G1/S1<br />

Legal Status: US–Endangered FL–Endangered<br />

Wetland Status: US–UPL FL–UPL<br />

Gil Nelson<br />

Field Description: Perennial herb with hairy stems to 7 inches long, either<br />

bushy or hugging the ground. Leaves simple, entire, alternate; oval, oblong,<br />

to nearly round; somewhat succulent, very hairy, with no stipules. Flowers<br />

are typical pea flowers with an upright banner petal, 2 wings, and a keel<br />

petal; yellow with a few purple lines on the upright petal, in clusters at ends<br />

of stems. Fruit a pod to 1 inch long, inflated, tan, grey, or maroon.<br />

Similar Species: Round-leaved harebell (Crotalaria rotundifolia), a<br />

common species of sandhills, flatwoods, and disturbed areas, is usually<br />

sprawling rather than erect; it flowers year-round and has black pods; it<br />

usually has stipules on the upper leaves.<br />

Related Rare Species: Many members of the pea family are rare in FL. See in<br />

this guide: meadow jointvetch (Aeschynomene pratensis),crenulate leadplant<br />

(Amorpha herbacea var. crenulata), few-flowered nickerbean (Caesalpinia<br />

pauciflora), sand butterfly pea (Centrosema arenicola), Big Pine<br />

partridge pea (Chamaecrista lineata var. keyensis), <strong>Florida</strong> prairie clover<br />

(Dalea carthagenensis var. floridana), and Ocala vetch (Vicia ocalensis).<br />

_______________________________<br />

<strong>Florida</strong> <strong>Natural</strong> <strong>Areas</strong> <strong>Inventory</strong>, 2000

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Avon Park harebells Crotalaria avonensis<br />

Habitat: Bare patches of white sand in Lake Wales Ridge scrub; occasionally<br />

in disturbed areas or in partial shade.<br />

Best Survey Season: Flowers March–June; fruits and leaves (lacking<br />

stipules) are distinctive year-round.<br />

Range-wide Distribution: Endemic to Polk and Highlands counties, FL.<br />

Conservation Status: Only 3 populations of Avon Park harebells are known;<br />

2 of these occur on conservation lands.<br />

Protection & Management: Use prescribed fire to create a mosaic of<br />

successional scrub habitats; control exotic plant species; prevent soil<br />

disturbance, trash dumping, off-road-vehicle use, and rock or shell fill along<br />

roadsides near known populations. Maintain plantings in experimental<br />

gardens. Acquire private lands that support this species. Monitor animal<br />

predation.<br />

References: Coile 2000, DeLaney and Wunderlin 1989, Isely 1990, USFWS<br />

1998, Wunderlin and Hansen 2000a.<br />

______________________________<br />

<strong>Florida</strong> <strong>Natural</strong> <strong>Areas</strong> <strong>Inventory</strong>, 2000<br />

leaf shapes<br />

banner petal<br />

keel<br />

wing<br />

seed<br />

opened pod<br />

pod