| Polygonum basiramia | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Order: | Caryophyllales |
| Family: | Polygonaceae |
| Genus: | Polygonum |
| Species: | P. basiramia |
| Binomial name | |
| Polygonum basiramia (Small)T.M.Schust. & Reveal[1] | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
| |
Polygonum basiramia (synonymPolygonella basiramia) is a rare species of flowering plant in theknotweed family known by the common nameswireweed,hairy wireweed,purple wireweed, andFlorida jointweed. It isendemic toFlorida in the United States, where it is limited to the central ridges of the peninsula, including theLake Wales Ridge. It is threatened by the loss and degradation of its habitat. It is a federally listedendangered species of the United States.
This plant is a perennial herb growing 30 to 80 centimeters tall. The roots of the plant may be much longer than the plant's diameter and spread out under the soil.[2] The wiry stems may branch and may extend beneath the surface of the soil. The plant only has leaves for a short time. They are linear in shape and measure no more than 2 or 3 centimeters in length.[3] The stem and leaves are red to green in color.[4] The plant isgynodioecious, with some individuals producing bisexual flowers and some producing only female. Theinflorescence, measuring 1 to 3 centimeters long, contains white to pinkish flowers under 2 millimeters long.[3] Blooming occurs around September and fruit production may last until December. The flowers arepollinated byPerdita polygonellae, a bee which specializes in the plant subsectionPolygonella, andwasps of the familyEumenidae. Female plants produce many more seeds than do hermaphrodite plants. The seeds are very tiny, measuring about 7 by 28 micrometers. The species appears to be resistant to theallelopathic chemicals released into the soil byFlorida rosemary.[2]
The species was first described in 1820 byJohn Kunkel Small asDelopyrum basiramia.[5] It was later placed in the genusPolygonella (under the namePolygonella basiramia), but in 2015, following a series ofmolecular phylogenetic studies, this genus was subsumed intoPolygonum.[6][7]
This plant is a member of theFlorida scrub plant community. It occurs in scrub dominated by Florida rosemary,sand pine, other pines, and oaks. The soil is almost entirely composed of sand and it holds little water or nutrients.[8] The plant occurs in openings in the scrub which are maintained by periodicwildfires. Other plants in this habitat includeCalamintha ashei,Cnidoscolus stimulosus,Eryngium cuneifolium,Euphorbia floridana,Hypericum cumulicola,Lechea cernua,Licania michauxii,Paronychia chartacea,Polanisia tenuifolia,Polygonum polygama,Selaginella arenicola, andStipulicida setacea.[4]
Threats to this species include the destruction of its habitat during the conversion to residential and agricultural property, particularlycitrus groves.Off-road vehicles are a threat to the habitat.[8]Fire suppression may have a negative effect on this plant, which grows in open gaps in a fire-maintainedecosystem, but the species appears to be less dependent on fire than many other Florida scrub endemics.[2]
Many plants in this altered,fragmented region are rare and endangered. Wireweed is one of the more abundant of these,[2] and it can be common in some local areas.[8] As of 2010 there were 119 extant occurrences of the plant for an estimated total exceeding one million individuals. However, it is limited to a very endangered habitat type, putting it in danger of decline.[2]
