Photo by Brad Slaughter 

Key Characteristics

Small branching forb (60 cm) of forested floodplains; leaves alternate and rounded, becoming narrower up the smooth stem; small, white, tubular flowers borne in hemispherical clusters, with two narrow, lance-shaped bracts at the base; tiny (3-4 mm) fruiting pods are triangular in cross-section.

Status and Rank

• State Status: T - Threatened (legally protected)
• State Rank: S1 - Critically imperiled
• Global Rank: G5 - Secure

Occurrences

County Name	Number of Occurrences	Year Last Observed
Berrien	2	1930
Cass	1	1985
Clinton	1	1878
Ionia	1	1878
Kalamazoo	1	1936
Kent	1	1897
Van Buren	1	1990

Updated 05/08/2013. Information is summarized from MNFI's database of rare species and community occurrences. Data may not reflect true distribution since much of the state has not been thoroughly surveyed.

Natural Community Types

• Floodplain forest

Associated Plants

Black maple, basswood, beech, buckeye, american elm, spicebush, prickly gooseberry, false mermaid, kidney-leaf buttercup, blue-eyed Mary, black snakeroot, downy yellow violet, and appendaged water-leaf.

Management

To preserve this species, protect from human disturbances such as development, deforestation, and alterations in hydrological regimes. There is little detailed habitat information for this species, thus status surveys are recommended in order to better understand ecological requirements.

General Survey Guidelines

Random meander search covers areas that appear likely to have rare taxa, based on habitat and the judgement of the investigator.

Survey Methods

• Meander search

  Survey Period: From first week of May to fourth week of June

Page Citation

References

Survey References

• Elzinga, C.L., D.W. Salzer, and J.W. Willoughby. 1998. Measuring and Monitoring Plant Populations. The Nature Conservancy and Bureau of Land Management, Denver. BLM Technical Reference 1730-1. 477pp.

• Goff, G.F., G.A. Dawson, and J.J. Rochow. 1982. Site examination for Threatened and Endangered plant species. Environmental Management 6(4): 307-316

• Nelson, J.R. 1984. Rare Plant Field Survey Guidelines. In: J.P. Smith and R. York. Inventory of rare and endangered vascular plants of California. 3rd Ed. California Native Plant Society, Berkeley. 174pp.

• Nelson, J.R. 1986. Rare Plant Surveys: Techniques For Impact Assessment. Natural Areas Journal 5(3):18-30.

• Nelson, J.R. 1987. Rare Plant Surveys: Techniques for Impact Assessment. In: Conservation and management of rare and endangered plants. Ed. T.S. Elias. California Native Plant Society, Sacramento. 8pp.

Technical References

• Cooperrider, T.S. 1995. The Dicotyledonae of Ohio Part 2. Linaceae through Campanulaceae. Ohio State University Press, Columbus. 656pp.

• Gleason, H. A., and A. Cronquist. 1991. Manual of Vascular Plants of Northeastern United States and Adjacent Canada. Second edition. The New York Botanical Garden, Bronx. 910pp.

• Gray, A. 1950. Gray's Manual of Botany; eighth ed. Van Nostrand Reinghold, New York. 1632pp.

• Holmgren, N.H. 1998. Illustrated Companion to Gleason and Cronquist's Manual. Illustrations of the vascular plants of Northeastern United States and adjacent Canada. New York Botanical Garden, Bronx. 937pp.

• Mohlenbrock, R.H. 1986. Guide to the Vascular Flora of Illinois. Southern Illinois University Press, Carbondale. 507pp.

• Swink, F. and G. Wilhelm. 1994. Plants of the Chicago Region, 4th ed. Indiana Academy of Science, Indianapolis. 921pp.

• Voss, E.G. 1996. Michigan Flora. Part III. Dicots (Pyrolaceae-Compositae). Bulletin of the Cranbrook Institute of Science and University of Michigan Herbarium. 622pp.

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