Crotalaria avonensis: taxon details and analytics
- Domain
- Kingdom
- Plantae
- Phylum
- Tracheophyta
- Class
- Magnoliopsida
- Order
- Fabales
- Family
- Fabaceae
- Genus
- Crotalaria
- Species
- Crotalaria avonensis
- Scientific Name
- Crotalaria avonensis
Summary description from Wikipedia:
Crotalaria avonensis
Crotalaria avonensis is a rare species of flowering plant in the legume family known by the common names Avon Park rattlebox, Avon Park harebells, and Avon Park rabbit-bells. It is endemic to Central Florida in the United States, where it is known from only three sites. Many individuals exist on land that is unprotected and they are threatened with destruction. The plant is a federally listed endangered species.
This is a perennial herb with one to three hairy stems growing from a taproot. Most of the stem is located underground, with up to 10 centimeters growing above the surface. The stems are lined with fleshy oval leaves which are coated in white or yellowish hairs. The inflorescence is a raceme of yellow pealike flowers around a centimeter long. The fruit is an inflated legume pod in shades of dark red or brown which can be up to 2.5 centimeters in length and contains 18 seeds. After the plant flowers in spring it becomes dormant for the rest of the year.
It was first collected in 1950 but not recognized as an undescribed species until 1989, when it was named. It grows in the white sand scrub of Florida's Lake Wales Ridge. It can tolerate some disturbance and partially shady conditions. It grows alongside other rare scrub plants such as Small's jointweed (Polygonum dentoceras), Florida lady's nightcap (Bonamia grandiflora), scrub blazing star (Liatris ohlingerae), and Highlands Scrub St. John's wort (Hypericum cumulicola).
The plant is threatened by the degradation and destruction of its habitat. It is limited to a small section of Central Florida which is being consumed for development. Much of its range has been converted to residential neighborhoods or agricultural fields, especially orange groves. Its two populations and one small subpopulation are broken up into scattered, localized occurrences. The largest population is located on private, unprotected land near Avon Park Lakes, a growing residential development. Land that remains there is fragmented and degraded by human activity, such as off-road vehicle use. A nearby subpopulation is estimated to contain fewer than 600 plants. The third location is in better condition and is either declining at a slow rate or stable. It has sustained some damage, including the destruction of living plants, during construction of roads. Other threats to the species include the invasion of non-native plant species such as cogongrass (Imperata cylindrica) and pangolagrass (Digitaria eriantha), dumping of abandoned cars and other garbage, and vandalism. The plant was added to the endangered species list in 1993 along with other rare Florida species, including pigeon wings (Clitoria fragrans), a plant, and Florida perforate cladonia (Cladonia perforata), a lichen.
Many aspects of the plant's life cycle are unknown. Studies indicate it has a low fecundity, probably because of low flower and fruit production. Flowers require pollination by insects, but few insects have been observed at plants. The plant's annual survival rate is apparently quite high but few seeds are produced and few of those germinate. The plant is probably at high risk for extinction, a risk that could be lowered by enacting protection measures for the largest population, which exists tenuously at a site of rapid residential construction. Other conservation efforts underway include cryopreservation of shoot tips, but this plan is not supported by all involved biologists.
...Crotalaria avonensis in languages:
- English
- Avon Park Rattlebox
- English
- Avon Park harebells
Images from inaturalist.org observations:
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Parent Taxon
Sibling Taxa
- Crotalaria abscondita
- Crotalaria aculeata
- Crotalaria adenocarpoides
- Crotalaria adolfi
- Crotalaria aegyptiaca
- Crotalaria agatiflora
- Crotalaria alata
- Crotalaria albida
- Crotalaria alexandri
- Crotalaria androyensis
- Crotalaria angulata
- Crotalaria annua
- Crotalaria anthyllopsis
- Crotalaria arenaria
- Crotalaria argenteotomentosa
- Crotalaria argyraea
- Crotalaria aridicola
- Crotalaria arrecta
- Crotalaria assamica
- Crotalaria atrorubens
- Crotalaria aurea
- Crotalaria avonensis
- Crotalaria bakeriana
- Crotalaria bamendae
- Crotalaria barbata
- Crotalaria barkae
- Crotalaria barnabassii
- Crotalaria baumii
- Crotalaria becquetii
- Crotalaria beddomeana
- Crotalaria bemba
- Crotalaria berteroana
- Crotalaria bialata
- Crotalaria bifaria
- Crotalaria bongensis
- Crotalaria bosseri
- Crotalaria brevidens
- Crotalaria breviflora
- Crotalaria brevipedunculata
- Crotalaria brevis
- Crotalaria bupleurifolia
- Crotalaria burhia
- Crotalaria burkeana
- Crotalaria cajanifolia
- Crotalaria calva
- Crotalaria calycina
- Crotalaria candicans
- Crotalaria capensis
- Crotalaria capuronii
- Crotalaria cephalotes
- Crotalaria chaco-serranensis
- Crotalaria chinensis
- Crotalaria chrysochlora
- Crotalaria cistoides
- Crotalaria clarkei
- Crotalaria cleomifolia
- Crotalaria cobalticola
- Crotalaria collina
- Crotalaria colorata
- Crotalaria comosa
- Crotalaria congesta
- Crotalaria cornetii
- Crotalaria cornu-ammonis
- Crotalaria corymbosa
- Crotalaria coursii
- Crotalaria craspedocarpa
- Crotalaria crispata
- Crotalaria cunninghamii
- Crotalaria cupricola
- Crotalaria cuspidata
- Crotalaria cyanoxantha
- Crotalaria cylindrocarpa
- Crotalaria cytisoides
- Crotalaria damarensis
- Crotalaria decaryana
- Crotalaria densicephala
- Crotalaria digitata
- Crotalaria dinteri
- Crotalaria diosmifolia
- Crotalaria dissitiflora
- Crotalaria distans
- Crotalaria distantiflora
- Crotalaria doidgeae
- Crotalaria dura
- Crotalaria ebenoides
- Crotalaria edmundi-bakeri
- Crotalaria emarginata
- Crotalaria emirnensis
- Crotalaria epunctata
- Crotalaria eremaea
- Crotalaria eremicola
- Crotalaria eriocarpa
- Crotalaria evolvuloides
- Crotalaria exaltata
- Crotalaria excisa
- Crotalaria exilipes
- Crotalaria ferruginea
- Crotalaria fiherenensis
- Crotalaria filifolia
- Crotalaria filipes
- Crotalaria flavicarinata
- Crotalaria flavicoma
- Crotalaria formosa
- Crotalaria fysonii
- Crotalaria gazensis
- Crotalaria giessii
- Crotalaria glauca
- Crotalaria globifera
- Crotalaria goetzei
- Crotalaria goodiiformis
- Crotalaria goreensis
- Crotalaria grahamiana
- Crotalaria graminicola
- Crotalaria grata
- Crotalaria grevei
- Crotalaria griquensis
- Crotalaria griseofusca
- Crotalaria hebecarpa
- Crotalaria heidmannii
- Crotalaria hemsleyi
- Crotalaria heyneana
- Crotalaria hilariana
- Crotalaria hirsuta
- Crotalaria hirta
- Crotalaria huillensis
- Crotalaria humbertiana
- Crotalaria humifusa
- Crotalaria humilis
- Crotalaria hyssopifolia
- Crotalaria ibityensis
- Crotalaria incana
- Crotalaria incompta
- Crotalaria inopinata
- Crotalaria insignis
- Crotalaria jacksonii
- Crotalaria johannis
- Crotalaria juncea
- Crotalaria kipandensis
- Crotalaria kolbergii
- Crotalaria kurtii
- Crotalaria kurzii
- Crotalaria laburnifolia
- Crotalaria laburnoides
- Crotalaria lachnocarpoides
- Crotalaria lachnophora
- Crotalaria lachnosema
- Crotalaria laevigata
- Crotalaria lanceolata
- Crotalaria lathyroides
- Crotalaria leandriana
- Crotalaria lebeckioides
- Crotalaria ledermannii
- Crotalaria leprieurii
- Crotalaria leptoclada
- Crotalaria leptostachya
- Crotalaria leubnitziana
- Crotalaria lidiae
- Crotalaria limosa
- Crotalaria linifolia
- Crotalaria longidens
- Crotalaria longirostrata
- Crotalaria lotifolia
- Crotalaria lotoides
- Crotalaria lutescens
- Crotalaria macrantha
- Crotalaria macrocalyx
- Crotalaria macrocarpa
- Crotalaria madurensis
- Crotalaria magaliesbergensis
- Crotalaria mahafalensis
- Crotalaria malindiensis
- Crotalaria manongarivensis
- Crotalaria maypurensis
- Crotalaria medicaginea
- Crotalaria melanocarpa
- Crotalaria mendesii
- Crotalaria mentiens
- Crotalaria mesopontica
- Crotalaria mexicana
- Crotalaria meyeriana
- Crotalaria micans
- Crotalaria microcarpa
- Crotalaria microphylla
- Crotalaria microthamnus
- Crotalaria mildbraedii
- Crotalaria mitchellii
- Crotalaria mocubensis
- Crotalaria mollicula
- Crotalaria mollii
- Crotalaria monophylla
- Crotalaria montana
- Crotalaria monteiroi
- Crotalaria mortonii
- Crotalaria morumbensis
- Crotalaria multiflora
- Crotalaria mwangulangoi
- Crotalaria mysorensis
- Crotalaria nana
- Crotalaria naragutensis
- Crotalaria natalensis
- Crotalaria natalitia
- Crotalaria nayaritensis
- Crotalaria neriifolia
- Crotalaria nigricans
- Crotalaria nitens
- Crotalaria notonii
- Crotalaria novae-hollandiae
- Crotalaria nuda
- Crotalaria obscura
- Crotalaria obtecta
- Crotalaria ochroleuca
- Crotalaria ononoides
- Crotalaria orientalis
- Crotalaria orixensis
- Crotalaria otoptera
- Crotalaria ovata
- Crotalaria oxyphylloides
- Crotalaria pallida
- Crotalaria pallidicaulis
- Crotalaria paniculata
- Crotalaria patula
- Crotalaria pearsonii
- Crotalaria peduncularis
- Crotalaria peltieri
- Crotalaria pervillei
- Crotalaria peschiana
- Crotalaria phylicoides
- Crotalaria pilosa
- Crotalaria pisicarpa
- Crotalaria platysepala
- Crotalaria podocarpa
- Crotalaria poissonii
- Crotalaria polyphylla
- Crotalaria priestleyoides
- Crotalaria prostrata
- Crotalaria pseudoquangensis
- Crotalaria pseudotenuirama
- Crotalaria pulchra
- Crotalaria pumila
- Crotalaria purdieana
- Crotalaria purshii
- Crotalaria pusilla
- Crotalaria pycnostachya
- Crotalaria quangensis
- Crotalaria quercetorum
- Crotalaria quinquefolia
- Crotalaria recta
- Crotalaria retusa
- Crotalaria rhodesiae
- Crotalaria rhynchocarpa
- Crotalaria rogersii
- Crotalaria rosenii
- Crotalaria rotundifolia
- Crotalaria rufocaulis
- Crotalaria rzedowskii
- Crotalaria sagittalis
- Crotalaria saharae
- Crotalaria salicifolia
- Crotalaria saltiana
- Crotalaria sandoorensis
- Crotalaria scabra
- Crotalaria scabrella
- Crotalaria schiedeana
- Crotalaria schinzii
- Crotalaria schlechteri
- Crotalaria schliebenii
- Crotalaria schmitzii
- Crotalaria semperflorens
- Crotalaria senegalensis
- Crotalaria sericifolia
- Crotalaria serpentinicola
- Crotalaria sessiliflora
- Crotalaria shirensis
- Crotalaria similis
- Crotalaria smithiana
- Crotalaria socotrana
- Crotalaria somalensis
- Crotalaria spartea
- Crotalaria spartioides
- Crotalaria speciosa
- Crotalaria spectabilis
- Crotalaria sphaerocarpa
- Crotalaria spinosa
- Crotalaria steudneri
- Crotalaria stipitata
- Crotalaria stipularia
- Crotalaria strigulosa
- Crotalaria subcapitata
- Crotalaria subperfoliata
- Crotalaria tanety
- Crotalaria teixeirae
- Crotalaria teretifolia
- Crotalaria tetragona
- Crotalaria trichotoma
- Crotalaria trifoliastrum
- Crotalaria triquetra
- Crotalaria ukambensis
- Crotalaria ulbrichiana
- Crotalaria umbellifera
- Crotalaria uncinella
- Crotalaria unifoliolata
- Crotalaria varicosa
- Crotalaria variegata
- Crotalaria vasculosa
- Crotalaria velutina
- Crotalaria verrucosa
- Crotalaria vespertilio
- Crotalaria vestita
- Crotalaria vialattei
- Crotalaria virgulata
- Crotalaria virgultalis
- Crotalaria vitellina
- Crotalaria walkeri
- Crotalaria willdenowiana
- Crotalaria xanthoclada
- Crotalaria yaihsienensis
- Crotalaria yunnanensis



























