Baptisia arachnifera
Encyclopedia
Baptisia arachnifera, commonly known as hairy rattleweed, cobwebby wild indigo, hairy wild indigo, and hairy false indigo, is an endangered species
of flowering plant
in the legume family. Its native habitat is limited to sandy soils in pinewoods along the coastal plain
of the U.S. state
of Georgia
.
.
are alternate and heart-shaped
. They range in size from 2-6 cm long by 1.5-5 cm wide.
Flower
s form in terminal raceme
s with five bright yellow petal
s and bloom in late June through early August.
Fruit
s are woody pods 8-15 mm long and 6-9 mm wide with stalks and beaks, forming in August through October.
s of pine
trees. It now remains in patchy areas among these stands and in nearby forest and even roadsides. Fire suppression in areas of silviculture
may be detrimental to the plant, but specimens growing among the pines encounter less competition with other plants and may grow bigger.
Baptisia arachnifera has been listed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as endangered since 1978. It is known from two counties, Brantley
and Wayne
, in the coastal plain
of Georgia.
In addition to protecting its habitat from being drained or developed, prescribed burning may benefit the species. Timber company, Rayonier
, received a Leadership in Conservation Award for its use of prescribed fire to help the species.
Endangered species
An endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...
of flowering plant
Plant
Plants are living organisms belonging to the kingdom Plantae. Precise definitions of the kingdom vary, but as the term is used here, plants include familiar organisms such as trees, flowers, herbs, bushes, grasses, vines, ferns, mosses, and green algae. The group is also called green plants or...
in the legume family. Its native habitat is limited to sandy soils in pinewoods along the coastal plain
Coastal plain
A coastal plain is an area of flat, low-lying land adjacent to a seacoast and separated from the interior by other features. One of the world's longest coastal plains is located in eastern South America. The southwestern coastal plain of North America is notable for its species diversity...
of the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
.
Taxonomy
Wilbur H. Duncan first described this species in 1944 after collecting a specimen in 1942 from a site in Wayne County, GeorgiaWayne County, Georgia
Wayne County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of 2000, the population was 26,565. The 2007 Census Estimate showed a population of 29,046. The county seat is Jesup.-History:...
.
Description
Baptisia arachnifera is a perennial that grows to a height of forty to eighty centimeters and is "covered with grayish-white, cobwebby hairs". Blue-green, simple leavesLeaf
A leaf is an organ of a vascular plant, as defined in botanical terms, and in particular in plant morphology. Foliage is a mass noun that refers to leaves as a feature of plants....
are alternate and heart-shaped
Leaf shape
In botany, leaf shape is characterised with the following terms :* Acicular : Slender and pointed, needle-like* Acuminate : Tapering to a long point...
. They range in size from 2-6 cm long by 1.5-5 cm wide.
Flower
Flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...
s form in terminal raceme
Raceme
A raceme is a type of inflorescence that is unbranched and indeterminate and bears pedicellate flowers — flowers having short floral stalks called pedicels — along the axis. In botany, axis means a shoot, in this case one bearing the flowers. In a raceme, the oldest flowers are borne...
s with five bright yellow petal
Petal
Petals are modified leaves that surround the reproductive parts of flowers. They often are brightly colored or unusually shaped to attract pollinators. Together, all of the petals of a flower are called a corolla. Petals are usually accompanied by another set of special leaves called sepals lying...
s and bloom in late June through early August.
Fruit
Fruit
In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
s are woody pods 8-15 mm long and 6-9 mm wide with stalks and beaks, forming in August through October.
Distribution and conservation
95 to 99% of the species' native habitat has been destroyed and replanted with plantationPlantation
A plantation is a long artificially established forest, farm or estate, where crops are grown for sale, often in distant markets rather than for local on-site consumption...
s of pine
Pine
Pines are trees in the genus Pinus ,in the family Pinaceae. They make up the monotypic subfamily Pinoideae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authorities accept between 105 and 125 species.-Etymology:...
trees. It now remains in patchy areas among these stands and in nearby forest and even roadsides. Fire suppression in areas of silviculture
Silviculture
Silviculture is the practice of controlling the establishment, growth, composition, health, and quality of forests to meet diverse needs and values. The name comes from the Latin silvi- + culture...
may be detrimental to the plant, but specimens growing among the pines encounter less competition with other plants and may grow bigger.
Baptisia arachnifera has been listed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as endangered since 1978. It is known from two counties, Brantley
Brantley County, Georgia
Brantley County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. It is part of the 'Brunswick, Georgia Metropolitan Statistical Area' which encompasses all of Brantley, Glynn, and McIntosh counties. As of 2000, the population is 14,629. The 2007 Census Estimate shows a population of 15,440...
and Wayne
Wayne County, Georgia
Wayne County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of 2000, the population was 26,565. The 2007 Census Estimate showed a population of 29,046. The county seat is Jesup.-History:...
, in the coastal plain
Atlantic Coastal Plain
The Atlantic coastal plain has both low elevation and low relief, but it is also a relatively flat landform extending from the New York Bight southward to a Georgia/Florida section of the Eastern Continental Divide, which demarcates the plain from the ACF River Basin in the Gulf Coastal Plain to...
of Georgia.
In addition to protecting its habitat from being drained or developed, prescribed burning may benefit the species. Timber company, Rayonier
Rayonier
Rayonier , headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, is the fifth largest private land owner in the United States with over . In addition to its U.S. holdings, Rayonier also owns of land in New Zealand.-History:...
, received a Leadership in Conservation Award for its use of prescribed fire to help the species.