Download NYNHP Conservation Guide for Sea-pink

Sea-pink
Sabatia stellaris flower
Scientific Name
Sabatia stellaris
Pursh
Family Name
Gentianaceae
Gentian Family
Did you know?
The species name means star and this beautiful
wildflower is really the star of the salt marsh with its
stunning pink and yellow flowers visible from
midsummer into the fall.
Photo credits: Kimberly J. Smith
Summary
Protection Threatened in New York State, not listed federally.
This level of state protection means: listed species are those with: 1) 6 to fewer than 20
extant sites, or 2) 1,000 to fewer than 3,000 individuals, or 3) restricted to not less than 4
or more than 7 U.S.G.S. 7 ½ minute topographical maps, or 4) listed as threatened by
U.S. Department of Interior.
Rarity G5, S2
A global rarity rank of G5 means: This species is demonstrably secure globally, though it
may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
A state rarity rank of S2 means: This plant is threatened/imperiled in New York because of
rarity (typically 6-20 populations or few remaining individuals) or is vulnerable to extirpation
from New York due to biological factors.
Conservation Status in New York
There are seven existing populations with hundreds of plants each. Three of the
populations are threatened by Phragmites. There are 17 historical populations known from
the late 1800s through the 1970s which have not been rediscovered. Two other
populations are now considered extirpated.
NYNHP Conservation Guide - Sea-pink (Sabatia stellaris)
Short-term Trends
The short-term trends are not fully known. Three of the seven existing populations have
been resurveyed and seem stable. More surveys for the remaining populations are needed
to determine the trend.
Long-term Trends
The long-term trend is apparantly negative. Most of the historical collections of this species
are from New York City and western Long Island, where much of the salt marsh habitat has
been destroyed or severely impacted. This species has likely declined over the last
century, although additional surveys of historical sites are needed.
Conservation and Management
Threats
Invasion of salt marshes or brackish meadows by European common reed (Phragmites
australis ssp. australis) is a threat to some populations. Ditching and other human impacts
to hydrology or water quality are threats at some sites as well. The impact of sea-level rise
on high salt marsh communities and their constituent rare species (including Sea-pink) is a
potential threat.
Conservation Strategies and Management Practices
Control Phragmites invasions in the salt marshes that support this species and prevent any
new incursions. Natural buffers should be established around the salt marshes to decrease
pollution runoff and other direct human disturbances.
Research Needs
Research is needed to determine techniques for the successful augmentation of
populations after Phragmites removal.
Habitat
In New York, Sea Pink has been most often collected from areas of high salt marsh. It also can be
found in wet, brackish habitats such as interdunal swales, brackish meadows, and ponds (New
York Natural Heritage 2011). Salt or brackish marshes along the coast (Gleason and Cronquist
1991).
Associated Ecological Communities
Brackish Interdunal Swales
Temporarily tidally flooded temperate marshes in interdunal swales dominated by
salt-tolerant graminoids. Individual swales occur as small patches positioned between
fore-, primary and secondary dunes in a maritime dunes system, typically on barrier
islands.
Brackish Meadow
A moist, moderately well-drained brackish (salinity 0.5-18 ppt) perennial grassland with
NYNHP Conservation Guide - Sea-pink (Sabatia stellaris)
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occasional isolated shrubs that is typically situated in a belt at the upper edge of salt
marshes bordering sandy uplands, but may occupy large portions of interdunal basins. The
community usually develops in areas with a unique combination of soils and hydrology, on
deep deposits of periodically windblown or overwashed gleyed sands that are usually
flooded only during spring tides and during major coastal storms, approximately two to
three times per year.
High Salt Marsh
A coastal marsh community that occurs in sheltered areas of the seacoast, in a zone
extending from mean high tide up to the limit of spring tides. It is periodically flooded by
spring tides and flood tides. High salt marshes typically consist of a mosaic of patches that
are mostly dominated by a single graminoid species.
Associated Species
Salt-marsh False-foxglove (Agalinis maritima)
Halberd-leaf Saltbush (Atriplex patula)
Eastern Baccharis (Baccharis halimifolia)
Inland Saltgrass (Distichlis spicata)
Marsh Elder (Iva frutescens)
Toad Rush (Juncus bufonius)
Canada Rush (Juncus canadensis)
Black-grass Rush (Juncus gerardii)
Sea-lavender (Limonium carolinianum)
Green Carpet-weed (Mollugo verticillata)
Sweet Bayberry (Myrica gale)
Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum)
Seaside Plantain (Plantago maritima var. juncoides)
Whorled Milkwort (Polygala verticillata)
Dwarf Glasswort (Salicornia bigelovii)
Glasswort (Salicornia depressa)
Russian Thistle (Salsola kali)
Seaside Goldenrod (Solidago sempervirens)
Saltwater Cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora)
Saltmeadow Cordgrass (Spartina patens)
Trailing Fuzzybean (Strophostyles helvula)
Eastern Poison Ivy (Toxicodendron radicans)
Identification Comments
Sea-pink is an annual herb in the gentian family. Its stem may be up to 60 centimeters tall,
with opposite leaves. The middle leaves of the main stem are 2 to 4 centimeters long,
entire and oblanceolate, and taper to the base. The upper leaves are linear and tapered to
the base. The striking flowers are pink (sometimes white) with a yellow center, its petals
are 9 to 18 millimeters long, exceeding the lobes of the calyx. The fruit are capsules.
(Gleason and Cronquist 1991)
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Best Life Stage for Identifying This Species
Flowering specimens or fruiting specimens are best.
The Best Time to See
Sea-pink flowers in August and September and a few blooms may persist into October.
Flowering
Fruiting
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul
Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
The time of year you would expect to find Sea-pink in New York.
Similar Species
Sabatia stellaris is most similar to S. campanulata. S. campanulata differs by being a
perennial species growing from a thick caudex, by having leaves with a broad, sessile
base, by the calyx lobes equaling the corolla, and by the lateral peduncles having 1 or 2
bracts (S. stellaris has bractless peduncles). (Enser 2004, Gleason and Cronquist 1991)
Taxonomy
Kingdom
Plantae
Phylum
Anthophyta
Class
Dicots (Dicotyledoneae)
Order
Gentianales
Family
Gentianaceae (Gentian Family)
Additional Common Names
Marsh-pink
Synonyms
Stellaria amoena ((Raf.) G. Don)
Additional Resources
NYNHP Conservation Guide - Sea-pink (Sabatia stellaris)
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Links
New England Plant Conservation Program
http://www.newfs.org/docs/pdf/sabatiastellaris.pdf
Nearctica - Eastern Wildflowers
http://www.nearctica.com/flowers/dtoh/gentian/Sstell.htm
USDA Plants Database
http://plants.usda.gov/java/nameSearch?mode=sciname&keywordquery=
SABATIA+STELLARIS
NatureServe Explorer
http://natureserve.org/explorer/servlet/NatureServe?searchName=SABATIA+STELLARIS
Google Images
http://images.google.com/images?q=SABATIA+STELLARIS
Best Identification Reference
Gleason, Henry A. and A. Cronquist. 1991. Manual of Vascular Plants of Northeastern United States and
Adjacent Canada. The New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, New York. 910 pp.
References
Clemants, Steven and Carol Gracie. 2006. Wildflowers in the Field and Forest. A Field Guide to the
Northeastern United States. Oxford University Press, New York, NY. 445 pp.
Crow, Garrett E. and C. Barre Hellquist. 2000. Aquatic and Wetland Plants of Northeastern North
America: A revised and enlarged edition of Norman C. Fassett's a Manual of Aquatic Plants.
Volume One: Pteridophytes, Gymnosperms, and Angiosperms: Dicotyledon
Enser, Richard. 2004. Sabatia stellaris Pursh Sea pink Conservation and Research Plan for New
England. New England Wildflower Society. Framingham, MA
Holmgren, Noel. 1998. The Illustrated Companion to Gleason and Cronquist's Manual. Illustrations
of the Vascular Plants of Northeastern United States and Adjacent Canada. The New York
Botanical Garden, Bronx, New York.
Keys, Jr.,J.; Carpenter, C.; Hooks, S.; Koenig, F.; McNab, W.H.; Russell, W.;Smith, M.L. 1995.
Ecological units of the eastern United States - first approximation (cd-rom), Atlanta, GA: U.S.
Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. GIS coverage in ARCINFO format, selected imagery,
and map unit tables.
Mitchell, Richard S. and Gordon C. Tucker. 1997. Revised Checklist of New York State Plants.
Contributions to a Flora of New York State. Checklist IV. Bulletin No. 490. New York State
Museum. Albany, NY. 400 pp.
NatureServe. 2005. NatureServe Central Databases. Arlington, Virginia. USA
New York Natural Heritage Program. 2010. Biotics database. New York Natural Heritage Program.
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Albany, NY.
Newcomb, Lawrence. 1977. Newcomb's Wildflower Guide: An Ingenious New Key System for
Quick, Positive Field Identification of the Wildflowers, Flowering Shrubs, and Vines of
Northeastern and North-Central North America. Little, Brown and Company. Boston.
Weldy, T. and D. Werier. 2010. New York flora atlas. [S.M. Landry, K.N. Campbell, and L.D. Mabe
(original application development), Florida Center for Community Design and Research
http://www.fccdr.usf.edu/. University of South Florida http://www.usf.edu/
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New York Natural Heritage Program
625 Broadway, 5th Floor,
Albany, NY 12233-4757
Phone: (518) 402-8935
[email protected]
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This project is made possible with funding from:
- New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Hudson River
Estuary Program
- Division of Lands & Forests, Department of Environmental Conservation
- New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation
Information for this guide was last updated on Nov 19, 2015
This guide was authored by Stephen M. Young, Richard M. Ring.
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