ELEMENT STEWARDSHIP ABSTRACT FOR ERIOCAULON PARKERI November 29, 1990 Stewardship Abstract No.: 007 By Alfred E. Schuyler For: State of New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and Energy Division of Parks and Forestry Office of Natural Lands Management CN 404 Trenton, New Jersey 08625 Element Stewardship Abstract Element Stewardship Abstracts (ESA's) are prepared to provide land managers and other conservation workers with current biological and management related information on those species and natural ecosystems that are most important to protect or for which control is most needed. The abstracts organize and summarize data from numerous sources, including the literature and from researchers and managers actively working with the species or ecosystem. The ESA format was originally developed by The Nature Conservancy as a starting point for the stewardship of the many species and ecosystems, or elements, protected by the Conservancy. The New Jersey Office of Natural Lands Management is developing ESA's for those elements that are of particular importance as components of the biota of the state. This includes globally rare plant species that are also listed on New Jersey's official Endangered Plant Species List. The ESA serves several important functions. It helps to identify information gaps and target future research efforts. It provides a standard format for highlighting specific information about a species or community including its management needs. It also allows information to be readily communicated among various preserves, state offices, regional centers, natural heritage programs and private organizations. The ESA is a dynamic document that is continuously updated as new information becomes available. Users are encouraged to contribute their information to the abstract. This sharing of information will benefit all land managers by ensuring the availability of up-to-date information on management techniques and knowledgeable contacts. Please contact the Office of Natural Lands Management for an ESA publication list. It will contain the date of the latest revision to each ESA. Please refer to the abstract number when ordering ESA's. The abstract is a compilation of available information and is not an endorsement of particular practices or products. Element Name: ERIOCAULON PARKERI Robins (Eriocaulaceae) Element Code: PMERI01070 Preparer: Alfred E. Schuyler Common Name: Parker's Pipewort Description: Habit: rosulate herb with subulate basal leaves and erect leafless stems terminated by a small grayish-white head of minute flowers. Roots: fibrous, white with prominent closely-spaced horizontal bands. Stem: 1 or more in small tufts, leafy only at base, filiform, slightly twisted, 4-5 ridged, up to 30 cm tall. Leaves: all basal, subulate, with large reticulations, up to 6 cm long. Inflorescences: single head with numerous flowers terminating stem, depressed-hemispherical, up to 7 mm wide. Outer bracts ovate to obovate, about 2 mm long, pale grayish-white, ascending to somewhat spreading. Inner bracts narrowly obovate, about 2 mm long, grayish, often with a few white club-shaped hairs near tips. Flowers: male flowers with 2 sepals about 2 mm long, gray, translucent, smooth or with a few white hairs near tips; petals forming a yellowish, white tube with 2 small white-hairy lobes; stamens 4. Female flowers with 2 sepals about 2 mm long, gray, translucent; petals similar to sepals, yellowish-white, smooth or with a few white hairs near tips; styles 2-parted. Fruits: capsule with two 1-seeded locules. Seeds ovate to elliptic about 0.5 mm long, reddish-brown with delicate reticulum of horizontally oriented rectangles. Chromosomes: Lo"ve and Lo"ve (1958) reported 2n=c.48 for E. parkeri from the estuaries of the St. Lawrence River. For the closely related E. pellucidum (North America) and E. septangulare (British Isles), they reported 2n=32 and 2n=64 respectively. Most American authors (Fernald, 1950; Kral, 1966) do not distinguish E. pellucidum from E. septangulare. Distinctions from Related Species: Eriocaulon parkeri closely resembles E. septangulare sensu lato (including E. pellucidum). Kral (1966) gives the following distinctions: 1) stem of E. parkeri less twisted and with fewer ridges; 2) heads hemispherical in E. parkeri and subglobose in E. septangulare; 3) outer inflorescence bracts darker and more lustrous, becoming reflexed as the head matures in E. septangulare; and 4) bracts and perianth parts with few hairs (often some perianth parts smooth) in E. parkeri while in E. septangulare these structures have numerous hairs. Habitat: Eriocaulon parkeri is mostly found in freshwater intertidal zones in estuaries from Quebec to North Carolina. In this habitat it grows on diverse substrates including mud, sand, gravel, peat, and various combinations of them (Ferren and Schuyler, 1980). In New Jersey, there are occurrences along tidal portions of the Delaware River and coastal rivers draining the Pine Barrens, as well as in a few coastal ponds. Its occurrence along the Delaware River, where water conductivity is high, and along rivers of the Pine Barrens, where the pH is lower, indicates E. parkeri is more tolerant of these water chemistry parameters than other species restricted to intertidal zones (Ferren and Schuyler, 1980). Associated species include Elatine americana and Minima, Isoetes riparia, Limosella subulata, Micranthemum micranthemoides, Sagittaria subulata, and Zizania aquatica. Occasionally E. parkeri is associated with Spartina alterniflora where conditions are somewhat brackish (Ferren and Schuyler, 1980). Biology/Ecology: Eriocaulon parkeri flowers from July to October (Fernald, 1950). Studies on related species by Uphof (1927) indicate that most pollination is between flowers on the same head rather than between those on different heads. Uphof found mites, which are unable to move from one head to another, more frequently than flying insects on heads of Eriocaulon. As the mites crawl over the flowers, they transfer pollen from male to female flowers. Species that are associated with E. parkeri have flowers that are self-pollinated in unopened buds (Ferren and Schuyler, 1980). Such may be the case for E. parkeri but it has yet to be demonstrated. Seeds, along with dried floral parts, may be dispersed by wind or water. Eventually floating floral parts become waterlogged and sink (Uphof, 1927), depositing seeds on or in the substrate. Eriocaulon parkeri has undergone range constriction in the Delaware Estuary but still occurs at numerous sites in the Mullica and Great Egg Harbor estuaries. It no longer occurs in the Pennsylvania portion of the Delaware Estuary (Schuyler, 1986) or in the Hudson Estuary (Zika, pers. comm., 1990). In the Chesapeake Estuary, there may be some depletion although the plants are still found there (Cooley, pers. comm., 1989). The habitat of E. parkeri is subject to continuous scouring from the tides that expose and inundate the plants twice a day. It is a pioneer habitat where few other species can survive. Although E. parkeri produces "lateral offshoots" (Kral, 1966) there is no evidence that it is perennial. Judging from its severe habitat conditions, it seems likely that most reproduction is from seeds. Determination of Element Occurrence (EO) Quality: Populations in the Mullica and Great Egg Harbor systems have high EO quality based on the number of extant sites for E. parkeri. In the Delaware system, E. parkeri is restricted to a few scattered sites along three tributaries: Rancocas Creek, Deep Run near junction with Alloway Creek, and the Maurice River. Populations at all sites are often small (NJNHP, 1989b); therefore the number of sites in a given area is more indicative of EO quality, particularly in the Delaware system where E. parkeri was previously known from many more sites than now (Ferren and Schuyler, 1980). Threats: Dredge spoil and landfill have altered habitats of E. parkeri along the Delaware River. Some habitats have been eliminated by the damming of tidal tributaries. Scouring of the Delaware River shore by wave action from ships and bulkheading for industrial and recreational development are additional threats. Water quality, which was extremely poor in the vicinity of Philadelphia during the mid-20th Century (Albert, 1988; Kiry, 1974) probably contributed to site eliminations. Water quality has improved considerably during the latter half of the 20th Century (Albert, 1988), but still may be a critical factor at some sites along creeks and small streams. Land Protection Specifications: Habitats along rivers and streams need protection from bulkheading, filling, and dredging. Some creeks and small streams need more protection from water pollution. Recovery Potential: Like most species of pioneer habitats, recovery potential of E. parkeri is probably low in severely degraded habitats. Populations are usually small and a seed source for recovery is limited. Continuous substrate disturbance by the tides probably cause seedling mortality. Biological Monitoring Needs: Monitor population sizes and seed production at the few known sites of E. parkeri in the Delaware Estuary. Biological Monitoring Procedures: Annual visits should be made to known sites along Rancocas Creek, Deep Run, and the Maurice River to record year-to-year variation in population size. A few heads should be sampled for seed numbers. Biological Monitoring Programs: Key people who are searching for and recording information on E. parkeri in New Jersey are K.H. Anderson, T. Gordon, G. Moore, A.E. Schuyler, and D.B. Snyder. Research Needs: We need to know more about dispersal mechanisms and if depleted sites can be restored without human intervention. More information is needed on seed production at sites with high and low EO quality as well as factors that enhance germination and seedling development. Summary of Stewardship Needs: Eriocaulon parkeri primarily grows in freshwater intertidal zones of river systems from Quebec to North Carolina. It is a pioneer species on mud, sand, gravel, peat, and mixtures of them. Reproduction is presumed to be mostly from seeds. In New Jersey, EO quality is poorest in the Delaware Estuary where it no longer occurs at numerous sites. Populations are usually small and recovery potential is low because of the limited seed source and severe habitat conditions. Habitat destruction and water pollution are major threats. Population sizes in the Delaware Estuary should be monitored annually and estimates of seed production should be obtained. Research should focus on dispersal mechanisms, seed germination requirements, seedling establishment, and methods for restoring depleted sites. Bibliography for Eriocaulon parkeri robins: Albert, R.C. 1988. The Historical Context of Water Quality Management for the Delaware Estuary. Estuaries 11(2): 99-107. Anderson, K.H. 1989. Rancocas Nature Center, Mt. Holly, NJ, personal communication. Beal, E.O. 1977. A Manual of Marsh and Aquatic Vascular Plants of North Carolina. North Carolina Agricultural Experiment Station Tech. Bull. No. 247, iv + 298 pp. Bouchard, A., D. Barabe, M. Dumais & S. Hay. 1983. The Rare Vascular Plants of Quebec. Natl. Mus. Canada Syllogeus No. 48, 75 pp. Broome, C.R., A.O. Tucker, J.L. Reveal & N.H. Dill. 1979. Rare and Endangered Vascular Plant Species in Maryland. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Newton Corner. vii + 64 pp. Buckley, E.H. & S.S. Ristich. 1976. Distribution of Rooted Vegetation in the Brackish Marshes and Shallows of the Hudson Estuary. Paper 20, Fourth Symposium on Hudson River Ecology held at Bear Mountain, New York, The Hudson River Environmental Society, Inc., 30 pp. Cooley, G. 1989. Maryland Natural Heritage Program, Annapolis, personal communication. Fernald, M.L. 1940. A Century of Additions to the Flora of Virginia. Rhodora 42: 355-416; 419-498; 503-521 Fernald, M.L. 1950. Gray's Manual of Botany. 8th ed. American Book Co., New York. lxiv + 1632 pp. Gauthier, B. 1980. Les limites phytogeographiques du Saint-Laurent. Provancheria No. 11, 103 pp. Gleason, H.A. 1952. The New Britton and Brown Illustrated Flora of the Northeastern United States and Adjacent Canada. The New York Botanical Garden, New York. 3 v. Gordon, T. 1990. Vincentown, NJ, personal communication. Grimes, E.J. 1922. Some Interesting Plants of the Virginia Coastal Plain. Rhodora 24: 148-152. Hare, C.L. 1950. The Structure and Development of Eriocaulon septangulare With. J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 53: 422-448. Harger, E.B. & et al. 1917. Additions to the Flora of Connecticut. Rhodora 19: 105-110, 119-130, 224-232, 245-253. Harvill, A.M., Jr., T.R. Bradley, C.E. Stevens, T.F. Wieboldt & D.M.E. Ware. 1986. Atlas of the Virginia Flora. 2nd ed. Virginia Botanical Associates, Farmville. Hinds, H. 1983. The Rare Vascular Plants of New Brunswick. Natl. Mus. Canada Syllogeus No. 50, 38 pp. Hinds, H.R. 1986. The Flora of New Brunswick. Primrose Press, Fredericton. xxvi + 460 pp. Kiry, P.R. 1974. An Historical Look at the Water Quality of the Delaware River Estuary to 1973. Contr. Dept. Limnol. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia No. 4, vi + 135 pp. Kral, R. 1966. 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A Fifth Summary of the Verbenaceae, Avicenniaceae, Stilbaceae, Dicrastylidaceae, Symphoremaceae, Nyctanthaceae, and Eriocaulaceae of the World as to Valid Taxa, Geographic Distribution, and Synonymy. Published by the author, Yonkers. 2 vol. Moldenke, H.N. 1973. Additional Notes on the Eriocaulaceae. XLIII. Phytologia 26(1): 15-47. Moldenke, H.N. 1973. Additional Notes on the Eriocaulaceae. XLVII. Phytologia 26(6): 455-484. Moldenke, H.N. 1974. Additional Notes on the Eriocaulaceae. XLIX. Phytologia 29(3): 193-239. Moldenke, H.N. 1976. Additional Notes on the Eriocaulaceae. LXIV. Phytologia 34(5): 485-497. Moldenke, H.N. 1976. Additional Notes on the Eriocaulaceae. LVIII. Phytologia 32(6): 487-506. Moldenke, H.N. 1977. Additional Notes on the Eriocaulaceae. LXXII. Phytologia 36(5): 468-497. Moldenke, H.N. 1979. Additional Notes on the Eriocaulaceae. LXXXI. Phytologia 41(6): 409-430. Moldenke, H.N. 1980. 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