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Trichostigma octandrum (L.) H. Walter
Hoopvine

Trichostigma octandrum
Copyright by: George D. Gann, 2016
In habitat, Piñones State Forest, Loíza, Puerto Rico, Enlarge

Family: Phytolaccaceae

Group: Dicot

Substrate: Terrestrial

Habit: Vine

Perennation: Perennial

Native Range: South Florida, the West Indies, Mexico, Central America and South America.

Map of select IRC data for peninsular Florida

NatureServe Global Status: Apparently Secure

State of Florida Status: Endangered

Florida Natural Areas Inventory State Status: Critically Imperiled

IRC SOUTH FLORIDA Status: Imperiled

SOUTH FLORIDA Occurrence: Present

SOUTH FLORIDA Native Status: Native

SOUTH FLORIDA Cultivated Status: Cultivated

Comments: While ranked as critically imperiled in South Florida in Rare Plants of South Florida (Gann et al. 2002; p. 331), several new populations have been recorded since that time. Hoopvine was discovered in 2007 in Everglades National Park in Monroe County by IRC biologist Jesse Hoffman, in 2015 at Simpson Park in Miami-Dade County by George Gann and colleagues, and in 2017 at Kendall Indian Hammocks Park in Miami-Dade County by IRC Research Associate Jimmy Lange and colleagues. Based on these new discoveries, the wide, scattered historical distribution of this in South Florida, and the generally weedy and aggressive nature of some populations, we have re-ranked this as imperiled in May 2017, but it may warrant further downranking in the future. Populations at both Simpson Park and Kendall Indian Hammocks have gone from unreported to hyperabundant (see definition in Keenleyside et al. 2012; p. 27, Box 7), and require some management control. See also, IRC’s report Vascular plant species of management concern in Everglades National Park (Gann 2015; p 45).

Other data on Trichostigma octandrum available from :

Trichostigma octandrum has been found in the following 6 conservation areas :
Occurrence Native Status
Alice C. Wainwright Park Present Native
Big Cypress National Preserve Reported
Everglades and Francis S. Taylor Wildlife Management Area Present Native
Everglades National Park Present Native
Kendall Indian Hammocks Park Present Native
Simpson Park Present Native

Trichostigma octandrum has been found in the following 6 counties :
Occurrence Native Status
Broward County Native
Collier County Native
Miami-Dade County Native
Monroe County (Keys) Possibly Extirpated Possibly Extirpated
Monroe County (Mainland) Native
Palm Beach County Native

Trichostigma octandrum has been found in the following 3 habitats :
Bayhead
Rockland Hammock
Shell Mound

All Images:

Trichostigma octandrum
Copyright by: George D. Gann, 2016
In habitat, Piñones State Forest, Loíza, Puerto Rico, Enlarge
Trichostigma octandrum
Copyright by: George D. Gann
In habitat, northern Cuba, 2014
Trichostigma octandrum
Copyright by: Keith A. Bradley
Trichostigma octandrum
Copyright by: Magha García Medina; Agrandar.
Trichostigma octandrum
Copyright by: Magha García Medina; Agrandar.