Family: Rubiaceae
Group: Dicot
Substrate:
Terrestrial
Habit:
Shrub
Perennation:
Perennial
Native Range: South Florida, the West Indies, southern Mexico (Quintana Roo) and South America (Venezuela).
NatureServe Global Status:
Apparently Secure
State of Florida Status:
Endangered
Florida Natural Areas Inventory State Status:
Critically Imperiled
IRC SOUTH FLORIDA Status:
Critically Imperiled
Map of select IRC data for peninsular Florida
SOUTH FLORIDA Occurrence:
Present
SOUTH FLORIDA Native Status:
Native
South Florida History and Distribution: Ranked as critically imperiled in Rare Plants of South Florida (
Gann et al. 2002; pp 535-537) based on three extant occurrences in two conservation areas (National Key Deer Refuge; Sugarloaf Hammocks, Florida Keys Wildlife and Environmental Area) and one non-conservation area (Grassy Key Pride-of-Big-Pine Site) in the Monroe County Keys. In 2005, plants were also located in the Middle Torch Hammocks, Florida Keys Wildlife and Environmental Area. The Grassy Key site is now part of the Florida Forever BOT Florida Keys Ecosystem Project.
SOUTH FLORIDA Cultivated Status:
Cultivated
Comments: See also Florida Natural Areas Inventory's
Field Guide to the Rare Plants of Florida page (Chafin 2000).
FLORIDA KEYS Occurrence:
Present
FLORIDA KEYS Native Status:
Native
IRC FLORIDA KEYS Status:
Imperiled
Map of select IRC data for the Florida Keys
Florida Keys History and Distribution: First collected between 1838 and 1853 by John Loomis Blodgett on Big Pine Key. Reported in
1913 by John Kunkel Small for hammocks and sand dunes from the upper Keys to the lower Keys, but Small's definition of the upper Keys included the middle and lower Keys south and west to West Sumerland Key. We consider this native and extant in the middle and lower Keys. For more information on S. maritima in the Florida Keys, see IRC's
species account.
