wandflower (Priority species: Smokies Discovery Impact Day)

wandflower

Galax urceolata

National distribution ⁷

United States

Origin: Native

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

Habitat characteristics ⁸

More info for the terms: diploid, mesic, xeric

Galax occurs in mesic and xeric forested sites in the Appalachian mountains, piedmont, and coastal plains [28,31,52,59,63]. Baldwin [2] described an ideal galax site as "a shaded, mesic habitat in the mountains with a soil that is rich, acid, and humus-covered."

Elevation: Precise elevational data are sparse for galax. However, galax is reported on sites with a wide elevational range, from low-elevation coastal plains and highest-elevation mountain peaks. In Virginia, for example, it is reported on low-elevation coastal plains (~0-70 feet (20 m)) and at 1,940 feet (591 m) in a Carolina hemlock forest [2,57]. Galax has been collected on the highest peaks of the Appalachian Mountains: 5,964 feet (1,818 m) on Grandfather Mountain in North Carolina and 5,200 feet (1,600 m) on Mt. LeConte in Tennessee [2].

Tetraploid populations of galax occur throughout the distribution of diploid galax. They also occur on the Virginia coastal plain, where diploid populations do not occur. Additionally, tetraploid galax are more common at high elevations than diploid galax [2].

Soils: Galax commonly occurs on rocky or sandy acidic soils on slopes, ridges, and mountain hillsides [74]. Best growth occurs on moist, acidic soils, although galax occurs on dry soils in chestnut oak and a few other habitats (review by [25]). In Kentucky, galax has been noted on soils with a pH as low as 3.9 [6].

Climate: Considerable climatic diversity is found in galax's range. Climate ranges from subtropical along the southeastern coastal plains to temperate further inland. In general, temperature, precipitation, and length of growing season increase to the south. However, a wide variety of local microclimatic conditions exist in the complex topography of the Appalachian mountain region. Seasonal weather patterns are driven by alternating cold/dry continental air masses from Canada and warm/moist air from the Gulf of Mexico. Precipitation is generally distributed uniformly throughout the year, mostly as rain. Snow and ice are common in the winter months in galax's northern range and high-elevation mountainous terrain [14,29]. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 39 to 80 or more inches (990-2,000 mm) in the Great Smoky Mountains [9]. Depending on location, annual snow accumulations range from 8 to 48 inches (200-1,220 mm). Tropical cyclones are possible in summer and fall months. Seasonal variations in temperature increase away from the coast. Mean winter temperatures vary from -18 Â°F (-28 Â°C) on high-elevation sites and in the north [9] to 64 Â°F (18 Â°C) in galax's southern range. Mean summer temperatures are less variable, ranging from 70 to 72 Â°F (21-22 Â°C) [14,29].

Fire management considerations ⁹

More info for the terms: fire regime, litter, rhizome, serotinous, shrubs

Galax evolved under a wide variety of FIRE REGIMES, and information of its rate of postfire recovery is sparse for all plant communities in which it occurs (as of 2006). How quickly galax recovers from fire will vary with fire regime, plant community, fuels, and fire season. Harvest history also undoubtedly affects galax's ability to recover after fire. Because harvesting (see Other Management Considerations) reduces galax's photosynthetic capacity and biomass, populations that have been heavily harvested probably have reduced rhizome carbohydrate reserve. Therefore, they have reduced ability to sprout and produce seed compared to unharvested populations. Data are need on 1) sustainable levels of galax harvest and 2) interactive effects of harvesting and fire.

Galax leaves may help generate severe fires that provide important ecological benefits. Turrill and others [66] report that in Table Mountain/mountain-laurel/galax communities on the Chattahoochee National Forest of Georgia, groundlayer galax and blueberries (Vaccinium spp.) promote "hot" surface fires that remove even deep build-ups of litter and organic matter under dry conditions. In turn, tall mountain-laurel shrubs can become ladder fuels that carry galax and blueberry-fueled surface fires up to the serotinous cones of Table Mountain pine, aiding in the pine's postfire regeneration [66]. Elliot and Clinton [21] provide allometric equations for predicting aboveground dry weight of galax in the southern Appalachian Mountains.

Sources and Credits

(c) anonymous, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), https://collections.nmnh.si.edu/services/media.php?env=botany&irn=10290282
(c) BlueRidgeKitties, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), https://www.flickr.com/photos/blueridgekitties/7398845684/
(c) cotinis, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), https://www.flickr.com/photos/pcoin/5904979290/
(c) WVU Herbarium, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), https://collections.nmnh.si.edu/services/media.php?env=botany&irn=10357435
(c) Charlie Hohn, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Charlie Hohn
(c) BlueRidgeKitties, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), https://www.flickr.com/photos/blueridgekitties/5512558716/
(c) NatureServe, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/29083068
Adapted by Will Kuhn from a work by Public Domain, http://eol.org/data_objects/24628789
Adapted by Will Kuhn from a work by Public Domain, http://eol.org/data_objects/24628798

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wandflower

National distribution 7