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Pleea tenuifolia Michaux. Common name: Rush-featherling. Phenology: Sep-Oct; Oct-Nov. Habitat: Locally abundant in wet savannas, pocosin margins, usually in peaty soil, locally abundant in a few counties in se. NC, rare inland (very rarely as far as Cumberland County, NC). Distribution: A Southeastern Coastal Plain endemic: se. NC and ne. SC south to sw. GA, Panhandle FL and s. AL (see comments in Barger et al. 2023), but apparently absent from s. SC and e. GA.

ID notes: In sterile condition, it is recognizable by its leathery equitant leaves, bright red at their bases.

Origin/Endemic status: Endemic

Other Comments: When in flower in wet savannas and powerline rights-of-way in Brunswick County, Pleea visually dominates areas up to hundreds of hectares.

Synonymy : = FNA26, GW1, K4, NS, POWO, RAB, S, S13, WH3, (basionym); = Ennearina pleiana Raf.; = Tofieldia tenuifolia (Michx.) Utech — Zomlefer (1997c)

Links to other floras: = Pleea tenuifolia - FNA26

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Wetland Indicator Status:

  • Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain: OBL

Heliophily : 9

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image of plant© Alan M. Cressler | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Scott Ward | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Alan Weakley source | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Jim Fowler | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Paul Marcum source | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Radford, Ahles and Bell | Original Image ⭷

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Horticultural Information

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native range
Tufted, erect perennial from a thick rhizome, found in wet savannas and pocosin margins, usually in peaty soil; may be locally abundant.
Stems scape-like, with 0-4 progressively smaller leaves, unbranched, smooth.
Leaves mostly basal, whorled or 2-ranked, with overlapping bases, linear, 4-12 in. long, evergreen.
Flowers 3-8 in a terminal raceme, each on a short stalk surrounded by 3 overlapping bracts; white; about 1 in. wide; consisting of 6 narrowly lance-shaped tepals (the outer series of 3 slightly longer and wider than the inner series of 3), 6 stamens about 1/3 the length of the tepals, and a green, conical, 3-celled ovary with 3 styles at the top.
Fruit a 3-celled, oval capsule.
1-2 1/2 ft.
Tufted, erect perennial from a thick rhizome, found in wet savannas and pocosin margins, usually in peaty soil; may be locally abundant.
Stems scape-like, with 0-4 progressively smaller leaves, unbranched, smooth.
Leaves mostly basal, whorled or 2-ranked, with overlapping bases, linear, 4-12 in. long, evergreen.
Flowers 3-8 in a terminal raceme, each on a short stalk surrounded by 3 overlapping bracts; white; about 1 in. wide; consisting of 6 narrowly lance-shaped tepals (the outer series of 3 slightly longer and wider than the inner series of 3), 6 stamens about 1/3 the length of the tepals, and a green, conical, 3-celled ovary with 3 styles at the top.
Fruit a 3-celled, oval capsule.
NC, SC, GA, FL & AL


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