Sclerolepis uniflora — sclerolepis
![Plant form: Sclerolepis uniflora. ~ By Arthur Haines. ~ Copyright © 2024 Arthur Haines. ~ arthur.d.haines[at]gmail.com](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-1000s1000/Asteraceae/sclerolepis-uniflora-ha-ahaines-a.jpg)
![Flowers: Sclerolepis uniflora. ~ By Arthur Haines. ~ Copyright © 2024 Arthur Haines. ~ arthur.d.haines[at]gmail.com](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-1000s1000/Asteraceae/sclerolepis-uniflora-fl-ahaines-b.jpg)
Copyright: various copyright holders. To reuse an image, please click it to see who you will need to contact.
Facts
One-flowered sclerolepis is a rare and endangered plant of sandy and gravelly lakeshores. Only two New England populations are recognized, one in southern New Hampshire, the other on the Massachusetts-Rhode Island state border. One other population is considered introduced, as it is concentrated near a boat landing. The plant becomes more common from North Carolina south to Florida.
Habitat
Shores of rivers or lakes
New England distribution
Adapted from BONAP data
Native: indigenous.
Non-native: introduced (intentionally or unintentionally); has become naturalized.
County documented: documented to exist in the county by evidence (herbarium specimen, photograph). Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
State documented: documented to exist in the state, but not documented to a county within the state. Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
Note: when native and non-native populations both exist in a county, only native status is shown on the map.
Found this plant? Take a photo and post a sighting.
enlargeCharacteristics
- Habitat
- wetlands
- New England state
-
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Rhode Island
- Leaf type
- leaves are simple (lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets)
- Leaf arrangement
- whorled: there are three or more leaves per node along the stem
- Leaf blade edges
- the edge of the leaf blade has no teeth or lobes
- Flower type in flower heads
- the flower head has disk flowers only, and lacks the strap-shaped flowers
- Ray flower color
- NA
- Tuft or plume on fruit
- there is no plume, or the plume is made up of scales, awns, a crown, or a rim
- Spines on plant
- the plant has no spines
- Leaf blade length
- 7–23 mm
- Flower head width
- 4–12 mm
- Disk flower number
- 21-50
-
Flowers
- Bases of bract appendages
- NA
- Bract cycle number
-
- there are three or more cycles of bracts
- there are two main cycles of bracts
- Bract inner side hairs
- the bracts are not hairy on their inner surfaces
- Bract outer side hair type
- the bracts are not hairy on their outer surface
- Bract outer side hairs
- the bracts are not hairy on their outer surfaces
- Bract shape
-
- the main bracts are lanceolate (widest above the base, then taper narrowly towards the tip)
- the main bracts are linear (long and very narrow)
- Bract spines
- the bracts have no spines
- Bract tip extension appearance
- NA
- Bract tip extension edge
- NA
- Bracts
- the bracts in separate cycles are similar or gradually changing from the outer to inner cycles
- Disk flower color
-
- other
- pink to red
- Disk flower lobe number
- 5
- Disk flower number
- 21-50
- Disk flower reproductive parts
- the disk flower has both pollen- and seed-producing parts
- Disk flower shape
- the disk flower is tube-shaped (cylindrical), or gradually widening like a funnel
- Disk width
- 4–12 mm
- Flower head number
- each flowering stem has only one to three flower heads on it
- Flower head outer flowers
- at the outer edge of the flower head, the flowers have no enlarged lobe or strap, and are of similar size as those in the center of the disk
- Flower head platform
- the base has no bristles or papery scales
- Flower head platform surface
- NA
- Flower head position
- each of the flower heads is separate on its own peduncle (stalk), not clustered in groups
- Flower head profile
-
- the disk is conical across the top
- the disk is rounded across the top
- Flower head shape
- the flower head is hemispherical (like the bottom half of a sphere)
- Flower head width
- 4–12 mm
- Flower type in flower heads
- the flower head has disk flowers only, and lacks the strap-shaped flowers
- Height of flower head base
- 3–4 mm
- Inflorescence branching (Solidago)
- NA
- Inflorescence shape
- NA
- Inflorescence stem
- the stem of the inflorescence is not hairy
- Number of bracts at flower head base
- 22–30
- Ovary cross-section
- the ovary has five or more corners in cross-section
- Ovary hair type
- the ovary has no hairs on it
- Ovary hairs
- the ovary has no hairs on it
- Ovary lines or ribs
- there are four to six lines or ribs visible on the ovary
- Peduncle hair type
- NA
- Peduncle hairs
- the peduncles have no hairs
- Peduncle length
- 20–60 mm
- Ray flower color
- NA
- Ray flower reproductive parts
- NA
- Ray flowers
- NA
- Ray length
- 0 mm
- Reproductive system
- all the flowers on the plant contain both carpels and stamens
- Scale tip
- NA
- Smaller bracts at base of bracts
- there is a cycle of much smaller bracts outside the cycle of larger and longer bracts
- Style branch number
- the style has two branches
- Style branches
-
- the style branch is narrow at the tip, or the style branches are narrow at the tips
- the style branch is wider at the tip and has a flattened end, or the style branches are wider at the tips and have flattened ends
- Width of flower head base
- 10 mm
-
Fruits or seeds
- Number of pappus parts
- 5
- Ovary length in developed fruit
- 2–3.5 mm
- Seed hair tuft bases
- NA
- Seed hair tuft color
- NA
- Seed hair tuft details
- NA
- Seed hair tuft length
- 1 mm
- Seed hair tuft tips
- NA
- Seed hairs uniform
- NA
- Seed tuft scale number
- 5
- Seed tuft type
- the pappus is made of flat scales that are not split or frayed at the tips
- Top of disk flower ovary
- NA
- Tuft or plume on fruit
- there is no plume, or the plume is made up of scales, awns, a crown, or a rim
-
Glands or sap
- Bract resin
- the bracts have resin or resin glands
- Leaf blade glands
- the leaf blades have glandular (translucent) dots or scales
- Ovary glands
- there are glands on the ovary surface
- Sap
- the sap is clear and watery
-
Growth form
- Growth form
- the plant has one or more free-standing stems
- Plant lifespan
- the plant is perennial, it shows evidence of previous year's leaves, stems or stem bases
- Spines on plant
- the plant has no spines
- Underground organs
- the plant has a rhizome (a horizontal underground stem with roots growing from it)
-
Leaves
- Final leaf segment length (compound lvs only)
- 0 mm
- Final leaf segment width (compound lvs only)
- 0 mm
- Hairs on underside of leaf blade
- the underside of the leaf is not hairy, or has very few hairs
- Hairs on upper side of leaf blade
- the upper side of the leaf is not hairy, or has very few hairs
- Leaf arrangement
- whorled: there are three or more leaves per node along the stem
- Leaf blade base
- the leaf has no petiole
- Leaf blade base shape
- the base of the leaf blade is cuneate (wedge-shaped, tapers to the base with relatively straight, converging edges), or narrow
- Leaf blade edges
- the edge of the leaf blade has no teeth or lobes
- Leaf blade hairs
- NA
- Leaf blade length
- 7–23 mm
- Leaf blade shape
- the leaf blade is linear (very narrow with more or less parallel sides)
- Leaf blade tip
-
- the tip of the leaf blade is obtuse (bluntly pointed)
- the tip of the leaf blade is rounded, with no point
- Leaf blade veins
- the leaf blade has one main vein running from the base towards the tip
- Leaf blade width
- 0.3–2 mm
- Leaf disposition
- the leaves are nearly similar in size, prominence of teeth, and length of stalks throughout the stem
- Leaf spines
- there are no spines on the leaf edges
- Leaf stalk
- the leaves have no leaf stalks, but attach directly to the stem
- Leaf stalk length
- 0 mm
- Leaf type
- leaves are simple (lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets)
- Leaflet number
- 0
- Specific leaf type
- the leaves are simple (lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets
- Teeth per side of leaf blade
- 0
-
Place
- Habitat
- wetlands
- New England state
-
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Rhode Island
- Specific habitat
- shores of rivers or lakes
-
Stem, shoot, branch
- Flowering stem cross-section
- the flowering stem is circular, or with lots of small angles
- Leaves on stem
- there is at least one full leaf above the base of the flowering stem
- Stem internode hair direction
- NA
- Stem internode hair length
- 0 mm
- Stem internode hair type
- the stem has no hairs between the nodes
- Stem internode hairs
- the stem has no hairs between the nodes
Wetland status
Occurs only in wetlands. (Wetland indicator code: OBL)
In New England
Distribution
- Connecticut
- absent
- Maine
- absent
- Massachusetts
- present
- New Hampshire
- present
- Rhode Island
- present
- Vermont
- absent
Conservation status
Exact status definitions can vary from state to state. For details, please check with your state.
- Massachusetts
- extremely rare (S-rank: S1), endangered (code: E)
- New Hampshire
- extremely rare (S-rank: S1), endangered (code: E)
- Rhode Island
- extremely rare (S-rank: S1), state endangered (code: SE)
From Flora Novae Angliae dichotomous key
1. Sclerolepis uniflora (Walt.) B.S.P. NC
sclerolepis. Aethulia uniflora Walt.; Sclerolepis verticillata (Michx.) Cass.; Sparganophorus verticillatus Michx. • MA, nh, RI. Shallow water of lakes, sandy and gravelly lake shores. Some occurrences may be introduced (e.g., Wallum Lake, Worcester County, MA), given that the plants are concentrated near the boat landing.