U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service August 2017 Conserving South Carolina’s At-Risk Species: www.fws.gov/charleston www.fws.gov/southeast/candidateconservation Species facing threats to their survival Sun-facing coneflower Habitat for status of threats, site condition, and (Rudbeckia heliopsidis) Sun-facing coneflower prefers moist to abundance of plants. Survey potential hab- wet sites such as acidic swales in pine-oak itat for new populations. Seek long term woodlands, peaty seeps in meadows, and protection for exceptional sites. Review sandy alluvium along streams. It occurs in most critical threats and consider the fea- full sun to partial shade. The species can sibility of their removal and how their also be found in upland oak-hickory or oak removal will impact the quality of habitat -pine-hickory or open pine-mixed hard- for the species, as well as other species of woods. It grows in seeps, bogs, sandy wet interest. Thinning the overstory will ben- clear crop areas or in places with many efit this species. Ensure right-of-way man- boulders. The seeps where it is found are agement is appropriate for species. It is acid with grasses, sedges and herbs. unknown whether fire benefits this species if done properly. Sun-facing coneflower/Alan Cressler Status NatureServe’s Rounded Global Status is Description G2 - Imperiled. The U.S. Fish and Wild- The sun-facing coneflower is a perennial life Service was petitioned to list the spe- herb with hairy, many-branched stems, 2 - cies in April 2010 and in September 2011 4 feet tall. Leaves are 2⅜ - 8 inches long issued a 90-day finding indicating listing and ¾ - 2 inches wide, alternate, oval, may be warranted. with rounded bases and pointed tips, smooth to roughly hairy surfaces, and toothed margins. Basal leaves have long leaf stalks and the stem leaves have shorter stalks. Flower heads consist of a raised, rounded, purplish-brown disk, ⅜ - ⅝ inch wide; 6 - 12 yellow ray flowers, ½ - 1¼ inch long; a whorl of gland-dotted Sun-facing coneflower/Alan Cressler bracts surrounding the base of the head; and thin, very hairy scales (chaff), less References than 1 /16 inch long, attached near the Georgia Department of Natural Resources base of each disk flower. Fruits are ⅛ Sun-facing coneflower counties of occurrence - Rare Plant Species Profiles: http:// inch long, dry, and seed-like. georgiawildlife.com/speciesinfo/plants Threats Range This species is threatened by management NatureServe. 2017. NatureServe Explor- A wide ranging but rare species, the sun- activities that would lead to the destruc- er: An online encyclopedia of life [web facing coneflower is reported from a vari- tion of its habitat, namely drainage of application]. Version 7.1. NatureServe, ety of physiographic provinces in five swales, but also fire suppression and the Arlington, Virginia. Available http:// southeastern states: Virginia, North Car- succession of woody vegetation. Most explorer.natureserve.org. olina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Ala- sites require manual removal of woody bama. There may be up to 40 occurrenc- vegetation by mowing, selective cutting, Contact es across the range. In South Carolina, it or controlled burns. U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service is known from Berkeley, Greenville, South Carolina Field Office Oconee, and York counties. Management/Protection Needs 843/727-4707 Continue to monitor known populations [email protected]