U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service February 2019 Conserving ’s At-Risk Species: www.fws.gov/charleston www.fws.gov/southeast/endangered-species-act/at-risk-species Species facing threats to their survival

Purpledisk honeycombhead Range of its naturally rare wet savannah and bog (a.k.a—Purple ) Purpledisk honeycombhead is known habitat has been altered or destroyed by () from the Coastal Plain of , Flori- fire suppression and by drainage and con- da, South Carolina, and possibly, version to agriculture and pine planta- and . In South Carolina, tions. Conversion of habitat for develop- the species is known from Darlington and ment is also a threat. Richland counties. Management/Protection Needs Burning every 2 to 3 years during the growing season to control woody vegeta- tion is recommended. Prevent alterations to wetland hydrology by avoiding drain- ing, ditching, firebreak construction, Purpledisk honeycombhead/Alan Cressler clearing, bedding, and soil disturbance. Hand thinning of shading trees may be Description beneficial. Purpledisk honeycombhead is a perennial herb 1 - 3¼ feet tall. Stems are erect, angled, and purplish at the base. It has basal leaves up to 5 inches long and ½ inch Purpledisk honeycombhead - Counties of Oc- wide, with dark red leaf stalks. Stem currence leaves are smaller, widely spaced, alter- nate, slightly fleshy, spoon-shaped, and Habitat dotted with tiny translucent glands. The can be found in wet pine flat- Flower heads have many dark, reddish- woods, savannahs, peaty hillside seepage purple disk flowers in the center, and 10 - bogs, and pitcherplant bogs. It is usually 20 yellow ray flowers, each ray with 3 - 5 associated with longleaf pine (Pinus palus- Purpledisk honeycombhead habitat/Pete Pat- teeth at the tip. Fruits are small, dry, and tris) or slash pine (P. elliottii). tavina seed-like, held in an elevated “honeycombed” receptacle at the center of Status References the head. The “honeycomb” may be seen NatureServe gives purpledisk honey- Georgia Department of Natural Resources by removing the disk flowers or the fruits. combhead a Rounded Global Status of G2 - Rare Plant Species Profiles: http:// Yellow honeycombhead (Balduina uniflora) - Imperiled. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife georgiawildlife.com/sites/default/files/ often grows with purpledisk honey- Service was petitioned to list the species in uploads/wildlife/nongame/pdf/ combhead; it has yellow disk flowers. April 2010 and in September 2011, issued accounts/ Southeastern tickseed (Coreopsis gladiata) a 90-day finding that the petition present- NatureServe. 2017. NatureServe Explor- has dark red disk flowers, but only 5 - 8 ed substantial scientific or commercial er: An online encyclopedia of life [web ray flowers and no “honeycomb.” Sneeze- information indicating that listing may be application]. Version 7.1. NatureServe, weeds (Helenium spp.) often have purple warranted. The species is being reviewed Arlington, Virginia. Available http:// disk flowers but they bloom in the spring for possible listing under the Endangered explorer.natureserve.org. and early summer, and lack the gland- Species Act. Contact dotted leaves and honeycombed recepta- U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service cle. Blanket flower (Gaillardia spp.) has Threats South Carolina Field Office yellow rays and dark disk flowers, but A southeastern Coastal Plain endemic 843/727-4707 occurs only in dry, sandy uplands. with widely separated occurrences, much [email protected]