Carolina Hedge-Nettle Fact Sheet SC 2017.Pub

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service October 2017 Conserving South Carolina’s At-Risk Species: www.fws.gov/charleston www.fws.gov/southeast/candidateconservation Species facing threats to their survival Carolina hedge-nettle known locality, approximately 8 miles (13 Threats (Stachys caroliniana) km) to the northeast of the first collection The threats to the species have yet to be on the north side of the Santee River. The assessed but rarity is surely the greatest second site is 10.4 miles (17 km) south of threat at this time. Herbicide use near the the city of Georgetown on the west- only known populations could pose seri- central part of Cat Island within the Tom ous risk as would threats of collection due Yawkey Wildlife Center. No other col- to its extreme rarity. lections of this hedge-nettle are known. Management/Protection Needs Protection of the only known existing sites should be of paramount importance. Increased survey effort for the species may lead to identification of additional popula- Carolina hedge-nettle/Photo credit: Jim tions. Fowler

Description Stachys is a genus of shrubs and annual or perennial herbs with stems varying from 50-300 cm tall with simple, opposite, tri- angular leaves, 1-14 cm long with serrate margins. In most species, the leaves are Carolina hedge-nettle locations (C=Charleston softly hairy. The flowers are 1-2 cm long, County location; G=Georgetown County loca- clustered in the axles of the leaves on the tion). Map adapted from Nelson and Rayner. upper part of the stem. Their corolla is 5- 2014. lobed with top lobe forming a “hood”, and Carolina hedge-nettle/Photo credit: Jim flowers varying from white to pink, pur- Habitat Fowler ple, red, or pale yellow. The Carolina Carolina hedge-nettle is an herbaceous hedge-nettle is perennial, with fibrous wetland species, found along the grassy References roots from pale, shallow rhizomes. Its margin of a freshwater pond at the NatureServe. 2017. NatureServe Explor- stems are strictly erect, to 0.5 m tall, Charleston County site and in a transition- er: An online encyclopedia of life [web scarcely branched except occasionally at al area between pine flatwoods and fresh- application]. Version 7.1. NatureServe, lowest node of inflorescence. This taxon water marsh at the Georgetown County Arlington, Virginia. Available http:// is differentiated from all other taxa in the site. explorer.natureserve.org. southeastern United States by its dense, short, uniform stem pubescence, relative- Status Nelson, J.B., and D.A. Rayner. 2014. A ly short calyx lobes, and white corollas. NatureServe last reviewed the species on new hedge-nettle (Stachys: Lamiaceae) July 20, 2015 and its Rounded Global Sta- from South Carolina, U.S.A. J. Bot. Res. Range tus is G1 - Critically Imperiled. Known Inst. Texas 8(2): 431-440. The first known collection of this plant only from the Santee River delta of South was in 1977 from Charleston County on Carolina, the authors of the species ac- Contact the south side of the Santee River within count indicate that Carolina hedge-nettle U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service the Santee Coastal Reserve. The same is very rare and only occurs in relict popu- South Carolina Field Office plant was not collected again until 1990 in lations. It is not represented from other 843/727-4707 Georgetown County from its only other places by known herbarium collections. [email protected]