8/7/2017 IRC Account

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*The following is based on Gann, G.D., K.A. Bradley & S.W. Woodmansee. 2002. Rare Plants of South Florida: Their History, Conservation, and Restoration. The Institute for Regional Conservation: Miami. For updated species accounts, see Citation below. For the original text, follow the link in the Update field. If no Update field is displayed, then cite as the original publication.

Trichocentrum undulatum (Sw.) Ackerman

Mule-ear orchid, Mule-ear

South Florida Status: Critically imperiled. One occurrence at Everglades National Park.

Taxonomy: ; .

Habit: Perennial epiphytic herb.

Distribution: Native to South Florida and the .

South Florida Distribution: Miami-Dade County and the Monroe County mainland.

South Florida Habitats: Coastal berms and rockland hammocks.

Protection Status: Listed as endangered by FDACS and as critically imperiled by FNAI.

Aids to Identification: Luer (1972) has both illustrations and color photos; Chafin (2000) has both illustrations and color photos; the IRC Website has a color photo.

References: Small, 1933a; Correll, 1950; Luer, 1972; Long & Lakela, 1976; Wunderlin, 1998; Chafin, 2000; Coile, 2000.

Synonyms: O. luridum Lindl., misapplied; O. luridum var. guttatum Lindl., misapplied.

Historical Context: Alvah A. Eaton first collected mule-ear orchid in 1903 on Paradise Key in the Long Pine Key area of what is now Everglades National Park (Ames, 1904a). It was reported as scarce and subsequently was not collected there. Eaton also made a collection near Flamingo in 1905 (1328, AMES). John Kunkel Small and others collected more plants in the Flamingo area in 1923 (10881, NY), as did Harold N. Moldenke in 1930 (835a, NY), and Walter M. Buswell in 1943 (s.n., FLAS, USF) and 1945 (s.n., USF). Gann, Bradley and many others have observed plants in this region of the park in both Miami-Dade and Monroe counties. Roger L. Hammer estimates that there are fewer than 500 plants in Everglades National Park today (personal communication, 19 February 2001).

Mule-ear orchid was apparently collected first outside of Everglades National Park by John Kunkel Small and J.B. DeWinkeler in 1920 in a hammock at Buena Vista (9620, FLAS), north of present-day downtown Miami. No other plants from that area were vouchered or observed, but L. Eleanor Scull collected a second specimen labeled from “below Miami” in 1938 (s.n., FLAS). The locality data for both of these specimens is suspect, and both of these records could refer to plants originally collected in what is now Everglades National Park.

Hammer discovered a single in Fuchs Hammock just north of Homestead in 1977, a station visited that same year by George N. Avery and the members of the Native Plant Workshop (Avery’s Notes, 30 August 1977, 7 September 1977). This plant was poached by April 1978 (Avery’s Notes, 22 April 1978), before it came into (R.L. Hammer, personal communication, 19 February 2001). According to Chuck McCartney, Fred J. Fuchs, Sr. probably placed this plant into Fuchs Hammock following his purchase of the hammock with the intention of turning it into an Orchid Jungle-like tourist attraction (personal communication, 21 February 2001).

Major Threats: Poaching; exotic pest plant invasions, especially Brazilian-pepper (Schinus terebinthifolius) and latherleaf (Colubrina asiatica); sea- level rise.

Recommendations: • Map and monitor known stations on a regular basis. • Protect from poaching. • Control Brazilian-pepper and latherleaf in the Flamingo/Cape Sable area of Everglades National Park. • Consider reintroducing mule-ear orchid to Paradise Key. • Conduct research to determine the effects of sea-level rise on mule-ear orchid.

http://regionalconservation.org/ircs/database/plants/IRCSpAccount.asp?TXCODE=Tricundu&=&SPECIES=undulatum&Author=(… 1/2 8/7/2017 IRC Species Account

Update: April 24, 2014. The name Oncidium undulatum has been changed to Trichocentrum undulatum.

Citation: Gann, G.D. 2014. Species Account Update, Trichocentrum undulatum, Floristic Inventory of South Florida Database Online. The Institute for Regional Conservation. Delray Beach, Florida.

Gann, G.D., and Collaborators. 2001-2017. The Floristic Inventory of South Florida Databas e Online. The Institute for Regional Conservation. Delray Beach, Florida USA .

http://regionalconservation.org/ircs/database/plants/IRCSpAccount.asp?TXCODE=Tricundu&GENUS=Trichocentrum&SPECIES=undulatum&Author=(… 2/2