Leavenworthia texana

Texas Golden Gladecress

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Overview

Characteristics
Overview

Texas golden gladecress (Leavenworthia texana) is an annual plant and member of the mustard family, known as Brassicaceae. The genus Leavenworthia includes only eight species in total, all of which occur in glade or prairie/savanna communities. The Texas golden gladecress is an extreme narrow endemic, found only atop the Weches geologic formations of eastern Texas in San Augustine and Sabine counties, Texas, in open canopy.  An introduced site into Nacogdoches County, Texas, brings the known extant population count to four. The majority of Texas golden gladecress populations, and additional areas of suitable habitat, are on private lands. Wet winters in December, January and February allow for a successful germination and flowering period in February and are thought to help retain a resilient seedbank. Activities that disturb the soils, and or, the geology could affect the Texas golden gladecress, along with additional stressors including habitat loss, modification, degradation from the invasion of nonnative and native species, pipelines, water lines and other linear construction projects, glauconite mining and grazing. Effects from climate change climate change
Climate change includes both global warming driven by human-induced emissions of greenhouse gases and the resulting large-scale shifts in weather patterns. Though there have been previous periods of climatic change, since the mid-20th century humans have had an unprecedented impact on Earth's climate system and caused change on a global scale.

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, small population size and management strategies are also affecting the viability of the Texas golden gladecress. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is actively engaged with partners from Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and universities to engage in landowner outreach. Seed accessions have been captured for all of the populations however, more current effort and research on seed biology and ecology are needed.

Scientific Name

Leavenworthia texana
Common Name
golden gladecress
Texas golden gladecress
FWS Category
Flowering Plants
Kingdom

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