Missouri BladderPod Lesquerella filiformis Merrill Rudd

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Missouri Bladder-PodLesquerella filiformis
Merrill Rudd
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Habitat

• Found in Northern Arkansas and Southern Missouri
• 4 SW Missouri counties, 2 N Arkansas counties
• 61 sites in MO, 2 in AR
• Limestone Glades- sparsely vegetated grasslands,
  shallow soil, exposed bedrock
• Has been found in 1 Dolomite glade in Arkansas
• Pastures- mowing and grazing keep land open
• Occasionally found in open rocky woods

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• Small annual plant
• 4-8 inches tall, slender stems from cluster of
  leaves at base
• Silvery look from small hairs on stems and leaves
• Yellow flower w/ 4 petals at top of stem- from
  April to May, dies in June
• Round green seedpods- turn brown as they dry
• Summer- disperse seeds and die
• Seeds lie dormant in summer and germinate in
  autumn
• Survive winter as basal rosettes- look like
  clusters of leaves on the ground

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Threatened Species

• Habitat Loss
• Urban development, overgrazing
• Fire Control
• Prevention and control of wildfires- woody plants
  and introduced grasses invaded glades
• Highway maintenance
• Some found on roadsides, threatened by herbicides
  and mowing
• Seed Destruction
• Limestone Quarrying
• Trampling

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Threatened Species, cont.

• Population levels fluctuate
• Typical of winter annuals
• Edaphic and climatic conditions
• Seeds from preceding season, survival of growing
  plants
• Need long term monitoring efforts
• Wilsons Creek National Battlefield- Republic, MO

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Progress- Endangered to Threatened!

• January 8, 1987- added to Federal List of
  Endangered and Threatened Plants as endangered
• moved to threatened in 2003
• Protection and Management of Existing Populations
• New Populations on Public Land
• Public Education
• Research
• Germination and survival
• Prescribed burns in August- remove debris, set
  back non-native vegetation
• Monitored over permanent grid
• Inventory of Suitable Habitat