Monitoring within non-native ungulate exclosures documents the inherent size ofCrocanthemum greenei(Cistaceae).
Crocanthemum greenei(B.L.Rob.) Sorrie (Cistaceae), a perennial sub-shrub, was measured as part of a demographic monitoring effort on Santa Catalina Island, California, USA (hereafter, Catalina). Introduced ungulate browsers remain present on Catalina. Consequently, many palatable plant taxa on the island are subject to and putatively limited by top-down browsing forces. Historically, introduced ungulates have also been present on each island throughout the range ofCrocanthemum greenei. Habitat conservation work, resulting in the construction of ungulate exclosures on Catalina, has now allowed us to measure individuals in their mature, non-browsed form. The published value forCrocanthemum greeneistem (height) is usually 15-30 cm. While the original description hints at a greater potential size, recent descriptions appear to be influenced by observations made during the decades when plants would have been impacted by introduced ungulate herbivores. Here we present stem measurements of 81 adult individuals, with a median of 49 cm and an interquartile range of 42-56 cm. These measurements suggest an expanded stem (height) range of 15-60 cm better describes the taxon and shed light on the historical impacts of invasive ungulates across the islands and those continuing on Catalina.
Catalina Island Conservancy, P.O. Box 2739, Avalon, CA 90704.
Tyler M
TM
Dvorak
Catalina Island Conservancy, P.O. Box 2739, Avalon, CA 90704.
Amy E
AE
Catalano
Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, 1212 Mission Canyon Road, Santa Barbara, CA 93105.
C Matt
CM
Guilliams
Cistaceae; Crocanthemum greenei; Helianthemum; Santa Catalina Island; stem measurement