Date: 2018 to 2021
Primary Contact: Amy Buthod
Research Location: Oklahoma
Funding: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Summary:
Royal catchfly is known from only three counties in Oklahoma: Adair, Cherokee, and Delaware. Some of the sites had not been seen since the 1990s. We attempted to relocate these populations using information found in the Oklahoma Natural Heritage Inventory’s database of rare species occurrences and the Oklahoma Vascular Plants database. When populations of were located, we collected demographic and habitat data. Only three sites were found during this study. There is only one known site in Oklahoma for the federally endangered harperella, and it is vulnerable due to anthropogenic activities and competition from exotic species. We visited this site to monitor its status and to collect demographic and habitat data. Around 50 stems were located. The exotic invasive marsh dewflower had encroached on the site, and it may eventually crowd out the harperella.
