''Dicerandra frutescens'' is a rare species of flowering plant in the

mint family The Lamiaceae ( ) or Labiatae are a family of flowering plants commonly known as the mint, deadnettle, or sage family. Many of the plants are aromatic in all parts and include widely used culinary herbs like basil, mint, rosemary, sage, sav ...

known by the common names scrub mint and scrub balm. It is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...

Highlands County, Florida Highlands County is a county located in the Florida Heartland region of the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 census, the population was 101,235. Its county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital ...

, where it is known only from the

Lake Wales Ridge The Lake Wales Ridge, sometimes referred to as the Mid-Florida Ridge,Eastern States Archaeological Federation. ''Archaeology of Eastern North America, Volume 11'', p. 54 is a sand ridge running for about south to north in Central Florida. Clearl ...

. Its habitat is quickly being lost as it is converted to residential and agricultural use. It was federally listed as an

endangered species An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching, inv ...

of the United States in 1985. This

shrub A shrub or bush is a small to medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from trees by their multiple ...

grows about half a meter tall from a deep

taproot A taproot is a large, central, and dominant root from which other roots sprout laterally. Typically a taproot is somewhat straight and very thick, is tapering in shape, and grows directly downward. In some plants, such as the carrot, the taproot ...

. It is glandular and strongly aromatic with a mint scent. The oblong leaves are roughly 2 centimeters long, smooth-edged, oppositely arranged, and dotted with visible oil glands. The

inflorescence In botany, an inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a plant's Plant stem, stem that is composed of a main branch or a system of branches. An inflorescence is categorized on the basis of the arrangement of flowers on a mai ...

is a pair of flowers each roughly 1.5 centimeters long. The flower has a tubular throat and a lobed, lipped mouth. The corolla is white to light pink and dotted with darker pink on the lips. The protruding

stamen The stamen (: stamina or stamens) is a part consisting of the male reproductive organs of a flower. Collectively, the stamens form the androecium., p. 10 Morphology and terminology A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filament ...

s are tipped with tiny horned anthers.''Dicerandra frutescens''.
Center for Plant Conservation. Blooming occurs in August through October.USFWS
''Dicerandra frutescens'' Five-year Review.
August 2009. The flowers are

pollinated Pollination is the transfer of pollen from an anther of a plant to the stigma of a plant, later enabling fertilisation and the production of seeds. Pollinating agents can be animals such as insects, for example bees, beetles or butterflies; bird ...

by the

bee-fly The Bombyliidae are a family of flies, commonly known as bee flies. Some are colloquially known as bomber flies. Adults generally feed on nectar and pollen, some being important pollinators. Larvae are mostly parasitoids of other insects. Over ...

'' Exprosopa fasciata''. A number of other ''Dicerandra'' have been separated from ''D. frutescens'' and elevated to species status, including '' Dicerandra cornutissima'' in 1981,Huck, R. B. (1981)
''Dicerandra cornutissima'', a new woody Labiate from Florida.
''Phytologia'' 47:313-315. '' Dicerandra christmanii'' in 1989,Huck, R. B., et al. (1989)
A new ''Dicerandra'' (Labiatae) from the Lake Wales Ridge of Florida, with a cladistic analysis and discussion of endemism.
''Systematic Botany'' 14:2 197-213. and '' Dicerandra modesta'' in 2008.Huck, R. B. (2008)
''Dicerandra modesta'' (''Lamiaceae''): Raise in rank for a disjunct perennial in a new coastal clade in Florida.
''Journal of the Botanical Research Institute of Texas'' 2:2 1163-4. This plant grows in endangered

Florida scrub Florida scrub is a forest ecoregion found throughout Florida in the United States. It is found on coastal and inland sand ridges and is characterized by an evergreen Xerophyte, xeromorphic plant community dominated by shrubs and dwarf oaks. Becau ...

habitat on the botanically unique Lake Wales Ridge. It is estimated that 74.4% of the native habitat in this area was destroyed or altered by 1981, and the process continues today. There are fourteen occurrences, and nine of them are located on private property that may be slated for development; their status is uncertain and some of them may have been destroyed. The scrub where the plant grows is yellow sand scrub dominated by either

sand pine ''Pinus clausa'' is a species of pine endemic to the Southeastern United States. Its common names include sand pine, Florida spruce pine, and scrub pine. Distribution The tree is found in two separate locations, one across central peninsular Fl ...

or a mix of

oak An oak is a hardwood tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' of the beech family. They have spirally arranged leaves, often with lobed edges, and a nut called an acorn, borne within a cup. The genus is widely distributed in the Northern Hemisp ...

s (''Quercus'' spp.) and scrub hickory (''Carya floridana''), or both types. This kind of habitat is maintained by periodic

wildfire A wildfire, forest fire, or a bushfire is an unplanned and uncontrolled fire in an area of Combustibility and flammability, combustible vegetation. Depending on the type of vegetation present, a wildfire may be more specifically identified as a ...

, a process which is required to clear large and woody vegetation and provide gaps that the smaller plants, including this species, require.

Fire suppression Fire suppression may refer to: * Firefighting * Fire suppression systems * Wildfire suppression Wildfire suppression is a range of firefighting tactics used to suppress wildfires. Firefighting efforts depend on many factors such as the availabl ...

is a threat to these species. There is little damage from disease or predation on the plants, but one species of

moth Moths are a group of insects that includes all members of the order Lepidoptera that are not Butterfly, butterflies. They were previously classified as suborder Heterocera, but the group is Paraphyly, paraphyletic with respect to butterflies (s ...

does use it as a larval host. The

larva A larva (; : larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into their next life stage. Animals with indirect development such as insects, some arachnids, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase ...

of '' Pyrausta panopealis'' is not disturbed by the aromatic oils that keep most other insects from consuming the plant.Smedley, S. R., et al. (1990)
Interaction of ''Pyrausta panopealis'' (Pyralidae) with a newly reported host, the endangered mint ''Dicerandra frutescens'' (Labiatae).
''Journal of the Lepidopterists' Society'' 44(3) 156-62. Furthermore, the moth larva might protect itself from other insects by

vomiting Vomiting (also known as emesis, puking and throwing up) is the forceful expulsion of the contents of one's stomach through the mouth and sometimes the nose. Vomiting can be the result of ailments like food poisoning, gastroenteritis, pre ...

quantities of the irritating oil all over itself.

References

External links

USDA Plants Profile
{{Taxonbar, from=Q5272384 frutescens Endemic flora of Florida Highlands County, Florida Plants described in 1962