False rosemary is adapted to dunes and open, scrubby areas. It is a woodyperennialshrub, often with masses of white to lavender blooms in the early spring or fall. These blooms attract several species of bees. Conradina often has a scrubby appearance; however some plants seem to have a denser habitus. Conradina is found growing in association with sand pines and oaks, and may be a pioneer species in disturbed areas. Terpenes released from false rosemary are allelopathic, and suppresses the growth of grasses. This is thought to help prevent wildfires. The plants are commonly up to 1 m (3.3 ft) in height.
False rosemary has been suggested as a landscaping plant for xeriscaping because it is drought tolerant and grows well with little water, even in poor soils.
Until recently, limited scientific study had been published on culinary, medicinal or other properties of Conradina, but it has been shown to be a potential source for numerous essential oils and other compounds.[6]
This species grows in Polk and Highlands counties on the Lake Wales Ridge in Central peninsular Florida. It is listed as a federally endangered species.
This species is found along the gulf coast of Mississippi, Alabama and Florida, as well as in the sand hills of central Florida.[3] It is the most common and widespread species in the genus.
Listed as federally threatened, this species occupies the sandy soil of cobble bars along rivers of the Cumberland Plateau in Kentucky and Tennessee.
Affinities
Conradina is one of the southeastern scrub mints. This group consists of Dicerandra, Stachydeoma, Piloblephis, Conradina, and four species of the polyphyletic genus Clinopodium that will eventually be transferred out of that genus. All are shrubs except Dicerandra. They are indigenous to the southeastern United States. Conradina is distinguished from the others by a sharply bent corolla tube.[9]
References
^Raymond M. Harley, Sandy Atkins, Andrey L. Budantsev, Philip D. Cantino, Barry J. Conn, Renée J. Grayer, Madeline M. Harley, Rogier P.J. de Kok, Tatyana V. Krestovskaja, Ramón Morales, Alan J. Paton, and P. Olof Ryding. 2004. "Labiatae" pages 167-275. In: Klaus Kubitzki (editor) and Joachim W. Kadereit (volume editor). The Families and Genera of Vascular Plants volume VII. Springer-Verlag: Berlin; Heidelberg, Germany. ISBN978-3-540-40593-1
^ abChristine E. Edwards, Walter S. Judd, Gretchen M. Ionta, and Brenda Herring. 2009. "Using Population Genetic Data as a Tool to Identify New Species: Conradina cygniflora (Lamiaceae), a New, Endangered Species from Florida". Systematic Botany34(4):747-759.
^ abAlan S. Weakley. "Conradina" pages 745-746. In: Flora of the Carolinas, Virginia, and Georgia (title varying with update). (see External links below).
^Asa Gray. 1870. Proceedings of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences8:294.
^Umberto Quattrocchi. 2000. CRC World Dictionary of Plant Names volume I. CRC Press: Boca Raton; New York; Washington, DC;, USA. London, UK. ISBN978-0-8493-2675-2 (vol. I). (see External links below).
^Brian P. Quinn, Ulrich R. Bernier, and Matthew M. Booth. 2007. "Identification of compounds from Etonia rosemary (Conradina etonia)". Journal of Chromatography A1160(2007):306–310. (see External links below).
^Home Page of Christine E. Edwards. (see External links below).
^Christine E. Edwards, David Lefkowitz, Douglas E. Soltis, and Pamela S. Soltis. 2008. "Phylogeny of Conradina and related southeastern scrub mints (Lamiaceae) based on GapC Gene Sequences". International Journal of Plant Sciences169(4):579-594. doi:10.1086/528758
Sources
(1) FNAI. 2000. Field Guide to the Rare Plants and Animals of Florida online. Florida Natural Areas Inventory.
(2) Godfrey, R. K. 1988. Trees, shrubs, and woody vines of northern Florida and adjacent Georgia and Alabama. Athens, GA: University of Georgia Press.