Rugelia nudicaulis (Rugel's Indian plantain[1] or Rugels ragwort), the sole species of the genus Rugelia, blooms in summer. It is a wildflower endemic to higher elevations in the Great Smoky Mountains.[2] It is a rare species in Tennessee.[3] First placed in the genus Senecio, then moved to Cacalia it was finally placed in a genus of its own, Rugelia. Genetic diversity in this plant, assessed using allozymes, is so low that the species may not survive changing environmental conditions.[4]

References

  1. ^ USDA, NRCS (n.d.). "Rugelia nudicaulis". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team. Retrieved 26 October 2015.
  2. ^ University of Tennessee Herbarium
  3. ^ Tennessee state list
  4. ^ Journal of Heredity article
  • Horn, Cathcart, Hemmerly, Duhl, Wildflowers of Tennessee, the Ohio Valley, and the Southern Appalachians, Lone Pine Publishing, (2005) p 372, ISBN 978-1-55105-428-5