Overview
Everglades bully (Sideroxylon reclinatum ssp. austrofloridense) is a 3 to 6-foot, thorny, perennial shrub with one to several stems and clusters of small white flowers. The plant's oval-shaped leaves are evergreen and typically fuzzy on their undersides. The shrub is native to Miami-Dade, Monroe, and Collier counties.
Threats
The primary threats to the Everglades bully are habitat destruction, fragmentation, and modification due to development, along with introgression with S. reclinatum ssp. reclinatum, drainage, fire suppression, invasive plants, and sea level rise. Its habitat of pine rocklands is a globally imperiled ecosystem.
Scientific Name
Identification Numbers
Characteristics
Habitat
Everglades bully grows in pine rocklands, marl prairies, and the transitional edges of these habitats.
Life Cycle
Long-lived perennial, more than 10 years. Readily resprouts from following fire.
Reproduction is sexual, with new plants generated from seeds. The species produces flowers from April to May, and fruit ripen from June to July.
Physical Characteristics
Everglades bully is a small, thorny shrub with one to several stems and clusters of small white flowers. It can grow to be 3 to 6 feet tall. The plant's oval-shaped leaves are evergreen and typically fuzzy on their undersides.Fruits are small, round, fleshy, dark-purple-to-black drupes.
Similar Species
It can be distinguished from the more widespread Florida bully (S. r. reclinatum) as the Everglades bully has a fuzzy appearance on the undersides of its leaves, while the Florida bully does not. High-powered microscopy shows differences in cells of the leaf surface when hairs are not present.
Geography
The species is only found in southern Florida in the counties of Collier, Miami-Dade, and Monroe. It has been found in Everglades National Park and Big Cypress National Preserve.
Timeline
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