Flora: Rhexia aristosa Britton

Rhexia aristosa Britton
Awned meadow beauty

Rhexia aristosa by Bruce A. Sorrie. via GA Biodiversity Portal

Rhexia aristosa Britton, a stunning flowering plant with its delicate petals and vibrant hues. In the southeast t is commonly known as Awned Meadow Beauty, although it has numerous common names throughout its range. It is a member of the Melastomataceae family, and native to the southeastern United States.

This perennial herbaceous plant is noted for its striking flowers, which range from lavender to bright magenta, and which bloom from late spring to early autumn, in wetlands, meadows, and open woodlands. It often reaches 24-28 inches tall.

It thrives in the wetlands, meadows, and open woodlands that line the banks of the Ogeechee River and its tributaries. The plant’s preference for moist, sandy soils makes it particularly well-suited to the riparian habitats found across the watershed.

Rhexia aristosa Britton Observation © Kyle Rossner via iNaturalist. Creative Commons License.

As a native species, Rhexia contributes to the richness and diversity of ecology within the watershed. Its nectar-rich flowers attract pollinators, while its foliage provides shelter and foraging opportunities for small mammals and birds. As both a food source and habitat, it plays a crucial role in the health of the ecosystem.

Although Bartram described a Rhexia species in his well-known Travels, that was likely the mariana subspecies. The Britton subspecies now found in the Ogeechee watershed appears to be first described by Britton in 1890 in the New Jersey Pinelands.

Rhexia specimen collected by Britton, in the archives at Kew, London. Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Despite its ecological importance, Rhexia aristosa faces threats from habitat loss, habitat degradation, and invasive species. Wetland drainage, urban development, and agricultural expansion pose significant challenges to the survival of this species. It is extremely sensitive to changes in wetland boundaries and reduction in natural spring levels. According to Georgia DNR, “Documented from 30 sites, only 11 populations of Rhexia aristosa have been seen recently in Georgia, most on a single conservation area.” In Georgia, it is considered an imperiled species.