Orbexilum stipulatum
Encyclopedia
Orbexilum stipulatum, commonly known as Largestipule leather-root or Falls-of-the-Ohio Scurfpea, was a flowering plant that was endemic to Rock Island in the Falls of the Ohio; an area of rapids and rocky limestone outcrops in Kentucky's
portion of the Ohio River
. It has not be seen alive since 1881 and is presumed to be extinct.
. The plant's population may have collapsed following the eradication of buffalo. If this factor alone had not extirpated Orbexilum stipulatum already, Rock Island and the associated rapids were flooded in the 1920s by the creation of US Dam 21, which sealed the fate for Orbexilum stipulatum at the Falls of the Ohio.
Although all searches to rediscover Orbexilum stipulatum have thus far been unsuccessful, two other species strongly associated with buffalo that were once thought to be extinct, Trifolium stoloniferum and Solidago shortii
, have been rediscovered on old buffalo trails and a mineral lick. Solidago shortii
also once had a population on Rock Island. Orbexilum stipulatum differs however in that in the 20 years it was monitored by botanists it was never once observed to produce seed, further casting doubt as to its ability to have colonized beyond Rock Island.
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
portion of the Ohio River
Ohio River
The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...
. It has not be seen alive since 1881 and is presumed to be extinct.
Overview
Orbexilum stipulatum is thought to have been associated with large herbivore congregations. Rock Island in the Falls of the Ohio area was the shallowest part of the Ohio River, which historically was heavily used for the migration of American buffaloAmerican buffalo
American buffalo is the colloquial name for the American bison.American Buffalo may refer to:*American Buffalo , a play by David Mamet*American Buffalo , a 1996 film of Mamet's play*American Buffalo , a United States coin...
. The plant's population may have collapsed following the eradication of buffalo. If this factor alone had not extirpated Orbexilum stipulatum already, Rock Island and the associated rapids were flooded in the 1920s by the creation of US Dam 21, which sealed the fate for Orbexilum stipulatum at the Falls of the Ohio.
Although all searches to rediscover Orbexilum stipulatum have thus far been unsuccessful, two other species strongly associated with buffalo that were once thought to be extinct, Trifolium stoloniferum and Solidago shortii
Solidago shortii
Solidago shortii, commonly known as Short's goldenrod, is a species of goldenrod that is considered one of the rarest plants in the world. The only known populations of Short's goldenrod occur around the Blue Licks Battlefield State Park area of Kentucky and Harrison-Crawford State Forest in Indiana...
, have been rediscovered on old buffalo trails and a mineral lick. Solidago shortii
Solidago shortii
Solidago shortii, commonly known as Short's goldenrod, is a species of goldenrod that is considered one of the rarest plants in the world. The only known populations of Short's goldenrod occur around the Blue Licks Battlefield State Park area of Kentucky and Harrison-Crawford State Forest in Indiana...
also once had a population on Rock Island. Orbexilum stipulatum differs however in that in the 20 years it was monitored by botanists it was never once observed to produce seed, further casting doubt as to its ability to have colonized beyond Rock Island.