| Author | Torrey & A. Gray | |
| Distribution | Restricted to the southern Mountains; thus, found only in a small percentage of the state. Natural occurrences are limited to just two counties (Transylvania and Jackson); records from several neighboring counties likely represent transplanted populations.
This is a very narrow Southern Appalachian endemic, found only from Transylvania County on the northeast to Rabun County, GA, on the southwest. It also occurs in Oconee and Pickens counties, SC. Records from other states are probably of introductions, as this is a popular species for gardens and other plantings.
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| Abundance | Though fairly common to locally common in a small area of southwestern Transylvania County (mainly in Gorges State Park), it is a very rare species in the state. Sadly, much of its population and range was lost in the 1960s when Lake Jocassee was built, flooding a good percentage of the known population. This species is State Special Concern. It is under threat mainly to collection for gardens and cultivation. | |
| Habitat | The species occurs only in cool, moist, shaded microhabitats, generally along rocky stream banks, deep ravines, and steep slopes beneath various evergreen Rhododendron species. These are typically in the Acidic Cove Forest natural community. |
| Phenology | Blooms in March and April, and fruits in July and August. | |
| Identification | This is a low-growing sub-shrub with fairly large and glossy evergreen leaves. The several leaves are somewhat rounded, but are more square- or rectangular-shaped with rounded corners, averaging 2.5-3 inches long and nearly as wide. The similar Galax (Galax urceolata), which can grow with it, has thinner leaves that are clearly round or orbicular in shape; both have somewhat serrated leaves. The inflorescences are completely different, as Shortia has large white flowers growing singly on naked stems that are up to 4-5 inches tall. Several such stems and flowers are found on each plant, and the flowers (with five petals) are typically 1-inch across. This showy but scarce species should not present identification problems; however, you are not likely to discover any new (wild) populations. To see it, you likely will have to visit Gorges State Park or some other known locations. The very similar S. brevistyla, formerly considered a variety, has "Style 6-10 (-12) mm long, about 1.3-1.5× as long as the stamens (the filaments generally 5-7 mm long); corolla lobes 14-17 mm long" (Weakley 2020); S. galacifolia has "Style (10-) 12-18 mm long, about 2× as long as the stamens (the filaments generally 6-9 mm long); corolla lobes 16-25 mm long" (Weakley 2020). The ranges are separate, with S. brevistyla essentially just to the east, known currently as native populations just in McDowell County. | |
| Taxonomic Comments | Originally Shortia was not subdivided into varieties (such as in RAB 1968); but in recent decades most references agree on two varieties -- the nominate S. galacifolia var. galacifolia (in the Tri-state region) and the northern S. galacifolia var. brevistyla (endemic to McDowell County, NC). Weakley (2020) tentatively elevates each variety to full species status, but stating that "Though the morphological characters are relatively minor and partially overlapping, their correlation with disjunct ranges and their likely influence on pollination and reproduction influence me to provisionally accept species rank, pending further research." The website editors tentatively follow Weakley (2020), though still believing that both taxa are likely conspecific.
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| Other Common Name(s) | Shortia | |
| State Rank | S2 | |
| Global Rank | G2G3 | |
| State Status | SC-V | |
| US Status | | |
| USACE-agcp | | |
| USACE-emp | FACU link |
