| Author | | |
| Distribution | Weakley (2018) includes this undescribed taxon in his flora. It is currently known only from Buck Creek Serpentine Barren in Clay County. | |
| Abundance | Though Weakley (2018) states that it "carpets several hundred hectares" at that site, it is obviously extremely rare in NC. The NCNHP added this taxon to its Watch List in 2021, with a State Rank of S1?. | |
| Habitat | This taxon grows on serpentine soil -- quite dry and with a very high pH and with high amounts of magnesium -- and it occur in a stunted woody flora mainly of scattered Pitch Pines (Pinus rigida) over a diverse array of herbaceous species, especially grasses. Associated species listed by Weakley (2018) include Serpentine Ragwort (Packera serpenticola), Piedmont Meadow-rue (Thalictrum macrostylum), Prairie Dropseed (Sporobolus heterolepis), and Buck Creek Aster (Symphyotrichum rhiannon) -- the first and last also being endemic to this single site. |
| Phenology | Not listed in Weakley (2018), but probably from March into June, and fruiting shortly after flowering. | |
| Identification | Weakley (2018) says that it resembles Little Brown Jug (H. arifolia var. ruthii) in appearance. That variety has the arrowhead-shaped leaves with mottled light green patches between the veins, and its flowers are long and narrow brown "jugs" but with very short calyx lobes that are erect and not spreading. The undescribed taxon differs from var. ruthii in five ways: 1) occurs in large, clonal patches instead of clumped plants; 2) plants often with more than 10 leaves, versus 10 or fewer in var. ruthii; 3) leaves that are solid green or faintly mottled versus leaves normally mottled with light green; 4) the mouth of the calyx is tightly constricted versus more open; and 5) the extension of the styles is long versus short in var. ruthii. | |
| Taxonomic Comments | See above. This taxon has not yet been described, and Weakley (2018) might be the only reference that deals with this entity. He states that the character differences mentioned above "suggest that it may represent an additional undescribed taxon" -- referring to several of the plants found at Buck Creek Barren that were formerly undescribed but have recently been described as full species.
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| Other Common Name(s) | None | |
| State Rank | S1? | |
| Global Rank | GNR | |
| State Status | W7 | |
| US Status | | |
| USACE-agcp | | |
| USACE-emp | | |
