Macbridea caroliniana, Carolina bird’s in a nest, is a very rare plant species, about which very little is known. It is seldom seen.
The Butler Foundation has recently bought a significant chunk of land along the Black River, north of Jamestown and west of Andrews, other side of the Santee River, and probably 1.5-2 hours from Charleston. It’s my understanding that their intent is a combination of conservation, preservation, education, some public access and some scientific research.
The Foundation hired Celie Dailey to document botanical aspects of the property. Celie stumbled over an enormous population of Macbridea – third largest in the state and 5th largest in its range. So little is known about this species, and Celie has now committed to a series of enquiries that will involve several independent research projects at The Citadel, where she is a Master’s student, culminating in a thesis.
Celie has more than enough potential work for her thesis, but there is much more to be explored. The species is of concern, but not yet listed, and the Fish and Wildlife Service is eager to learn more about the ecology of the species, with the idea of restoring populations, rather than having to list the species on the Endangered Species List.
Conversation with relevant partners has revealed several areas where student research would be appropriate, and welcomed. The main ones include a population genetics study. The species is rhizomatous, and there is a serious question about the maternal line independence. Another is about pollinators and the potential for self-pollination. There’s little known about pollination.
A third question involves seed propagation. Celie and April Punsalan (FWS) have been collecting and collating seeds for the past several months. To my knowledge, there is nothing known about seed propagation for this species, including the importance of mycorrhizae. The FWS has a new greenhouse at Bears Bluff, on Wadmalaw, which could be used for germination experiments.
Additional questions involve hydrology and soils, with the idea of wells being installed in the different “zones” of the metapopulation. This is a species with very limited known habitat information, and Celie has found it over a wide-spread set of hydrological conditions. But why??? We don’t know.
An additional issue is that Celie has found the species with a fairly wide variety of indicator species – indicators that don’t align with each other based on soils. That also seems like an area to explore.
Beyond normal College funding potential, there is some possibility of funding through the Butler Foundation or the FWS. There is certainly the probability of novel and publishable student research projects.
Initial contact can be made through Dr. Jean Everett (everettj@cofc.edu)
