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Pondberry
Lindera melissifolia
Family: Lauraceae
Description: A woody, deciduous shrub growing to a height of 1.5-6.0 feet (0.5 - 2 meters) tall. Leaves are rounded at base, narrowly ovate. Lowest two pairs of lateral veins (of leaves) ascending at a much sharper angle than those nearer to the tip. Pondberry leaves are aromatic and have a strong lemon-sassafras aroma when crushed. Small pale yellow flowers are produced in early spring prior to development of leaves. Bright red fruits are produced in late summer and often remain on the plant after leaves have fallen. Pedicels on young fruit are approximately 0.3 inches (8 millimeters) long (twice as long as spicebush). Reproduction seems to be primarily vegetative by means of stolons. The plants grow in clones of numerous stems that flower when little more than 2 to 3 years of age, but appear to live for only a few years. The dead stems are replaced by new ones that emerge from the rootstock.
| Status: |
Federally Listed Endangered (July 31, 1986) Global Rank: G2 State Rank: S2 |
Current Distribution: Pondberry populations are known to exist in Arkansas, Georgia, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, and South Carolina. It has been extirpated from Alabama and Louisiana and is presumed to be extirpated from Florida. In Arkansas, pondberry occurrences are currently known from seven counties.
Habitat: In northeastern Arkansas, pondberry can be found growing around seasonally flooded sandponds within bottomland hardwood forests. These sandponds occupy depressions between ancient sand dunes and are generally flooded from late summer to early fall. In these sites, pondberry can sometimes be found growing within or along the banks of these depressions. Recently, two new populations have been found in Arkansas, one in Ashley County and another in Craighead/Poinsett Counties. Both of these populations are growing on small sandy rises within seasonally flooded bottomland hardwood forests.
Conservation Status: Pondberry is associated with forested wetlands over a large portion of its range. With the clearing and draining of bottomland hardwood forests across the southeastern United States, populations of this plant have declined. Primary threats to pondberry recovery in Arkansas continue to be loss and/or degradation of suitable habitat. Timber harvesting and alterations in local hydrology, that occur as a result of agriculture or construction of ditches, can make areas unsuitable for pondberry survival. In addition, pondberry recovery is hampered by the species apparent limited ability to produce viable seedlings even though fruit may be abundant on individual plants. However, even if viable seedlings were produced, the natural dissemination and establishment of new pondberry colonies seems unlikely due to the heavily fragmented and isolated nature of suitable habitat. Current research indicates that if new populations of pondberry are to be established human intervention will be required. For extant populations to survive, protection and restoration of existing habitat is essential. Forest buffers around existing populations should also be restored.
