(DRAFT) - Taxonomy
Species HIGUERO DE SIERRA
Species Id ESIS704050
Date 13 MAR 96
TAXONOMY
NAME - HIGUERO DE SIERRA
OTHER COMMON NAMES - HUGUERO DE SIERRA
ELEMENT CODE -
CATEGORY - Angiosperm
PHYLUM AND SUBPHYLUM - MAGNOLIOPHYTA,
CLASS AND SUBCLASS - MAGNOLIOPSIDA,
ORDER AND SUBORDER - SCROPHULARIALES,
FAMILY AND SUBFAMILY - BIGNONIACEAE,
GENUS AND SUBGENUS - CRESCENTIA,
SPECIES AND SSP - PORTORICENSIS,
SCIENTIFIC NAME - CRESCENTIA PORTORICENSIS
AUTHORITY -
TAXONOMY REFERENCES -
COMMENTS ON TAXONOMY -
Higuero de Sierra
Crescentia portoricensis Britton
KINGDOM: Plant GROUP: Angiosperm
DIVISION: Magnoliophyta CLASS: Magnoliopsida
ORDER: Scrophulariales FAMILY: Bignoniaceae
Crescentia portoricensis is a vine-like shrub or small tree
which may reach 6 to 8 m in height and 6 cm in diameter. The bark is
gray and the branches are long, slender and glabrous throughout.
Leaves are clustered at the nodes in groups of 3 to 5, simple,
entire, leathery, 5 to 15 cm long, dark shiny green above and dull
pale green beneath. Both surfaces are distinctly reticulate. Leaf
bases are tapered and the apex usually rounded or blunt. Petioles
are 0.5 cm long (01,02).
Flowers are solitary in leaf axils or along the branches. The
calyx is about 1.5 cm long, leathery, tubular, and two-lobed. The
corolla is yellowish-white, tubular, 3 to 4 cm long, and with five
broad lobes. Fruits are cylindrical, 9 to 10 cm long and 3 cm wide.
They are hard, leathery, dark green, and do not open upon maturity
(01,02).
Higuero de sierra was discovered by Britton along the Maricao
Taxonomy - 1 (DRAFT) - Taxonomy
Species HIGUERO DE SIERRA
Species Id ESIS704050
Date 13 MAR 96
River in 1913 and was described as a new species utilizing that
collection. The species has been reported only from forests on
serpentine. The holotype is located at the New York Botanical Garden
(Britton, Stevens & Hess 2455) (01,02).
Taxonomy - 2 (DRAFT) - Status
Species HIGUERO DE SIERRA
Species Id ESIS704050
Date 13 MAR 96
STATUS
Coded Status
Puerto Rico; Federal Endangered
Puerto Rico; State Listed
E: Federal Endangered
COMMENTS ON STATUS -
U.S. STATUSES AND LAWS:
The higuero de sierra (Crescentia portoricensis) has been
designated an Endangered species pursuant to the Endangered Species
Act of 1973 (50 CFR 17.12; P.L. 93-205, 87 Stat. 884; 16 U.S.C.
1531-1540), as amended. The species has this status wherever found
including the State of Puerto Rico.
This species is protected by the Lacey Act (P.L. 97-79, as
amended; 16 U.S.C. 3371 et seq.) which makes it unlawful to possess
any wild plant (including roots, seeds, and other parts) within U.S.
territorial or special maritime jurisdiction (as defined in 18 U.S.C.
7); or to import, export, transport, sell, receive, acquire, or
purchase in interstate or foreign commerce any wild plant (including
roots, seeds, and other parts) taken, possessed, transported, or sold
in violation of any State law or regulation. It is also unlawful to
import, export, transport, sell, receive, acquire, or purchase any
wild plant (including roots, seeds, and other parts) taken or possessed
in violation of any U.S. law, treaty, or regulation or in violation of
Indian tribal law.
RESPONSIBLE FEDERAL AGENCIES:
USFWS -Responsible for the management/recovery, listing, and
law enforcement/protection of this species.
All Federal agencies have responsibility to ensure that any
action authorized, funded, or carried out by that agency is not likely
to jeopardize the continued existence of the species or result in the
destruction or adverse modification of Critical Habitat (50 CFR 402),
and to utilize their authorities to carry out programs for the
conservation of the species.
STATE STATUSES AND LAWS:
STATE: Puerto Rico
DESIGNATED STATUS: Endangered
ADMINISTRATIVE AGENCY: Puerto Rico Dept. of Natural Resources
STATE STATUTE: Regulation to Govern the Management of
Threatened and Endangered Species in the
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
INTERNATIONAL STATUSES, TREATIES, AND AGREEMENTS:
None
Status - 1 (DRAFT) - Status
Species HIGUERO DE SIERRA
Species Id ESIS704050
Date 13 MAR 96
ECONOMIC STATUSES:
This species has no commercial value.
87/01/14:52 FR 01494/01497 - Proposed Rule
87/12/04:52 FR 46085/46087 - Final Rule
Status - 2 HABITAT ASSOCIATIONS
HABITAT - TERRESTRIAL
TERRESTRIAL
LAND USE -
Deciduous Forest Land
Evergreen Forest Land
COMMENTS ON HABITAT ASSOCIATIONS -
The following is from the status report on Crescentia
portoricensis (02).
Both the Susua and Maricao Commonwealth Forests are underlain by
serpentinite, Cretaceous in origin. Serpentinite is a black or
bluish-green, soft, friable rock which contains a high content of
olivine, clinopyroxene, and orthopyroxene. The area is mountainous
and is characterized by steep ravines adn intermittent streams (02).
Outcrops of serpentinite cover more than 85 percent of the area
of both Forests. Patches of shallow, gravelly, black or reddish
brown soils are found interspersed among these. Soils of the Nipe
and Rosario series are found in both Forests. These soils are acid,
moderately-deep to deep and moderately drained to well-drained (02).
Mean annual precipitation is 134 cm in the Susua Forest and 246
cm in the Maricao Forest. The rainy season extends from May through
September and the dry season from December to March. The mean annual
temperature in Maricao is 21.7 deg. C, with a mean monthly minimum of
20.2 deg. C and a mean monthly maximum of 23 deg. C. Temperatures in
Susua are probably somewhat higher, however, no records are available
(02).
Both the Maricao and Susua Forest fall within the subtropical
moist forest and subtropical wet forest life zones of Ewel and
Whitmore (03). The vegetation of the Crescentia portoricensis site in
Susua Forest may be classified, in accordance with Beard (04), as
deciduous and semi-evergreen seasonal forests. In Maricao, the
vegetation of the sites may be classified as lower montane and
evergreen seasonal forest. Endemism is high in both Forests.
Habitat Associations - 1 (DRAFT) - Food Habits
Species HIGUERO DE SIERRA
Species Id ESIS704050
Date 13 MAR 96
FOOD HABITS
TROPHIC LEVEL -
AUTOTROPH
Food Habits - 1 (DRAFT) - Environment Associations
Species HIGUERO DE SIERRA
Species Id ESIS704050
Date 13 MAR 96
ENVIRONMENTAL ASSOCIATIONS
G = General A = Adult
LIM = Limiting RA = Resting Adult
J = Juvenile FA = Feeding Adult
RJ = Resting Juvenile BA = Breeding Adult
FJ = Feeding Juvenile P = Pupae
L = Larvae E = Egg
RL = Resting Larvae
FL = Feeding Larvae
LIFESTAGE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSOCIATIONS
G Coastal Features: Vegetated offshore islands
G
Environment Associations - 1 (DRAFT) - Life History
Species HIGUERO DE SIERRA
Species Id ESIS704050
Date 13 MAR 96
LIFE HISTORY
HABIT:
Shrub-tree (01)
LIFE CYCLE:
Perennial (01)
TYPE OF REPRODUCTION:
Sexual (01)
REPRODUCTIVE PHENOLOGY:
Germination, leafing, budding, anthesis, and seed/fruit
dispersal dates are all unknown (05). Fruiting dates are in
January (05). The species has been observed with immature fruits
during the months of December and January (05).
SEX OR SPORE STATUS:
Monoclinous (01)
POLLINATION, SPORE AND SEED DISSEMINATION:
Pollen dissemination agents are unknown. Seeds are probably
dispersed by water.
SEED BIOLOGY:
No information available.
POPULATION BIOLOGY:
Susua population: 6 mature individuals are found in an area of
approximately 1500 square meters. No seedlings were observed. All
individuals have been observed in fruit (05).
Maricao, Rio Seco population: Twenty-three individuals are
found in an area of approximately 500 square meters. No seedlings
have been observed. Plants were healthy and vigorous when observed
in 1986 and several had fruit (06,05).
ECOLOGICAL/EDAPHIC FACTORS:
The majority of these two Forests has been identified as
Serpentine Outcrop. In these areas, outcrops of serpentine cover
from 75 to 100 percent of the ground area. Other soils belong to the
Nipe and Rosario series. These are both moderately deep to deep,
moderately drained to well-drained, acid soils (02).
TROPHIC STATUS:
Phototrophic (01)
CHARACTERISTIC DOMINANCE:
Component (02,05)
COMMUNITY ECOLOGY:
In the deciduous and semi-evergreen seasonal forests of the
Susua, Crescentia portoricensis is found associated with Coccothrynax
alta (teyer palm), Zamia portoricensis (marunguey), Rondeletia
Life History - 1 (DRAFT) - Life History
Species HIGUERO DE SIERRA
Species Id ESIS704050
Date 13 MAR 96
inermis, Randia aculeata (tintillo, box brier), Chionanthus
holdridgii (hueso prieto), Neolaugeria resinosa (aquilon),
Scleria lithosperma, and Comocladia glabra (carrasco) (02).
In the evergreen seasonal and lower montane forests of Maricao,
higuero de sierra is associated with the following species: Tabebuia
heterophylla (roble blanco), T. schumanniana (roble colorado),
Homalium racemosum (caracolillo), Coccoloba swartzii (ortegon),
Bumelia cubensis, Rondeletia inermis, and Micropholis
chrysophylloides (leche prieta) (02).
SPECIES INTERRELATIONSHIPS:
None
OTHER LIFE HISTORY DESCRIPTORS:
None
Life History - 2 (DRAFT) - Management Practices
Species HIGUERO DE SIERRA
Species Id ESIS704050
Date 13 MAR 96
MANAGEMENT PRACTICES
RESULT MANAGEMENT PRACTICE
Beneficial Restricting/regulating human disturbance of populations
Beneficial Reforestation
Beneficial Restricting Timber Harvest
Beneficial Maintaining Sperm/Seed Banks
Beneficial Stocking captive-reared wild-strain animals
Beneficial Transplanting wild animals
Beneficial Transplanting Wild Eggs/Wild Seeds
Adverse Inherent Reproductive Characteristics
Existing Inherent Reproductive Characteristics
Adverse Recreational development
Existing Recreational development
Adverse Highway/Railroads
Existing Highway/Railroads
Adverse Flooding
Existing Flooding
Adverse Erosion
Existing Erosion
Adverse Vegetation Composition Changes
Existing Vegetation Composition Changes
Adverse Forest Alteration
Existing Forest Alteration
Adverse Harvesting
Existing Harvesting
COMMENTS ON MANAGEMENT PRACTICES -
Crescentia portoricensis, endemic to Puerto Rico, is rare and
localized. It has historically been reported only from forests on
serpentine in the western part of Puerto Rico.
Because higuero de sierra is found along the banks of streams,
the principal threat to this species is erosion and destruction of
sites due to flash-flooding. Deforestation in upper areas of the
watershed has caused an increase in erosion and slides (02).
UNAPPROVED PLAN:
No approved recovery plan. It is anticipated that this will be
completed in 1989.
There is no approved recovery plan for Crescentia portoricensis.
The following are some recommended recovery actions:
- Continue protection of habitat.
- Control/restrict commercial and noncommercial timber harvest.
- Transplant wild individuals.
- Maintenance of seed bank.
- Propagation for reintroduction.
- Limit human access.
Management Practices - 1 (DRAFT) - References
Species HIGUERO DE SIERRA
Species Id ESIS704050
Date 13 MAR 96
References
***** REFERENCES FOR ALL NARRATIVES EXCEPT N-OCCURRENCE *****
01 Little, E.L., R.O. Woodbury, and F.H. Wadsworth. 1974. Trees of
Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. USDA Forest Service Handbook
449.
02 Vivaldi, J.L, and R.O. Woodbury. 1981. Status report on Crescentia
portoricensis Britton. Unpublished report submitted to the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service, Atlanta, Georgia. 28 pp.
03 Ewel, J.J., and J.L. Whitmore. 1973. The ecological life zones of
Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. USDA Forest Service Research
Paper No. ITF-18. 72 pp.
04 Beard, J.S. 1955. The classification of tropical American
vegetation types. Ecology 36:89-100.
05 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Caribbean Field Office. Status
review of Crescentia portoricensis.
06 Department of Natural Resources of Puerto Rico. Letter to U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service, Caribbean Field Office, concerning the
status of Crescentia portoricensis in Maricao and Susua
Commonwealth Forests.
***** REFERENCES FOR N-OCCURRENCE NARRATIVE ONLY *****
01 Department of Natural Resources of Puerto Rico. Letter submitted
to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service concerning the status of
Crescentia portoricensis in Maricao and Susua.
02 Vivaldi, J.L., and R.O. Woodbury. 1981. Status report of
Crescentia portoricensis Britton. Unpublished report submitted
to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Atlanta, Georgia. 28 pp.
03 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Caribbean Field Office. Status
review of Crescentia portoricensis.
References - 1