Video #13 (5/12/2023):
In which, there is an opportunity to make a film on the one and only Florida Torreya (Torreya taxifolia). They are an endemic and endangered conifer found only in the Florida Panhandle near the Apalachicola River. They produce a distinctive odor when cut open (stinking cedar). They once numbered in the hundreds of thousands and grew up to 60 feet tall. They rarely, if ever, exceed 10 feet tall.
There are a variety of reasons as to why they are rarer. However, the main reason has to do with a fungus called Fusarium torreyae. They will cause leaf blight and stem cankers. The fungus is present in just about every single plant but may become more present in a sapling if it becomes stressed. It was fully discovered by Dr. Jason A. Smith and his team from UF in 2009. A well-known naturalist E.O. Wilson was one of the first researchers who noticed their decline in the 1950's.
That is why people such as Lilly Anderson-Messec from the Florida Native Plant Society along with UF and among others are working to identify genes that can create more resiliency against disease. She is a director of North Florida Programs. Unfortunately, the fungus can infect other trees such as Eastern Hemlock. That is why it is so crucial not to spread particular species, such as mentioned above, to new areas further up north because it could introduce the fungus to other trees. That being said, there are some who spread misinformation about plantings. Hurricane Michael, back in 2018, also made their population that much more scarce. Fragile, and stressed.
Therefore, we need to follow sources that are from credible organizations such as the Florida Native Plant Society, University of Florida, Atlanta Botanical Garden, and the Torreya Keepers.
www.tampabay.com/news/2019/10...
www.floridastateparks.org/lea...
www.fnps.org/plant/torreya-ta...
blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/news/2018/...
25 май 2023
