United States

Origin: Native

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

Type of Residency: Year-round

Global Range: Florida panhandle-Bay, Gadsden, Jackson, Liberty, Wakulla, Walton Counties; Reported Gulf and Calhoun Counties; Tattnall County, Georgia.

Comments: Calamintha dentata grows in a wide range of xeric, well drained, sandy habitats, including longleaf pine-deciduous oak sandhills, planted pine plantations, sand, open and abandoned fields, and roadsides (Kral, 1983). It also may be occasionally found on open sandy slopes at the heads of some ravines (Leonard and Baker, 1982), where its leaves are larger and broader and its habit more slender (Kral, 1983). Associated plants may include Pinus palustris, P. elliottii (where planted), Quercus laevis, Q. incana, Q. virginiana, Yucca, Opuntia, Andropogon, and Aristida.

Note: For many non-migratory species, occurrences are roughly equivalent to populations.

Estimated Number of Occurrences: 6 - 20

Comments: Fourteen occurrences mapped (10/90); herbarium specimens not mapped; expect many other populations are not recorded.

Kral (1983) said this is perhaps the weediest species of the genus and doubtfully threatened within its rather small range. Wilson Baker (Tall Timbers Research Station, personal communication on August 22, 1984) concurred with this evaluation and added that it is a relatively common or even dominant shrub in some areas and is even occasionally found in people's yards. Kral (1983) reported that basil is most abundant in longleaf pine-turk oak sand ridges where it appears to maintain itself where clear-cutting and accompanying site disturbance have occurred. He added that it is also locally common in slash pine plantations established within its range, being winnowed out only where shade and litter become too dense. Leonard and Baker (1982) reported Calamintha dentata to be an abundant sand ridge species in Liberty County where it has been observed on all sandy ridges between the ravines from south of Kelly Branch (near Bristol) to the north side of Sweetwater Creek (near Torreya State Park). Baker (personal communication) added that it is common on TNC's Apalachicola Bluffs & Ravines Preserve, and its range extends eastward to near Hosford.

Kral (1983) does not mention C. dentata tolerance to fire, but its sandhill habitat is known to have historically burned every 2 - 5 year (Duever, 1983).

There currently is not a monograph of the genus, and little information was found on basil's life history. The plants flower over most of the year; Kral (1983) gave from April to frost. Hortus Third (Bailey Hortorium Staff, 1976) reported that several related Calamintha species are cultivated as condiments and are propagated by seeds sown where they are to grow and perennial species also by division and cuttings of new growth. Calamintha dentata may be inferred to probably have a high seed viability rate due to its widespread weedy nature.

Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLDS) Stats
Public Records: 1
Species: 1
Species With Barcodes: 1

United States

Rounded National Status Rank: N3 - Vulnerable

Rounded Global Status Rank: G3 - Vulnerable

Reasons: Very narrow distribution and species is not adequately protected; habitat is being converted to pine plantations.

Comments: Conversion of its natural habitat to slash pine plantations could be considered a threat as the trees may eventually shade it out. However it seems to do well (at least usually) where site disturbance occurs. Crop farming or pasture development on cleared sand ridges has eliminated some habitat (Kral, 1983).

Restoration Potential: Calamintha dentata can apparently withstand drastic alterations of its habitat (Kral, 1983) and it seems to spread into disturbed areas quite readily (Baker, personal communication).

Preserve Selection and Design Considerations: Forty acres should be considered a minimum size for a sandhill preserve. A smaller site with an exemplary population of C. dentata could be considered for protection. The site should have a fairly open canopy and be large or secure enough to allow fire as a management tool (FNAI).

Management Requirements: This species does not appear to require active management at this time. Kral (1983) listed overstory cutting or thinning to be beneficial if done properly. He wrote that site preparation for pine plantations has no lasting effect but that an established plantation may shade out Calamintha. He added that prescribed burning is not applicable as a management tool.

Calamintha dentata is currently growing quite well on the Apalachicola Bluffs & Ravines Preserve without active management (Baker, personal communic tion).

Monitoring Programs: The FNAI should be contacted for further information. Wilson Baker can be contacted at Tall Timbers Research Station, Route 1, Box 160, Tallahassee, FL 32312. He is probably the most up-to-date on what is happening at the Liberty County sites.

Biological Research Needs: The effects of different prescribed burning schedules on Calamintha dentata need to be recorded. Its life history also needs to be studied. The relic population in Tattnall County, Georgia, needs to be explored to determine its distribution, abundance and vigor.

Needs: Additional good quality sandhills with this species should be protected.

Stewardship Overview:

1. Monitoring of known populations of Calamintha dentata should be done regularly. Monthly field surveys should be performed where recent fire or pine plantation activity has disturbed this species.

2. Additional populations should be searched for in the Florida panhandle counties where it has been collected in the past. The Georgia station in Tattnall County should also be surveyed. This data collection would help to determine its exact status.

3. The life history of Calamintha dentata should be investigated, including its reproductive strategy and capacity, seedling establishment and maintenance. Its propagation should also be studied.

4. The effects of different prescribed burning schedules on basil should be monitored at the Apalachicola Bluffs & Ravines Preserves or wherever else a fire may occur.

Comments: Recognized as Clinopodium dentatum by Kartesz (1999); has also been treated as Calamintha dentata (as in Kartesz, 1994) or as Satureja dentata. Name has been incorrectly spelled 'dentatum' in genus Calamintha.