KINGDOM PLANTAE

The kingdom Plantae includes all the higher green organisms known as plants. There are more than 273,000 species worldwide, including liverworts, mosses, lichens, and seed and flowering plants. They all have two types of chlorophyll--the green pigment that allows the conversion of solar energy to food sugars. Plants are multi-cellular. Their cells are separated into different tissues and organs specialized for making food, transporting food and water, and supporting their bodies. Most plants use sexual reproduction.

PINK COREOPSIS (Coreopsis rosea)

The Atlantic coastal plain flora is a group of plant specie that grows on gently sloping sand and gravel shorelines of fresh water. They occur in areas of low nutrients and fluctuating water levels, where competition from other plants is reduced. Representatives of this group are found in southwestern Nova Scotia, where their populations have been isolated from those in the eastern United States since the last ice age.

Pink coreopsis, also known as pink tickseed, is restricted to the Tusket River watershed in Yarmouth County. It is a 20 cm to 60 cm tall perennial herb with thin pairs of opposite leaves. It is easily recognized by its small flowers, which have pink outer rays and yellow inner disks. The growing season for pink coreopsis extends from late April to early November, flowering from mid-July to mid-September. New plants may be generated from vegetative shoots or from seeds.

Pink coreopsis is a species-at-risk. Other Atlantic coastal plain flora that are species-at-risk include the water pennywort, plymouth gentian, and golden crest. Populations are easily affected by recreational use of shorelines, cottage development, and dam or reservoir construction.