Lepuropetalon spathulatum Muhl. ex Elliott

Little People; Petite Plant

Herb

Annual

Vascular

Little People is a winter annual in the Grass of Bittersweet family (CELASTRACEAE). It has been collected in the southern third of Alabama. Little People occurs on roadsides, in cemeteries, in lawns, and around the margins of rock outcrops. It has a preference for slightly disturbed sites with moist sandy soil and full sun. It is one of, if not the smallest flowering terrestrial plants. It is often no more than 1 or 2 mm in height and 3-5 mm in diameter. Some plants are even smaller, consisting of only a few leaves and a single flower. The leaves are alternate or subopposite in arrangement, sessile, and spathulate in shape. They form a small rosette. The leaves are greenish-yellow in color and have small rows of golden or reddish dots (when viewed with appropriate magnification). Flowers are produced at the apex of the stems, slightly above the leaves. The flowers have five large sepals that form a cup-like structure around the rest of the flower. The petals are white but very small and scale-like. They may be absent. There are five stamens. The fruit is a capsule with many small reddish-black seed. Little People is listed as an S1 species in Alabama (typically 5 or fewer occurrences, very few remaining individuals, acres, or miles of stream, or some factor of its biology making it especially vulnerable in the state), and Globally as a G4 species (imperiled globally because of rarity (6 - 20 occurrences, or few remaining acres, or miles of stream) or very vulnerable to extinction throughout its range because of other factors). Little People is likely more common than reports indicate, but because of its small size it is very easily overlooked.--A. Diamond

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Native S1 (State Rank) G4 (Global Rank)

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