Profile – Floundering Zone

My CV

Latin name?

Corrigiola litoralis
UK population? (How many are in the UK?)

1,890 (counted in 2010)
Genome Size? (Genome size is the total amount of DNA contained within one copy of a single genome)

0.49 picogram of DNA per genome
Most recent common ancestor to Homo Sapiens (presumed)

A three-way split of plants, animals and fungi is thought to have happened 1576 +/- 88 million years ago

I should be sequenced because...: I am hoping to discover more about my genetic diversity in the UK: perhaps this can explain why I am so endangered here
Tell us more...:

Click here to vote for me:

Some researchers think that one of the reasons that I am being endangered is my low level of genetic diversity, which could mean that I am less able to adapt to changes in my environment.

If my genome is sequenced and it is discovered that my genetic diversity is indeed low in the UK, one solution would be to introduce some more diverse plants from other locations in my native range.

European distribution of Corrigiola litoralis

(Whitley Wildlife Conservation Trust)
One sentence about me...: I depend on winter flooding to get rid of more competitive plant species and clear the shores of rivers and lakes for myself and other low growing annuals and perennials
About Me::

Image: Plants for a Future

I have a complex relationship with my environment. Although I live near water I am actually not very tolerant to flooding. My seeds can germinate in water but my seedlings won’t survive in it for very long. So why do you think I live so close to rivers and lakes?

The reason is that I basically don’t like having taller plants around. I depend on winter flooding to get rid of more competitive plant species and clear the shores for myself and other low growing annuals and perennials. But if the water stays high after I germinate and does not go down, I drown.

If everything goes well and the waters recede enough when spring arrives, I thrive in the sunny, open spaces that remain. I love sunshine and do not like being shaded at all – even my seeds need light for germination.

Not only flooding can create these open shores for me: grazing by cattle can remove taller plants as well – or humans can help out, if there aren’t any cattle around. However, flooding during spring and summer can threaten my existence, as my plants do not tolerate water very well.