Endangered
Description
Toothcup is an annual herb that is a member of the Loosestrife family. It grows to about 40 centimetres in height. It is typically green, but often has a reddish tinge in the late summer.
The leaves of Toothcup are oblong and up to five centimetres long. The small flowers are pinkish-white.
Action we are taking:
Range
Toothcup ranges throughout most of the United States, with the exception of some of the midwestern states, into Mexico and South America. In Canada, Toothcup is found in south-central British Columbia and southeastern Ontario. Two lakes in Lennox and Addington County, Ontario supported about 6000 plants in 2004, however, the numbers vary greatly from year to year depending on water levels. The only site in southwestern Ontario known to contain Toothcup has been lost.
Habitat
In Ontario, Toothcup grows along lake and river shorelines on thin sandy, muddy or gravely soils on Precambrian bedrock. This shoreline habitat is often submerged in the spring and early summer and emerges when the waters recede.
Threats
In Ontario, the primary threats to Toothcup are from habitat loss due to shoreline development and water-level control. Invasive species are considered a potential threat.
Protection
Toothcup is protected under Ontario’s Endangered Species Act and the federal Species at Risk Act.
What You Can Do to Help Toothcup
- The Ministry of Natural Resources tracks species at risk such as Toothcup. You can use a handy online form to report your sightings to the Natural Heritage Information Centre. Photographs with specific locations or mapping coordinates are always helpful. nhic.mnr.gov.on.ca
- Report any illegal activity related to plants and wildlife to 1-877-TIPS-MNR (847-7667).
- Private land owners have a very important role to play in species recovery. If you find Toothcup on your property, you may be eligible for stewardship programs that support the protection and recovery of species at risk and their habitats.
- Volunteer with your local nature club or provincial park to participate in surveys or stewardship work focused on species at risk.
- Invasive species seriously threaten many of Ontario’s species at risk. To learn what you can do to help reduce the threat of invasive species, visit: ontario.ca/invasivespecies ; www.invadingspecies.com; www.ontarioinvasiveplants.ca; and, www.invasivespecies.gc.ca .
Did you know?
Toothcup was only discovered in Ontario in 1984. That population was subsequently lost.
Did you know?
Toothcup germinates under water. Flowering and seed production take place when the waters recede.
Did you know?
Toothcup is typically self-pollinating, but is also visited by small bees and butterflies that gather the nectar.
Did you know?
The populations of Toothcup in Canada are believed to be post-glacial relicts – a once widespread natural population surviving only in isolated localities in British Columbia and Ontario because of environmental changes.
Contact your local ministry office
Often the best source of local information on species at risk is your nearest ministry office. Call with your questions or concerns.
