Euphorbia ipecacuanhae on Nantucket: A Historical State Record Comes to Light

Euphorbia ipecacuanhae L. is an herbaceous perennial of disturbed, sandy habitats of the Atlantic coastal plain, ranging from Georgia to southern New England. Most references list Hartford County, Connecticut, as the northernmost station and the only New England record for the species. However, we recently encountered a putative record from Nantucket, Massachusetts, U.S.A., and investigated its validity. Using a combination of physical inspection of the specimen and biographical details of the collector, Lorin Low Dame, we conclude that E. ipecacuanhae was collected from the island of Nantucket in the late 19th century, expanding the known natural range for the species. We also discuss habitat and landscape-scale ecological processes that would have supported the species at that time and prospects for its rediscovery in New England.