''Gratiola quartermaniae'', commonly known as the limestone hedge-hyssop, is a species of flowering plant in the plantain family. It is native to eastern North America. This species has a highly fragmented range. It is most common in the Interior Low Plateaus of Alabama and Tennessee. There are disjunct populations in the

Edwards Plateau The Edwards Plateau is a geographic region at the crossroads of Central Texas, Central, South Texas, South, and West Texas. It is bounded by the Balcones Fault to the south and east, the Llano Uplift and the Llano Estacado to the north, and the ...

of Texas, northern Illinois, the Pennyroyal Plain of Kentucky, and to southern Ontario. In each of these wide-ranging locations it is found on areas of pooling water over flat limestone outcrops, in habitats such as

cedar glades A calcareous glade is a type of ecological community that is found in the central Eastern United States. Calcareous glades occur where bedrock such as limestone occurs near or at the surface, and have very shallow and little soil development ...

and alvars. It is likely that this newly described species is more widespread than is currently realized. Due to its highly scattered range and restricted habitat, as well as the threat of

habitat destruction Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss and habitat reduction) is the process by which a natural habitat becomes incapable of supporting its native species. The organisms that previously inhabited the site are displaced or dead, thereby ...

in middle Tennessee, this species is considered vulnerable. This species was first described in 2007. It is closely related to '' Gratiola neglecta'', which collections were previously identified as. It is distinguished by its more linear leaves, its nearly hairless midstem, and its thicker seeds. It produces tubular, cream-colored flowers in the spring.

References

quartermaniae Flora of the Southeastern United States Plants described in 2007 {{Plantaginaceae-stub