Helonias bullata

Swamp pink occurs in wetland habitats and it requires habitat which is saturated with water. It is flood tolerant but does not appear capable of adapting to floods of long duration. Ideally the plant prefers an environment where the water table is consistently high and near its root system, but not persistently covering the basal rosette. Typical areas include freshwater wetlands of the Atlantic Coastal Plain, swampy forested wetlands which border small streams; meadows, and spring seepage areas. ==Variation in genetic diversity==

Low genetic diversity Many extant populations suffer low genetic diversity. This could be explained as a result of high self-fertilization rate due to harsh environmental conditions that affect successful cross-fertilization, such as limited seed dispersal range and browsing from predators. This is a result of natural selection considering the 'watery' habitat (i.e. swamp and wetland) of Helonias, and it accounts for the long-distance seed dispersal. Since genetic diversity is low, if a predominant trait among the population is selected against, the whole population faces the risk of being wiped out. In the long run, seeds that lure more animals will be favored by selection as opposed to seeds that are lighter, because the seeds dispersed by the animals will be spread over a larger range compared to that of lighter seeds, resulting in a lower risk of self-fertilization. == Threats ==

The brilliant pink color of the Helonias flowers attracts poachers. Helonias is a perennial and flowers before other spring plants, making it more visible to the poachers. It can also be trampled and is vulnerable to the effects of soil compaction. These factors contribute to the threatened status of Helonias. ==References==