Graduate student uncovers possible solution to save Virginia plant species

An endangered perennial plant native to south-central United States now has a fighting chance thanks to the efforts of George Mason University master’s student Emily Poindexter.

Poindexter, who is pursuing a master’s in environmental science and policy, received funding from the Virginia Native Plant Society to support her study of Ozark Milkvetch, a small, perennial plant native to south-central United States, as well as parts of Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia. While widely distributed in the south-central region, this species only grows on shale barrens in the mid-Atlantic, particularly in Virginia where it is currently classified as critically imperiled, meaning at risk of extinction.

“Everything has a cascading effect,” Poindexter said. “The protection of a single plant species can lead to conservation of its specific ecosystem and habitat. That habitat may be home to an entire community of organisms who now also benefit from that protection.”

Ozark Milkvetch was believed to be extinct in Virginia until George Mason researcher Andrea Weeks and a team of students, faculty, and alumni found a population on Short Mountain in Shenandoah County in 2022.

Poindexter works alongside Weeks, an associate professor in the Department of Biology and director of Ted R. Bradley Herbarium, who specializes in the systematics, historical biogeography, and evolution of flowering plants. Weeks is supervising Poindexter in the comparison of DNA sequence data from the two varieties of Ozark Milkvetch to determine its taxonomy, diversity, and evolutionary history. 

Poindexter said that she’s hypothesizing the Ozark Milkvetch populations in the mid-Atlantic have evolved independently from those in the south-central United States. This study is the first to use comparative genetics methods to test whether this is the case. In doing so, Poindexter will be able to update the species’ conservation status and guide future conservation strategies. 

Poindexter also works at the U.S. National Herbarium at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History, where her existing love for botany has evolved into an interest in systematics—the study of species characteristics and how they relate to other species as it relates to conservation. This added interest inspired Poindexter’s decision to pursue a master’s degree to move her career forward and work on a conservation and systematics research project. 

As part of her current study, Poindexter traveled to the south-central United States to seek out populations of Ozark Milkvetch and compare their genetics with those that grow locally in Virginia. Acting as a detective, she used entries from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility database and posts from the citizen science app, iNaturalist, to locate the species in real-time and analyze historical data to show where this species may have previously flourished but no longer exists. 

“We know the behaviors of human beings affects the ecology of the planet, and we would really like to understand how to mitigate that impact,” said Weeks of the project. “But the fact is, we don’t fully understand how our ecosystems work. We need to continue learning about these systems individually so we can put the pieces back together.”

Poindexter also hopes her work inspire other students to participate in research. “I think students often feel they don’t have enough background or expertise to participate in research. However, I’m really a big proponent for just trying things and seeing where it gets you,” she said. “Sometimes things just align, they work out, and you end up in a better place than you ever expected—at least that was the case for me. Throw your hat in the ring and learn as you go. Find a mentor you can trust, offer them an idea or even just your time, and then be open to the opportunities that follow.”

All analytical work for the Ozark Milkvetch will be complete by Summer 2025, and Poindexter anticipates graduating in the following academic year.