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Lythrum alatum

Pursh

Winged-loosestrife

G5Secure Found in 5 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
UnknownThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.157008
Element CodePDLYT09010
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassDicotyledoneae
OrderMyrtales
FamilyLythraceae
GenusLythrum
Other Common Names
Salicaire ailée (FR) Winged Loosestrife (EN) winged lythrum (EN)
Concept Reference
Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
Conservation Status
Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2
Review Date2024-06-25
Change Date1984-06-07
Edition Date2024-06-25
Edition AuthorsSoteropoulos (2024)
Threat ImpactUnknown
Range Extent>2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences> 300
Rank Reasons
Lythrum alatum is a wide-ranging perennial herb in a variety of wetland habitats occurring in eastern and central North America from Ontario, Canada and Maine west to North Dakota, United States south to Florida west to Texas and Colorado, and it is introduced in Mexico. There are two varieties, which are elevated to species in some floras. Threats include development, conversion to agriculture or silviculture, rights-of-way maintenance, recreational activities, succession, and invasive species. Little is known about trends, but with a large range extent and large number of occurrences, this species is considered secure.
Range Extent Comments
Lythrum alatum occurs in eastern and central North America from Ontario, Canada and Maine west to North Dakota, United States south to Florida west to Texas and Colorado, and it is introduced in Mexico (FNA 2021). See individual entries for distribution details about the two varieties, which are elevated to species in some floras (e.g., Weakley and the Southeastern Flora Team 2024). Range extent was estimated to be over 5 million square kilometers using herbarium specimens, photo-based observations, and NatureServe Network occurrence data documented between 1993 and 2024 (GBIF 2024, iNaturalist 2024, NatureServe 2024, SEINet 2024).
Occurrences Comments
By applying a 1 km separation distance to herbarium specimens, photo-based observations, and NatureServe Network occurrence data documented between 1993 and 2024, it is estimated that there are thousands of occurrences rangewide (GBIF 2024, iNaturalist 2024, NatureServe 2024, SEINet 2024).
Threat Impact Comments
Although threats are not widely documented, this species is potentially threatened by development, conversion to agriculture or silviculture, rights-of-way maintenance, recreational activities, succession, invasive species, and other threats in some places.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Lythrum alatum grows in wet soil, ditches, thickets, blackland prairies, coastal prairies, marshes, low open fields, meadows, marl fens, woodland margins, pine savannas, pine flatwoods, and swamps (FNA 2021, Weakley and the Southeastern Flora Team 2024).
Terrestrial Habitats
Forest EdgeWoodland - ConiferWoodland - MixedShrubland/chaparralSavannaGrassland/herbaceousOld field
Palustrine Habitats
HERBACEOUS WETLANDSCRUB-SHRUB WETLANDFORESTED WETLANDBog/fen
Other Nations (2)
CanadaN3
ProvinceRankNative
OntarioS3Yes
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
TexasSNRYes
KentuckyS4Yes
IndianaSNRYes
MaineSUYes
OhioSNRYes
TennesseeSNRYes
North DakotaSNRYes
New HampshireSNRYes
VirginiaS2Yes
District of ColumbiaS1Yes
MichiganSNRYes
GeorgiaSNRYes
NebraskaSNRYes
New JerseySNRYes
VermontS1Yes
OklahomaSNRYes
North CarolinaSNRYes
MarylandS1Yes
ConnecticutS1Yes
ArkansasSNRYes
West VirginiaS2Yes
MassachusettsS1Yes
WyomingS1Yes
KansasSNRYes
Rhode IslandSNANo
South CarolinaSNRYes
MinnesotaSNRYes
New YorkSNRYes
MississippiSNRYes
WisconsinSNRYes
AlabamaSNRYes
PennsylvaniaS1Yes
IllinoisSNRYes
IowaS4Yes
FloridaSNRYes
South DakotaSNRYes
LouisianaSNRYes
MissouriSNRYes
ColoradoS3Yes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
Unknown/undetermined———

—

Plant Characteristics
DurationPERENNIAL
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (5)
Alabama (1)
AreaForestAcres
Blue MountainTalladega National Forest4,986
Louisiana (1)
AreaForestAcres
Saline Bayou W & S River CorridorKisatchie National Forest5,355
North Dakota (2)
AreaForestAcres
DurlerDakota Prairie Grasslands12,464
McleodDakota Prairie Grasslands9,117
South Carolina (1)
AreaForestAcres
Wambaw ExtFrancis Marion National Forest527
References (7)
  1. Flora of North America Editorial Committee (FNA). 2021. Flora of North America north of Mexico. Vol. 10. Magnoliophyta: Proteaceae to Elaeagnaceae. Oxford Univ. Press, New York. xxiv + 456 pp.
  2. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). 2024. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) data portal. Online. Available: https://www.gbif.org/ (accessed 2024).
  3. iNaturalist. 2024. Online. Available: https://www.inaturalist.org (accessed 2024).
  4. Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
  5. NatureServe. 2024. NatureServe Network Biodiversity Location Data. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia.
  6. Southwest Environmental Information Network (SEINet). 2024. Collections Databases. Online. Available: https://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/collections/index.php (accessed 2024).
  7. Weakley, A.S., and Southeastern Flora Team. 2024. Flora of the southeastern United States. Edition of March 4, 2024. University of North Carolina Herbarium (NCU), North Carolina Botanical Garden, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. 2203 pp.