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Schizachne purpurascens

(Torr.) Swallen

Purple Oat

G5Secure Found in 3 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
UnknownThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.141327
Element CodePMPOA5C010
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassMonocotyledoneae
OrderCyperales
FamilyPoaceae
GenusSchizachne
Other Common Names
False Melic (EN) false melic (EN) Purple Oatgrass (EN) Schizachné pourpré (FR)
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 Date2025-01-31
Change Date1988-02-24
Edition Date2025-01-31
Edition AuthorsSoteropoulos (2025)
Threat ImpactUnknown
Range Extent>2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences> 300
Rank Reasons
Schizachne purpurascens is a perennial graminoid in forests occurring in the northern temperate biome from Alaska, United States and throughout Canada (except Nunavut) south in the United States to Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, Iowa, and New Mexico; it also occurs in northeastern Asia. Threats include recreational activities, deer browse, invasive species, livestock grazing, development, rights-of-way maintenance, logging, and other threats in some places. Little is known about trends, but with a large range extent and large number of occurrences, abundant habitat, broad habitat preferences, and no obvious intrinsic vulnerabilities, this species is considered secure.
Range Extent Comments
Schizachne purpurascens occurs in the northern temperate biome from Alaska, United States and throughout Canada (except Nunavut) south in the United States to Maryland, western Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, Iowa, and New Mexico; it also occurs in northeastern Asia (FNA 2007, Weakley and the Southeastern Flora Team 2024). Range extent was estimated to be over 68 million square kilometers using herbarium specimens, photo-based observations, and NatureServe Network occurrence data documented between 1984 and 2025 (GBIF 2025, iNaturalist 2025, NatureServe 2025, SEINet 2025).
Occurrences Comments
By applying a 1 km separation distance to herbarium specimens, photo-based observations, and NatureServe Network occurrence data documented between 1984 and 2025, it is estimated that there are over 1,300 occurrences rangewide (GBIF 2025, iNaturalist 2025, NatureServe 2025, SEINet 2025).
Threat Impact Comments
Although threats are not widely documented, this species is threatened by recreational activities, deer browse, invasive species, livestock grazing, development, rights-of-way maintenance, logging, and other threats in some places (NatureServe 2025). However, their overall impact is likely negligible given the species' broad range, large number of occurrences, and no obvious intrinsic vulnerabilities.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Schizachne purpurascens grows in "moist to mesic woods," including "rocky northern hardwood and spruce forests, rocky river bluffs" (FNA 2007, Weakley and the Southeastern Flora Team 2024).
Terrestrial Habitats
Forest/WoodlandForest - HardwoodForest - ConiferForest - Mixed
Other Nations (2)
CanadaN5
ProvinceRankNative
Island of NewfoundlandS3Yes
AlbertaS5Yes
LabradorS4Yes
Prince Edward IslandS2Yes
Yukon TerritoryS2Yes
QuebecSNRYes
ManitobaS5Yes
SaskatchewanS4Yes
New BrunswickS4Yes
British ColumbiaS5Yes
Northwest TerritoriesS4Yes
Nova ScotiaS4Yes
OntarioS5Yes
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
WyomingS3Yes
MinnesotaSNRYes
West VirginiaS2Yes
MaineSNRYes
MarylandS1Yes
Rhode IslandSNRYes
New HampshireSNRYes
North DakotaSNRYes
OhioS1Yes
IllinoisS1Yes
ColoradoS3Yes
VirginiaS1Yes
New JerseyS1Yes
IowaS4Yes
UtahS1Yes
South DakotaSNRYes
AlaskaS2Yes
VermontS5Yes
WisconsinSNRYes
NebraskaS1Yes
MichiganSNRYes
IndianaS1Yes
MontanaSUYes
PennsylvaniaSNRYes
MassachusettsSNRYes
ConnecticutS3Yes
KentuckyS2Yes
New YorkS5Yes
New MexicoSNRYes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
1 - Residential & commercial developmentUnknownUnknownUnknown
2 - Agriculture & aquacultureUnknownUnknownUnknown
2.3 - Livestock farming & ranchingUnknownUnknownUnknown
2.3.4 - Scale unknown/unrecordedUnknownUnknownUnknown
4 - Transportation & service corridorsUnknownUnknownUnknown
5 - Biological resource useUnknownUnknownUnknown
5.3 - Logging & wood harvestingUnknownUnknownUnknown
5.3.5 - Motivation unknown/unrecordedUnknownUnknownUnknown
6 - Human intrusions & disturbanceUnknownUnknownUnknown
6.1 - Recreational activitiesUnknownUnknownUnknown
8 - Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseasesUnknownUnknownUnknown
8.1 - Invasive non-native/alien species/diseasesUnknownUnknownUnknown
8.1.1 - Unspecified speciesUnknownUnknownUnknown
8.2 - Problematic native species/diseasesUnknownUnknownUnknown
8.2.2 - Named speciesUnknownUnknownUnknown

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Plant Characteristics
DurationPERENNIAL
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (3)
Minnesota (1)
AreaForestAcres
Brule Lake - Eagle MountainSuperior National Forest12,380
Wyoming (2)
AreaForestAcres
Illinois CreekMedicine Bow-Routt National Forest6,711
Platte River AdditionMedicine Bow-Routt National Forest7,962
References (8)
  1. Dodds, Jill S. 2022. <i>Schizachne purpurascens</i> Rare Plant Profile. New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, State Parks, Forests and Historic Sites, State Forest Fire Service and Forestry, Office of Natural Lands Management, New Jersey Natural Heritage Program, Trenton, NJ. 16 pp. [https://nj.gov/dep/parksandforests/natural/heritage/docs/schizachne-purpurascens-purple-oat.pdf]
  2. Flora of North America Editorial Committee (FNA). 2007a. Flora of North America north of Mexico. Vol. 24. Magnoliophyta: Commelinidae (in part): Poaceae, part 1. Oxford Univ. Press, New York. xxviii + 911 pp.
  3. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). 2025. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) data portal. Online. Available: https://www.gbif.org/ (accessed 2025).
  4. iNaturalist. 2025. Online. Available: https://www.inaturalist.org (accessed 2025).
  5. 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.
  6. NatureServe. 2025. NatureServe Network Biodiversity Location Data. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia.
  7. Southwest Environmental Information Network (SEINet). 2025. Collections Databases. Online. Available: https://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/collections/index.php (accessed 2025).
  8. 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.