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Arisaema dracontium

(L.) Schott

Green Dragon

G5Secure Found in 7 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
UnknownThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.154669
Element CodePMARA04020
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassMonocotyledoneae
OrderArales
FamilyAraceae
GenusArisaema
Other Common Names
Arisème dragon (FR) green dragon (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 Date2024-07-19
Change Date1984-02-09
Edition Date2024-07-19
Edition AuthorsJean Gagnon (1996), rev. Soteropoulos (2024)
Threat ImpactUnknown
Range Extent>2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences> 300
Rank Reasons
Arisaema dracontium is a wide-ranging perennial herb in mesic to wet forests occurring in eastern and central North America from Quebec and Ontario, Canada and Nebraska, United States south to Florida west to Texas and Mexico. Threats include invasive species, alteration of hydrology, recreation, development, agriculture, rights-of-way maintenance, 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
Arisaema dracontium occurs in eastern and central North America from Quebec and Ontario, Canada and Nebraska, United States south to Florida west to Texas and Mexico (FNA 2000). Range extent was estimated to be almost 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 threatened by invasive species, alteration of hydrology, recreation, development, agriculture, rights-of-way maintenance, and other threats in some places (NatureServe 2024). However, their overall impact is likely negligible given the species' broad range, large number of occurrences, and no obvious intrinsic vulnerabilities.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Arisaema dracontium grows in mesic to wet deciduous woods, floodplains, thickets, and bottomlands, rarely in uplands (FNA 2000, Weakley and the Southeastern Flora Team 2024).
Terrestrial Habitats
Forest - HardwoodForest - Mixed
Palustrine Habitats
FORESTED WETLANDRiparian
Other Nations (2)
CanadaN3
ProvinceRankNative
QuebecS3Yes
OntarioS3Yes
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
FloridaS3Yes
TennesseeSNRYes
ArkansasSNRYes
West VirginiaS5Yes
District of ColumbiaS2Yes
MissouriSNRYes
GeorgiaS4Yes
VermontS2Yes
MinnesotaS3Yes
South CarolinaS4Yes
TexasSNRYes
NebraskaS3Yes
VirginiaS5Yes
AlabamaSNRYes
North CarolinaS3Yes
KansasS3Yes
New JerseyS3Yes
WisconsinSNRYes
DelawareS2Yes
MarylandS4Yes
MassachusettsS2Yes
LouisianaSNRYes
MississippiSNRYes
IowaS4Yes
OhioSNRYes
KentuckyS4Yes
ConnecticutS4Yes
New YorkS4Yes
IndianaS4Yes
PennsylvaniaS3Yes
IllinoisS5Yes
MichiganSNRYes
OklahomaSNRYes
New HampshireS1Yes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
1 - Residential & commercial developmentUnknownUnknownUnknown
2 - Agriculture & aquacultureUnknownUnknownUnknown
2.1 - Annual & perennial non-timber cropsUnknownUnknownUnknown
2.1.4 - Scale unknown/unrecordedUnknownUnknownUnknown
4 - Transportation & service corridorsUnknownUnknownUnknown
6 - Human intrusions & disturbanceUnknownUnknownUnknown
6.1 - Recreational activitiesUnknownUnknownUnknown
7 - Natural system modificationsUnknownUnknownUnknown
7.2 - Dams & water management/useUnknownUnknownUnknown
8 - Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseasesUnknownUnknownUnknown
8.1 - Invasive non-native/alien species/diseasesUnknownUnknownUnknown
8.1.1 - Unspecified speciesUnknownUnknownUnknown

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Plant Characteristics
DurationPERENNIAL
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (7)
Arkansas (1)
AreaForestAcres
Clifty CanyonOzark-St. Francis National Forest1,963
Illinois (1)
AreaForestAcres
Burke BranchShawnee National Forest6,231
Indiana (1)
AreaForestAcres
Mogan RidgeHoosier National Forest8,435
Texas (1)
AreaForestAcres
Winters BayouNational Forests in Texas730
Virginia (2)
AreaForestAcres
North MountainJefferson National Forest8,377
Oliver MountainGeorge Washington National Forest13,090
West Virginia (1)
AreaForestAcres
North Mountain HopevilleMonongahela National Forest6,525
References (7)
  1. Flora of North America Editorial Committee (FNA). 2000. Flora of North America north of Mexico. Vol. 22. Magnoliophyta: Alismatidae, Arecidae, Commelinidae (in part), and Zingiberidae. Oxford Univ. Press, New York. xxiii + 352 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.