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Asimina triloba

(L.) Dunal

Pawpaw

G5Secure Found in 45 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.148616
Element CodePDANN02080
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassDicotyledoneae
OrderMagnoliales
FamilyAnnonaceae
GenusAsimina
Other Common Names
Asiminier trilobé (FR) Common Pawpaw (EN) pawpaw (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 MethodExpertise without calculation
Review Date2015-07-16
Change Date1983-09-19
Edition Date2000-01-03
Edition AuthorsJohn R. Boetsch (1/00); rev. Eric Nielsen and Larry Morse (1/00)
Range Extent>2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences81 to >300
Rank Reasons
This species is has a very broad range in eastern North America and is frequently encountered in a wide variety of wooded habitats across its range. At present, collection pressure does not seem to be a major concern, however as with most plants of potential commercial value, future changes in the market may put increased pressure on this species unless cultivation is pursued.
Range Extent Comments
Eastern North America, from central and western New York (Young pers. comm.) and Ontario west to Wisconsin (USDA-NRCS 1999), southern Iowa (Pearson pers. comm.), eastern Kansas (Freeman pers. comm.) and Nebraska (Kartesz 1999); south to Texas, Louisiana and Florida; east to the Carolinas (USDA-NRCS 1999).
Occurrences Comments
Several thousand populations are likely extant rangewide. Alabama: hundreds; Indiana: thousands; Kansas: >100; Maryland: hundreds; North Carolina: 50-75+ (Kauffman pers. comm.); Nebraska: 25-50+; New York: 16; South Carolina: thousands; Tennessee: 73+ (Brumback and Mehrhoff 1996, APSU 1999).

Since this is such a common species throughout much of its range, these numbers can only be estimates. Additional information on species distribution and the number of populations can be gleaned from county occurrence dot maps (USDA-NRCS 1999).
Threat Impact Comments
There is indirect evidence from West Virginia and Tennessee, obtained from reliable sources, that collecting occurs from wild populations for the plant trade. Typically the fruits are collected and sold at local markets, either fresh or as preserves (Blakley pers. comm., Suggs pers. comm., Kauffman pers. comm., Hardy pers. comm., Freeman pers. comm.). Collection of material for the medicinal trade is apparently not common, though there exists a potential market for this species in the near future due to purported anti-cancer properties (Suggs pers. comm.). In Tennessee, this plant is collected from the wild and sold as nursery stock (Warren Co. Nursery).

A person knowledgable about the herbal medicinal trade says that the plant is not in commerce for medicinal purposes (M. McGuffin pers. comm.).

Habitat conversion and urban/rural development are significant direct threats (Homoya pers. comm., Pittman pers. comm., Young pers. comm., Schotz pers. comm., Freeman pers. comm., Steinauer pers. comm., Kunsman pers. comm.). Equally significant threats include habitat fragmentation and displacement by exotic species (Homoya pers. comm., Penskar pers. comm., Frye pers. comm., Steinauer pers. comm.).
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

This species is found in rich, mesic alluvial or floodplain forests, bottomlands and on wooded slopes near streams (Kauffman pers. comm., Rock pers. comm., Schotz pers. comm., Schafale pers. comm., Freeman pers. comm.). In the southeast coastal plain and piedmont, it is known to occur in brownwater levee forests in the coastal plain, piedmont bottomlands, piedmont basic mesic forests, and rich cove forests (Schafale pers. comm.).

Ecology

Fruiting in this species appears to be rather intermittent and infrequent (Schafale pers. comm., Rock pers. comm., Pittman pers. comm., Penskar pers. comm.); occasionally abundant fruit are produced in parts of its range (Kunsman pers. comm.). Fruit production may be more abundant and frequent in the northern portion of its range (Kauffman pers. comm., Schotz pers. comm., Pittman pers. comm.). Feral hogs are known to consume the fruits of pawpaw (Pittman pers. comm.).
Other Nations (2)
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
South CarolinaS5Yes
TexasSNRYes
New YorkS2Yes
ArkansasSNRYes
VirginiaS5Yes
MississippiSNRYes
OhioSNRYes
District of ColumbiaSNRYes
KentuckyS5Yes
PennsylvaniaS5Yes
WisconsinSNRYes
KansasS3Yes
GeorgiaS5Yes
IowaS2Yes
MissouriSNRYes
AlabamaSNRYes
MichiganSNRYes
MarylandSNRYes
IllinoisSNRYes
IndianaS5Yes
TennesseeSNRYes
NebraskaS4Yes
LouisianaSNRYes
New JerseyS3Yes
North CarolinaS5Yes
OklahomaSNRYes
DelawareS5Yes
West VirginiaS5Yes
FloridaS2Yes
CanadaN3
ProvinceRankNative
OntarioS3Yes
Plant Characteristics
Economic Value (Genus)Yes
Roadless Areas (45)
Arkansas (7)
AreaForestAcres
Bear MountainOuachita National Forest1,910
Clifty CanyonOzark-St. Francis National Forest1,963
Devils CanyonOzark-St. Francis National Forest1,877
Gee CreekOzark-St. Francis National Forest7,957
Indian CreekOzark-St. Francis National Forest7,855
Pedestal RocksOzark-St. Francis National Forest21,957
Richland CreekOzark-St. Francis National Forest571
Georgia (2)
AreaForestAcres
Kelly RidgeChattahoochee National Forest8,325
Rocky MountainChattahoochee National Forest4,269
Idaho (1)
AreaForestAcres
Bear CreekCaribou-Targhee National Forest118,582
Indiana (1)
AreaForestAcres
Mogan RidgeHoosier National Forest8,435
Kentucky (1)
AreaForestAcres
WolfpenDaniel Boone National Forest2,835
Missouri (2)
AreaForestAcres
Irish Rare II Study AreaMark Twain National Forest1,226
Spring Creek Rare II Study AreaMark Twain National Forest4,899
North Carolina (5)
AreaForestAcres
Bald MountainPisgah National Forest11,085
Cheoah BaldNantahala National Forest7,795
Harper CreekPisgah National Forest7,325
Linville Gorge AdditionPisgah National Forest2,809
Yellowhammer Branch (add.)Nantahala National Forest1,255
Oklahoma (1)
AreaForestAcres
Beech CreekOuachita National Forest8,303
Tennessee (5)
AreaForestAcres
Bald River Gorge AdditionCherokee National Forest1,728
Big Laurel Branch AdditionCherokee National Forest5,577
Devil's BackboneCherokee National Forest4,287
Stone MountainCherokee National Forest5,367
Upper Bald RiverCherokee National Forest9,202
Virginia (16)
AreaForestAcres
Adams PeakGeorge Washington National Forest7,135
Beards MountainGeorge Washington National Forest7,505
Broad RunJefferson National Forest10,971
Brush MountainJefferson National Forest6,002
Brush Mountain EastJefferson National Forest4,916
Hoop HoleJefferson National Forest4,652
James River AdditionJefferson National Forest1,140
Mill MountainGeorge Washington National Forest10,840
North MountainJefferson National Forest8,377
Northern MassanuttenGeorge Washington National Forest9,444
Oliver MountainGeorge Washington National Forest13,090
Patterson MountainJefferson National Forest4,865
Price MountainJefferson National Forest9,119
Southern MassanuttenGeorge Washington National Forest11,985
Three RidgesGeorge Washington National Forest4,745
Three SistersGeorge Washington National Forest8,149
West Virginia (4)
AreaForestAcres
Dolly Sods Roaring PlainMonongahela National Forest13,392
Glady ForkMonongahela National Forest3,239
Mcgowan MountainMonongahela National Forest10,504
North Mountain HopevilleMonongahela National Forest6,525
References (27)
  1. APSU Center for Field Biology and University of Tennessee Herbarium. 1999. October 6-last update. Atlas of Tennessee Vascular Plants. Online. Available: http://www.bio.utk.edu/botany/herbarium/vascular/atlas.html. Accessed 2000-Jan.
  2. Blakley, Tim. National Center for the Preservation of Medicinal Herbs, Rutland, OH.
  3. Brumback, W.E., and L.J. Mehrhoff. 1996. Flora Conservanda: New England. The New England Plant Conservation Program list of plants in need of conservation. Rhodora 98 (895): 235-361.
  4. Enser, Rick. RI Heritage Program Botanist.
  5. Flora of North America Editorial Committee (FNA). 1997. Flora of North America north of Mexico. Vol. 3. Magnoliophyta: Magnoliidae and Hamamelidae. Oxford Univ. Press, New York. xxiii + 590 pp.
  6. Freeman, Craig. Personal communication. Botanist, Kansas Natural Features Inventory. Kansas Biological Survey, Lawrence, KS.
  7. Frye, Chris. Maryland Heritage Program Botanist.
  8. Harmon, P.J. Botanist, West Virginia Natural Heritage Program, Department of Natural Resources Operations Center, Elkins, WV.
  9. Homoya, Mike. Personal communication. Botanist/Plant Ecologist. Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Division of Nature Preserves. Indianapolis, IN.
  10. 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.
  11. Kartesz, J.T. 1999. A synonymized checklist and atlas with biological attributes for the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. First edition. In: Kartesz, J.T., and C.A. Meacham. Synthesis of the North American Flora, Version 1.0. North Carolina Botanical Garden, Chapel Hill, N.C.
  12. Kauffman, Gary. Personal Communication. Botanist. USDA Forest Service, Nantahala National Forest, Highlands, NC.
  13. Kunsman, J. Botanist, Pennsylvania Natural Diversity Inventory-East.
  14. McGuffin, Michael. Personal communication. American Herbal Products Association, Silver Spring MD
  15. Morse, Larry E. Personal Communication. North American Botanist, NatureServe, Arlington, VA. Formerly Chief Botanist, The Nature Conservancy, Arlington, VA.
  16. Pearson, John. Iowa Heritage Program Botanist.
  17. Penskar, Mike. Personal communication. Botanist, Michigan Natural Features Inventory. Lansing, MI.
  18. Pittman, Bert. SC Heritage Program Botanist.
  19. Punter, C. Elizabeth. Special Projects Botanist, Manitoba Conservation Data Centre. Personal communication.
  20. Rock, Janet. GSMNP Heritage Program Botanist.
  21. Schafale, Mike. Community Ecologist, North Carolina Heritage Program.
  22. Schotz, Al. Personal Communication. Botanist, Alabama Natural Heritage Program.
  23. Steinauer, Gerry. Personal Communication. Nebraska Natural Heritage Program Botanist. Game and Parks Commission, Lincoln, NE
  24. Suggs, Robin. Executive Director, Yellow Creek Botanical Institute, Robbinsville, NC.
  25. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service. 1999. November 3-last update. The PLANTS database. Online. Available: http://plants.usda.gov/plants. Accessed 2000-Jan.
  26. Warren County Nursery, McMinnville, TN.
  27. Young, Steve. Personal communication. Botanist, New York Natural Heritage Program.