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Heuchera puberula

Mackenzie & Bush

Little-flower Alumroot

G3Vulnerable Found in 2 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G3VulnerableGlobal Rank
UnknownThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.127912
Element CodePDSAX0E0T2
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
Endemicendemic to a single nation
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassDicotyledoneae
OrderRosales
FamilySaxifragaceae
GenusHeuchera
Synonyms
Heuchera parviflora var. puberula(Mackenzie & Bush) E. Wells
Other Common Names
littleflower alumroot (EN) Ozark Alumroot (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.
Taxonomic Comments
Pantinople et al. (2024), Folk & Freudenstein (2015), and Weakley (2025) treat Huechera puberula as a distinct species. In contrast, Kartesz (1994) and FNA (vol. 8, 2009) treated it as a variety, H. parviflora var. puberula.
Conservation Status
Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2
Review Date2025-05-16
Change Date2025-05-16
Edition Date2025-05-16
Edition AuthorsLogan, John. (1996), rev. Soteropoulos (2025)
Threat ImpactUnknown
Range Extent20,000-200,000 square km (about 8000-80,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences21 - 80
Rank Reasons
Heuchera puberula is a perennial herb on calcareous limestone or dolomite in riparian areas and shaded cliff bases that is endemic to the south-central United States in the Interior Highlands of southern Missouri and northern Arkansas. There are estimated to be over 40 occurrences which potentially face threats from development, mining, logging, and recreational activities. Monitoring of populations should be conducted to improve our understanding of reproduction, plant abundance, threats, and trends, as well as continuing conservation measures to protect the taxon.
Range Extent Comments
Heuchera puberula is endemic to the south-central United States in the Interior Highlands of southern Missouri and northern Arkansas (Weakley and the Southeastern Flora Team 2025). Range extent was estimated to be approximately 40,000 square kilometers using herbarium specimens, photo-based observations, and NatureServe Network occurrence data documented between 1994 and 2025 (GBIF 2025, iNaturalist 2025, NatureServe 2025, RARECAT 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 1994 and 2025, it is estimated that there are over 40 occurrences rangewide (GBIF 2025, iNaturalist 2025, NatureServe 2025, RARECAT 2025, SEINet 2025).
Threat Impact Comments
Although threats are not widely documented, this taxon is potentially threatened by development, mining, logging, recreational activities, and other threats in some places, though there is insufficient data, including anecdotal accounts, to understand scope and severity of threats for this taxon (NatureServe 2025).
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Heuchera puberula grows in "riparian areas, and also shaded cliff bases" on calcareous limestone or dolomite (Folk and Freudenstein 2015, Weakley and the Southeastern Flora Team 2025).
Terrestrial Habitats
Bare rock/talus/screeCliff
Palustrine Habitats
Riparian
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN3
ProvinceRankNative
MissouriS2Yes
ArkansasS3Yes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
Unknown/undetermined———

—

Plant Characteristics
DurationPERENNIAL
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (2)
Arkansas (1)
AreaForestAcres
Clifty CanyonOzark-St. Francis National Forest1,963
Missouri (1)
AreaForestAcres
Spring Creek Rare II Study AreaMark Twain National Forest4,899
References (10)
  1. Flora of North America Editorial Committee (FNA). 2009. Flora of North America north of Mexico. Vol. 8. Magnoliophyta: Paeoniaceae to Ericaceae. Oxford University Press, New York. xxiv + 585 pp.
  2. Folk, R.A. and J.V. Freudenstein. 2015. "Sky islands" in the eastern U.S.A.? - Strong phylogenetic structure in the Heuchera parviflora group (Saxifragaceae). Taxon 64(2): 254-271.
  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. Pantinople, D.J., Engle-Wrye, N.J., and R. A. Folk. 2024. <i>Heuchera tuckasegeensis</i> sp. nov.(Saxifragaceae), a new species from western North Carolina. Systematic Botany 49(1): 37-47.
  8. <p>NatureServe's Rapid Analysis of Rarity and Endangerment Conservation Assessment Tool (RARECAT). 2025. Version: 2.1.1 (released April 04, 2025).</p>
  9. Southwest Environmental Information Network (SEINet). 2025. Collections Databases. Online. Available: https://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/collections/index.php (accessed 2025).
  10. Weakley, A.S., and Southeastern Flora Team. 2025. Flora of the southeastern United States Web App. Edition of February 18, 2025. University of North Carolina Herbarium (NCU), North Carolina Botanical Garden, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Online. Available: https://fsus.ncbg.unc.edu (accessed 2025).