Home/Species/ Baldwin's Milkvine

Matelea baldwyniana

(Sweet) Woods.

Baldwin's Milkvine

G3Vulnerable Found in 1 roadless area NatureServe Explorer →

G3VulnerableGlobal Rank

Identity

Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.147922

Element CodePDASC0A040

Record TypeSPECIES

ClassificationSpecies

Classification StatusStandard

Name CategoryVascular Plant

Endemicendemic to a single nation

KingdomPlantae

PhylumAnthophyta

ClassDicotyledoneae

OrderGentianales

FamilyApocynaceae

GenusMatelea

Synonyms

Matelea baldwiniana(Sweet) Woodson

Other Common Names

Baldwin's milkvine (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

According to Weakley et al. (2025), "The spelling of the epithet must be corrected to 'baldwiniana'." Fishbein and McDonnell in FNA (2023, vol. 14) retain the spelling Matelea baldwyniana.

Conservation Status

Review Date1998-07-01

Change Date1998-07-29

Edition Date1997-04-29

Edition AuthorsSkello, M. (1993), S.L.Neid (MRO, 1998)

Range Extent250-2,500,000 square km (about 100-1,000,000 square miles)

Number of Occurrences21 - 80

Rank Reasons

There are >30 known occurrences of Matelea baldwyniana, most of which are located in Missouri and Arkansas. There are disjunct populations in Georgia and Florida. Most populations have low numbers of individuals. Intensive forestry practices have virtually eliminated this species from its former range.

Range Extent Comments

M. baldwyniana is known from 6 states: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Missouri, and Oklahoma. Its primary range is in Missouri and Arkansas, with rare disjunct populations in Georgia and along the Apalachicola River in Florida. Only historical records from Alabama and Oklahoma.

Occurrences Comments

Extant occurrences in Arkansas (in 10 counties), Florida (2, plus 1 historical location) Georgia (3), Missouri (16).

Threat Impact Comments

Threats include extensive logging and clearcutting on or near occurrence sites.

Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Calcareous soils of upper, mostly westerly-facing slopes and bluffs in open or cut-over oak-hickory mixed hardwood forests or along roadsides (Based on Ward 1979).

Terrestrial Habitats

Forest/WoodlandForest - Mixed

Other Nations (1)

United StatesN3

Province	Rank	Native
Missouri	S3	Yes
Arkansas	SNR	Yes
Florida	S1	Yes
Texas	SNR	Yes
Oklahoma	S2	Yes
Alabama	S1	Yes
Mississippi	S1	Yes

Plant Characteristics

DurationPERENNIAL

Economic Value (Genus)No

Roadless Areas (1)

Arkansas (1)

Area	Forest	Acres
Bear Mountain	Ouachita National Forest	1,910

References (10)

Flora of North America Editorial Committee (FNA). 2023. Flora of North America north of Mexico. Vol. 14. Magnoliophyta: Gentianaceae to Hydroleaceae. Oxford Univ. Press, New York. xxiv + 505 pp.
Great Plains Flora Association (R.L. McGregor, coordinator; T.M. Barkley, ed., R.E. Brooks and E.K. Schofield, associate eds.). 1986. Flora of the Great Plains. University Press of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas. 1392 pp.
Hall, D.W. 1993. Illustrated plants of Florida and the Coastal Plain. Maupin House, Gainesville, Florida. 431 pp.
Hays, J. 1995. A Missouri survey for Climbing Milkweed [Matelea baldwyniana (Sweet) Woodson] and Pale Gerardia [Agalinis skinneriana (Wood) Britton]. Natural History Division, Missouri Department of Conservation, Jefferson City, Missouri. Report prepared under cooperative agreement No. 14-45-0009-94-1019, with the National Biological Service.
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.
Radford, A.E., H.E. Ahles, and C.R. Bell. 1968. Manual of the vascular flora of the Carolinas. Univ. North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill, NC. 1183 pp.
Smith, E. B. 1988b. An atlas and annotated list of the vascular plants of Arkansas, 2nd edition. University of Arkansas, Fayetteville.
Steyermark, J.A. 1963. Flora of Missouri. Iowa State Univ. Press, Ames. 1728 pp.
Ward, D.B., ed. 1979. Rare and endangered biota of Florida. Vol. 5: Plants. Univ. Presses of Florida, Gainesville.
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).