Home/Species/ Combleaf Mermaidweed

Proserpinaca pectinata

Lam.

Combleaf Mermaidweed

G5Secure Found in 4 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →

G5SecureGlobal Rank

Least concernIUCN

UnknownThreat Impact

Identity

Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.135919

Element CodePDHAL05020

Record TypeSPECIES

ClassificationSpecies

Classification StatusStandard

Name CategoryVascular Plant

IUCNLeast concern

Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations

KingdomPlantae

PhylumAnthophyta

ClassDicotyledoneae

OrderHaloragales

FamilyHaloragaceae

GenusProserpinaca

Other Common Names

combleaf mermaidweed (EN) Proserpinie pectinée (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 Date2024-06-14

Change Date1985-04-10

Edition Date2024-06-14

Edition AuthorsEberly (2024)

Threat ImpactUnknown

Range Extent>2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles)

Number of Occurrences> 300

Rank Reasons

Proserpinaca pectinata is a wide ranging aquatic or semi-aquatic herb occurring across much of the eastern United States, southeastern Canada, southern Mexico, and Cuba. With a large range extent, over 500 occurrences, abundant habitat, broad habitat preferences, and no obvious intrinsic vulnerabilities, this species is considered secure.

Range Extent Comments

Proserpinaca pectinata is a wide ranging species of North America (southeastern Canada and eastern United States) and Central America (southern Mexico) and the West Indies (Cuba) (FNA 2021, Weakley and Southeastern Flora Team 2024). Range extent was estimated using herbarium specimens and photo-based observations documented between 1983 and 2024 (GBIF 2024, iNaturalist 2024).

Occurrences Comments

By applying a 1 km separation distance to herbarium records and photo-based observations documented between 1983 and 2024, it is estimated that there are over 500 occurrences rangewide (GBIF 2024, iNaturalist 2024, SEINet 2024). The species is most common on coastal plains and less common on the Piedmont (Weakley and Southeastern Flora Team 2024).

Threat Impact Comments

Although threats are not widely documented, this species is potentially threatened by development, draining of wetlands/altered hydrology, and invasive species. However, their overall impact is likely negligible given species' broad range, large number of occurrences,¿tolerance of light disturbance,¿and affinity¿for typically abundant habitats, as well as no obvious intrinsic vulnerabilities.

Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

This aquatic or semi-aquatic species grows on the "shores of lakes, ponds, rivers, streams, bogs, and marshes" (FNA 2021), savannas, and in other seasonally or year round saturated depressions or ditches (Weakley and Southeastern Flora Team 2024).

Palustrine Habitats

TEMPORARY POOLHERBACEOUS WETLANDBog/fenRiparian

Other Nations (2)

United StatesN5

Province	Rank	Native
Maryland	SNR	Yes
Massachusetts	SNR	Yes
Michigan	S1	Yes
New Hampshire	SH	Yes
Florida	S4	Yes
North Carolina	S4	Yes
Tennessee	SNR	Yes
Louisiana	SNR	Yes
Alabama	SNR	Yes
Mississippi	SNR	Yes
New Jersey	S4	Yes
Texas	SNR	Yes
Maine	S1	Yes
Pennsylvania	SX	Yes
Georgia	SNR	Yes
Delaware	S5	Yes
Virginia	S3	Yes
South Carolina	S5	Yes
New York	S2	Yes
Connecticut	S1	Yes
Kentucky	S4	Yes

CanadaN3

Province	Rank	Native
Nova Scotia	S3	Yes
Island of Newfoundland	S1	Yes
New Brunswick	S1	Yes

Threat Assessments

Threat	Scope	Severity	Timing
1 - Residential & commercial development	Unknown	Unknown	High (continuing)
8 - Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseases	Unknown	Unknown	High (continuing)
8.1 - Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases	Unknown	Unknown	High (continuing)
8.1.1 - Unspecified species	Unknown	Unknown	High (continuing)

Plant Characteristics

Economic Value (Genus)No

Roadless Areas (4)

North Carolina (3)

Area	Forest	Acres
Catfish Lake North	Croatan National Forest	11,299
Pond Pine B	Croatan National Forest	2,961
Sheep Ridge Addition	Croatan National Forest	5,808

Texas (1)

Area	Forest	Acres
Winters Bayou	National Forests in Texas	730

References (3)

Flora of North America Editorial Committee (FNA). 2021. Flora of North America north of Mexico. Vol. 10. Magnoliophyta: Proteaceae to Elaeagnaceae. Oxford Univ. Press, New York. xxiv + 456 pp.
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.
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.

Proserpinaca pectinata

Habitat

—