Pycnanthemum beadlei

(Small) Fern.

Beadle's Mountainmint

G3Vulnerable Found in 2 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G3VulnerableGlobal Rank
MediumThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.141370
Element CodePDLAM1N0M0
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
Endemicendemic to a single nation
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassDicotyledoneae
OrderLamiales
FamilyLamiaceae
GenusPycnanthemum
Other Common Names
Beadle's mountainmint (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
A tetraploid species, probably derived from P. montanum x muticum (Amoroso, J. 6/96).
Conservation Status
Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2
Review Date2024-11-21
Change Date2024-11-21
Edition Date2024-11-21
Edition AuthorsJ. Amoroso (1996), rev. C. Nordman (2018), rev. N. Ventrella (2024)
Threat ImpactMedium
Range Extent20,000-200,000 square km (about 8000-80,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences6 - 80
Rank Reasons
Pycnanthemum beadlei is a perennial forb occurring in open forests, woodlands, woodland and forest edges, roadsides, and in utility rights-of-ways of the southern and central Appalachian Mountains region, ranging from West Virginia south to northwestern South Carolina and northeastern Georgia. Its distribution and abundance are poorly known, particularly in Virginia, but it is rare to uncommon throughout most of its range. Threats to this species include land-use conversion and habitat degradation, the use of herbicides for management of rights-of-ways, and forest succession.
Range Extent Comments
Pycnanthemum beadlei occurs in the southeastern United States as a southern and central Appalachian endemic species, ranging from West Virginia south to northwestern South Carolina and northeastern Georgia (LeGrand et al. 2024, Weakley and the Southeastern Flora Team 2024). Range extent was estimated using herbarium specimens, photo-based observations, and NatureServe Network occurrence data collected 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 thirteen occurrences rangewide (GBIF 2024, iNaturalist 2024, NatureServe 2024, SEINet 2024). However, not all collections are georeferenced, and anecdotal comments support the likelihood that there are over twenty occurrences.
Threat Impact Comments
Pycnanthemum beadlei is somewhat threatened by land-use conversion and habitat fragmentation (Southern Appalachian Species Viability Project 2002). The use of some herbicides (which affect dicots) for roadside and utility line rights-of-way management is a threat. Forest succession leading to tree canopy closure and shading of the forest understory can degrade habitat for this plant, which prefers a semi-open canopy. Numerous invasive exotic plants which can dominate forest edges and rights-of-way are also threats.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Pycnanthemum beadlei occurs in mountainous areas of the southern Appalachians, in open forests and woodlands, woodland borders, forest edges, and also on roadsides and utility line rights-of-way (Weakley et al. 2012, Poindexter 2013, Weakley 2015). In North Carolina, it prefers rocky substrates and moderate to steep slopes (LeGrand et al. 2024).
Terrestrial Habitats
Forest/WoodlandForest EdgeGrassland/herbaceous
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN3
ProvinceRankNative
TennesseeS1Yes
GeorgiaS2Yes
South CarolinaS2Yes
North CarolinaS3Yes
West VirginiaS1Yes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
1 - Residential & commercial developmentSmall (1-10%)Serious or 31-70% pop. declineHigh - moderate
4 - Transportation & service corridorsSmall (1-10%)Serious or 31-70% pop. declineHigh - moderate
4.2 - Utility & service linesSmall (1-10%)Serious or 31-70% pop. declineHigh - moderate
7 - Natural system modificationsRestricted (11-30%)Moderate or 11-30% pop. declineHigh - moderate
7.1 - Fire & fire suppressionRestricted (11-30%)Moderate or 11-30% pop. declineHigh - moderate
7.1.2 - Suppression in fire frequency/intensityRestricted (11-30%)Moderate or 11-30% pop. declineHigh - moderate
8 - Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseasesRestricted (11-30%)Moderate or 11-30% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
8.1 - Invasive non-native/alien species/diseasesRestricted (11-30%)Moderate or 11-30% pop. declineHigh (continuing)

Plant Characteristics
DurationPERENNIAL, SUMMER-FLOWERING
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (2)
Georgia (1)
AreaForestAcres
Sarah's CreekChattahoochee National Forest6,888
North Carolina (1)
AreaForestAcres
Middle Prong AdditionPisgah National Forest1,852
References (18)
  1. Gleason, H.A., and A. Cronquist. 1991. Manual of vascular plants of northeastern United States and adjacent Canada. New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, New York. 910 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. LeGrand, H., B. Sorrie, and T. Howard. 2024. Vascular Plants of North Carolina [Internet]. Raleigh (NC): North Carolina Biodiversity Project and North Carolina State Parks. Available from https://auth1.dpr.ncparks.gov/flora/index.php. (accessed 2024).
  6. NatureServe. 2024. NatureServe Network Biodiversity Location Data. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia.
  7. North America Butterfly Association. 2017. Butterfly Garden and Habitat Program, Mountainmint <i>Pycnanthemum</i> species. Online. Available: http://nababutterfly.com/plant-species-mountainmints/ (accessed 2018).
  8. Poindexter, D.B. 2013. Vascular flora and plant communities of Alleghany County, North Carolina. Journal ot the Botanical Research Institute of Texas 7(1): 529 – 574.
  9. Southern Appalachian Species Viability Project. 2002. A partnership between the U.S. Forest Service-Region 8, Natural Heritage Programs in the Southeast, NatureServe, and independent scientists to develop and review data on 1300+ regionally and locally rare species in the Southern Appalachian and Alabama region. Database (Access 97) provided to the U.S. Forest Service by NatureServe, Durham, North Carolina.
  10. Southwest Environmental Information Network (SEINet). 2018. Collections Databases. Online. Available: http://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/ (accessed 2018).
  11. Southwest Environmental Information Network (SEINet). 2024. Collections Databases. Online. Available: https://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/collections/index.php (accessed 2024).
  12. Tennessee Flora Committee. 2015. Guide to the Vascular Plants of Tennessee. The University of Tennessee Press, Knoxville, TN. 813 pp.
  13. Virginia Botanical Associates. 2024. Digital Atlas of the Virginia Flora. Virginia Botanical Associates, Blacksburg. Online. Available: <a href="http://www.vaplantatlas.org/">http://www.vaplantatlas.org</a> (accessed 2024).
  14. Weakley, A.S. 1996. Flora of the Carolinas and Virginia: working draft of 23 May 1996. The Nature Conservancy, Southeast Regional Office, Southern Conservation Science Dept., Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Unpaginated.
  15. Weakley, A.S. 2015. Flora of the Southern and Mid-Atlantic States. Working Draft of 21 May 2015. University of North Carolina Herbarium (NCU), North Carolina Botanical Garden, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Online. Available: www.herbarium.unc.edu/FloraArchives/WeakleyFlora_2015-05-29.pdf (Accessed 2015).
  16. Weakley, A.S. 2018. Flora of North Carolina (subset of Flora of the South). Working Draft of 4 October 2018. University of North Carolina Herbarium (NCU), North Carolina Botanical Garden, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Online. (Accessed October 2018).
  17. 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.
  18. Weakley, A. S., J. C. Ludwig, and J. F. Townsend. 2012a. Flora of Virginia. Bland Crowder, ed. Foundation of the Flora of Virginia Project Inc., Richmond. Fort Worth: Botanical Research Institute of Texas Press.