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Xerophyllum asphodeloides

(L.) Nutt.

Eastern Turkeybeard

G4Apparently Secure Found in 31 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G4Apparently SecureGlobal Rank
Eastern Turkeybeard (Xerophyllum asphodeloides). Photo by Eric Soehren, CC BY-NC 4.0, via iNaturalist.
Eric Soehren, CC BY-NC 4.0
Eastern Turkeybeard (Xerophyllum asphodeloides). Photo by wsnyder014, CC BY-NC 4.0, via iNaturalist.
wsnyder014, CC BY-NC 4.0
Eastern Turkeybeard (Xerophyllum asphodeloides). Photo by Yianni Laskaris, CC BY-NC 4.0, via iNaturalist.
Yianni Laskaris, CC BY-NC 4.0
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.153738
Element CodePMLIL26010
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
Endemicendemic to a single nation
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassMonocotyledoneae
OrderLiliales
FamilyMelanthiaceae
GenusXerophyllum
Other Common Names
eastern turkeybeard (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
Review Date2002-10-04
Change Date1994-03-18
Edition Date1994-10-26
Range Extent20,000-2,500,000 square km (about 8000-1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences81 to >300
Rank Reasons
Moderately widespread from the New Jersey pine barrens south along the mountains of the southeast (Kartesz 1999). Large numbers of occurrences within New Jersey and Virginia; populations elsewhere relatively few and currently under serious threat to existence.
Range Extent Comments
Along the coastal plain in the pine barrens of New Jersey and the Appalachian Mountains from Virginia and West Virginia south to Georgia and Alabama (Patrick 1995, Kartesz 1999).
Threat Impact Comments
Somewhat threatened by land-use conversion, habitat fragmentation, and forest management practices. Radical alteration of habitat on commercial land has probably had an impact. Also threatened by succession; suppression of fire has reduced populations (Southern Appalachian Species Viability Project 2002).
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

In the New Jersey Pine Barrens, in pitch pine sandy lowlands, associated with Pinus rigida. Also in dry oak-hickory woods with a component of Pinus echinata or Pinus virginiana and in mountain woods (Radford et al. 1968, Strausbaugh and Core 1978, Patrick et al. 1995).
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN4
ProvinceRankNative
New JerseyS4Yes
GeorgiaS1Yes
South CarolinaS2Yes
West VirginiaS1Yes
AlabamaS1Yes
VirginiaS4Yes
KentuckySXYes
DelawareSXYes
TennesseeS3Yes
North CarolinaS3Yes
Plant Characteristics
DurationPERENNIAL
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (31)
North Carolina (12)
AreaForestAcres
Bald MountainPisgah National Forest11,085
Boteler PeakNantahala National Forest4,205
Craggy MountainPisgah National Forest2,657
Dobson KnobPisgah National Forest6,111
Harper CreekPisgah National Forest7,325
Jarrett CreekPisgah National Forest7,485
Linville Gorge AdditionPisgah National Forest2,809
Lost CovePisgah National Forest5,944
Mackey MountainPisgah National Forest5,934
Wesser BaldNantahala National Forest4,061
Wilson CreekPisgah National Forest4,863
Woods MountainPisgah National Forest9,602
Tennessee (2)
AreaForestAcres
Bald MountainCherokee National Forest11,743
Stone MountainCherokee National Forest5,367
Virginia (16)
AreaForestAcres
Adams PeakGeorge Washington National Forest7,135
Beards MountainGeorge Washington National Forest7,505
Brush Mountain EastJefferson National Forest4,916
Elliott KnobGeorge Washington National Forest9,380
Gum RunGeorge Washington National Forest12,620
Hoop HoleJefferson National Forest4,652
JerkemtightGeorge Washington National Forest16,687
Little RiverGeorge Washington National Forest27,292
Little Walker MountainJefferson National Forest9,818
Oak KnobGeorge Washington National Forest10,882
Ramseys Draft AdditionGeorge Washington National Forest12,781
Saint Marys AdditionGeorge Washington National Forest1,454
SkidmoreGeorge Washington National Forest5,641
Southern MassanuttenGeorge Washington National Forest11,985
Three RidgesGeorge Washington National Forest4,745
Three SistersGeorge Washington National Forest8,149
West Virginia (1)
AreaForestAcres
Dry River (WV)George Washington National Forest7,331
References (18)
  1. Aldridge, L. M., and V. E. Vivian. 1981. A survey of certain ecological parameters of the habitat of <i>Xerophyllum asphodeloides</i>. Bull. NJ Acad. Sci. 26:70.
  2. Artz, L. 1939. Foray to the Massanutten Mountains in Virginia. Castanea 4:134-135.
  3. Artz, L. 1964. Plants of the Massanutten mountain system not abundant in that area. Castanea 29:175-.
  4. Fernald, M. L. 1950. Gray's manual of botany. 8th edition. Corrected printing (1970). D. Van Nostrand Company, New York. 1632 pp.
  5. Flora of North America Editorial Committee (FNA). 2002a. Flora of North America north of Mexico. Vol. 26. Magnoliophyta: Liliidae: Liliales and Orchidales. Oxford Univ. Press, New York. xxvi + 723 pp.
  6. Fosberg, F. Raymond, and Egbert H. Walker. 1948. Second supplement to a preliminary checklist of plants in the Shenandoah National Park. Castanea. 13:83, 90-91.
  7. Fosberg, R.R. 1947. Observations on Virginia plants, IV. Castanea 12:59-.
  8. Freer, R. S. 1950. A preliminary checklist of plants of the central Virginia Blue Ridge. Castanea 15(1):1-7, 32-33, 36-37.
  9. Freer, R.S. 1958. Flora of the central Virginia Blue Ridge. Castanea. 23:96-.
  10. Gleason, H.A. 1952. The new Britton and Brown illustrated flora of the northeastern United States and adjacent Canada. 3 volumes. Hafner Press, New York. 1732 pp.
  11. Gleason, H.A. and A. Cronquist. 1991. Manual of the Vascular Plants of Northeastern United States and Adjacent Canada, 2nd ed., New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, New York.
  12. Hough, M.Y. 1983. New Jersey wild plants. Harmony Press, Harmony, NJ. 414 pp.
  13. 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.
  14. Patrick, T.S., J.R. Allison, and G.A. Krakow. 1995. Protected plants of Georgia: an information manual on plants designated by the State of Georgia as endangered, threatened, rare, or unusual. Georgia Dept. Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division, Georgia Natural Heritage Program, Social Circle, Georgia. 218 pp + appendices.
  15. 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.
  16. 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.
  17. Strausbaugh, P.D., and E. L. Core. [1978]. Flora of West Virginia, Parts I-IV. West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia. 2753 pp. [Book undated, date '1978' from Castanea review (fide L. Morse), correct TNC source code is 'B78STR01HQUS'.]
  18. Thomas, R. D. and E. W. Chester. 1967. <i>Xerophyllum asphodeloides, Mirabilis nyctaginea</i>, and <i>Cardiospermum halicacabum</i> from Tennessee. Castanea 32:183-185.