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Zanthoxylum americanum

P. Mill.

Northern Prickly-ash

G5Secure Found in 1 roadless area NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.133451
Element CodePDRUT0L010
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassDicotyledoneae
OrderSapindales
FamilyRutaceae
GenusZanthoxylum
Other Common Names
Clavalier d'Amérique (FR) common pricklyash (EN) Common Prickly-ash (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
Rank MethodExpertise without calculation
Review Date2016-04-28
Change Date1984-10-03
Edition Date2001-01-25
Edition AuthorsKelly McConnell
Range Extent20,000-2,500,000 square km (about 8000-1,000,000 square miles)
Rank Reasons
Zanthoxylum americanum ranges from Oklahoma to southern Canada, east to New England and south to Florida. This weedy species is relatively common in the western portion of the range, though occasional and rare throughout portions of the eastern range. Z. americanum is currently of limited demand in the commercial trade for medicinal plants, however all material in trade is wild-collected.
Range Extent Comments
Zanthoxylum americanum grows from Oklahoma north to North Dakota, east to Southern Canada and New England and south to Florida.
Threat Impact Comments
According to Michael McGuffin, president of the American Herbal Products Association, there is currently "limited demand" for this species, which is considered to be "aggressive" in its growth habits (pers. comm., December 2000). The estimated average annual use in medicinal industry ranges from 2,000-5,000 dry pounds and 100% of that total is collected from wild populations (pers. comm. E. Fletcher, 2000).
Ecology & Habitat

Diagnostic Characteristics

Zanthoxylum americanum is distinguishable from Z. clava-herculis by the latter having bark with triangular, corky knobs. Z. clava-herculis is also a larger shrub, reaching 30 m tall (Foster and Duke 1990).

Habitat

Zanthoxylum americanum is considered an eastern deciduous forest "endemic" and grows in shaded and partially shaded conditions in medium to low elevations (Porter 1976). It has been recorded on mesic bluffs, deciduous forests, mountains, river banks, stream banks, deciduous thickets and woodlands, moist woods and thickets (Porter 1976, Gleason and Cronquist 1991).
Other Nations (2)
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
OklahomaSNRYes
AlabamaS1Yes
MarylandS1Yes
TennesseeS2Yes
PennsylvaniaS4Yes
LouisianaS1Yes
ArkansasSNRYes
VermontS5Yes
South DakotaSNRYes
West VirginiaS4Yes
FloridaS1Yes
South CarolinaS1Yes
KansasS4Yes
MichiganSNRYes
OhioSNRYes
VirginiaS3Yes
MassachusettsSNRYes
North DakotaSNRYes
North CarolinaSNRYes
WisconsinSNRYes
New YorkS5Yes
IllinoisSNRYes
DelawareSHYes
MaineSNANo
IowaS5Yes
NebraskaSNRYes
New JerseyS3Yes
KentuckyS5Yes
IndianaSNRYes
New HampshireSHYes
MinnesotaSNRYes
GeorgiaS1Yes
ConnecticutSNRYes
MissouriSNRYes
CanadaN5
ProvinceRankNative
QuebecS3Yes
OntarioS5Yes
Plant Characteristics
Economic Value (Genus)Yes
Roadless Areas (1)
Vermont (1)
AreaForestAcres
Wilder Mountain 09082Green Mountain and Finger Lakes National Forests8,759
References (16)
  1. Cameron, Don. Botanist, Maine Natural Areas Program. Augusta, ME. Personal communication.
  2. Cooperrider, T.S. 1995. The Dicotyledoneae of Ohio. Ohio State University Press, Columbus.
  3. Edward J. Fletcher Strategic Sourcing, Inc.
  4. Foster, S., and J. Duke. 1990. A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants- Eastern and Central North America. Peterson Field Guides Series. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston. 366 pp.
  5. Freeman, Craig. Personal communication. Botanist, Kansas Natural Features Inventory. Kansas Biological Survey, Lawrence, KS.
  6. 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.
  7. 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.
  8. Kartesz, J.T. 1999. A synonymized checklist and atlas with biological attributes for the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. First edition. In: Kartesz, J.T., and C.A. Meacham. Synthesis of the North American Flora, Version 1.0. North Carolina Botanical Garden, Chapel Hill, N.C.
  9. Little, E.L., Jr. 1979. Checklist of United States trees (native and naturalized). Agriculture Handbook No. 541. U.S. Forest Service, Washington, D.C. 375 pp.
  10. McGuffin, Michael. Personal communication. American Herbal Products Association, Silver Spring MD
  11. Penskar, Mike. Personal communication. Botanist, Michigan Natural Features Inventory. Lansing, MI.
  12. Porter, D.M. 1976. Zanthoxylum (Rutaceae) in North America north of Mexico. Brittonia 28(4): 443-447.
  13. Rhoads, A.F. and T.A. Block. 2000. The Plants of Pennsylvania: An Illustrated Manual. University of Pennsylvania Press: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 1061 pp.
  14. Smith, Tim. Personal communication. Botanist, Missouri Department of Conservation. Missouri Department of Conservation, Jefferson City, MO
  15. Steinauer, Gerry. Personal Communication. Nebraska Natural Heritage Program Botanist. Game and Parks Commission, Lincoln, NE
  16. White, Deborah. Personal communication. Botanist, Kentucky Nature Preserves Commission, Frankfort, KY.