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Danthonia spicata

(L.) Beauv. ex Roemer & J.A. Schultes

Poverty Oatgrass

G5Secure Found in 11 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
UnknownThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.143100
Element CodePMPOA200A0
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassMonocotyledoneae
OrderCyperales
FamilyPoaceae
GenusDanthonia
Other Common Names
Danthonie à épi (FR) poverty oatgrass (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 Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2
Review Date2025-06-24
Change Date1984-04-24
Edition Date2025-06-24
Edition AuthorsJohnson, J. (2025)
Threat ImpactUnknown
Range Extent>2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences> 300
Rank Reasons
Danthonia spicata is a perennial grass that grows in open habitats across North America. With a large range extent, more than 1500 occurrences, abundant habitat, and broad habitat preferences, this species is considered secure.
Range Extent Comments
Danthonia compressa is native to most of North America from Alaska, Canada, and the United States (except the southwest) to northeastern Mexico (FNA 2003). Range extent was estimated using herbarium specimens and photo-based observations documented between 1994 and 2025 (GBIF 2025, iNaturalist 2025, RARECAT 2025, SEINet 2025).
Occurrences Comments
By applying a 1 km separation distance to herbarium records and photo-based observations documented between 1994 and 2025, there are estimated to be more than 1500 occurrences rangewide (GBIF 2025, iNaturalist 2025, RARECAT 2025, SEINet 2025).
Threat Impact Comments
Some occurrences are threatened by development, motorized recreation, oil drilling, grazing, and pipeline construction (NatureServe 2025). However, their overall impact is likely negligible given the 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

Danthonia spicata grows in dry rocky, sandy, or mineral soils, generally in open sunny places in woodlands, grasslands, open balds, roadsides, and fields (FNA 2003, Native Plant Trust 2025, Weakley and the Southeastern Flora Team 2025)
Terrestrial Habitats
Forest EdgeWoodland - MixedSavannaGrassland/herbaceousOld fieldBarrensCropland/hedgerow
Other Nations (2)
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
TexasSNRYes
IndianaS5Yes
MarylandSNRYes
IdahoSNRYes
MaineSNRYes
GeorgiaS5Yes
ColoradoS3Yes
OhioS5Yes
WyomingS3Yes
MichiganSNRYes
VirginiaS5Yes
LouisianaSNRYes
MississippiSNRYes
West VirginiaS5Yes
IllinoisS4Yes
AlaskaS1Yes
ConnecticutSNRYes
FloridaSNRYes
OklahomaSNRYes
North CarolinaS5Yes
AlabamaSNRYes
DelawareS5Yes
New JerseyS5Yes
OregonS2Yes
District of ColumbiaS5Yes
WashingtonSNRYes
VermontS5Yes
MissouriSNRYes
MassachusettsSNRYes
KentuckyS5Yes
MontanaS4Yes
New YorkS5Yes
South DakotaSNRYes
North DakotaSNRYes
ArkansasSNRYes
New MexicoSNRYes
New HampshireSNRYes
WisconsinSNRYes
TennesseeSNRYes
KansasS2Yes
MinnesotaSNRYes
NebraskaS1Yes
IowaS3Yes
PennsylvaniaS5Yes
Rhode IslandSNRYes
South CarolinaS5Yes
CanadaN5
ProvinceRankNative
QuebecS5Yes
LabradorSUYes
Island of NewfoundlandS5Yes
British ColumbiaS5Yes
Northwest TerritoriesS3Yes
Yukon TerritoryS1Yes
AlbertaS3Yes
ManitobaS4Yes
OntarioS5Yes
New BrunswickS5Yes
Nova ScotiaS5Yes
Prince Edward IslandS5Yes
SaskatchewanS4Yes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
1 - Residential & commercial developmentUnknownUnknownHigh (continuing)
2 - Agriculture & aquacultureUnknownUnknownHigh (continuing)
2.3 - Livestock farming & ranchingUnknownUnknownHigh (continuing)
3 - Energy production & miningUnknownUnknownUnknown
3.1 - Oil & gas drillingUnknownUnknownUnknown
4 - Transportation & service corridorsUnknownUnknownModerate (short-term)
4.2 - Utility & service linesUnknownUnknownModerate (short-term)
6 - Human intrusions & disturbanceUnknownUnknownHigh (continuing)
6.1 - Recreational activitiesUnknownUnknownHigh (continuing)

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Plant Characteristics
DurationPERENNIAL
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (11)
Michigan (1)
AreaForestAcres
Norwich Plains Revised Roadless AreaOttawa National Forest4,360
Missouri (1)
AreaForestAcres
Anderson Mountain Rare II Study AreaMark Twain National Forest2,741
North Carolina (1)
AreaForestAcres
Linville Gorge AdditionPisgah National Forest2,809
Virginia (4)
AreaForestAcres
Hoop HoleJefferson National Forest4,652
Kelley MountainGeorge Washington National Forest7,590
Laurel ForkGeorge Washington National Forest9,967
Oliver MountainGeorge Washington National Forest13,090
West Virginia (3)
AreaForestAcres
Glady ForkMonongahela National Forest3,239
Marlin MountainMonongahela National Forest9,344
Mcgowan MountainMonongahela National Forest10,504
Wisconsin (1)
AreaForestAcres
09154 - St. Peters DomeChequamegon-Nicolet National Forest4,002
References (9)
  1. Flora of North America Editorial Committee (FNA). 2003a. Flora of North America north of Mexico. Vol. 25. Magnoliophyta: Commelinidae (in part): Poaceae, part 2. Oxford Univ. Press, New York. xxv + 781 pp.
  2. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). 2025. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) data portal. Online. Available: https://www.gbif.org/ (accessed 2025).
  3. iNaturalist. 2025. Online. Available: https://www.inaturalist.org (accessed 2025).
  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. Native Plant Trust. 2025. Go Botany website. Online. Available: https://gobotany.nativeplanttrust.org (accessed 2025).
  6. NatureServe. 2025. NatureServe Network Biodiversity Location Data. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia.
  7. <p>NatureServe's Rapid Analysis of Rarity and Endangerment Conservation Assessment Tool (RARECAT). 2025. Version: 2.1.1 (released April 04, 2025).</p>
  8. Southwest Environmental Information Network (SEINet). 2025. Collections Databases. Online. Available: https://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/collections/index.php (accessed 2025).
  9. 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).