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Floerkea proserpinacoides

Willd.

False Mermaidweed

G5Secure Found in 37 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
UnknownThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.154969
Element CodePDLIM01010
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassDicotyledoneae
OrderGeraniales
FamilyLimnanthaceae
GenusFloerkea
Other Common Names
False Mermaid (EN) false mermaidweed (EN) Floerkée fausse-proserpinie (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 Date2024-08-15
Change Date1984-05-16
Edition Date2024-08-15
Edition AuthorsJohnson, J. (2024)
Threat ImpactUnknown
Range Extent>2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences> 300
Rank Reasons
Floerkea proserpinacoides is an annual herb that is native to the northern United States and southern Canada. With a large range extent, over 1000 occurrences, and broad habitat preferences for abundant habitat, this species is considered secure.
Range Extent Comments
Floerkea proserpinacoides is found across the northern United States and southern Canada from British Columbia south to California and east to the Atlantic coast, except for the Great Plains. Range extent was estimated using herbarium specimens and photo-based observations documented between 1993 and 2024 (GBIF 2024, iNaturalist 2024, SEINet 2024).
Occurrences Comments
By applying a 1 km separation distance to herbarium records and photo-based observations documented between 1993 and 2024, there are estimated to be more than 1000 occurrences rangewide (GBIF 2024, iNaturalist 2024, SEINet 2024).
Threat Impact Comments
Although threats are not widely documented, Floerkea proserpinacoides is potentially threatened by development, road maintenance, invasive species, and other threats in some places. 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

Floerkea proserpinacoides grows in floodplain forests, swamps, wet-mesic coniferous or broadleaf woods, alpine meadows, pastures, moist areas in sagebrush or desert washes (FNA 2010).
Terrestrial Habitats
Forest/WoodlandGrassland/herbaceousOld fieldAlpine
Palustrine Habitats
HERBACEOUS WETLANDFORESTED WETLANDRiparian
Other Nations (2)
CanadaN4
ProvinceRankNative
Nova ScotiaS2Yes
OntarioS4Yes
QuebecS3Yes
British ColumbiaS4Yes
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
IdahoSNRYes
DelawareS3Yes
ColoradoS3Yes
MinnesotaS2Yes
ConnecticutS1Yes
PennsylvaniaS5Yes
KentuckyS3Yes
CaliforniaSNRYes
NevadaS3Yes
VirginiaS3Yes
WashingtonSNRYes
MissouriS3Yes
MichiganSNRYes
WyomingS3Yes
UtahSNRYes
District of ColumbiaS1Yes
OregonSNRYes
MarylandSNRYes
IllinoisSNRYes
MontanaS3Yes
MassachusettsSHYes
North DakotaSNRYes
LouisianaSHYes
TennesseeSNRYes
IndianaSNRYes
WisconsinSNRYes
New YorkS5Yes
OhioSNRYes
VermontS1Yes
New JerseyS4Yes
IowaS1Yes
West VirginiaS4Yes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
Unknown/undeterminedUnknownUnknownUnknown

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Plant Characteristics
DurationANNUAL
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (37)
California (6)
AreaForestAcres
Castle PeakTahoe National Forest14,974
FalesHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest9,138
Iceberg - Mill CreekHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest26,988
SoldierModoc National Forest10,102
Wild Cattle MtnLassen National Forest4,965
Wild Horse Mtn. (CA)Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest28,822
Montana (3)
AreaForestAcres
Allan Mountain (01946)Bitterroot National Forest104,184
Bear - Marshall - Scapegoat - SwanLolo National Forest118,485
Electric PeakBeaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest17,997
Nevada (3)
AreaForestAcres
McaffieHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest26,110
Mystic (NV)Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest5,644
Rose - Davis Mdw.Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest2,361
Oregon (6)
AreaForestAcres
Baldy MountainMalheur National Forest6,416
Bulldog RockWillamette National Forest559
Bulldog RockUmpqua National Forest6,056
HomesteadWallowa-Whitman National Forest5,817
North Mt. EmilyUmatilla National Forest4,416
Rock CreekOchoco National Forest11,396
Utah (13)
AreaForestAcres
418001Uinta National Forest5,697
418003Uinta National Forest10,912
Boulder MountainWasatch-Cache National Forest8,852
GibsonWasatch-Cache National Forest5,350
High Uintas (UT)Wasatch-Cache National Forest102,398
Little West Fork BlacksWasatch-Cache National Forest8,209
Mahogany RangeWasatch-Cache National Forest11,409
Mt. Logan NorthWasatch-Cache National Forest18,930
Mt. Logan SouthWasatch-Cache National Forest17,014
Mt. NaomiWasatch-Cache National Forest41,922
Right Hand Fork LoganWasatch-Cache National Forest15,023
Swan Creek MountainWasatch-Cache National Forest9,390
Temple PeakWasatch-Cache National Forest24,081
Washington (6)
AreaForestAcres
Asotin CreekUmatilla National Forest16,433
Mill Creek Watershed (WA)Umatilla National Forest16,747
Norse PeakWenatchee National Forest10,169
QuartzWenatchee National Forest8,550
TaneumWenatchee National Forest26,140
Wenatchee CreekUmatilla National Forest15,315
References (6)
  1. Flora of North America Editorial Committee (FNA). 2010. Flora of North America north of Mexico. Vol. 7. Magnoliophyta: Salicaceae to Brassicaceae. Oxford University Press, New York. xxii + 797 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. Myhre, K. 2001. Comments by K. Myhre on rare species list for fisheries. Email memo. 23 May 2001. 2pp.
  6. Southwest Environmental Information Network (SEINet). 2024. Collections Databases. Online. Available: https://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/collections/index.php (accessed 2024).