Borodinia canadensis

(Linnaeus) P.J. Alexander & Windham

Sicklepod

G5Secure Found in 2 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
UnknownThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.154315
Element CodePDBRA06060
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassDicotyledoneae
OrderCapparales
FamilyBrassicaceae
GenusBorodinia
Synonyms
Arabis canadensisL.Boechera canadensis(L.) Al-Shehbaz
Other Common Names
Arabette du Canada (FR) sicklepod (EN) Sicklepod Rockcress (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
FNA (2010, vol. 7) accepts the treatment of this species in Boechera, as Boechera canadensis. Alexander et al. (2013) distinguish it in a distinct genus, as Borodinia canadensis.
Conservation Status
Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2
Review Date2025-02-06
Change Date1984-02-09
Edition Date2025-02-06
Edition AuthorsSoteropoulos (2025)
Threat ImpactUnknown
Range Extent>2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences> 300
Rank Reasons
Borodinia canadensis is a wide-ranging biennial herb in a variety of habitats occurring in eastern and central North America from Ontario and Quebec, Canada south to the United States from Maine west to North Dakota and south to the Florida panhandle and Texas. Threats include development, livestock grazing, invasive species, logging, recreational activities, rights-of-way maintenance, and other threats in some places. Little is known about trends, but with a large range extent and large number of occurrences, abundant habitat, broad habitat preferences, and no obvious intrinsic vulnerabilities, this species is considered secure.
Range Extent Comments
Borodinia canadensis occurs in eastern and central North America from Ontario and Quebec, Canada south to the United States from Maine west to North Dakota and south to the Florida panhandle and Texas (FNA 2010, Weakley and the Southeastern Flora Team 2024). Range extent was estimated to be over 2.9 million square kilometers using herbarium specimens, photo-based observations, and NatureServe Network occurrence data documented between 1994 and 2025 (GBIF 2025, iNaturalist 2025, NatureServe 2025, SEINet 2025).
Occurrences Comments
By applying a 1 km separation distance to herbarium specimens, photo-based observations, and NatureServe Network occurrence data documented between 1994 and 2025, it is estimated that there are over 300 occurrences rangewide (GBIF 2025, iNaturalist 2025, NatureServe 2025, SEINet 2025).
Threat Impact Comments
Although threats are not widely documented, this species is threatened by development, livestock grazing, invasive species, logging, recreational activities, rights-of-way maintenance, and other threats in some places (NatureServe 2025). There is insufficient data, including anecdotal accounts, to understand the scope and severity of threats for this taxon. However, their overall impact is likely negligible given the species' broad range, large number of occurrences, and no obvious intrinsic vulnerabilities.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Borodinia canadensis grows in "bluffs, rocky slopes, ravines, open woods," and "thin soils around rock outcrops, especially mafic or calcareous, and in dry to mesic, nutrient-rich, often rocky woodlands over mafic or calcareous rocks" (FNA 2010, Weakley and the Southeastern Flora Team 2024).
Terrestrial Habitats
Forest/WoodlandWoodland - HardwoodWoodland - ConiferWoodland - MixedBare rock/talus/screeCliff
Other Nations (2)
CanadaN4
ProvinceRankNative
OntarioS4Yes
QuebecS1Yes
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
MarylandSNRYes
VirginiaS5Yes
WisconsinSNRYes
ConnecticutSNRYes
GeorgiaS4Yes
ArkansasSNRYes
IllinoisS3Yes
New JerseyS4Yes
FloridaS1Yes
KentuckyS4Yes
AlabamaSNRYes
New YorkS5Yes
MichiganSNRYes
OklahomaSNRYes
NebraskaS4Yes
MinnesotaSNRYes
IndianaS4Yes
KansasS3Yes
MississippiS2Yes
South DakotaS2Yes
TennesseeSNRYes
DelawareS2Yes
LouisianaS1Yes
North CarolinaS4Yes
MissouriSNRYes
PennsylvaniaS5Yes
Rhode IslandSNRYes
South CarolinaS2Yes
IowaS5Yes
OhioSNRYes
VermontS3Yes
West VirginiaS5Yes
District of ColumbiaSNRYes
North DakotaS1Yes
New HampshireS2Yes
MassachusettsSNRYes
MaineSNRYes
TexasSNRYes
Threat Assessments

Plant Characteristics
DurationBIENNIAL
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (2)
North Carolina (1)
AreaForestAcres
Laurel MountainPisgah National Forest5,683
West Virginia (1)
AreaForestAcres
North Mountain HopevilleMonongahela National Forest6,525
References (8)
  1. Alexander, P.J., M.D. Windham, J.B. Beck, I.A. Al-Shehbaz, L. Allphin, and C.D. Bailey. 2013. Molecular phylogenetics and taxonomy of the genus <i>Boechera</i> and related genera (Brassicaceae: Boechereae). Systematic Botany 38(1): 192-209.
  2. 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.
  3. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). 2025. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) data portal. Online. Available: https://www.gbif.org/ (accessed 2025).
  4. iNaturalist. 2025. Online. Available: https://www.inaturalist.org (accessed 2025).
  5. 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.
  6. NatureServe. 2025. NatureServe Network Biodiversity Location Data. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia.
  7. Southwest Environmental Information Network (SEINet). 2025. Collections Databases. Online. Available: https://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/collections/index.php (accessed 2025).
  8. 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.