Menispermum canadense

L.

Canada Moonseed

G5Secure Found in 13 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
UnknownThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.149153
Element CodePDMNS05010
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassDicotyledoneae
OrderRanunculales
FamilyMenispermaceae
GenusMenispermum
Other Common Names
common moonseed (EN) Common Moonseed (EN) Ménisperme du Canada (FR) Yellow Parilla (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 Date2024-09-12
Change Date1983-10-11
Edition Date2024-09-12
Edition AuthorsN. Ventrella (2024)
Threat ImpactUnknown
Range Extent>2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences> 300
Rank Reasons
Menispermum canadense is a perennial vine occurring in deciduous woods, streambanks, hillsides, and along fencerows of eastern North America from Manitoba east to Quebec, Canada, and New Hampshire south to Florida, west to Texas, and north to North Dakota in the United States. There are an estimated 3,000 occurrences of this species, which are threatened by logging, development, recreational activities, rights-of-way maintenance, and other threats in some places. Little is known about trends, but with a large range extent, a high number of occurrences, abundant habitat, broad habitat preferences, and no obvious intrinsic vulnerabilities, Menispermum canadense is considered secure.
Range Extent Comments

Menispermum canadense occurs in eastern North America from Manitoba east to Quebec, Canada, and New Hampshire south to Florida, west to Texas, and north to North Dakota in the United States (FNA 1997). Range extent was estimated to be over 4.4 million square kilometers 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 over 3,000 occurrences rangewide (GBIF 2024, iNaturalist 2024, SEINet 2024).
Threat Impact Comments
Although threats are not widely documented, Menispermum canadense is threatened by logging, development, recreational activities, rights-of-way maintenance, and other threats in some places, though there is insufficient data, including anecdotal accounts, to understand scope and severity of threats for this species (NatureServe 2024).
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Menispermum canadense occurs in "deciduous woods and thickets, along streams, bluffs and rocky hillsides, fencerows, [and is] shade tolerant" (FNA 1993).
Terrestrial Habitats
Forest - Hardwood
Palustrine Habitats
FORESTED WETLANDRiparian
Other Nations (2)
CanadaN4
ProvinceRankNative
ManitobaS3Yes
QuebecS3Yes
OntarioS4Yes
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
AlabamaSNRYes
OklahomaSNRYes
VermontS4Yes
MississippiS3Yes
ArkansasSNRYes
ConnecticutSNRYes
West VirginiaS5Yes
MissouriSNRYes
New HampshireS1Yes
KentuckyS5Yes
TennesseeSNRYes
KansasS4Yes
OhioSNRYes
IndianaS5Yes
WisconsinSNRYes
Rhode IslandSNRYes
FloridaSNRYes
LouisianaSNRYes
New JerseyS4Yes
IowaS5Yes
PennsylvaniaS5Yes
NebraskaSNRYes
TexasSNRYes
GeorgiaS3Yes
IllinoisSNRYes
DelawareS4Yes
North CarolinaS4Yes
District of ColumbiaSNRYes
VirginiaS5Yes
MinnesotaSNRYes
South DakotaSNRYes
MarylandSNRYes
North DakotaSNRYes
South CarolinaS3Yes
New YorkS5Yes
MassachusettsS3Yes
MichiganSNRYes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
1 - Residential & commercial developmentUnknownUnknownUnknown
4 - Transportation & service corridorsUnknownUnknownUnknown
5 - Biological resource useUnknownUnknownUnknown
5.3 - Logging & wood harvestingUnknownUnknownUnknown
5.3.5 - Motivation unknown/unrecordedUnknownUnknownUnknown
6 - Human intrusions & disturbanceUnknownUnknownUnknown
6.1 - Recreational activitiesUnknownUnknownUnknown

Plant Characteristics
DurationPERENNIAL
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (13)
Alabama (1)
AreaForestAcres
Oakey MountainTalladega National Forest6,129
Arkansas (1)
AreaForestAcres
Richland CreekOzark-St. Francis National Forest571
Kentucky (1)
AreaForestAcres
WolfpenDaniel Boone National Forest2,835
North Carolina (1)
AreaForestAcres
Cheoah BaldNantahala National Forest7,795
North Dakota (1)
AreaForestAcres
SheyenneDakota Prairie Grasslands14,537
Virginia (4)
AreaForestAcres
Northern MassanuttenGeorge Washington National Forest9,444
Peters Mountain Addition A (VA)Jefferson National Forest1,268
SkidmoreGeorge Washington National Forest5,641
Three RidgesGeorge Washington National Forest4,745
West Virginia (4)
AreaForestAcres
Dry River (WV)George Washington National Forest7,331
Marlin MountainMonongahela National Forest9,344
Peters Mountain Addition A (WV)Jefferson National Forest343
Tea Creek MountainMonongahela National Forest8,295
References (4)
  1. Flora of North America Editorial Committee (FNA). 1997. Flora of North America north of Mexico. Vol. 3. Magnoliophyta: Magnoliidae and Hamamelidae. Oxford Univ. Press, New York. xxiii + 590 pp.
  2. 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.
  3. NatureServe. 2024. NatureServe Network Biodiversity Location Data. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia.
  4. 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.