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Oenothera perennis

L.

Small Sundrops

G5Secure Found in 4 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
UnknownThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.157999
Element CodePDONA0C100
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassDicotyledoneae
OrderMyrtales
FamilyOnagraceae
GenusOenothera
Other Common Names
little evening-primrose (EN) Little Evening-primrose (EN) Little Sundrops (EN) Onagre vivace (FR) Perennial Evening Primrose (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 Date2024-05-27
Change Date1984-06-11
Edition Date2024-05-27
Edition AuthorsSoteropoulos (2024)
Threat ImpactUnknown
Range Extent>2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences> 300
Rank Reasons
Oenothera perennis is a wide-ranging perennial herb occurring in northeastern North America from Newfoundland west to Manitoba in Canada south to South Carolina west to Missouri and Nebraska in the United States. Threats include land-use conversion, habitat fragmentation, and sedimentation, and to a lesser extent by forest management practices, development, rights-of-way maintenance, grazing, recreational activities, succession, invasive species, and other threats in some places. Little is known about trends, but with a large range extent, large number of occurrences, and no obvious intrinsic vulnerabilities, this species is considered secure.
Range Extent Comments
Oenothera perennis occurs in northeastern North America from Newfoundland west to Manitoba in Canada south to South Carolina west to Missouri and Nebraska in the United States (FNA 2021). Range extent was estimated to be over 5.6 million square kilometers using herbarium specimens, photo-based observations, and NatureServe Network occurrence data documented between 1993 and 2024 (GBIF 2024, iNaturalist 2024, NatureServe 2024, SEINet 2024).
Occurrences Comments
By applying a 1 km separation distance to herbarium specimens, photo-based observations, and NatureServe Network occurrence data documented between 1993 and 2024, it is estimated that there are over 700 occurrences rangewide (GBIF 2024, iNaturalist 2024, NatureServe 2024, SEINet 2024).
Threat Impact Comments
Although threats are not widely documented, this species is highly threatened by land-use conversion, habitat fragmentation, and sedimentation, and to a lesser extent by forest management practices (Southern Appalachian Species Viability Project 2002) in the southeast, and additional threats include development, rights-of-way maintenance, grazing, recreational activities, succession, invasive species, and other threats in some places (NatureServe 2024). However, their overall impact is likely negligible given the species' broad range, large number of occurrences, and no obvious intrinsic vulnerabilities.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Oenothera perennis grows in "fields, open woods, boggy areas," and sphagnous seeps (FNA 2021, Weakley and the Southeastern Flora Team 2024).
Terrestrial Habitats
Grassland/herbaceousOld field
Palustrine Habitats
Bog/fen
Other Nations (2)
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
VirginiaS4Yes
OhioSNRYes
IowaS1Yes
New YorkS5Yes
North CarolinaS2Yes
South CarolinaS1Yes
MarylandSNRYes
KentuckyS2Yes
IndianaS3Yes
MichiganSNRYes
MississippiSNRYes
VermontS5Yes
MontanaSNRYes
MaineSNRYes
TennesseeSNRYes
ConnecticutSNRYes
WisconsinSNRYes
Rhode IslandSNRYes
IllinoisS1Yes
MassachusettsSNRYes
West VirginiaS4Yes
PennsylvaniaS5Yes
New JerseyS3Yes
DelawareSUYes
New HampshireSNRYes
NebraskaS2Yes
MinnesotaSNRYes
District of ColumbiaSNRYes
MissouriS1Yes
CanadaN5
ProvinceRankNative
ManitobaS1Yes
Prince Edward IslandS4Yes
British ColumbiaSNANo
New BrunswickS5Yes
Nova ScotiaS5Yes
QuebecS5Yes
Island of NewfoundlandSNANo
OntarioS5Yes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
1 - Residential & commercial developmentUnknownUnknownUnknown
2 - Agriculture & aquacultureUnknownUnknownUnknown
2.3 - Livestock farming & ranchingUnknownUnknownUnknown
2.3.4 - Scale unknown/unrecordedUnknownUnknownUnknown
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
7 - Natural system modificationsUnknownUnknownUnknown
7.1 - Fire & fire suppressionUnknownUnknownUnknown
7.1.2 - Suppression in fire frequency/intensityUnknownUnknownUnknown
8 - Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseasesUnknownUnknownUnknown
8.1 - Invasive non-native/alien species/diseasesUnknownUnknownUnknown
8.1.1 - Unspecified speciesUnknownUnknownUnknown
9 - PollutionUnknownUnknownUnknown
9.3 - Agricultural & forestry effluentsUnknownUnknownUnknown
9.3.2 - Soil erosion, sedimentationUnknownUnknownUnknown

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Plant Characteristics
DurationPERENNIAL
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (4)
Minnesota (1)
AreaForestAcres
Phantom LakeSuperior National Forest6,521
New Hampshire (1)
AreaForestAcres
Carr MountainWhite Mountain National Forest17,110
Vermont (1)
AreaForestAcres
Bread LoafGreen Mountain and Finger Lakes National Forests1,768
Virginia (1)
AreaForestAcres
Little Wilson Creek Addition BJefferson National Forest1,725
References (8)
  1. Flora of North America Editorial Committee (FNA). 2021. Flora of North America north of Mexico. Vol. 10. Magnoliophyta: Proteaceae to Elaeagnaceae. Oxford Univ. Press, New York. xxiv + 456 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. NatureServe. 2024. NatureServe Network Biodiversity Location Data. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia.
  6. Southern Appalachian Species Viability Project. 2002. A partnership between the U.S. Forest Service-Region 8, Natural Heritage Programs in the Southeast, NatureServe, and independent scientists to develop and review data on 1300+ regionally and locally rare species in the Southern Appalachian and Alabama region. Database (Access 97) provided to the U.S. Forest Service by NatureServe, Durham, North Carolina.
  7. Southwest Environmental Information Network (SEINet). 2024. Collections Databases. Online. Available: https://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/collections/index.php (accessed 2024).
  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.