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Erythronium americanum

Ker-Gawl.

Yellow Trout-lily

G5Secure Found in 83 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
UnknownThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.128434
Element CodePMLIL0U020
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassMonocotyledoneae
OrderLiliales
FamilyLiliaceae
GenusErythronium
Other Common Names
American Trout-lily (EN) dogtooth violet (EN) Érythrone d'Amérique (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 Date2024-08-07
Change Date1984-04-24
Edition Date2024-08-07
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
Erythronium americanum is a wide-ranging perennial herb in forests of eastern North America from Nova Scotia west to Ontario, Canada and south to Georgia west to Arkansas in the United States with two subspecies. Potential threats include development, recreational activities, logging, and invasive species. 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
Erythronium americanum occurs in eastern North America from Nova Scotia west to Ontario, Canada and south to Georgia west to Arkansas in the United States (FNA 2002). Range extent was estimated to be over 3 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). See individual entries for distribution details about the two subspecies.
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 thousands of occurrences rangewide (GBIF 2024, iNaturalist 2024, NatureServe 2024, SEINet 2024).
Threat Impact Comments
Although threats are not widely documented, this species is potentially threatened by development, recreational activities, logging, invasive species, and other threats in some places. However, their overall impact is likely negligible given the species' broad range, large number of occurrences, and no obvious intrinsic vulnerabilities.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Erythronium americanum grows in "deciduous wet-mesic to dry-mesic woods of bottomlands and uplands, slopes of ravines, lower ledges of bluffs, often near waterways, often in loamy soils" (FNA 2002).
Terrestrial Habitats
Forest/WoodlandForest - Hardwood
Other Nations (2)
CanadaN5
ProvinceRankNative
New BrunswickS5Yes
OntarioS5Yes
Nova ScotiaS4Yes
QuebecSNRYes
Prince Edward IslandS1Yes
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
New HampshireSNRYes
TennesseeS5Yes
DelawareS4Yes
MarylandSNRYes
IndianaSNRYes
North CarolinaS3Yes
MissouriSNRYes
AlabamaSNRYes
IllinoisS3Yes
GeorgiaSNRYes
PennsylvaniaS5Yes
District of ColumbiaS5Yes
MichiganSNRYes
MinnesotaSNRYes
KentuckySNRYes
MassachusettsSNRYes
New JerseySNRYes
ConnecticutSNRYes
West VirginiaS5Yes
WisconsinSNRYes
MississippiS1Yes
New YorkSNRYes
IowaS2Yes
VirginiaS5Yes
VermontS5Yes
South CarolinaSNRYes
OhioS5Yes
ArkansasSNRYes
Rhode IslandSNRYes
MaineSNRYes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
Unknown/undetermined———

—

Plant Characteristics
DurationPERENNIAL
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (83)
Arkansas (1)
AreaForestAcres
Clifty CanyonOzark-St. Francis National Forest1,963
Georgia (4)
AreaForestAcres
Joe GapChattahoochee National Forest5,321
Kelly RidgeChattahoochee National Forest8,325
Lance CreekChattahoochee National Forest9,025
Patterson GapChattahoochee National Forest1,186
Idaho (1)
AreaForestAcres
Bear CreekCaribou-Targhee National Forest118,582
Kentucky (1)
AreaForestAcres
WolfpenDaniel Boone National Forest2,835
Maine (1)
AreaForestAcres
Caribou - Speckled ExtWhite Mountain National Forest5,988
Michigan (2)
AreaForestAcres
FibreHiawatha National Forest7,432
Norwich Plains Revised Roadless AreaOttawa National Forest4,360
New Hampshire (13)
AreaForestAcres
Carr MountainWhite Mountain National Forest17,110
Cherry MountainWhite Mountain National Forest8,766
Dartmouth RangeWhite Mountain National Forest9,233
Great Gulf Ext.White Mountain National Forest15,110
JobildunkWhite Mountain National Forest3,660
KilkennyWhite Mountain National Forest28,766
Kinsman MountainWhite Mountain National Forest8,999
Mt. Wolf - Gordon PondWhite Mountain National Forest11,846
PemigewassetWhite Mountain National Forest32,255
Pemigewasset ExtWhite Mountain National Forest15,840
Presidential - Dry River ExtWhite Mountain National Forest10,555
Sandwich RangeWhite Mountain National Forest16,797
Wild RiverWhite Mountain National Forest46,878
North Carolina (16)
AreaForestAcres
Bald MountainPisgah National Forest11,085
Balsam ConePisgah National Forest10,591
Cheoah BaldNantahala National Forest7,795
Chunky Gal (addition)Nantahala National Forest3,336
Craggy MountainPisgah National Forest2,657
Graveyard Ridge (addition)Pisgah National Forest1,958
Jarrett CreekPisgah National Forest7,485
Laurel MountainPisgah National Forest5,683
Little Indian (addition)Nantahala National Forest640
Lost CovePisgah National Forest5,944
Mackey MountainPisgah National Forest5,934
Sam Knob (addition)Pisgah National Forest2,576
SnowbirdNantahala National Forest8,489
South Mills RiverPisgah National Forest8,588
Tusquitee BaldNantahala National Forest13,670
Wilson CreekPisgah National Forest4,863
Pennsylvania (3)
AreaForestAcres
Allegheny FrontAllegheny National Forest7,430
Clarion RiverAllegheny National Forest3,821
Tracy RidgeAllegheny National Forest9,034
Tennessee (5)
AreaForestAcres
Bald MountainCherokee National Forest11,743
Big Laurel Branch AdditionCherokee National Forest5,577
Brushy RidgeCherokee National Forest7,469
Flint Mill GapCherokee National Forest9,494
Rogers RidgeCherokee National Forest4,738
Vermont (6)
AreaForestAcres
Bread LoafGreen Mountain and Finger Lakes National Forests1,768
Devil's Den 09083Green Mountain and Finger Lakes National Forests9,169
Griffith Lake 09084Green Mountain and Finger Lakes National Forests1,833
Lye Brook Addition 09085Green Mountain and Finger Lakes National Forests1,111
Wilder Mountain 09082Green Mountain and Finger Lakes National Forests8,759
Woodford 09086Green Mountain and Finger Lakes National Forests2,456
Virginia (14)
AreaForestAcres
Bear CreekJefferson National Forest18,274
Beards MountainGeorge Washington National Forest7,505
Brush MountainJefferson National Forest6,002
Brush Mountain EastJefferson National Forest4,916
Gum RunGeorge Washington National Forest12,620
Lewis Fork AdditionJefferson National Forest749
Little Wilson Creek Addition BJefferson National Forest1,725
New London Bridge BranchJefferson National Forest844
North MountainJefferson National Forest8,377
Northern MassanuttenGeorge Washington National Forest9,444
Patterson MountainJefferson National Forest4,865
Price MountainJefferson National Forest9,119
Raccoon BranchJefferson National Forest4,388
Seng MountainJefferson National Forest6,428
West Virginia (12)
AreaForestAcres
Cheat MountainMonongahela National Forest8,191
Cranberry AdditionMonongahela National Forest11,123
Cranberry Glades Botanical AreaMonongahela National Forest785
Dolly Sods Roaring PlainMonongahela National Forest13,392
East Fork Of GreenbrierMonongahela National Forest7,167
Falls Of Hills CreekMonongahela National Forest6,925
Gauley MountainMonongahela National Forest13,285
Little MountainMonongahela National Forest8,172
Mcgowan MountainMonongahela National Forest10,504
Middle MountainMonongahela National Forest19,020
Seneca CreekMonongahela National Forest22,287
Tea Creek MountainMonongahela National Forest8,295
Wisconsin (4)
AreaForestAcres
09159 - ThornappleChequamegon-Nicolet National Forest9,744
09177 - Le Roy CreekChequamegon-Nicolet National Forest8,138
09180 - Perch LakeChequamegon-Nicolet National Forest2,390
09182 - Pentoga RoadChequamegon-Nicolet National Forest5,008
References (6)
  1. Flora of North America Editorial Committee (FNA). 2002a. Flora of North America north of Mexico. Vol. 26. Magnoliophyta: Liliidae: Liliales and Orchidales. Oxford Univ. Press, New York. xxvi + 723 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. Southwest Environmental Information Network (SEINet). 2024. Collections Databases. Online. Available: https://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/collections/index.php (accessed 2024).