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Mikania scandens

(L.) Willd.

Climbing Hempweed

G5Secure Found in 6 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
UnknownThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.131490
Element CodePDAST6F070
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassDicotyledoneae
OrderAsterales
FamilyAsteraceae
GenusMikania
Other Common Names
Climbing Hempvine (EN) climbing hempvine (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 Date2024-05-23
Change Date1984-04-16
Edition Date2024-05-23
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
Mikania scandens is a wide-ranging perennial vine in a variety of wetlands in eastern and central North America from Maine west to Michigan south to Florida west to Texas in the United States, south to Mexico, and the West Indies. Threats include development, road construction and maintenance, recreational activities, and invasive species. 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
Mikania scandens occurs in the eastern and central North America from Maine west to Michigan south to Florida west to Texas in the United States, south to Mexico, and the West Indies (FNA 2006). Range extent was estimated to be over 8.1 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 3,000 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, hydrological alteration, road construction and maintenance, off-road vehicles, 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

Mikania scandens grows in "wet, open areas along streams, seeps, springs, margins of lakes, swamps" including "marshes, swamp forests, wet thickets" (FNA 2006, Weakley and the Southeastern Flora Team 2024).
Palustrine Habitats
HERBACEOUS WETLANDSCRUB-SHRUB WETLANDFORESTED WETLANDBog/fenRiparian
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
PennsylvaniaSNRYes
MarylandSNRYes
LouisianaSNRYes
MissouriSNRYes
New YorkS4Yes
New JerseyS5Yes
TexasSNRYes
District of ColumbiaSNRYes
GeorgiaSNRYes
South CarolinaS5Yes
MississippiSNRYes
OklahomaSNRYes
AlabamaSNRYes
FloridaS5Yes
MaineSHYes
OhioSNRYes
ConnecticutSNRYes
Rhode IslandSNRYes
DelawareS5Yes
ArkansasSNRYes
VirginiaSNRYes
IndianaS1Yes
KentuckyS4Yes
North CarolinaS5Yes
MichiganS1Yes
IllinoisSNRYes
New HampshireS1Yes
MassachusettsSNRYes
TennesseeSNRYes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
Unknown/undetermined———

—

Plant Characteristics
DurationPERENNIAL
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (6)
Alabama (1)
AreaForestAcres
Oakey MountainTalladega National Forest6,129
Florida (2)
AreaForestAcres
Alexander Springs CreekOcala National Forest2,954
Long BayApalachicola National Forest5,726
North Carolina (2)
AreaForestAcres
Pond Pine BCroatan National Forest2,961
Sheep Ridge AdditionCroatan National Forest5,808
Texas (1)
AreaForestAcres
Little Lake CreekNational Forests in Texas596
References (7)
  1. Flora of North America Editorial Committee (FNA). 2006c. Flora of North America north of Mexico. Vol. 21. Magnoliophyta: Asteridae, part 8: Asteraceae, part 3. Oxford Univ. Press, New York. xxii + 616 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).
  7. 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.