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Piptochaetium avenaceum

(L.) Parodi

Blackseed Needlegrass

G5Secure Found in 3 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
UnknownThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.141948
Element CodePMPOA4X040
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
Endemicendemic to a single nation
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassMonocotyledoneae
OrderCyperales
FamilyPoaceae
GenusPiptochaetium
Synonyms
Stipa avenaceaL.
Other Common Names
blackseed speargrass (EN) Blackseed Speargrass (EN) Eastern Speargrass (EN) Stipe avoine (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 Date2024-07-31
Change Date1989-06-15
Edition Date2024-07-31
Edition AuthorsJohnson, J. (2024)
Threat ImpactUnknown
Range Extent>2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences> 300
Rank Reasons
Piptochaetium avenaceum is a perennial grass found in the eastern United States. With a large range extent, more than 300 occurrences, abundant habitat, and broad habitat preferences, this species is considered secure.
Range Extent Comments
Piptochaetium avenaceum is found across coastal plain in the eastern and southeastern United States from southern New Hampshire to Texas with a disjunct population in Michigan. Specimens from southern Mexico may be mis-identified individuals of P. leianthum. With the exception of one record from southern Ontario, Canada (collected in 1965 and not seen in Canada since, even though it has been searched for), P. avenaceum is known only from the contiguous United States (FNA 2007). Range extent was estimated 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 more than 400 occurrences rangewide (GBIF 2024, iNaturalist 2024, SEINet 2024).
Threat Impact Comments
Although threats are not widely documented, Piptochaetium avenaceum is potentially threatened by development, road maintenance, invasive species, and other threats in some places. However, their overall impact is likely negligible given the species' broad range, large number of occurrences, tolerance of light disturbance, and affinity for typically abundant habitats, as well as no obvious intrinsic vulnerabilities.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Piptochaetium avenaceum grows in dry woods, rocky slopes, outcrops, clearings, and open oak and pine woods, often on sandy soils (FNA 2024, Weakley 2024).
Terrestrial Habitats
Forest/WoodlandGrassland/herbaceous
Other Nations (2)
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
ConnecticutSNRYes
New YorkS2Yes
MassachusettsSNRYes
TexasSNRYes
New JerseyS4Yes
PennsylvaniaS1Yes
MissouriSNRYes
New HampshireS1Yes
North CarolinaSNRYes
MississippiSNRYes
AlabamaSNRYes
TennesseeSNRYes
Rhode IslandSNRYes
IndianaS3Yes
GeorgiaSNRYes
IllinoisSNRYes
FloridaS4Yes
South CarolinaS5Yes
MarylandSNRYes
District of ColumbiaSNRYes
West VirginiaS2Yes
MichiganSNRYes
LouisianaSNRYes
OhioS1Yes
VirginiaS5Yes
DelawareS3Yes
KentuckyS4Yes
ArkansasSNRYes
OklahomaS2Yes
CanadaNX
ProvinceRankNative
OntarioSXYes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
Unknown/undeterminedUnknownUnknownUnknown

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Plant Characteristics
DurationPERENNIAL
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (3)
Arkansas (1)
AreaForestAcres
Little BlakelyOuachita National Forest3,342
Texas (1)
AreaForestAcres
Little Lake CreekNational Forests in Texas596
Virginia (1)
AreaForestAcres
Kelley MountainGeorge Washington National Forest7,590
References (6)
  1. Flora of North America Editorial Committee (FNA). 2007a. Flora of North America north of Mexico. Vol. 24. Magnoliophyta: Commelinidae (in part): Poaceae, part 1. Oxford Univ. Press, New York. xxviii + 911 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. Southwest Environmental Information Network (SEINet). 2024. Collections Databases. Online. Available: https://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/collections/index.php (accessed 2024).
  6. 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.