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Sericocarpus asteroides

(L.) B.S.P.

Toothed White-topped Aster

G5Secure Found in 5 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
UnknownThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.1301018
Element CodePDASTEF060
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
Endemicendemic to a single nation
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassDicotyledoneae
OrderAsterales
FamilyAsteraceae
GenusSericocarpus
Concept Reference
Nesom, G.L. 2021. Sericocarpus asteroides (Asteraceae: Astereae), rhizomatous and colonial, and Sericocarpus caespitosus, sp. nov. Phytoneuron 33: 1-33.
Taxonomic Comments
This record represents the narrow concept of Sericocarpus asteroides following Nesom (2021) who describes Sericocarpus caespitosus as a new species. "Allopatric population systems of two growth forms comprise the eastern USA species traditionally identified as Sericocarpus asteroides. The typical form which produces slender, stoloniform rhizomes, occurs along the Atlantic coast from southern Maine into South Carolina. Sericocarpus caespitosus Nesom, sp. nov., without stoloniform rhizomes, occurs inland from western New York to coastal counties of Alabama and Florida" (Nesom 2021).
Conservation Status
Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2
Review Date2024-04-01
Change Date2024-04-01
Edition Date2024-04-01
Edition AuthorsSoteropoulos (2024)
Threat ImpactUnknown
Range Extent200,000-2,500,000 square km (about 80,000-1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences> 300
Rank Reasons
Sericocarpus asteroides is a wide-ranging perennial herb occurring in dry woodlands in the eastern United States from southern Maine and southern Vermont south to eastern South Carolina. Threats include development, rights-of-way maintenance activities, silvicultural activities, recreational activities, and invasive species. With a large range extent, over 400 occurrences, abundant habitat, broad habitat preferences, and no obvious intrinsic vulnerabilities, this species is considered secure.
Range Extent Comments
Sericocarpus asteroides occurs in the eastern United States from southern Maine and southern Vermont south to eastern South Carolina. Range extent was estimated to be almost 500,000 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 almost 350 occurrences rangewide (GBIF 2024, iNaturalist 2024, NatureServe 2024, SEINet 2024).
Threat Impact Comments
Although threats are not widely documented, Sericocarpus asteroides is threatened by development, rights-of-way maintenance activities, silvicultural activities, recreational activities (especially ATVs), and invasive species, and other threats in some places, though there is insufficient data, including anecdotal accounts, to understand scope and severity of threats for this species.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Sericocarpus asteroides grows in "dry woodlands, thin soils around rock outcrops, longleaf pine sandhills, other dry pinelands, woodland margins" (Weakley and the Southeastern Flora Team 2023).
Terrestrial Habitats
Forest EdgeWoodland - ConiferWoodland - Mixed
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
VirginiaSNRYes
New JerseyS5Yes
PennsylvaniaS1Yes
South CarolinaS2Yes
DelawareS4Yes
MassachusettsSNRYes
MaineS1Yes
District of ColumbiaSNRYes
VermontSHYes
New HampshireSNRYes
MarylandSNRYes
New YorkSNRYes
North CarolinaS5Yes
ConnecticutSNRYes
Rhode IslandSNRYes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
Unknown/undetermined———

—

Plant Characteristics
DurationPERENNIAL
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (5)
North Carolina (1)
AreaForestAcres
Pond Pine BCroatan National Forest2,961
Virginia (3)
AreaForestAcres
Little RiverGeorge Washington National Forest27,292
Northern MassanuttenGeorge Washington National Forest9,444
Oak KnobGeorge Washington National Forest10,882
West Virginia (1)
AreaForestAcres
Dry River (WV)George Washington National Forest7,331
References (7)
  1. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). 2024. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) data portal. Online. Available: https://www.gbif.org/ (accessed 2024).
  2. iNaturalist. 2024. Online. Available: https://www.inaturalist.org (accessed 2024).
  3. Kartesz, J.T. 1999. A synonymized checklist and atlas with biological attributes for the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. First edition. In: Kartesz, J.T., and C.A. Meacham. Synthesis of the North American Flora, Version 1.0. North Carolina Botanical Garden, Chapel Hill, N.C.
  4. NatureServe. 2024. NatureServe Network Biodiversity Location Data. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia.
  5. Nesom, G.L. 2021. <i>Sericocarpus asteroides</i> (Asteraceae: Astereae), rhizomatous and colonial, and <i>Sericocarpus caespitosus</i>, sp. nov. Phytoneuron 33: 1-33.
  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. 2023. Flora of the southeastern United States. Edition of April 14, 2023. University of North Carolina Herbarium (NCU), North Carolina Botanical Garden, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. 2105 pp.