Calystegia spithamaea

(L.) Pursh

Low False Bindweed

G5Secure Found in 7 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
UnknownThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.158217
Element CodePDCON040G0
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassDicotyledoneae
OrderSolanales
FamilyConvolvulaceae
GenusCalystegia
Synonyms
Convolvulus spithamaeusL.
Other Common Names
Liseron dressé (FR) low false bindweed (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.
Taxonomic Comments
This record is for the broad treatment of Calystegia spithamaea, including ssp. purshiana and ssp. stans, as recognized by Brummitt in FNA (2002, vol. 23) and Kartesz (1994, 1999). Weakley et al. (2024) recognize these taxa in the genus Convolvulus and include ssp. purshiana and ssp. stans in the distinct species Convolvulus purshianus, making their treatment of Convolvulus spithamaeus more narrow.
Conservation Status
Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2
Review Date2024-07-03
Change Date2024-07-03
Edition Date2024-07-03
Edition AuthorsN. Ventrella (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
Calystegia spithamaea is a perennial herb found in a variety of habitats; including sandy and stony sites, alluvial gravel, clay-loam, and glacial till in shale barrens, dry birch or coniferous woodlands, and grasslands of eastern North America from Ontario to Quebec, Canada south to Maine west to Minnesota, south to Missouri and east to Tennessee and North Carolina in the United States. Threats include development, recreation, right of way maintenance, invasive species, and succession. With a large range extent, more than 500 occurrences, abundant habitat, broad habitat preferences, and no obvious intrinsic vulnerabilities, this species is considered secure.
Range Extent Comments
Calystegia spithamaea occurs in eastern North America from Ontario to Quebec, Canada south to Maine west to Minnesota, south to Missouri and east to Tennessee and North Carolina in the United States (FNA 2023). It is presumed extirpated in Manitoba, Canada. Range extent was estimated to be over 2 million square kilometers using herbarium specimens, NatureServe network data, and photo-based observations documented between 1993 and 2024 (GBIF 2024, iNaturalist 2024, NatureServe 2024, SEINet 2024). See individual entries for distribution details about the three subspecies.
Occurrences Comments
By applying a 1 km separation distance to herbarium specimens, NatureServe network occurrence data, and photo-based observations documented between 1993 and 2024, it is estimated that there are over 500 occurrences rangewide (GBIF 2024, iNaturalist 2024, NatureServe 2024, SEINet 2024).
Threat Impact Comments
Although threats are not widely documented, Calystegia spithamaea is potentially threatened by development, recreation, right of way maintenance, invasive species, succession, and other threats in some places, though there is insufficient data, including anecdotal accounts, to understand the scope and severity of threats for this species.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Calystegia spithamaea occurs on clay-loam, sandy and stony sites, alluvial gravel, and glacial till in shale barrens, dry birch or coniferous woodlands, and grasslands (FNA 2023).
Terrestrial Habitats
Woodland - HardwoodWoodland - ConiferGrassland/herbaceousBarrens
Other Nations (2)
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
MaineS2Yes
OhioSNRYes
PennsylvaniaSNRYes
MissouriSNRYes
West VirginiaS4Yes
MinnesotaSNRYes
IllinoisSNRYes
IndianaS4Yes
MarylandSNRYes
New HampshireSNRYes
MichiganSNRYes
DelawareS1Yes
VermontS2Yes
WisconsinSNRYes
KentuckyS4Yes
ConnecticutSHYes
North CarolinaS2Yes
TennesseeSNRYes
VirginiaSNRYes
MassachusettsS1Yes
District of ColumbiaSHYes
Rhode IslandSNRYes
FloridaSNRYes
South CarolinaSNRYes
New JerseySNRYes
New YorkSNRYes
IowaS3Yes
CanadaN4
ProvinceRankNative
OntarioS4Yes
QuebecSNRYes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
Unknown/undetermined

Plant Characteristics
DurationPERENNIAL
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (7)
North Carolina (1)
AreaForestAcres
Linville Gorge AdditionPisgah National Forest2,809
Virginia (4)
AreaForestAcres
Beards MountainGeorge Washington National Forest7,505
Elliott KnobGeorge Washington National Forest9,380
JerkemtightGeorge Washington National Forest16,687
Mill MountainGeorge Washington National Forest10,840
West Virginia (2)
AreaForestAcres
Dry River (WV)George Washington National Forest7,331
North Mountain HopevilleMonongahela National Forest6,525
References (8)
  1. Flora of North America Editorial Committee (FNA). 2023. Flora of North America north of Mexico. Vol. 14. Magnoliophyta: Gentianaceae to Hydroleaceae. Oxford Univ. Press, New York. xxiv + 505 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. 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.
  6. NatureServe. 2024. NatureServe Network Biodiversity Location Data. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia.
  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.