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Pyrola minor

L.

Lesser Wintergreen

G5Secure Found in 43 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
UnknownThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.148612
Element CodePDPYR04060
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassDicotyledoneae
OrderEricales
FamilyEricaceae
GenusPyrola
Other Common Names
Lesser Pyrola (EN) Pyrole mineure (FR) Snow-line (EN) snowline wintergreen (EN) Snowline Wintergreen (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 Date2024-09-20
Change Date1984-08-29
Edition Date2024-09-20
Edition AuthorsN. Ventrella (2024)
Threat ImpactUnknown
Range Extent>2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences> 300
Rank Reasons
Pyrola minor is a circumboreal perennial subshrub of coniferous and boreal forests, thickets, and stream banks of Europe, Asia, and North America. There are over 3,000 occurrences of this species, which are threatened by rights-of-way maintenance, recreation, logging, alteration of hydrology, and other threats in some places. Little is known about threats or trends, but with a large range extent, a high number of occurrences, abundant habitat, broad habitat preferences, and no obvious intrinsic vulnerabilities, Pyrola minor is considered secure.
Range Extent Comments
Pyrola minor is a widespread, circumboreal species occurring in Europe, Asia, and North America (Native Plant Trust 2024). In North America, it occurs throughout Alaska and Canada, the western United States, and Wisconsin east through Maine (FNA 2009). Range extent was estimated to be over 59 million square kilometers using herbarium specimens, photo-based observations, and NatureServe Network occurrence data collected between 1993 and 2024 (GBIF 2024, iNaturalist 2024, NatureServe 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 over 3,000 occurrences rangewide (GBIF 2024, iNaturalist 2024, SEINet 2024).
Threat Impact Comments
Although threats are not widely documented, Pyrola minor is threatened by rights-of-way maintenance, recreation, logging, alteration of hydrology, and other threats in some places, though there is insufficient data, including anecdotal accounts, to understand scope and severity of threats for this species (NatureServe 2024).
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

In North America, Pyrola minor occurs in "moist, often mossy sites in coniferous and boreal forests, thickets, [and] stream banks" (FNA 2009).
Terrestrial Habitats
Forest - Conifer
Palustrine Habitats
FORESTED WETLANDRiparian
Other Nations (2)
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
IdahoSNRYes
ArizonaSNRYes
CaliforniaSNRYes
WyomingS4Yes
ColoradoS4Yes
New HampshireSNRYes
MaineS2Yes
OregonSNRYes
New MexicoS4Yes
New YorkS1Yes
MichiganSNRYes
VermontS1Yes
WisconsinS1Yes
MinnesotaS3Yes
WashingtonSNRYes
MontanaS3Yes
AlaskaSNRYes
NevadaS2Yes
UtahSNRYes
CanadaN5
ProvinceRankNative
ManitobaS3Yes
Island of NewfoundlandS4Yes
Nova ScotiaS3Yes
Prince Edward IslandSHYes
SaskatchewanS4Yes
AlbertaS4Yes
New BrunswickS3Yes
LabradorS4Yes
Yukon TerritoryS4Yes
Northwest TerritoriesSNRYes
British ColumbiaS5Yes
OntarioS4Yes
NunavutS4Yes
QuebecS5Yes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
4 - Transportation & service corridorsUnknownUnknownUnknown
5 - Biological resource useUnknownUnknownUnknown
5.3 - Logging & wood harvestingUnknownUnknownUnknown
5.3.5 - Motivation unknown/unrecordedUnknownUnknownUnknown
6 - Human intrusions & disturbanceUnknownUnknownUnknown
6.1 - Recreational activitiesUnknownUnknownUnknown
7 - Natural system modificationsUnknownUnknownUnknown
7.2 - Dams & water management/useUnknownUnknownUnknown

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Plant Characteristics
DurationPERENNIAL
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (43)
Alaska (9)
AreaForestAcres
Boston BarChugach National Forest53,617
Johnson PassChugach National Forest152,508
Juneau UrbanTongass National Forest101,581
Kenai LakeChugach National Forest213,172
Kenai MountainsChugach National Forest306,600
ResurrectionChugach National Forest224,615
RhineTongass National Forest23,010
Roaded DonutChugach National Forest968
Twenty MileChugach National Forest198,775
California (9)
AreaForestAcres
DardanellesEldorado National Forest8,110
Hall Natural AreaInyo National Forest5,236
Hoover - Mt.olsenHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest624
Hoover - Virginia LksHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest5,050
Mt. OlsenInyo National Forest2,161
North LakeInyo National Forest2,406
Rock Creek WestInyo National Forest3,626
Table Mtn.Inyo National Forest4,215
Tioga LakeInyo National Forest829
Colorado (2)
AreaForestAcres
Long ParkRoutt NF42,100
San MiguelSan Juan NF64,263
Idaho (2)
AreaForestAcres
Lemhi RangeSalmon-Challis National Forest308,533
West Meadow CreekNez Perce-Clearwater National Forest115,949
Montana (4)
AreaForestAcres
BeartoothGallatin National Forest5,285
Silver KingBeaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest64,289
Stony MountainBitterroot National Forest44,057
West Big HoleBeaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest133,563
Oregon (5)
AreaForestAcres
Maiden PeakDeschutes National Forest26,432
Maiden PeakWillamette National Forest9,627
North PaulinaDeschutes National Forest19,670
South PaulinaDeschutes National Forest9,074
Walla Walla RiverUmatilla National Forest34,416
Utah (4)
AreaForestAcres
418040Uinta National Forest1,702
High Uintas (UT)Wasatch-Cache National Forest102,398
LakesWasatch-Cache National Forest121,967
White PineWasatch-Cache National Forest1,942
Washington (4)
AreaForestAcres
Glacier Peak BMt Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest19,328
HorseshoeGifford Pinchot National Forest7,579
Liberty BellOkanogan National Forest108,495
Pasayten RimOkanogan National Forest17,074
Wyoming (4)
AreaForestAcres
East Fork EncampmentMedicine Bow-Routt National Forest7,445
Encampment River AdditionMedicine Bow-Routt National Forest4,996
Platte River AdditionMedicine Bow-Routt National Forest7,962
Snowy RangeMedicine Bow-Routt National Forest29,660
References (8)
  1. Coffin, B., and L. Pfannmuller, editors. 1988. Minnesota's endangered flora and fauna. University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis, Minnesota. 473 pp.
  2. Flora of North America Editorial Committee (FNA). 2009. Flora of North America north of Mexico. Vol. 8. Magnoliophyta: Paeoniaceae to Ericaceae. Oxford University Press, New York. xxiv + 585 pp.
  3. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). 2024. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) data portal. Online. Available: https://www.gbif.org/ (accessed 2024).
  4. iNaturalist. 2024. Online. Available: https://www.inaturalist.org (accessed 2024).
  5. 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.
  6. Native Plant Trust. 2024. Go Botany website. Online. Available: https://gobotany.newenglandwild.org (accessed 2024).
  7. NatureServe. 2024. NatureServe Network Biodiversity Location Data. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia.
  8. Southwest Environmental Information Network (SEINet). 2024. Collections Databases. Online. Available: https://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/collections/index.php (accessed 2024).