Home/Species/ Muskroot

Adoxa moschatellina

Muskroot

G5Secure Found in 7 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →

G5SecureGlobal Rank

Identity

Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.160182

Element CodePDADO01010

Record TypeSPECIES

ClassificationSpecies

Classification StatusStandard

Name CategoryVascular Plant

KingdomPlantae

PhylumAnthophyta

ClassDicotyledoneae

OrderDipsacales

FamilyViburnaceae

GenusAdoxa

Other Common Names

Moscatelline (FR) Moschatel (EN) muskroot (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 MethodExpertise without calculation

Review Date2016-05-13

Change Date1985-04-05

Edition AuthorsWeldy, Troy W.

Range Extent200,000 to >2,500,000 square km (about 80,000 to >1,000,000 square miles)

Number of Occurrences> 300

Rank Reasons

Considered common in parts of Canada, Alaska, England, and other circumboreal habitats. Much rarer and sparsely distributed along the southern border of its range.

Range Extent Comments

A circumboreal plant of the upper Midwest and Canada extending south to southern Minnesota, Wisconsin, northern Illinois and northern Iowa. Disjunct populations in the Catskill Mountains of New York.

Ecology & Habitat

Description

Musk-root is a small, delicate, musky-scented herbaceous perennial, 5-20 cm tall. The several basal leaves have long petioles and blades divided into threes 2-3 times, with the ultimate segments broadly egg-shaped and lobed. There is one opposite pair of smaller stem leaves which are less dissected. Usually 5 flowers are borne in a compact head-like inflorescence at the tip of the stem. The inconspicuous, yellowish-green flowers, 5-8 mm wide, are of two types: outside flowers usually have 3 sepals and 5 united petals, while the terminal flowers have 2 sepals and 4 united petals. The sepals are united to the wall of the ovary. The small dry fruit has 4-5 seeds.

Diagnostic Characteristics

The leaves of this unusual plant resemble those of AQUILEGIA, but the flowers superficially resemble those of SAXIFRAGA. However, this monotypic family is most closely related to the Valerianaceae.

Other Nations (2)

CanadaN5

Province	Rank	Native
Alberta	S4	Yes
Manitoba	S1	Yes
Ontario	S1	Yes
Saskatchewan	S3	Yes
British Columbia	S5	Yes
Northwest Territories	S3	Yes
Yukon Territory	S4	Yes

United StatesNNR

Province	Rank	Native
South Dakota	S2	Yes
Wisconsin	S2	Yes
Colorado	S4	Yes
Wyoming	S2	Yes
Utah	SH	Yes
Illinois	SH	Yes
New York	S1	Yes
New Mexico	S3	Yes
Alaska	SNR	Yes
Minnesota	S3	Yes
Iowa	S3	Yes
Montana	S3	Yes

Plant Characteristics

Economic Value (Genus)No

Roadless Areas (7)

Alaska (1)

Area	Forest	Acres
Roaded Donut	Chugach National Forest	968

Colorado (1)

Area	Forest	Acres
Pole Mountain / Finger Mesa	Rio Grande NF	43,863

Montana (2)

Area	Forest	Acres
Middle Fork Judith Wsa	Lewis and Clark National Forest	81,131
Pilgrim Creek	Lewis and Clark National Forest	44,608

New Mexico (2)

Area	Forest	Acres
Pecos	Carson National Forest	13,436
Pecos WS River	Santa Fe National Forest	5,396

Wyoming (1)

Area	Forest	Acres
Illinois Creek	Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest	6,711

References (1)

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.