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Cuphea viscosissima

Jacq.

Blue Waxweed

G5Secure Found in 6 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
LowThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.143954
Element CodePDLYT02080
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassDicotyledoneae
OrderMyrtales
FamilyLythraceae
GenusCuphea
Other Common Names
blue waxweed (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 Date2024-06-03
Change Date2024-06-03
Edition Date2024-06-03
Edition AuthorsNordman, C. (2024).
Threat ImpactLow
Range Extent20,000 to >2,500,000 square km (about 8000 to >1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences> 300
Rank Reasons
Blue Waxweed (Cuphea viscosissima) occurs in eastern North America and in northern Mexico. It is estimated that there are more than 300 occurrences rangewide. Residential development is a threat, leading to loss of habitat in some areas.
Range Extent Comments
Blue Waxweed (Cuphea viscosissima) occurs in eastern North America and in northern Mexico, from New York and southern New England to Georgia, Florida, Kansas, and Texas and in Mexico it has been found in Aguascalientes, Jalisco, Nuevo Leon, Sinaloa, and Tamaulipas. Range extent was estimated to be 2.3 million square kilometers, using herbarium specimens and photo-based observations documented between 1993 and 2024 (Flora of North America Editorial Committee 2021, GBIF 2024, iNaturalist 2024, SEINet 2024, Weakley and Southeastern Flora Team 2023, Villaseñor 2016).
Occurrences Comments
By applying a 1 km separation distance to herbarium records and photo-based observations documented between 1993 and 2024, it is estimated that there are more than 300 occurrences of Blue Waxweed (Cuphea viscosissima) rangewide (GBIF 2024, iNaturalist 2024, SEINet 2024).
Threat Impact Comments
Residential development is a threat, leading to loss of habitat in some areas.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Blue Waxweed (Cuphea viscosissima) occurs in dry or wet areas, including pastures, road­sides, ditches, grassy borders, disturbed moist woods along trails, especially over mafic or calcareous rocks at elevations of 0 - 900 m (Flora of North America Editorial Committee 2021, Weakley and Southeastern Flora Team 2023).
Terrestrial Habitats
Grassland/herbaceousOld field
Palustrine Habitats
HERBACEOUS WETLAND
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
GeorgiaSNRYes
MississippiS1Yes
OklahomaSNRYes
IowaS1Yes
NebraskaSNRYes
DelawareS2Yes
TexasS1Yes
LouisianaSNRYes
VermontSNRYes
New JerseyS2Yes
ArkansasSNRYes
IndianaSNRYes
District of ColumbiaSNRYes
ConnecticutSHYes
VirginiaS5Yes
MassachusettsSNANo
KentuckyS4Yes
MissouriSNRYes
IllinoisSNRYes
New MexicoSNRYes
MarylandSNRYes
West VirginiaS4Yes
New YorkS4Yes
FloridaSNRYes
South CarolinaS1Yes
Rhode IslandSNANo
AlabamaSNRYes
TennesseeSNRYes
New HampshireSNRYes
PennsylvaniaS5Yes
North CarolinaS3Yes
OhioSNRYes
KansasS3Yes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
1 - Residential & commercial developmentSmall (1-10%)Serious or 31-70% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
1.1 - Housing & urban areasSmall (1-10%)Serious or 31-70% pop. declineHigh (continuing)

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Plant Characteristics
DurationANNUAL
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (6)
Indiana (1)
AreaForestAcres
Mogan RidgeHoosier National Forest8,435
Virginia (4)
AreaForestAcres
JerkemtightGeorge Washington National Forest16,687
Little RiverGeorge Washington National Forest27,292
Oak KnobGeorge Washington National Forest10,882
Seng MountainJefferson National Forest6,428
West Virginia (1)
AreaForestAcres
Dry River (WV)George Washington National Forest7,331
References (7)
  1. Flora of North America Editorial Committee (FNA). 2021. Flora of North America north of Mexico. Vol. 10. Magnoliophyta: Proteaceae to Elaeagnaceae. Oxford Univ. Press, New York. xxiv + 456 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. Villaseñor, J.L. 2016. Checklist of the native vascular plants of Mexico. Revista Mexicana de Biodiversidad 87: 559-902.
  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.