Home/Species/ Mountain Golden-heather

Hudsonia montana

Nutt.

Mountain Golden-heather

G1Critically Imperiled Found in 8 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →

G1Critically ImperiledGlobal Rank

HighThreat Impact

Identity

Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.150303

Element CodePDCIS03020

Record TypeSPECIES

ClassificationSpecies

Classification StatusStandard

Name CategoryVascular Plant

Endemicendemic to a single state or province

KingdomPlantae

PhylumAnthophyta

ClassDicotyledoneae

OrderViolales

FamilyCistaceae

GenusHudsonia

Synonyms

Hudsonia ericoides ssp. montana(Nutt.) Nickerson & Skog

Other Common Names

mountain goldenheather (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

Generally regarded as a distinct species, but has also been treated (by Nickerson and Skog) as a subspecies of Hudsonia ericoides. Maintained as a distinct species by Kartesz (1980, 1994, 1999), Morse (1979 thesis and 1981 status report), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, North Carolina Natural Heritage Program, U.S. Forest Service, and numerous other sources.

Conservation Status

Rank MethodLegacy Rank calculation - Excel v3.1x

Review Date2015-08-07

Change Date1985-04-16

Edition Date2015-08-07

Edition AuthorsMorse, Larry E. (1985), rev. Mansberg. L. (6/96), rev. Maybury, K., rev. L. Morse (2000), rev. A. Tomaino (2008), rev. A. Treher (2015)

Threat ImpactHigh

Range Extent<100 square km (less than about 40 square miles)

Number of Occurrences6 - 20

Rank Reasons

A narrow endemic of two adjacent counties in western North Carolina, where it is restricted to local, unusually dry habitats. There are seven known populations, five of them along the rim of a single Blue Ridge Escarpment gorge. Barring regional or global climate change, and provided the populations are reasonably protected from rock climbers and hikers (a proposed trail, since re-routed, would have cut directly through two of the populations), the species could persist indefinitely at these few sites. However, historical fire suppression and visitor impacts continue to be threats.

Range Extent Comments

Very narrow endemic, known from only two adjacent North Carolina counties; east rim of Linville Gorge, within 8km. of Table Rock Mountain, and 2 pops. about 20 miles distant from Linville Gorge.

Occurrences Comments

Six to seven primary element occurrences corresponding to 33 sub EOs (USFWS 2012).

Threat Impact Comments

Fire suppression is a major threat. Threatened by succession and human disturbance through trampling near campsites and day use areas. Threats include loss of habitat through competition, trampling, erosion due to alteration of water flow, collection, and predation of seeds (Gross et al. 1998; Southern Appalachian Species Viability Project 2002; Weakley 2008; USFWS 2012).

Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Shallow soils that form over quartzite or mica gneiss rock ledges. Usually in the sparsely vegetated ecotone between bare rock and heath bald.

Terrestrial Habitats

Forest/WoodlandForest - ConiferBarrensBare rock/talus/screeCliff

Other Nations (1)

United StatesN1

Province	Rank	Native
North Carolina	S1	Yes

Threat Assessments

Threat	Scope	Severity	Timing
1 - Residential & commercial development	Large - restricted	Serious or 31-70% pop. decline	Moderate (short-term)
1.3 - Tourism & recreation areas	Large - restricted	Serious or 31-70% pop. decline	Moderate (short-term)
5 - Biological resource use	Large (31-70%)	Serious or 31-70% pop. decline	High (continuing)
5.2 - Gathering terrestrial plants	Large (31-70%)	Serious or 31-70% pop. decline	High (continuing)
6 - Human intrusions & disturbance	Large - restricted	Serious or 31-70% pop. decline	Moderate (short-term)
6.1 - Recreational activities	Large - restricted	Serious or 31-70% pop. decline	Moderate (short-term)
7 - Natural system modifications	Pervasive (71-100%)	Serious or 31-70% pop. decline	High (continuing)
7.1 - Fire & fire suppression	Pervasive (71-100%)	Serious or 31-70% pop. decline	High (continuing)
8 - Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseases	Large (31-70%)	Serious - moderate	High (continuing)

Plant Characteristics

DurationPERENNIAL

Economic Value (Genus)No

Roadless Areas (8)

North Carolina (8)

Area	Forest	Acres
Dobson Knob	Pisgah National Forest	6,111
Dobson Knob	Pisgah National Forest	6,111
Harper Creek	Pisgah National Forest	7,325
Linville Gorge Addition	Pisgah National Forest	2,809
Linville Gorge Addition	Pisgah National Forest	2,809
Mackey Mountain	Pisgah National Forest	5,934
Woods Mountain	Pisgah National Forest	9,602
Woods Mountain	Pisgah National Forest	9,602

References (16)

Anonymous. 1987. Mountain golden-heather discovered outside of Linville Gorge. North Carolina Natural Heritage Program Newsletter Summer/Fall: 8.
Center for Plant Conservation (CPC). 2008. Last update January 29. National Collection Plant Profile: Hudsonia montana. Center for Plant Conservation, Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis Missouri. Online. Available: http://www.centerforplantconservation.org/ (accessed 24 September 2008).
Flora of North America Editorial Committee (FNA). 2015. Flora of North America north of Mexico. Vol. 6. Magnoliophyta: Cucurbitaceae to Droserceae. Oxford University Press, New York. 496 pp + xxiv.
Gross, K, J.R. Lockwood, C.C. Frost, and M.F. Morris. 1998. Modeling controlled burning and trampling reduction for conservation of Hudsonia montana. Conservation Biology 12(6): 1291-1301.
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.
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.
Kartesz, J.T., and R. Kartesz. 1980. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada and Greenland. Vol. 2. The biota of North America. Univ. of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill. 500 pp.
Kruckeberg, A.R., and D. Rabinowitz. 1985. Biological aspects of endemism in higher plants. Ecological Systems 16: 447-479.
Morse, Larry E. Personal Communication. North American Botanist, NatureServe, Arlington, VA. Formerly Chief Botanist, The Nature Conservancy, Arlington, VA.
Morse, L.E. 1979a. Report on the conservation status of Hudsonia montana, a candidate endangered species. New York Botanical Garden, Cooperative Parks Study Unit, Bronx, NY. 37 pp.
Morse, L.E. 1979b. Systematics and ecological biogeography of the genus Hudsonia (Cistaceae), the sand heathers. Ph. D. Dissertation, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Southern Appalachian Species Viability Project. 2002. A partnership between the U.S. Forest Service-Region 8, Natural Heritage Programs in the Southeast, NatureServe, and independent scientists to develop and review data on 1300+ regionally and locally rare species in the Southern Appalachian and Alabama region. Database (Access 97) provided to the U.S. Forest Service by NatureServe, Durham, North Carolina.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). 2012. Mountain golden heather (Hudsonia montana) 5-Year Review: Summary and Evaluation. http://ecos.fws.gov/docs/five_year_review/doc4127.pdf.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). 2023. Initiation of 5-Year Status Reviews for 67 Southeastern Species. Notice of initiation of reviews; request for information. Federal Register 88(91): 30324-30328.
Weakley, Alan S. Personal Communication. Director. UNC Herbarium, North Carolina Botanical Garden, Chapel Hill, N.C.
Weakley, A. S. 2008. Flora of the Carolinas, Virginia, Georgia, northern Florida, and surrounding areas. Working Draft of 7 April 2008. University of North Carolina Herbarium (NCU), North Carolina Botanical Garden, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Online. Available: http://herbarium.unc.edu/flora.htm (Accessed 2008).

Hudsonia montana

Habitat

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