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Ludwigia alternifolia

L.

Bushy Seedbox

G5Secure Found in 19 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
UnknownThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.155113
Element CodePDONA0B020
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassDicotyledoneae
OrderMyrtales
FamilyOnagraceae
GenusLudwigia
Other Common Names
Alternate-leaved Seedbox (EN) Ludwigie à feuilles alternes (FR) seedbox (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 Date2024-09-12
Change Date1984-06-07
Edition Date2024-09-12
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
Ludwigia alternifolia is a perennial forb occurring in swamps, ditches, damp, peaty places, and in the margins of field of eastern North America from Ontario, Canada east to New Hampshire, south to Florida, west to Texas, and north to Colorado and Michigan in the United States. There are over 2,000 occurrences of this species, which are potentially threatened by development, rights-of-way maintenance, invasive species, succession, changes to 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, Ludwigia alternifolia is considered secure.
Range Extent Comments
Ludwigia alternifolia occurs in eastern North America from Ontario, Canada east to New Hampshire, south to Florida, west to Texas, and north to Colorado and Michigan in the United States (FNA 2021). Range extent was estimated to be over 3 million square kilometers using herbarium specimens and photo-based observations documented between 1993 and 2024 (GBIF 2024, iNaturalist 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 2,000 occurrences rangewide (GBIF 2024, iNaturalist 2024, SEINet 2024).
Threat Impact Comments
Although threats are not widely documented, Ludwigia alternifolia is potentially threatened by development, rights-of-way maintenance, invasive species, succession, changes to hydrology, and other threats in some places. However, their overall impact is likely negligible given the species' broad range, large number of occurrences, tolerance of light disturbance, and affinity for typically abundant habitats, as well as no obvious intrinsic vulnerabilities.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Ludwigia alternifolia occurs in "swamps, damp, peaty places, roadside ditches, [and in the] margins of cultivated fields" (FNA 2021).
Terrestrial Habitats
Forest EdgeCropland/hedgerow
Palustrine Habitats
FORESTED WETLAND
Other Nations (2)
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
North CarolinaS5Yes
WisconsinS2Yes
AlabamaSNRYes
IndianaSNRYes
MissouriSNRYes
VirginiaS5Yes
FloridaSNRYes
New JerseyS4Yes
PennsylvaniaS5Yes
West VirginiaS5Yes
GeorgiaS5Yes
ConnecticutSNRYes
LouisianaSNRYes
KansasS4Yes
MichiganS3Yes
IowaS3Yes
MassachusettsSNRYes
District of ColumbiaSNRYes
South CarolinaS5Yes
New YorkS4Yes
KentuckyS5Yes
TennesseeSNRYes
NebraskaS1Yes
New HampshireSNRYes
MississippiSNRYes
MarylandSNRYes
DelawareS5Yes
Rhode IslandSNRYes
VermontSNRYes
OhioSNRYes
TexasSNRYes
ArkansasSNRYes
OklahomaSNRYes
IllinoisSNRYes
CanadaN1
ProvinceRankNative
OntarioS1Yes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
Unknown/undetermined———

—

Plant Characteristics
DurationPERENNIAL, Short-lived
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (19)
Arkansas (6)
AreaForestAcres
Blue MountainOuachita National Forest9,755
Devils CanyonOzark-St. Francis National Forest1,877
Dismal CreekOzark-St. Francis National Forest9,160
East ForkOzark-St. Francis National Forest13,037
Pedestal RocksOzark-St. Francis National Forest21,957
PenhookOzark-St. Francis National Forest6,566
Georgia (1)
AreaForestAcres
Pink KnobChattahoochee National Forest12,127
Kentucky (1)
AreaForestAcres
WolfpenDaniel Boone National Forest2,835
North Carolina (3)
AreaForestAcres
Chunky Gal (addition)Nantahala National Forest3,336
Harper CreekPisgah National Forest7,325
Sheep Ridge AdditionCroatan National Forest5,808
Tennessee (2)
AreaForestAcres
Bald MountainCherokee National Forest11,743
Stone MountainCherokee National Forest5,367
Texas (1)
AreaForestAcres
Little Lake CreekNational Forests in Texas596
Virginia (4)
AreaForestAcres
Beards MountainGeorge Washington National Forest7,505
Gum RunGeorge Washington National Forest12,620
Oliver MountainGeorge Washington National Forest13,090
Peters Mountain Addition BJefferson National Forest2,909
West Virginia (1)
AreaForestAcres
Middle MountainMonongahela National Forest19,020
References (5)
  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).