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Lyonia ligustrina

(L.) DC.

Maleberry

G5Secure Found in 31 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
UnknownThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.127927
Element CodePDERI0R030
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassDicotyledoneae
OrderEricales
FamilyEricaceae
GenusLyonia
Other Common Names
Lyonie faux-troène; Lyonie ligustrine (FR) maleberry (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 Date2024-06-24
Change Date1984-06-07
Edition Date2024-06-24
Edition AuthorsSoteropoulos (2024)
Threat ImpactUnknown
Range Extent200,000 to >2,500,000 square km (about 80,000 to >1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences> 300
Rank Reasons
Lyonia ligustrina is a wide-ranging shrub with two varieties occurring in eastern North America from Nova Scotia, Canada and Maine, United States south to Florida and west to Ohio, Oklahoma, and Texas. Threats potentially include development, logging, recreational activities, succession, and invasive species. Little is known about trends, but with a large range extent and large number of occurrences, this species is considered secure.
Range Extent Comments
Lyonia ligustrina occurs in eastern North America from Nova Scotia, Canada and Maine, United States south to Florida and west to Ohio (historic), Oklahoma, and Texas (FNA 2009). See individual entries for distribution details about the two varieties. Range extent was estimated to be over 2.3 million square kilometers using herbarium specimens, photo-based observations, and NatureServe Network occurrence data documented between 1993 and 2024 (GBIF 2024, iNaturalist 2024, NatureServe 2024, SEINet 2024).
Occurrences Comments
By applying a 1 km separation distance to herbarium specimens, photo-based observations, and NatureServe Network occurrence data documented between 1993 and 2024, it is estimated that there are over 1,000 occurrences rangewide (GBIF 2024, iNaturalist 2024, NatureServe 2024, SEINet 2024).
Threat Impact Comments
Although threats are not widely documented, this species is potentially threatened by development, logging, recreational activities, succession, invasive species, and other threats in some places.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Lyonia ligustrina grows in moist to dry acid woods and thickets, including pine forests and flatwoods, shrub thickets and shrub bogs, streamhead pocosins and baygalls, marshy areas, beaver pond margins, stream or pond margins, swamps, and grassy or heath balds (FNA 2009).
Terrestrial Habitats
Forest - ConiferForest - MixedWoodland - ConiferWoodland - MixedShrubland/chaparralGrassland/herbaceous
Palustrine Habitats
SCRUB-SHRUB WETLANDFORESTED WETLANDBog/fenRiparian
Other Nations (2)
CanadaN1
ProvinceRankNative
Nova ScotiaS1Yes
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
District of ColumbiaSNRYes
MaineSNRYes
New JerseySNRYes
North CarolinaS5Yes
PennsylvaniaS5Yes
DelawareS4Yes
ArkansasSNRYes
West VirginiaS4Yes
New HampshireSNRYes
TexasSNRYes
OklahomaS1Yes
OhioSHYes
FloridaS4Yes
VermontS3Yes
KentuckySNRYes
MississippiSNRYes
MarylandSNRYes
ConnecticutSNRYes
Rhode IslandSNRYes
AlabamaSNRYes
New YorkS5Yes
LouisianaSNRYes
MassachusettsSNRYes
TennesseeSNRYes
VirginiaS5Yes
South CarolinaSNRYes
GeorgiaSNRYes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
Unknown/undetermined———

—

Plant Characteristics
DurationPERENNIAL
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (31)
Arkansas (1)
AreaForestAcres
Blue MountainOuachita National Forest9,755
Florida (1)
AreaForestAcres
Alexander Springs CreekOcala National Forest2,954
New Hampshire (1)
AreaForestAcres
Sandwich RangeWhite Mountain National Forest16,797
North Carolina (12)
AreaForestAcres
Big Indian (addition)Nantahala National Forest1,155
Boteler PeakNantahala National Forest4,205
Dobson KnobPisgah National Forest6,111
Graveyard Ridge (addition)Pisgah National Forest1,958
Jarrett CreekPisgah National Forest7,485
Laurel MountainPisgah National Forest5,683
Linville Gorge AdditionPisgah National Forest2,809
Lost CovePisgah National Forest5,944
Overflow CreekNantahala National Forest3,379
Sam Knob (addition)Pisgah National Forest2,576
Wilson CreekPisgah National Forest4,863
Woods MountainPisgah National Forest9,602
Tennessee (4)
AreaForestAcres
Bald MountainCherokee National Forest11,743
Beaver Dam CreekCherokee National Forest5,070
Devil's BackboneCherokee National Forest4,287
Flint Mill GapCherokee National Forest9,494
Virginia (10)
AreaForestAcres
Adams PeakGeorge Washington National Forest7,135
Beards MountainGeorge Washington National Forest7,505
Beaver Dam CreekJefferson National Forest1,135
Gum RunGeorge Washington National Forest12,620
JerkemtightGeorge Washington National Forest16,687
Kelley MountainGeorge Washington National Forest7,590
Little RiverGeorge Washington National Forest27,292
Oak KnobGeorge Washington National Forest10,882
Ramseys Draft AdditionGeorge Washington National Forest12,781
Southern MassanuttenGeorge Washington National Forest11,985
West Virginia (2)
AreaForestAcres
Dry River (WV)George Washington National Forest7,331
Little MountainMonongahela National Forest8,172
References (6)
  1. 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.
  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. NatureServe. 2024. NatureServe Network Biodiversity Location Data. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia.
  6. Southwest Environmental Information Network (SEINet). 2024. Collections Databases. Online. Available: https://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/collections/index.php (accessed 2024).