Roadless Areas
Home/Species/ Crow-Poison

Stenanthium densum

(Desrousseaux) Zomlefer & Judd

Crow-Poison

G5Secure Found in 6 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.1256049
Element CodePMLIL1W070
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
Endemicendemic to a single nation
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassMonocotyledoneae
OrderLiliales
FamilyMelanthiaceae
GenusStenanthium
Synonyms
Zigadenus densus(Desr.) Fern.
Other Common Names
Osceola-Plume (EN)
Concept Reference
Weakley, A.S., and Southeastern Flora Team. 2022. Flora of the southeastern United States. Edition of April 24, 2022. University of North Carolina Herbarium (NCU), North Carolina Botanical Garden, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. 2022 pp.
Taxonomic Comments
This record is for the narrow treatment of Stenanthium densum, following Weakley et al. (2025), narrower than Zigadenus densus of both Kartesz (1994, 1999) and FNA (vol. 26, 2002). Weakley (2025) distinguishes, S. tennesseense, S. texanum (= S. macrum), and S. leimanthoides as distinct species from S. densum. In contrast to this treatment, FNA (vol. 26, 2002) recognized a very broad concept of Zigadenus densus including Z. leimanthoides as well as Tennessee and Gulf Coast material., while Kartesz (1994, 1999) treated Z. densus and Z. leimanthoides as distinct but without separate recognition of Tennessee and Gulf Coast material.
Conservation Status
Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2
Review Date2022-11-07
Change Date2022-11-07
Edition Date2022-11-07
Edition AuthorsSE RSGCN Workshop (2022)
Range Extent200,000-2,500,000 square km (about 80,000-1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences> 300
Rank Reasons
Stenanthium densum is a perennial herb that is endemic to the coastal plain of the southeastern United States. Within this region, it is common from North Carolina south to Florida and west to Mississippi.
Range Extent Comments
This species is endemic to the southeastern United States where it occurs on the coastal plain from southeastern Virginia to central peninsular Florida and west to southern Mississippi (Weakley and Southeastern Flora Team 2022).
Occurrences Comments
Based on herbarium records, photo-based observations, and field observations, there are likely over 300 occurrences rangewide (GBIF 2022, iNaturalist 2022). This species is common throughout much of its range (Weakley and Southeastern Flora Team 2022).
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Stenanthium densum occurs in pine savannas and flatwoods (Weakley and Southeastern Flora Team 2022).
Terrestrial Habitats
Woodland - ConiferSavanna
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
AlabamaSNRYes
GeorgiaSNRYes
MississippiSNRYes
South CarolinaS3Yes
FloridaS5Yes
VirginiaS1Yes
North CarolinaS4Yes
Plant Characteristics
DurationPERENNIAL
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (6)
Florida (4)
AreaForestAcres
Gum BayApalachicola National Forest11,645
Long BayApalachicola National Forest5,726
Natural Area WsaOsceola National Forest2,543
PinhookOsceola National Forest15,405
North Carolina (2)
AreaForestAcres
Pond Pine BCroatan National Forest2,961
Sheep Ridge AdditionCroatan National Forest5,808
References (9)
  1. Flora of North America Editorial Committee (FNA). 2002a. Flora of North America north of Mexico. Vol. 26. Magnoliophyta: Liliidae: Liliales and Orchidales. Oxford Univ. Press, New York. xxvi + 723 pp.
  2. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). 2022. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) data portal. Online. Available: https://www.gbif.org/ (accessed 2022).
  3. iNaturalist. 2022. Online. Available: https://www.inaturalist.org (accessed 2022).
  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. 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.
  6. Southeastern Regional Species of Greatest Conservation Need Workshop (SE RSGCN Workshop). 2022. Jon Ambrose, Keith Bradley, Malissa Briggler, John Burkhart, Emily Coffey, Todd Crabtree, Amanda Eberly, Margie Dent, Chris Doffitt, Bruce Hoagland, Amy Jenkins, Wesley Knapp, Stephanie Koontz, Lisa Kruse, David Lincicome, Gemma Milly, Sarah Norris, Carrie Radcliffe, Hanna Rosner-Katz, Al Schotz, Jason Singhurst, Diana Soteropoulos, Carlee Steppe, Samantha Tessel, John Townsend, Alan Weakley, Brenda Wichmann, and Theo Witsell. Status assessment workshop, Oct. 17-20, 2022, Atlanta Botanical Garden, Atlanta, GA.
  7. Weakley, A.S., and Southeastern Flora Team. 2022. Flora of the southeastern United States. Edition of April 24, 2022. University of North Carolina Herbarium (NCU), North Carolina Botanical Garden, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. 2022 pp.
  8. Weakley, A.S., and Southeastern Flora Team. 2025. Flora of the southeastern United States Web App. Edition of February 18, 2025. University of North Carolina Herbarium (NCU), North Carolina Botanical Garden, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Online. Available: https://fsus.ncbg.unc.edu (accessed 2025).
  9. Zomlefer, W.B. and W.S. Judd. 2002. Resurrection of segregates of the polyphyletic genus <i>Zigadenus</i> s.l. (Liliales: Melanthiaceae) and resulting new combinations. Novon 12(2): 299-308.