(P. Mill.) K. Koch
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.134521
Element CodePDBET05032
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassDicotyledoneae
OrderFagales
FamilyBetulaceae
GenusOstrya
SynonymsCarpinus virginianaMill.Ostrya virginiana var. virginiana
Other Common NamesAmerican Hop-hornbeam (EN) Hophornbeam (EN) hophornbeam (EN) Ironwood (EN) Leverwood (EN) Ostryer de Virginie (FR)
Concept ReferenceKartesz, 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 CommentsFNA (vol. 3, 1997) recognizes Ostrya chisosensis as distinct from O. virginiana and O. knowltonii. Weakley et al. (2023) indicate that their treatment of O. viginiana is equivalent to FNA (1997). Kartesz (1994, 1999) recognized O. chisosensis it as a variety of O. virginiana, though the name as a variety of O. virginiana was never formerly published. O. virginiana in the narrow sense accepted by FNA (1997) is equivalent to O. virginiana var. virginiana as recognized in Kartesz (1994, 1999).
Conservation Status
Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2
Review Date2024-09-13
Change Date1995-03-02
Edition Date2024-09-13
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 ReasonsOstrya virginiana is a deciduous tree occurring in forested hillsides, dry, upland slopes and ridges, and well-drained floodplains of eastern North America from Nova Scotia to Manitoba, Canada and south to northeastern Wyoming, central Nebraska, Texas, and Florida in the United States. There are an estimated 3,000 occurrences of this species, which may be threatened by wildfire, succession, wind disturbance, logging, drought and flooding, pollution, 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, Ostrya virginiana is considered secure.
Range Extent CommentsOstrya virginiana occurs in eastern North America from Nova Scotia to Manitoba, Canada south to northeastern Wyoming, central Nebraska, Texas, and Florida in the United States (FNA 1997). Range extent was estimated to be over 10 million square kilometers using herbarium specimens and photo-based observations documented between 1993 and 2024 (GBIF 2024, iNaturalist 2024, SEINet 2024).
Occurrences CommentsBy applying a 1 km separation distance to herbarium records and photo-based observations documented between 1993 and 2024, there are estimated to be over 3,000 occurrences rangewide (GBIF 2024, iNaturalist 2024, SEINet 2024). However, this taxon is commonly cultivated, and iNaturalist observations (>22,000) were not evaluated for evidence of cultivation (iNaturalist 2024).
Threat Impact CommentsThreats to Ostrya virginiana are not well documented but potentially include wildfire, succession, wind disturbance, logging, drought and flooding, and other threats in some places; though there is insufficient data, including anecdotal accounts, to understand scope and severity of threats for this species. Ostrya virginiana is considered to be relatively free of disease and insect predation, but it can be sensitive to pollutants, including sulfur and nitrogen oxides, chlorine, and fluorine (Ritz 2012).