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Gamochaeta purpurea

(L.) Cabrera

Purple Cudweed

G5Secure Found in 4 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
LowThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.151058
Element CodePDASTDF040
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassDicotyledoneae
OrderAsterales
FamilyAsteraceae
GenusGamochaeta
Synonyms
Gnaphalium purpureumL.
Other Common Names
Cotonnière pourprée (FR) spoonleaf purple everlasting (EN) Spoonleaf Purple Everlasting (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 Date2024-06-04
Change Date1984-05-16
Edition Date2024-06-04
Edition AuthorsNordman, C. (2024).
Threat ImpactLow
Range Extent>2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences> 300
Rank Reasons
Purple Cudweed (Gamochaeta purpurea) occurs in its native range in the eastern United States, and as an adventive or weed in many other parts of the world. It is estimated that there are more than 300 occurrences of Purple Cudweed (Gamochaeta purpurea) in its native range in the eastern United States. Threats include the loss of habitat due to residential development, and competition from invasive exotic plants.
Range Extent Comments
Purple Cudweed (Gamochaeta purpurea) occurs in its native range in the eastern United States, and as an adventive or weed in many other parts of the world. The native range extent from Maine to Michigan, south to Florida, Texas and southeastern Arizona was estimated to be 3.3 million square kilometers, using herbarium specimens and photo-based observations documented between 1993 and 2024 (Flora of North America Editorial Committee 2006, GBIF 2024, iNaturalist 2024, Weakley and Southeastern Flora Team 2023).
Occurrences Comments
By applying a 1 km separation distance to herbarium records and photo-based observations documented between 1993 and 2024, it is estimated that there are more than 300 occurrences of Purple Cudweed (Gamochaeta purpurea) in its native range in the eastern United States (GBIF 2024, iNaturalist 2024)
Threat Impact Comments
Threats include the loss of habitat due to residential development, and competition from invasive exotic plants.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Purple Cudweed (Gamochaeta purpurea) occurs in open, usually disturbed, sandy habitats, such as woodlands, prairies, roadsides, fields, woodland clearings and edges, at elevations of 5 - 300 meters (Flora of North America Editorial Committee 2006, Weakley and Southeastern Flora Team 2023).
Terrestrial Habitats
Forest EdgeWoodland - HardwoodWoodland - ConiferWoodland - MixedSavannaGrassland/herbaceousOld field
Other Nations (2)
CanadaNX
ProvinceRankNative
OntarioSXYes
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
South CarolinaS5Yes
North CarolinaSNRYes
MissouriSNRYes
West VirginiaS5Yes
FloridaS5Yes
MichiganSNRYes
MississippiSNRYes
GeorgiaSNRYes
DelawareS4Yes
TennesseeSNRYes
HawaiiSNANo
PennsylvaniaSNRYes
OhioSNRYes
Rhode IslandSHYes
KansasS3Yes
LouisianaSNRYes
MaineSXYes
ArizonaSNRYes
IndianaSNRYes
MarylandSNRYes
OklahomaSNRYes
NebraskaS1Yes
IllinoisSNRYes
KentuckySNANo
New YorkS1Yes
TexasSNRYes
ArkansasSNRYes
ConnecticutSHYes
IowaS1Yes
MassachusettsS1Yes
AlabamaSNRYes
District of ColumbiaSNRYes
New JerseyS4Yes
VirginiaS5Yes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
1 - Residential & commercial developmentSmall (1-10%)Serious or 31-70% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
1.1 - Housing & urban areasSmall (1-10%)Serious or 31-70% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
8 - Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseasesRestricted (11-30%)Moderate or 11-30% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
8.1 - Invasive non-native/alien species/diseasesRestricted (11-30%)Moderate or 11-30% pop. declineHigh (continuing)

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Plant Characteristics
DurationANNUAL
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (4)
Arkansas (1)
AreaForestAcres
Little BlakelyOuachita National Forest3,342
Virginia (2)
AreaForestAcres
Oak KnobGeorge Washington National Forest10,882
SkidmoreGeorge Washington National Forest5,641
West Virginia (1)
AreaForestAcres
Dry River (WV)George Washington National Forest7,331
References (5)
  1. Flora of North America Editorial Committee (FNA). 2006a. Flora of North America north of Mexico. Vol. 19. Magnoliophyta: Asteridae, part 6: Asteraceae, part 1. Oxford University Press, New York. xxiv + 579 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. Weakley, A.S., and Southeastern Flora Team. 2023. Flora of the southeastern United States. Edition of April 14, 2023. University of North Carolina Herbarium (NCU), North Carolina Botanical Garden, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. 2105 pp.