Tiarella cordifolia

L.

Piedmont Foamflower

G5Secure (G5?) Found in 1 roadless area NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
UnknownThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.1300511
Element CodePDSAX10050
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
Endemicendemic to a single nation
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassDicotyledoneae
OrderRosales
FamilySaxifragaceae
GenusTiarella
Concept Reference
Nesom, G.L. 2021. Taxonomy of Tiarella (Saxifragaceae) in the eastern USA. Phytoneuron 31: 1-61.
Taxonomic Comments
This record represents the narrow sense of Tiarella cordifolia, following Nesom (2021). Nesom (2021) narrows the concept of T. cordifolia to plants on the eastern seaboard from Maryland to Georgia, with four additional species recognized in eastern North America: T. stolonifera, T. austrina, T. nautila, and T. wherryi. In contrast, Flora of North America Editorial Committee (2009) lumps subspecific taxa into a broad T. cordifolia.
Conservation Status
Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2
Review Date2024-08-22
Change Date2024-08-22
Edition Date2024-08-22
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 Occurrences81 to >300
Rank Reasons
Tiarella cordifolia is a perennial herb in forests and on rock outcrops in the southeastern United States mainly in the Piedmont and upper Coastal Plain from Maryland south to Georgia. Delimiting distribution and abundance would benefit from careful review of herbarium specimens and photo-based observations. Little is known about threats or trends, but with a large range extent and large number of occurrences, this species is considered secure.
Range Extent Comments
Tiarella cordifolia occurs in the southeastern United States mainly in the Piedmont and upper Coastal Plain from Maryland south to Georgia (Weakley and the Southeastern Flora Team 2024). Range extent was estimated to be approximately 70,000 square kilometers using herbarium specimens and photo-based observations documented between 1993 and 2024 (iNaturalist 2024, SEINet 2024). Range extent was estimated to be approximately 200,000 square kilometers using herbarium specimens and photo-based observations documented between 1993 and 2024 (iNaturalist 2024, SEINet 2024).
Occurrences Comments
By applying a 1 km separation distance to herbarium specimens and photo-based observations documented between 1993 and 2024, it is estimated that there are over 100 and potentially over 300 occurrences rangewide (GBIF 2024, iNaturalist 2024, SEINet 2024). Due to different treatments of this entity, herbarium records and photo-based observations may overrepresent true abundance.
Threat Impact Comments
Although threats are not widely documented, this species is potentially threatened by development, logging, recreational activities, invasive species, and other threats in some places, though there is insufficient data, including anecdotal accounts, to understand scope and severity of threats for this species.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Tiarella cordifolia grows in "moist forests, cove forests, rock outcrops, well-drained bottomland forests" (Weakley and the Southeastern Flora Team 2024).
Terrestrial Habitats
Forest/WoodlandForest - HardwoodForest - MixedBare rock/talus/scree
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
North CarolinaS5Yes
South CarolinaS4Yes
VirginiaSNRYes
GeorgiaSNRYes
MarylandSNRYes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
Unknown/undetermined

Plant Characteristics
DurationPERENNIAL
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (1)
West Virginia (1)
AreaForestAcres
Glady ForkMonongahela National Forest3,239
References (5)
  1. iNaturalist. 2024. Online. Available: https://www.inaturalist.org (accessed 2024).
  2. 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.
  3. Nesom, G.L. 2021. Taxonomy of <i>Tiarella </i>(Saxifragaceae) in the eastern USA. Phytoneuron 31: 1-61.
  4. Southwest Environmental Information Network (SEINet). 2024. Collections Databases. Online. Available: https://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/collections/index.php (accessed 2024).
  5. Weakley, A.S., and Southeastern Flora Team. 2024. Flora of the southeastern United States. Edition of March 4, 2024. University of North Carolina Herbarium (NCU), North Carolina Botanical Garden, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. 2203 pp.