Natural Heritage Program list of the rare plant species of North Carolina.

              NATURAL HERITAGE PROGRAM
LIST OF THE RARE PLANT SPECIES OF
NORTH CAROLINA
2002
Edited by Jame L. Amoroso, Botanist
John T. Finnegan, Information Systems Manager
North Carolina Natural Heritage Program
Division of Parks and Recreation
N.C. Department of Environment, and Natural Resources
􀀀           
	   
                           !    "   $#%    &('    )	*  + ! 
#%'  ,	*     -   .	/ 0     !1    0 )            32 46587)9 :0; <>=?:!@.AB CD;?E 9GFH7I9 5KJ6L A@
MA@ J
NPO QR.O$QS
T+U VXW$Y6O Z)[ Z]\.W Z!V^U!_` ab c d b egf*c d?d h(if*ij(k?h l)f%d?l.fHf*c d f%j(m?j nof*c d?n%ip q
f m l!r d s>t u6v w$x(y{z |?} ~(v }  ^  x v | x) 3 Dy.} ~  "…3} ~   
   !         H 6 (           > )   K )   ,   "       > ) ( > )   X      
 -       !   o G         .   ¢¡!£ ¤¥*¦ § ¤ ¨© ªX« ¤ ¬ ­.¥*¨«(©?« © ¥*¦ § ®.§ ®!¯ § ° ¨§ ® ¬ ­)± ² §?«(²)¥/­ ¨© § ³ ² ±
´ µ ¶!·/¸ ´.·*¹¶ º?·*» ¼+½ µ ¾,·*»$¿o¸ ¾6µ(À¹¶ ¸$½o¸.·*Á ¾ ¸ À  ¼ ¾ ¹·/¸!º ¼+à ¾ µ º(¾ ¸ Ä0Å Æ^¹Ç ¹È)¹µ(¶?µ É8à ¸ ¾XÊ"ÈI¸ ¶ ËDÌ ¼ ´ ¾6¼ ¸.·*¹µ(¶ Å Æ ¼ Í ¸ ¾·*Ä ¼ ¶!· µ É8Î ¶!Ç(¹¾6µ(¶ ÄI¼ ¶!·ÏÅ
Ð Ñ Ò ÓÔ*Õ Ö Ò × ØDÙ Ò)Ô*Ú Û Ò Ó(Ü Ñ Ý.Þ(Ú Û ß!Ñ Ý Ö à?Ò áÓ â3Ñ Û,ã(áß!Ñ$ä Ñ ×!Ô%Ñ Û8å æHå ç Ö-Ü3Ò ÓÑ áè Õ(Ö Ùoäêé3ë æ ì ì(íîå æ^å ç+Þ Û Ô*Õ Ñ+Ù Þ(ÛÔ*Õ$ä^Ò Û6Þ(Óá× Ò+ï ÓÒ ×!Ô8ä Þ(× Ý"Ñ Û6ã Ò)Ô*áÞ ×
ð ñ ò ó ñ ô õ$ö-÷ ø ù ô ñ,ú*õIø û!ú ò üoý8ó(ñ þÿ 􀀀  ú 􀀀 ñ ø?ô û    oò û 	
􀀀 õ ø ñ  3ø ñ 
(þÿ!ø 	 ö ð        ò             ö  (ô  ø þó   ö  ! "     !# # $%       & 
NATURAL HERITAGE PROGRAM LIST OF THE RARE PLANTS OF NORTH CAROLINA*
2002 Edition
edited by Jame L. Amoroso, Botanist
North Carolina Natural Heritage Program
Division of Parks and Recreation
Department of Environment and Natural Resources
www.ncsparks.net/nhp
THE COUNTIES AND PHYSIOGRAPHIC PROVINCES OF NORTH CAROLINA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . i
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iii
NATURAL HERITAGE PROGRAM LIST OF THE RARE PLANTS OF NORTH CAROLINA . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Vascular Plants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Mosses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Liverworts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Hornworts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Lichens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
NORTH CAROLINA PLANT WATCH LIST . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Watch Category 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Watch Category 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Watch Category 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Watch Category 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Watch Category 5a . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Watch Category 5b . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Watch Category 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Watch Category 7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
POTENTIAL NEW TO NORTH CAROLINA PLANTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
2002 SIGNIFICANT PLANT LIST REVISIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
NORTH CAROLINA NATURAL HERITAGE PROGRAM
ENDANGERED AND RARE PLANT FIELD SURVEY FORM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
INDEX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This list was originally compiled and published by Alan Weakley in 1991. Special thanks are given to Alan Weakley
for his involvement in the development of the list and to Lewis Anderson and Jon Shaw for assistance with the moss
list, Marie Hicks and Paul Davison for assistance with the liverwort and hornwort lists, and Karin Heiman and Sherry
Pittam for assistance with the lichen list.
The list of people who have assisted in the preparation of the vascular plant list, provided information to NC NHP on
rare species occurrences, or otherwise contributed to our understanding of the rare flora of the state are too many to
mention, but a partial list of recent contributors includes: Jim Allison, Lewis Anderson, Fred Annand, Janis
Antonovics, Andy Ash, Harvey Ballard, Mike Baranski, Larry Barden, Moni Bates, Allen Belden, Millie Blaha,
Joyce Bland, Sam Bland, Beth Bockoven, John Boetsch, Marj Boyer, Allen Boynton, Anne Margaret Braham,
Alvin Braswell, Martha Brewster, Ken Bridle, Richard Broadwell, Margit Bucher, Bill Buck, Ann Burruss, Clint
Calhoun, Carin Caljouw, Jay Carter, Wayne Cash, John Churchill, Roy Coomins, Bill Culberson, Bob Currie, Barry
Dalton, Dave Danley, Paul Davison, Bob Dellinger, John DeLong, David Demont, Jamey Donaldson, Kathy Doyle,
Dave Dumond, Judy Dunscomb, Murray Evans, Dick Everhart, Elisabeth Feil, Vonda Frantz, Shawn Fraver, Cecil
Frost, Chris Frye, John Fussell, Chick Gaddy, Rob Gardner, Tom Govus, Sharon Gowan, Janet Shipley Gray, Ben
Hafer, Derek Halberg, Steve Hall, John Hammond, Jim Hardin, Richard Harris, Ed Harrison, Paul Hart, Karin
Heiman, Carol Henry, Dennis Herman, Marie Hicks, Tracy Hippensteel, Frank Hirst, Erich Hoffman, Charles Horn,
Hal Horwitz, Paul Hosier, Tom Howard, Claudia Jolls, Ronald Jones, Charlotte Jones-Roe, John Kartesz, Gary
Kauffman, Catherine Keever, Ann Kelly, Lisa Kelly, Benson Kirkman, Bob Kral, Jay Kranyik, Steve Kroeger,
Michael Lane, Keith Langdon, Norman Lantz, Julia Larke, Richard LeBlond, Harry LeGrand, Steve Leonard, Frosty
Levy, Mary Lipscomb, Chris Ludwig, Merrill Lynch, Laura Mansberg, Jim Massey, Chris Matthews, Jim Matthews,
Carol Mayes, Bob McCartney, Kathy McKeown, Don McLeod, Brian Mihlbachler, Brent Mishler, Laura Mitchell,
Julie Moore, Carol Ann Moorhead, Craig Moretz, Bill Moye, Zack Murrell, John Nelson, Gillian Newberry, Carl
Nordman, Shawn Oakley, Doug Ogle, James Padgett, Tom Patrick, Karen Patterson, Linda Pearsall, Bob Peet, Ruby
Pharr, Mark Pistrang, Dan Pittillo, Bert Pittman, Gerald Pottern, Ann Prince, Liz Pullman, Jim Pullman, Milo Pyne,
Frank Randall, Johnny Randall, Tom Rawinski, Doug Rayner, Pam Robinson, Don Robison, Janet Rock, Mary
Russo, Tim Savidge, Dawson Sather, Bruce Saunders, Mike Schafale, Ed Schell, Rick Schneider, Terry Schultz,
Steve Schulze, Dave Sieren, Ellen Simms, Steve Simon, Alan Smith, Arthur Smith, Gerald Smith, Inge Smith, Tom
Smith, David Snyder, Paul Somers, Bruce Sorrie, Chris Sowers, Jon Stucky, Dale Suiter, Rob Sutter, Ed Swab, John
Taggart, Annette Taylor, Susan Thebert, Kent Turner, Brian VanEerden, Bobby Ward, Donna Ware, Tom
Wentworth, Peter White, Tom Wieboldt, Bob Wilbur, Charlie Williams, Susan Wiser, Gene Wofford, Donna
Wright, Alice Zawadzki and other participants in work of the N.C. Vegetation Survey.
NATURAL HERITAGE PROGRAM LIST OF THE RARE PLANTS OF NORTH CAROLINA
North Carolina has an exceptionally rich and diverse flora, consisting of about 5600 species of gymnosperms, dicots,
monocots, ferns, fern allies, mosses, liverworts, hornworts, and lichens. North Carolina's flora includes boreal plants
— more typical of Canada — on the high peaks of the Southern Appalachians, subtropical plants (including palms)
in the maritime climate of the barrier islands, tropical ferns, mosses, and liverworts around waterfalls in humid
mountain gorges, as well as more typical and characteristic species of the Southeastern North American coastal
plain, piedmont, and Southern Appalachian Mountains. In addition to those mentioned above, some of the more
notable habitats of rare or endemic plants in North Carolina include longleaf pine savannas, mountain bogs and fens,
sandhills, piedmont glades and prairie-like savannas, mountain cove forests, coastal plain limesinks, granite
flatrocks, and pocosins. The diverse native flora of North Carolina is a rich part of our natural heritage, worthy of
protection for environmental, scientific, economic, aesthetic, and moral reasons.
The North Carolina Natural Heritage Program (NC NHP), as part of its mission to preserve the biological diversity
of North Carolina, maintains a systematic inventory of all known locations of rare species. The following list of rare
plant species, monitored by NC NHP, includes739 species. All plant species native to North Carolina which are
officially recognized by federal or state agencies as protected or otherwise rare are included on this list. This list
incorporates the most recent federal status of rare plants, as determined by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
(USFWS) and published in the Federal Register on September 30, 1993, with later amendments current to January
23, 2002. Natural Heritage Program List of the Rare Plants of North Carolina also includes North Carolina legal
status information from the most recent version of the List of North Carolina's Endangered, Threatened and
Candidate Plant Species, published in January 1994 by the North Carolina Plant Conservation Program (NC PCP),
which includes discussion of and information on the legal status of Endangered (E), Threatened (T), and Special
Concern (SC) species. Additional updates to the PCP list are available on their web site
www.agr.state.nc.us/plantind/plant/conserv/cons.htm. The North Carolina Plant Watch List includes an additional
500 species, which appear to be rare enough to be of conservation concern in North Carolina, but which are not
currently inventoried by NC NHP, and are not legally protected or active candidates for legal protection by the
USFWS or NC PCP.
NC NHP takes the lead role in North Carolina in the inventory of the state's natural diversity, the identification of
important natural areas and rare species habitats, and the protection and management of natural areas. It serves as
the state's data bank of locality information of natural areas and rare and endangered plant and animal species. It
conducts environmental reviews of projects involving state or federal permits or monies, to minimize negative
impacts on North Carolina's natural areas and rare species. Many species which lack formal, legal protection are
nonetheless imperiled in North Carolina. Therefore, NC NHP collects data on species in addition to the three
categories of protected plants (Endangered, Threatened, and Special Concern). These additional rare species are
placed in two other categories of rare plants: Significantly Rare (SR) and Watch List (W). Definitions of all status
categories are listed below, under "North Carolina Status." NC NHP requests locality and population data on the
species listed in this publication. A plant field form has been provided as an addendum for this purpose.
NC PCP, a unit of the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, is the agency responsible for the listing
and protection of North Carolina's endangered and threatened plants, under provisions of the North Carolina Plant
Protection and Conservation Act of 1979 (General Statutes, Article 19B, 106: 202.12-22), as amended. NC PCP
acts under the direction of a Plant Conservation Board and with the advice of a Scientific Committee to maintain and
revise the state lists of protected (Endangered, Threatened, and Special Concern) plant species, to investigate
protection needs and survival requirements of native plants, to carry out conservation programs, to make and enforce
regulations, and to issue permits concerning protected plants. The 142 plant species currently listed as Endangered
and Threatened in North Carolina are published in the List of North Carolina's Endangered, Threatened and
Candidate Plant Species: January 1994, with amendments, available from NC PCP. The address is listed at bottom
of title page. That publication also lists North Carolina's Special Concern species and explains regulations and
permits regarding protected plants. In general, removal of Endangered or Threatened plants from the wild and their
sale or distribution is illegal. Particular regulations concerning collection, propagation, and sale apply to those
species (Endangered, Threatened, or otherwise) listed as Special Concern.
2
􀀀        	  
   
 
          
     
      	    
       
                      !   
"    
#
   $ 
          

Federally listed species are protected by the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended. The USFWS is the
federal agency responsible for listing and protecting nationally endangered and threatened species. As of February
2002, there are 27 plant species federally listed as Endangered or Threatened which occur in North Carolina. These
species are distributed throughout the state, in about half of North Carolina' s hundred counties. In addition, about a
hundred species are active candidates for listing.
These three agencies work cooperatively to ensure the continued survival of all of North Carolina' s rich flora.
NUMBER OF PLANT TAXA WITH THE INDICATED STATUS1
(as of MARCH 2002)
GROUP
APPROXIMATE
NUMBER IN
THE STATE
N.C. STATUS U.S. STATUS
E T SC SR E T C FSC
Flowering Plants 4153 80 36 18 429 17 9 4 85
Ferns and Other Vascular Cryptogams 149 7 4 1 23 - - - 4
Gymnosperms 29 - - - 3 - - - 1
Mosses 440 4 1 - 65 - - 4
Liverworts 225 1 - - 60 - - 9
Hornworts 9 - - - 2 - - - -
Lichens 651 - 1 - 23 1 - - 1
Total 5655 92 42 19 605 18 9 4 103
LIST FORMAT. Species are grouped into five groups: Vascular Plants, Mosses, Liverworts, Hornworts, and
Lichens. They are listed alphabetically by scientific name within each group. The following information is
presented for each species on the list.
Scientific Name. Taxonomy and nomenclature of vascular plants (dicots, monocots, gymnosperms, ferns, and fern
allies) generally follow A.S. Weakley, L.E. Anderson, M.L. Hicks, and J.A. Kartesz' sA Checklist of the Vascular
Flora and Bryophytes of North Carolina (in prep.) and J.T. Kartesz’s 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, NC. Copyright c 1999). Scientific authorities for names have been omitted to save space, but
follow Weakley et al. (in prep.) and Kartesz (1999). Where this differs from the treatment in A.E. Radford, H.E.
Ahles, and C.R. Bell' sM anual of the Vascular Flora of the Carolinas (1968), the name used in that work is
indicated in brackets. In a small number of cases, other commonly used synonymy is also indicated. If the species
was not treated in Radford, Ahles, and Bell and cannot be identified using that manual, the notation "[not in RAB]"
follows the scientific name. If the species is treated in Radford, Ahles, and Bell, but was not indicated as occurring
in North Carolina, the notation "[not in NC in RAB]" follows the scientific name. Taxonomy and nomenclature of
nonvascular plants (mosses, liverworts, hornworts, and lichens) generally follow L.E. Anderson, H.A. Crum, and
W.R. Buck' sL ist of the Mosses of North America North of Mexico (Bryologist 93: 448-499 [1990]), L.E. Anderson' s
3
A Checklist of Sphagnum in North America North of Mexico (Bryologist 93: 500-501 [1990]), H.A. Crum and L.E.
Anderson' sM osses of Eastern North America (1981), R. Schuster' sT he Hepaticae and Anthocerotae of North
America east of the Hundredth Meridian (1966, 1969, 1974, 1980, and 1992), M.L. Hicks' sL iverworts of the
Mountains of North Carolina (1982), M.L. Hicks' sG uide to the Liverworts of North Carolina (1992), M.L. Hicks
and P.G. Davison' sS ome Rare, Endemic, and Disjunct Liverworts in North Carolina (Castanea 54: 255-261
[1989]), R.S. Egan' sA Fifth Checklist of the Lichen-forming, Lichenicolous and Allied Fungi of the Continental
United States and Canada (Bryologist 90: 77-173 [1987]), M.E. Hale' sH ow to Know the Lichens, Second Edition
(1979) and Brodo, Sharnoff and Sharnoff Lichens of North America (2001).
Common Name. A common name is provided for the convenience of the user. Common names for plants are not
standardized, and many plants have no entirely satisfactory common name.
North Carolina Status. Endangered, Threatened, and Special Concern species have legally protected status in North
Carolina through NC PCP. NC NHP maintains computer and map files on Endangered, Threatened, Candidate, and
Significantly Rare species; paper files are maintained on Watch List species.
STATUS
CODE
STATUS DEFINITION
E Endangered "Any species or higher taxon of plant whose continued existence as a viable
component of the State' s flora is determined to be in jeopardy" (GS 19B 106:
202.12). (Endangered species may not be removed from the wild except when a
permit is obtained for research, propagation, or rescue which will enhance the
survival of the species.)
T Threatened "Any resident species of plant which is likely to become an endangered species
within the foreseeable future throughout all or a significant portion of its range"
(GS 19B 106:202.12). (Regulations are the same as for Endangered species.)
SC Special
Concern
"Any species of plant in North Carolina which requires monitoring but which
may be collected and sold under regulations adopted under the provisions of [the
Plant Protection and Conservation Act]" (GS 19B 106:202.12). (Special
Concern species which are not also listed as Endangered or Threatened may be
collected from the wild and sold under specific regulations. Propagated material
only of Special Concern species which are also listed as Endangered or
Threatened may be traded or sold under specific regulations.)
SR Significantly
Rare
Species which are very rare in North Carolina, generally with 1-20 populations in
the state, generally substantially reduced in numbers by habitat destruction (and
sometimes also by direct exploitation or disease).
-L Limited The range of the species is limited to North Carolina and adjacent states
(endemic or near endemic). These are species which may have 20-50 populations
in North Carolina, but fewer than 50 populations rangewide. The preponderance
of their distribution is in North Carolina and their fate depends largely on
conservation here. Also included are some species with 20-100 populations in
North Carolina, if they also have only 50-100 populations rangewide and
declining.
-T Throughout These species are rare throughout their ranges (fewer than 100 populations
total)
4
-D Disjunct The species is disjunct to NC from a main range in a different part of the country
or world.
-P Peripheral The species is at the periphery of its range in NC. These species are generally
more common somewhere else in their ranges, occurring in North Carolina
peripherally to their main ranges, mostly in habitats which are unusual in North
Carolina.
-O Other The range of the species is sporadic or cannot be described by the other
Significantly Rare categories
W Watch List Any other species believed to be rare and of conservation concern in the state but
not warranting active monitoring at this time (see the Watch List section in the
Supplement for a more complete discussion).
P_ Proposed A species which has been formally proposed for listing as Endangered,
Threatened, or Special Concern, but has not yet completed the legally mandated
listing process.
United States Status is designated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Federally listed Endangered and
Threatened species are protected under the provisions of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended. Unless
otherwise noted, definitions are taken from the Federal Register, Vol. 55, No. 35, Septmeber 30, 1993 (50 CFR Part
17).
NOTE: In February 1996, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service revised its categories for the Candidate (=Status
Review) list.
􀀀 Taxa formerly considered as ‘Category 1' candidates for listing are now considered as ‘Candidate’.
􀀀 Taxa formerly considered as ‘Category 2' candidates are now no longer being maintained by the Service as
Candidate or Status Review taxa. The Service suggests that such taxa be considered as ‘Species of
Concern’ or ‘Species at Risk’, neither of which has official status. The NC NHP uses ‘(Federal) Species of
Concern’ in this document for those taxa formerly considered as Category 2.
􀀀 Taxa formerly considered as ‘Category 3' candidates are now no longer being maintained by the Service.
These were taxa: 1) for which the Service has persuasive evidence of extinction (Category 3A); 2) that do
not represent distinct entities meeting the Act’s Definition of ‘species’ (Category 3B); or 3) that have
proven to be more abundant or widespread, or not subject to any identifiable threat (Category 3C).
STATUS
CODE
STATUS DEFINITION
E Endangered A taxon "which is in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant
portion of its range" (Endangered Species Act, Section 3).
T Threatened A taxon "which is likely to become an endangered species within the
foreseeable future throughout all or a significant portion of its range
(Endangered Species Act, Section 3).
5
C Candidate "Taxa for which the [Fish and Wildlife] Service has on file enough
substantial information on biological vulnerability and threat(s) to support
proposals to list them as endangered or threatened. Proposed rules have not
yet been issued because this action is precluded at present by other listing
activity. Development and publication of proposed rules on these taxa are
anticipated. The Service encourages State and other Federal agencies as well
as other affected parties to give consideration to these taxa in environmental
planning.” (Federal Register, February 28, 1996). Taxa formerly considered
as ‘Category 1' are now considered as ‘Candidate’.
FSC (Federal) Species
of Concern
“... the Service is discontinuing the designation of Category 2 species as
candidates in this notice. The Service remains concerned about these
species but further biological research and field study are needed to resolve
the conservation status of these taxa. Many species of concern will be found
not to warrant listing, either because they are not threatened or endangered
or because they do not qualify as species under the definition in the
[Endangered Species] Act. Others may be found to be in greater danger of
extinction than some present candidate taxa. The Service is working with
the States and other private and public interests to assess their need for
protection under the Act. Such species are the pool from which future
candidates for listing will be drawn.” (Federal Register, February 28, 1996).
P_ Proposed "Taxa already proposed to be listed as "endangered or threatened. Taxa
formally proposed as endangered or threatened receive some legal
protection. Species listed as proposed candidates are species which are in
the process of being added to the federal candidate list.
North Carolina Rank. North Carolina ranks are based on The Nature Conservancy' s (TNC) system of measuring
rarity and threat status. This system is now widely used by other agencies and organizations, as the best available
scientific and objective assessment of a species' rarity at the state level.
RANK NUMBER OF EXTANT
POPULATIONS
DESCRIPTION
S1 1-5 Critically imperiled in North Carolina because of extreme rarity or because of
some factor(s) making it especially vulnerable to extirpation (local extinction)
from the state.
S2 6-20 Imperiled in North Carolina because of rarity or because of some factor(s)
making it very vulnerable to extirpation from the state.
S3 21-100 Rare or uncommon in North Carolina.
S4 100-1000 Apparently secure in North Carolina, with many occurrences.
S5 1000+ Demonstrably secure in North Carolina.
SA -- Accidental in state.
SH 0? Of historical occurrence in North Carolina, perhaps not having been verified in
the past 20 years, and suspected to be still extant.
6
SR -- Reported from North Carolina, but without persuasive documentation which
would provide a basis for either accepting or rejecting the report.
SX 0 Apparently extirpated from North Carolina.
SU -- Possibly in peril in North Carolina but status uncertain; need more information.
S? -- Unranked, or rank uncertain.
SE? -- Introduced in part of the state, but believed native in other parts of the state
A rank involving two numbers indicates uncertainty of rank. For instance, a S2S3 rank indicates that the species may
be a S2 or a S3, but that existing data do not allow that determination to be made.
Global Rank. Similar to North Carolina ranks, global ranks are assigned by a consensus of scientific experts, the
various natural heritage programs and TNC. They apply to the status of a species throughout its range, and are based
on data on the species' status rangewide. This system is now widely used by other agencies and organizations, as the
best available scientific and objective assessment of a species' rarity throughout its range.
RANK NUMBER OF EXTANT
POPULATIONS
DESCRIPTION
G1 1-5 Critically imperiled globally because of extreme rarity or because of some
factor(s) making it especially vulnerable to extinction.
G2 6-20 Imperiled globally because of rarity or because of some factor(s) making it
very vulnerable to extinction throughout its range.
G3 21-100 Either very rare and local throughout its range or found locally (even
abundantly at some of its locations) in a restricted range (e.g., a single
physiographic region) or because of other factors making it vulnerable to
extinction throughout its range.
G4 100-1000 Apparently secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its
range, especially at the periphery.
G5 1000+ Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its
range, especially at the periphery.
GH 0? Of historical occurrence throughout its range, i.e., formerly part of the
established biota, with the expectation that it might be rediscovered.
GX 0 Believed to be extinct throughout its range (e.g., passenger pigeon) with
virtually no likelihood that it will be rediscovered.
GU -- Possibly in peril range-wide, but status uncertain; need more information.
G? -- Unranked, or rank uncertain.
G_Q -- Questionable taxonomic assignment.
T_ -- The rank of a subspecies or variety. As an example, G4T1 would apply to
a subspecies of a species with an overall rank of G4, but the subspecies
warranting a rank of G1.
7
A rank involving two numbers indicates uncertainty of rank. For instance, a G2G3 rank indicates that the species
may be a G2 or a G3, but that existing data do not allow that determination to be made.
Physiographic Province. The provinces in which the species is known to occur are indicated. This should not be
regarded as the only province(s) of the state in which the species could occur; our knowledge of the flora of North
Carolina is still very imperfect. The provinces are abbreviated as follows:
M Mountains (Blue Ridge) All parts of North Carolina west of the foot of the Blue Ridge Escarpment.
P Piedmont All parts of North Carolina east of the foot of the Blue Ridge Escarpment and
west of the Fall Line, including outlying "foothill" ranges, such as the Brushy,
Uwharrie, and Sauratown Mountains. This province is shallowly underlain by
crystalline metamorphic, igneous, or (rarely) consolidated sedimentary rocks.
S Sandhills Portions of Cumberland, Harnett, Hoke, Lee, Moore, Richmond, Scotland, and
Montgomery counties consisting mostly of deep aeolian sands of the Middendorf
and Pinehurst formations (Cretaceous to Tertiary age). The Sandhills are really
part of the coastal plain but are here distinguished because of their distinctive
geomorphology and vegetation. Areas somewhat resembling the Sandhills region
but occurring in other parts of the state (such as Carolina bay rims and aeolian or
beach ridge deposits in the outer Coastal Plain) are considered part of the Coastal
Plain Province.
C Coastal Plain All parts of North Carolina east of the fall line, excluding the Sandhills, generally
consisting of unconsolidated sands, silts, clays, and peats, though rarely
shallowly underlain by consolidated coquina limestone ("marl").
T Tidewater That part of the state associated with tidal water such as the ocean and barrier
islands, sounds, estuaries and mainland brackish or salt marshes.
Habitat. The known habitats are described; as with provinces, these should not be regarded as the only possible
habitats of the species in the state.
Counties of known occurrence. Following the description of habitats is a listing of the known counties of
occurrence. Counties with historic populations (not seen since 1979) are marked with an asterisk (*) and counties
with obscure or undateable records are marked with a cross (+). If there is some question as to the validity of the
county report, it is marked with a question mark (?). The botanical exploration of North Carolina is far from
complete, and many additional county records will be found, generally (but not always) in proximity to counties
listed.
NATURAL HERITAGE PROGRAM LIST OF THE RARE PLANTS OF NORTH CAROLINA
Scientific Name Common Name Status Rank
Province: Habitat (Counties of occurrence) N.C. U.S. N.C. Global
8
Vascular Plants
Abies fraseri Fraser Fir SR-L FSC S2 G2
M: spruce-fir forests (Avery, Buncombe,
Caldwell, Clay, Jackson, Mitchell, Swain,
Transylvania, Watauga, Yancey)
Aconitum reclinatum Trailing Wolfsbane SR - S3 G3
M: rich coves, seepage slopes,
boulderfields, rocky stream banks, mainly
associated with mafic rocks (Ashe, Avery,
Buncombe, Caldwell+, Graham, Haywood,
Macon*, Mitchell, Transylvania*,
Watauga, Yancey)
Adiantum capillus-veneris Venus Hair Fern E - S1 G5
C: coquina limestone (marl) outcrops, also
adventitious on mortar of old stone walls in
Wilmington, New Hanover County
(Columbus)
Adlumia fungosa Climbing Fumitory SR-P - S2 G4
M: coves and cliffs (Alleghany*,
Buncombe, Haywood, Henderson,
Jackson*, Macon*, Madison, Yancey)
Aeschynomene virginica Sensitive Jointvetch E LT S1 G2
TC: freshwater to slightly brackish tidal
marshes and wet ditches (Beaufort,
Craven*, Hyde, Lenoir*)
Agalinis aphylla Scale-leaf Gerardia SR-P - S3 G3G4
CS: wet savannas and sandhill/pocosin
ecotones (Brunswick, Carteret, Columbus,
Craven, Cumberland, Duplin+, Harnett,
Hoke, Jones+, New Hanover+, Onslow,
Pender, Richmond)
Agalinis virgata Branched Gerardia SR-P - S2 G3G4Q
CS: savannas (Brunswick, Carteret,
Craven, Duplin+, Marlboro, SC, New
Hanover, Onslow, Pender, Scotland)
Agropyron [see Elymus]
Agrostis mertensii [= Agrostis borealis] Arctic Bentgrass PE - S1 G5
M: high elevation rocky summits and balds
(Avery, Mitchell*, Yancey*)
Allium burdickii (see watch list category 3)
Allium cuthbertii Striped Garlic SR-T - S1 G3
PM: low elevation granitic domes and other
rocky sites with circumneutral soils
(Alexander, Chatham+, Madison*, Wilkes)
Allium sp 1 Savanna Onion SR-L FSC S1 G1
C: wet savannas (Brunswick, Onslow,
Pender)
Alnus viridis ssp crispa [= Alnus crispa] Green Alder SR-D - S1 G5T5
M: balds (Avery, Mitchell)
Amaranthus pumilus Seabeach Amaranth T LT S2 G2
T: ocean beaches and island-end flats
(Brunswick, Carteret, Currituck, Dare,
Hyde, New Hanover, Onslow, Pender)
NATURAL HERITAGE PROGRAM LIST OF THE RARE PLANTS OF NORTH CAROLINA
Scientific Name Common Name Status Rank
Province: Habitat (Counties of occurrence) N.C. U.S. N.C. Global
9
Amelanchier sanguinea Roundleaf Serviceberry SR-P - S2 G5
M: thin soils around mafic rock outcrops at
lower and middle elevations (Buncombe,
Burke, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson,
Rutherford)
Amorpha georgiana var confusa [not in RAB] Savanna Indigo-bush T FSC S2 G3T2
C: wet savannas (Bladen*, Brunswick,
Columbus, New Hanover*)
Amorpha georgiana var georgiana Georgia Indigo-bush E FSC S2 G3T2
CS: moist sandhill areas and sandy terraces
(Cumberland, Harnett, Hoke, Lee, Lenoir*,
Moore, Pender, Richmond*, Robeson*)
Amorpha schwerinii Piedmont Indigo-bush SR-T - S3 G3
P: dry forests (Anson, Burke, Catawba,
Cleveland*, Davidson, Gaston, Iredell*,
Montgomery, Randolph, Rowan,
Rutherford, Stanly)
Amphicarpum muehlenbergianum Florida Goober Grass SR-P - S1 G4
[not in NC in RAB]
C: clay-based Carolina bays (Hoke,
Robeson, Scotland)
Andropogon mohrii Bog Bluestem SR-P - S1 G4?
C: wet savannas (Brunswick, Columbus,
Craven, Onslow, Pender, Robeson*,
Washington*)
Anemone berlandieri [= A. berlandieri in part] Southern Anemone SR-P - S1 G4?
P: thin soils around rock outcrops
(Alexander, Anson*, Mecklenburg*,
Montgomery, Orange, Polk*, Rowan,
Stanly)
Anemone caroliniana Prairie Anemone SR-P - S1 G5
P: clayey woodlands over mafic rocks
(Mecklenburg)
Arabis glabra Tower-mustard SR-P - S1 G5
M: mountain forests (Avery, Madison*,
Watauga*)
Arabis hirsuta var adpressipilis [not in RAB] Hairy Rockcress SR-P - S1 G5T4Q
PM: thin soils around basic rock outcrops
(Alexander, Buncombe)
Arabis missouriensis Missouri Rockcress SR-P - S1 G4G5Q
[=Arabis laevigata var missouriensis]
P: thin soils around basic rock outcrops
(Anson, Stanly)
Arabis patens Spreading Rockcress SR-T - S1 G3
M: thin soils around limestone and
nutrient-rich seepage from amphibolite
(Madison, Rutherford, Swain)
Arenaria (see Minuartia)
Arethusa bulbosa Bog Rose E - S1 G4
M: bogs (Alleghany, Ashe*, Avery,
Forsyth+, Henderson*, Transylvania)
Arisaema triphyllum ssp stewardsonii Bog Jack-in-the-pulpit SR-P - S1 G5T4
[not in RAB]
M: bogs (Alleghany, Avery*, Henderson*,
Jackson, Macon, McDowell, Transylvania,
Watauga*)
NATURAL HERITAGE PROGRAM LIST OF THE RARE PLANTS OF NORTH CAROLINA
Scientific Name Common Name Status Rank
Province: Habitat (Counties of occurrence) N.C. U.S. N.C. Global
10
Aristida simpliciflora Chapman' s Three-awn SR-T - S1 G3
C: wet savannas (Brunswick, Columbus,
Pender)
Arnoglossum ovatum Savanna Indian-plantain SR-P - S1 G4G5
C: wet savannas (Bladen*, Brunswick,
Columbus, Onslow, Pender)
Asclepias pedicellata Savanna Milkweed SR-P - S2 G4
C: dry savannas and moist flatwoods
(Bladen*, Brunswick, Carteret, Columbus,
New Hanover, Onslow, Pender, Sampson)
Asplenium bradleyi Bradley' s Spleenwort SR-P - S1 G4
PM: acidic rock outcrops and cliffs (Burke,
Cleveland*, Gaston, McDowell, Orange,
Polk, Stokes*)
Asplenium heteroresiliens Carolina Spleenwort E FSC S1 G2Q
C: coquina limestone outcrops (Bladen*,
Craven, Jones, Onslow*)
Asplenium monanthes Single-sorus Spleenwort E - S1 G4
M: outcrops near waterfalls in escarpment
gorges (Transylvania)
Asplenium pinnatifidum Lobed Spleenwort SR-P - S1 G4
PM: acidic rock outcrops and cliffs
(Madison*, Rutherford, Wilkes)
Asplenium ruta-muraria Wall-rue Spleenwort SR-P - S1 G5
M: limestone outcrops (Burke, Madison,
McDowell)
Aster avitus [not in RAB] Alexander' s Rock Aster SR-T FSC SX G3
M: thin soil around granitic outcrops
(Transylvania*)
Aster carolinianus Climbing Aster SR-P - SX G5
C: wet sites (Bladen*)
Aster georgianus [not in RAB] Georgia Aster T C S2 G2G3
P: open woods and roadsides (Davidson,
Gaston, Lincoln, Mecklenburg,
Montgomery, Randolph, Rowan, Stanly*,
Union)
Aster laevis var concinnus Narrow-leaf Aster SR-P - S2 G5T4
P: forests, woodland borders especially
over mafic rocks (Alamance*, Durham,
Granville, Stanly, Union, Wake*)
Aster laevis var laevis Smooth Blue Aster SR-P - S1 G5T5
P: forests, woodland borders especially
over mafic rocks (Polk*)
Aster mirabilis [= A. commixtus in RAB] Piedmont Aster SR-T FSC S2 G2G3
P: rich slopes and bottomlands (Anson,
Macon*, Mecklenburg, Richmond, Stanly,
Union)
Aster oblongifolius Aromatic Aster SR-P - S1 G5
M: thin soils around limestone outcrops
(Madison)
Aster parviceps [not in RAB] Glade Aster E - S1 G4?
P: diabase glades (Granville)
Aster shortii [not in RAB] Short' s Aster SR-P - S1 G4G5
M: bluffs and rocky banks (Burke*,
Transylvania*)
Astilbe crenatiloba [not in RAB] Roan False Goat' s-beard SR-T FSC SH GHQ
M: cove forests (Avery*, Mitchell*)
NATURAL HERITAGE PROGRAM LIST OF THE RARE PLANTS OF NORTH CAROLINA
Scientific Name Common Name Status Rank
Province: Habitat (Counties of occurrence) N.C. U.S. N.C. Global
11
Astragalus michauxii Sandhills Milk-vetch T FSC S3 G3
SC: sandhills (Bladen*, Cumberland,
Harnett, Hoke, Moore, New Hanover*,
Pender, Richmond, Robeson*, Scotland)
Baccharis glomeruliflora Silverling SR-P - S1 G4
T: shrubby areas on margins of brackish
marshes (Brunswick*)
Bacopa caroliniana Blue Water-hyssop SR-P - S1 G4G5
C: Shallow ponds, marshes, natural lakes,
and tidal creeks (Brunswick, Columbus,
Pender*)
Bacopa innominata [= B. cyclophylla] Tropical Water-hyssop SR-P - SH G3G5
C: tidal freshwater marshes (Chowan*,
New Hanover+, Pender+)
Balduina atropurpurea Purple-disk Honeycomb-head SR-T FSC SH G2G3
C: savannas (Brunswick*)
Baptisia alba [= B. pendula in RAB] Thick-pod White Wild Indigo SR-P - S2 G5
PCS: open woodlands, clearings (Anson,
Cabarrus, Johnston, Montgomery, Stanly)
Baptisia albescens [= B. alba in RAB] Thin-pod White Wild Indigo SR-P - S2 G4
PS: open woodlands, clearings (Anson*,
Burke, Chatham*, Cleveland*, Iredell*,
McDowell*, Mecklenburg*, Montgomery,
Moore*, Person*, Polk*, Richmond,
Rockingham*, Rowan*, Rutherford,
Stanly*, Stokes, Surry*, Transylvania*,
Union)
Baptisia bracteata var bracteata Creamy Wild Indigo SR-P - SH G4G5T4?
P: open woodlands (McDowell*)
Baptisia minor [= B. australis in RAB] Prairie Blue Wild Indigo T - S2 G5T4
P: glades and open forests on basic soils
(Cabarrus*, Caswell*, Durham, Granville,
Orange+, Person*, Stanly)
Berberis canadensis American Barberry SR-T - S2 G3
PM: open forests and glades on basic soils
(Alamance*, Alexander*, Buncombe*,
Durham, Granville, Guilford*, Haywood*,
Iredell*, Madison, Orange*, Person*,
Randolph*, Rockingham, Swain*,
Transylvania*)
Betula cordifolia [= B. papyrifera var c. in RAB] Mountain Paper Birch SR-D - S2 G5
M: high elevation forests and landslide
scars (Yancey)
Bidens coronata Crowned Beggar-ticks SR-P - SH G5
CT: brackish marshes (Beaufort*,
Chowan*, Craven*)
Botrychium jenmanii [= B. alabamensis] Alabama Grape-fern SR-P - S1 G3G4
MP: moist woods (Buncombe*, Burke,
Cherokee*, Clay*, Iredell*, Jackson*,
McDowell, Mecklenburg*, Rockingham+,
Rutherford, Stokes*, Transylvania*)
Botrychium lanceolatum var angustisegmentum Lance-leaf Moonwort SR-P - S1 G5T4
[not in RAB]
MP: cove forests (Burke, Macon*)
Botrychium matricariifolium [not in RAB] Daisy-leaf Moonwort SR-P - S1 G5
MP: cove forests (Avery, Burke, Jackson,
Swain*, Yancey)
NATURAL HERITAGE PROGRAM LIST OF THE RARE PLANTS OF NORTH CAROLINA
Scientific Name Common Name Status Rank
Province: Habitat (Counties of occurrence) N.C. U.S. N.C. Global
12
Botrychium multifidum [not in RAB] Leathery Grape-fern SR-P - SH G5
M: grassy balds
Botrychium oneidense Blunt-lobed Grape-fern SR-P - S1 G4Q
MP: cove forests, bogs (Avery*,
Buncombe*, Burke, Forsyth+, Haywood*,
Jackson, McDowell, Mitchell*, Yancey*)
Botrychium simplex var simplex [not in RAB] Least Moonwort SR-P - S1 G5T5
M: open, grassy sites (Haywood, Jackson,
Transylvania*)
Brachyelytrum septentrionale [not in RAB] Northern Shorthusk SR-P - S2? G4G5
M: northern hardwood forests (Ashe*,
Avery*, Clay, Graham, Haywood*,
Jackson, Macon, Swain, Transylvania)
Bromus ciliatus Fringed Brome SR-P - S1 G5
M: high elevation moist woods and seeps
(Ashe, Mitchell+, Watauga)
Buchnera americana [not including B. floridana] American Bluehearts SR-P - SH G5?
MPS: glades, open forests, streambanks,
probably primarily over mafic or calcareous
rocks (Cumberland*, Orange*, Polk*,
Sampson*, Wake*)
Buckleya distichophylla Piratebush E FSC S2 G2
M: bluffs, dry slopes, forests on lower
slopes (Buncombe, Haywood, Macon,
Madison, Mitchell, Swain+)
Bulbostylis warei Ware' s Hair Sedge SR-P - SH G3G4
T: open sites (Brunswick*)
Bumelia (see Sideroxylon)
Cacalia (see Arnoglossum, Rugelia, Synosma)
Calamagrostis cainii [not in RAB] Cain' s Reed Grass E FSC S1 G1
M: high elevation rocky summits
(Buncombe, Yancey)
Calamagrostis canadensis Canada Reed Grass SR-P - S1 G5
M: high elevation openings (Alleghany*,
Ashe, Avery, Haywood*, Jackson*,
Mitchell*, Watauga*)
Calamagrostis porteri [not in RAB] Porter' s Reed Grass SR-P - S1 G4
M: middle elevation ridgetop forests (Clay,
Jackson, Rutherford, Surry, Transylvania*)
Calamintha georgiana [= Satureja georgiana] Georgia Calamint SR-P - S1 G5
SC: sandhills (Anson*, Brunswick, Pender,
Richmond, Robeson*)
Calopogon multiflorus [not in RAB] Many-flower Grass-pink E FSC S1 G2G3
C:savannas (Onslow)
Caltha palustris Marsh-marigold SR-P - S1 G5
M: boggy sites (Alleghany, Ashe*, Avery*,
Buncombe*, Madison*, Watauga,
Yancey*)
Calystegia catesbeiana ssp sericata [= C. sericata] Blue Ridge Bindweed SR-T - S2 G3T2T3Q
MP: open, sunny sites (Burke, Clay,
Cleveland, Henderson, Jackson, Macon,
Polk, Rutherford, Transylvania)
Camassia scilloides [not in NC in RAB] Wild Hyacinth T - S1 G4G5
CP: rich levees, slopes, and bottomlands
(Northampton*, Vance)
NATURAL HERITAGE PROGRAM LIST OF THE RARE PLANTS OF NORTH CAROLINA
Scientific Name Common Name Status Rank
Province: Habitat (Counties of occurrence) N.C. U.S. N.C. Global
13
Campanula aparinoides Marsh Bellflower SR-P - S2 G5
M: bogs and other wet, open sites
(Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Burke, Clay+,
Haywood+, Henderson, Jackson,
Mitchell+, Transylvania*, Wilkes+,
Yancey)
Campanula rotundifolia [not in RAB] Bluebells SR-P - S1 G5
M: high elevation rocky summits (Ashe)
Cardamine clematitis Mountain Bittercress SR-T FSC S2? G2G3
[not including C. flagellifera]
M: high elevation seeps, shaded outcrops,
and streambanks (Avery, Caldwell,
Graham, Haywood, Jackson, Mitchell,
Swain*, Watauga, Yancey*)
Cardamine dissecta [= C. angustata var multifida] Dissected Toothwort SR-P - S2 G4?
PM: rich woods, cove forests, bottomlands
(Anson, Davidson, Durham, Guilford*,
Mecklenburg*, Montgomery, Randolph,
Rowan+, Rutherford*)
Cardamine douglassii Douglass' s Bittercress SR-P - S2 G5
P: bottomlands, rich lower slopes (Durham,
Granville, Harnett, Northampton, Orange+,
Wake)
Cardamine longii [not in RAB] Long' s Bittercress SR-T - S1 G3
C: tidal marshes and tidal cypress-gum
forests (Craven*, Pender)
Cardamine micranthera Small-anthered Bittercress E LE S1 G1
P: seeps, streamside sandbars, and
floodplain depressions (Forsyth*, Stokes)
Cardamine rotundifolia Mountain Watercress SR-P - S1 G4
MP: seeps, banks of mountain brooks
(Ashe, Mitchell, Stokes, Watauga*)
Carduus (see Cirsium)
Carex aenea Bronze Sedge E - S1 G5
M: grassy balds (Avery, Mitchell)
Carex argyrantha Hay Sedge SR-P - SH G5
M: wet meadows (Ashe*)
Carex barrattii Barratt' s Sedge E - SH G4
MS: bogs, open wet areas (Harnett*,
Henderson*)
Carex biltmoreana Biltmore Sedge SR-L - S3 G3
M: granitic domes and other cliffs and
outcrops (Buncombe, Haywood,
Henderson, Jackson, Macon, Polk,
Rutherford, Transylvania)
Carex bushii Bush' s Sedge SR-P - S1 G4
PM: open wet areas (Ashe*, Durham*,
Granville*, Johnston*, Nash*, Orange,
Rowan*)
Carex buxbaumii Brown Bog Sedge SR-P - S1 G5
MP: bogs and fens (Alleghany, Ashe,
Forsyth*, Henderson, Watauga, Yancey*)
Carex canescens ssp disjuncta Silvery Sedge SR-P - S1 G5T4?
CS: open wet areas (Hoke, Richmond,
Scotland, Tyrrell)
Carex careyana [not in RAB] Carey' s Sedge SR-P - S1 G5
M: rich cove forests (Jackson)
NATURAL HERITAGE PROGRAM LIST OF THE RARE PLANTS OF NORTH CAROLINA
Scientific Name Common Name Status Rank
Province: Habitat (Counties of occurrence) N.C. U.S. N.C. Global
14
Carex cherokeensis Cherokee Sedge SR-P - S1 G4G5
MP: floodplains (Cherokee*, Pender, Polk)
Carex communis var amplisquama Fort Mountain Sedge SR-T FSC S1 G3
[= C. amplisquama]
M: rich woods (Henderson)
Carex conoidea Cone-shaped Sedge T - S1 G5
M: bogs (Ashe, Iredell+)
Carex cristatella Small-crested Sedge SR-P - SH G5
M: grassy balds, bogs (Jackson*, Swain*)
Carex crus-corvi Crowfoot Sedge SR-P - S1 G5
C: swamp forests (Columbus, Edgecombe*,
Martin*, Pitt*)
Carex decomposita Cypress Knee Sedge SR-T - S1 G3
C: blackwater swamp forests (Brunswick,
Cumberland, New Hanover*, Richmond,
Warren*)
Carex deflexa [not in RAB] a sedge SR-D - S1 G5
M: high elevation seepy forests
Carex eburnea Bristle-leaf Sedge SR-P - S1 G5
M: calcareous outcrops (Madison*)
Carex exilis Coastal Sedge T - S1 G5
S: seepage bogs (Cumberland, Harnett,
Hoke, Moore*)
Carex hitchcockiana [not in RAB] Hitchcock' s Sedge SR-P - S1 G5
M: moist to dryish forests over calcareous
or mafic rocks (Buncombe, Jackson,
Macon)
Carex hormathodes [not in RAB] a sedge SR-P - S1 G4G5
C: marshes (Currituck)
Carex impressinervia [not in RAB] Ravine Sedge SR-T FSC S1 G1G2
P: wet forests (Montgomery)
Carex jamesii James' s Sedge SR-P - S1 G5
PC: rich woods, especially over mafic
rocks (Caswell*, Durham, Halifax*, Lee*,
Northampton*)
Carex leptonervia a wood sedge SR-P - S2 G4
M: rich cove forests and seepage slopes
(Alleghany, Avery*, Buncombe, Clay*,
Graham, Haywood*, Henderson, Jackson,
Macon, Madison*, Swain*)
Carex lupuliformis Hop-like Sedge SR-P - S1 G4
CP: moist bottomlands, especially in
calcareous or mafic areas (Brunswick,
Craven*, Forsyth*, Jones)
Carex lutea [not in RAB] Golden Sedge E E S1 G1
C: savanna-swamp forest ecotones, over
coquina limestone (Onslow, Pender)
Carex meadii Mead' s Sedge SR-P - S1 G4G5
PM: low wet places over diabase
(Durham*, Granville)
Carex misera Wretched Sedge SR-L - S3 G3
M: high elevation rock outcrops (Ashe,
Avery, Buncombe, Clay, Cocke, TN*,
Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Macon,
Mitchell, Sevier, TN*, Swain*,
Transylvania, Unicoi, TN, Watauga,
Yancey)
NATURAL HERITAGE PROGRAM LIST OF THE RARE PLANTS OF NORTH CAROLINA
Scientific Name Common Name Status Rank
Province: Habitat (Counties of occurrence) N.C. U.S. N.C. Global
15
Carex oligosperma [not in RAB] Few-seeded Sedge E - S1 G4
M: seeps and bogs (Avery, Mitchell,
Watauga)
Carex pedunculata [not in RAB] Longstalk Sedge SR-P - S1 G5
M: rich cove forests (Henderson, Polk,
Transylvania)
Carex projecta Necklace Sedge SR-P - S1 G5
CMP: bogs, marshes, swamps (Avery*,
Cherokee*, Cumberland*, Iredell*,
Madison, Mecklenburg*, Mitchell, Sevier,
TN*, Swain*, Transylvania)
Carex purpurifera [=RAB in part only] Purple Sedge SR-P - S2 G4?
M: low elevation, rich forests over
limestone or marble (Cherokee, Graham,
Macon)
Carex radfordii [not in RAB] Radford' s Sedge PE - S1 G2
M: rich cove forests in the Blue Ridge
escarpment region (Jackson)
Carex reniformis Kidney Sedge SR-P - SH G4?
CP: swamps, open wet areas (Johnston*,
Wake*)
Carex roanensis [not in RAB] Roan Sedge SR-T FSC S1 G2
M: forests (McDowell, Mitchell)
Carex schweinitzii Schweinitz' s Sedge E FSC S1 G3
M: bogs and swamp forests (Henderson)
Carex socialis [not in RAB] Social Sedge SR-P - S1 G4
C: streambeds and riverbanks (Columbus,
Cumberland, Pender)
Carex sp 2 [not in RAB] Fen Sedge SR-T - S1 G1
M: seepage over mafic or ultramafic rocks
(Alleghany)
Carex tenax Wire Sedge SR-P - S1 G5?
S: xeric sandhills (Moore, Wayne*)
Carex tetanica Rigid Sedge SR-P - S1 G4G5
C: bogs and swamps (Macon, Wake*,
Warren*, Wilson+)
Carex trichocarpa Hairy-fruit Sedge SR-P - SH G4
M: marshy bogs (Ashe*, Haywood*)
Carex trisperma Three-seeded Sedge SR-P - S1 G5
M: bogs, wet forests at high elevations
(Avery, Buncombe+, Mitchell*, Swain*,
Watauga)
Carex verrucosa Warty Sedge SR-P - S1 G3G4
CS: savannas and pinelands (Beaufort*,
Brunswick, Columbus*, Cumberland*,
Harnett*, Henderson, New Hanover*,
Onslow)
Carex vestita Velvet Sedge SR-P - SH G5
P: low woods (Durham*)
Carex willdenowii var megarrhyncha Southern Willdenow' s SedgeSR-T - S1 G5T3?
[not in RAB]
C: moist to wet forests over coquina
limestone (marl) (Jones, Pender)
NATURAL HERITAGE PROGRAM LIST OF THE RARE PLANTS OF NORTH CAROLINA
Scientific Name Common Name Status Rank
Province: Habitat (Counties of occurrence) N.C. U.S. N.C. Global
16
Carex woodii Wood' s Sedge SR-P - S2 G4
MPC: forested slopes, cove forests, and
northern hardwoods (Alleghany*, Ashe,
Avery, Clay, Henderson, Jackson, Jones+,
Macon, Mitchell*, Orange*, Transylvania,
Watauga*)
Carya laciniosa Big Shellbark Hickory SR-P - S1 G5
C: brownwater river levees (Durham,
Halifax)
Carya myristiciformis Nutmeg Hickory T - S1 G4
[not in NC in RAB; = C. myrsticaeformis]
C: wet marl forests (Pender)
Caulophyllum giganteum [not in RAB] Northern Blue Cohosh SR-P - S1 G4G5Q
M: cove forests (Alleghany*)
Ceratophyllum muricatum ssp australe Southern Hornwort SR-P - S1 G5T?
[not in RAB]
CT: pools in maritime forests, possibly
other natural depression wetlands
(Carteret*, Chowan)
Chamaesyce cordifolia [= Euphorbia cordifolia] Heartleaf Sandmat SR-P - SH G5
C: sandhills (Richmond*, Wayne*)
Chamerion platyphyllum Purple Willowherb SR-P - S1 G5
[= Epilobium angustifolium]
M: meadows and disturbed sites at high
elevations (Avery, Caldwell, Haywood,
Mitchell, Yancey*)
Chasmanthium nitidum [= Uniola nitida] a Spanglegrass SR-T - S1 G3
C: blackwater bottomlands (Pender)
Cheilanthes alabamensis Alabama Lip-fern SR-P - S1 G4G5
M: calcareous outcrops (Madison)
Chelone cuthbertii Cuthbert' s Turtlehead SR-L FSC S3? G3
MPC: bogs (Alleghany, Ashe, Avery,
Burke, Jackson, Macon*, McDowell,
Transylvania, Yancey)
Chenopodium simplex [not inRAB] Giant-seed Goosefoot SR-P - S1 G5
M: shaded soil at bases of cliffs (Ashe*,
Jackson*)
Chrysoma pauciflosculosa Woody Goldenrod E - S1 G4G5
[= Solidago pauciflosculosa]
C: sandhills (Columbus, Cumberland,
Robeson)
Cirsium carolinianum [= Carduus carolinianus] Carolina Thistle SR-P - S1 G5
P: forests and disturbed areas, mostly on
basic soils (Burke, Cabarrus*, Granville,
Mecklenburg, Montgomery, Rowan*,
Wake*, Wilkes+)
Cirsium lecontei Leconte' s Thistle SR-P - S2 G4G5
C: savannas (Brunswick, Carteret,
Columbus, Onslow, Pender)
Cladium mariscoides Twig-rush SR-O - S2 G5
CSMT: bogs, fens, brackish marshes,
sandhill seepage bogs (Alleghany*, Ashe,
Camden, Carteret, Columbus, Craven*,
Cumberland, Currituck, Dare, Harnett,
Hoke, Moore, Onslow, Pender, Watauga,
Yancey*)
NATURAL HERITAGE PROGRAM LIST OF THE RARE PLANTS OF NORTH CAROLINA
Scientific Name Common Name Status Rank
Province: Habitat (Counties of occurrence) N.C. U.S. N.C. Global
17
Clematis glaucophylla White-leaved Leatherflower SR-P - SH G4?
MP: habitat not known (Buncombe+,
Stokes+, Surry+)
Clematis occidentalis [= C. verticillaris] Mountain Clematis SR-P - S1 G5
M: rocky forests (Ashe, Buncombe)
Coeloglossum viride var virescens Long-bracted Frog Orchid SR-P - S1 G5T5
MP: seeps in cove forests (Ashe, Avery*,
Buncombe*, Forsyth*, Haywood*,
Jackson*)
Coelorachis cylindrica [= Manisuris cylindrica] Carolina Jointgrass SR-P - SH G4G5
P: open woodlands and roadsides (Anson*,
Union*)
Collinsonia tuberosa Piedmont Horsebalm SR-P - S1 G3G4
PM: rich hardwood forests (Alamance*,
Chatham, Guilford*, Henderson*,
Montgomery, Orange*)
Collinsonia verticillata Whorled Horsebalm SR-T - S2 G3
PM: cove forests (Polk)
Conioselinum chinense Hemlock-parsley E - S1 G5
M: high elevation seepage slopes (Avery)
Coptis trifolia ssp groenlandica Goldthread SR-P - S1 G5T5
M: bogs and moist, mossy forests
(Alleghany)
Coreopsis latifolia Broadleaf Coreopsis SR-T - S3 G3
M: cove forests and other rich woods
(Avery, Buncombe, Carter, TN, Haywood,
Henderson, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk,
Rutherford, Yancey)
Cornus asperifolia Roughleaf Dogwood SR-P - S1 G4
C: wet marl forests (Onslow, Pender)
Corydalis micrantha ssp micrantha [not in RAB] Slender Corydalis SR-P - S1 G5T4
PM: thin, circumneutral soils on rock
outcrops or cliffs (Alexander, Jackson*,
Madison)
Crinum americanum [not in RAB] Swamp-lily SR-P - SH G5
C: tidal swamp forests, tidal marshes (New
Hanover*)
Croton monanthogynus Prairie-tea Croton SR-P - SH G5
M: calcareous rock outcrops (Madison*)
Cyperus dentatus Toothed Flatsedge SR-P - SH G4
C: marshes (Brunswick*, Currituck*,
Dare*)
Cyperus granitophilus [not in RAB] Granite Flatsedge SR-T - S1 G3Q
P: granite flatrocks, other rock outcrops
(Alexander*, Forsyth*, Franklin, Granville,
Wake, Yadkin*)
Cyperus houghtonii Houghton' s Flatsedge SR-P - SH G4?
P: dry soil
Cyperus lecontei Leconte' s Flatsedge SR-P - S1 G4?
C: limesink ponds (Brunswick, New
Hanover*, Onslow)
Cyperus tetragonus Four-angled Flatsedge SR-P - S1 G4?
T: maritime forests and barrier island
grasslands (Brunswick, Carteret*, Dare,
New Hanover+, Onslow*, Pender)
NATURAL HERITAGE PROGRAM LIST OF THE RARE PLANTS OF NORTH CAROLINA
Scientific Name Common Name Status Rank
Province: Habitat (Counties of occurrence) N.C. U.S. N.C. Global
18
Cystopteris fragilis [not in RAB] Fragile Fern SR-P - S1 G5
M: high elevation cliffs (Mitchell,
Watauga)
Cystopteris tennesseensis Tennessee Bladder-fern E-SC - S1 G5
CM: calcareous rock outcrops (Craven*,
Graham*, Jones, Onslow*)
Cystopteris tenuis [not in RAB] Upland Bladder-fern SR-P - S1 G4G5
M: high elevation rocky summits, cliffs
Dalibarda repens Robin Runaway E - S1 G5
M: bogs and moist woods under
rhododendrons (Alleghany, Ashe,
Transylvania)
Danthonia epilis [not in RAB] Bog Oatgrass SR-T - S2 G3?
S: seepage bogs (Cumberland, Harnett,
Moore, Richmond, Scotland)
Delphinium exaltatum Tall Larkspur E-SC FSC S1 G3
MP: grassy balds, glades, woodlands,
mostly over mafic rock (Alleghany*, Ashe,
Avery*, Durham, Granville, Haywood,
Iredell*, Jackson, McDowell+,
Mecklenburg*, Mitchell*, Watauga)
Deschampsia cespitosa ssp glauca Tufted Hairgrass SR-P - S1 G5T5
[= D. caespitosa var g]
M: olivine barrens, high elevation outcrops
of mafic rock (Clay)
Desmodium ochroleucum Creamy Tick-trefoil SR-T - S1? G2?
P: sandy or rocky woodland openings
(Davie*, Orange*, Swain*)
Desmodium sessilifolium Sessile Tick-trefoil SR-P - SH G5
P: open woodlands (Cabarrus*,
Mecklenburg*)
Diarrhena americana Eastern Beakgrass SR-P - S1 G4?
M: rich cove forest (Jackson)
Dicentra eximia Bleeding Heart SR-P - S2 G4
MP: rock outcrops (Buncombe, Burke,
Haywood, Macon*, Madison, Rutherford,
Swain, Watauga*, Yancey)
Dichanthelium annulum a witch grass SR-P - G5T?Q
CP: dry sandy or rocky open woods and
borders of thickets (Chatham*, Davie*,
Durham*, Montgomery*, Orange*,
Person*, Rowan*, Stokes*, Wake*)
Dichanthelium caerulescens Blue Witchgrass SR-T - S1 G5T?
C: wet savannas with a calcareous
influence (Pender)
Dichanthelium fusiforme Spindle-fruited Witch Grass SR-P - S1 G4G5T5?
CS: dry sandy pinelands and other
clearings (Beaufort, Brunswick, Jones,
Moore*, Onslow*, Richmond*)
Dichanthelium hirstii Hirsts' Panic Grass E C S1 G1
[= Panicum hirstii; not in RAB]
C: cypress savannas (Onslow)
Dichanthelium sp 5 [=Panicum neuranthum] Nerve-flowered Witch Grass SR-D - S1 G5?
T: maritime wet grasslands (Brunswick)
NATURAL HERITAGE PROGRAM LIST OF THE RARE PLANTS OF NORTH CAROLINA
Scientific Name Common Name Status Rank
Province: Habitat (Counties of occurrence) N.C. U.S. N.C. Global
19
Didiplis diandra [= Peplis diandra] Water Purslane SR-P - SH G5
CS: sluggish streams and ponds
(Edgecombe*, Harnett+, Hertford*,
Moore+, Nash*, Perquimans*, Wake*,
Warren*)
Diervilla rivularis Riverbank Bush-honeysuckle SR-T - S1 G3
[= D. sessilifolia var rivularis]
M: forests (Yancey)
Dionaea muscipula Venus Flytrap SR-L FSC S3 G3
SC
CST: savannas, seepage bogs, pocosin
edges (Beaufort, Bladen, Brunswick,
Carteret, Columbus, Craven, Cumberland,
Duplin, Hoke, Jones*, Lenoir*, Moore*,
New Hanover, Onslow, Pamlico*, Pender,
Robeson*, Sampson)
Dodecatheon meadia var meadia Eastern Shooting Star SR-P - S2 G5T5
PM: rich, rocky woods, over mafic or
calcareous rocks (Anson*, Buncombe,
Davidson*, Haywood, Henderson, Iredell*,
Jackson, Macon, Mecklenburg, Orange*,
Rutherford, Stanly, Watauga*)
Draba ramosissima Branching Draba SR-P - S2 G4
MP: calcareous and mafic rock outcrops
(Buncombe, Haywood, Jackson, Madison,
Rutherford)
Draba reptans Creeping Draba SR-P - SH G5
P: habitat not known (Lincoln*)
Drosera filiformis Threadleaf Sundew SR-P - S1 G4G5
C: clay-based Carolina bays, wet savannas,
ditches (Bladen, Brunswick*, Columbus,
Duplin*, Sampson)
Echinacea laevigata Smooth Coneflower E-SC LE S1 G2
P: glades, woodlands, and open areas over
mafic rocks (Durham, Granville,
Mecklenburg, Montgomery*, Orange*,
Rockingham)
Echinacea purpurea Purple Coneflower SR-P - S1 G4
M: open woods and clearings (Burke+,
Jackson*, Madison, Polk*, Rutherford*,
Yadkin)
Echinodorus parvulus [not in RAB] Dwarf Burhead SR-T FSC S1 G3Q
C: drawdown zones of clay-based Carolina
bays and blackwater rivers (Brunswick,
Robeson)
Eleocharis cellulosa Gulfcoast Spikerush SR-P - S1 G4G5
CT: interdune ponds, brackish marshes &
tidal freshwater marshes (Beaufort,
Carteret, Dare*, Hyde, Onslow*,
Washington)
Eleocharis elongata [not in RAB] Florida Spikerush SR-P - S1 G5?
C: limesink ponds (Brunswick, Onslow)
Eleocharis halophila Saltmarsh Spikerush T - S1 G4
CT: brackish and freshwater marshes
(Dare, Hyde*)
NATURAL HERITAGE PROGRAM LIST OF THE RARE PLANTS OF NORTH CAROLINA
Scientific Name Common Name Status Rank
Province: Habitat (Counties of occurrence) N.C. U.S. N.C. Global
20
Eleocharis montevidensis Sand Spikerush SR-P - S1 G5
CT: maritime wet grassland (Currituck*,
Onslow)
Eleocharis robbinsii Robbins' s Spikerush SR-P - S2 G4G5
C: limesink ponds, clay-based Carolina
bays, peat-burn lakes, millponds, beaver
ponds, artificial lakes (Bladen*,
Brunswick*, Carteret, Craven*,
Cumberland, Harnett, Hoke, Moore, New
Hanover*, Onslow, Sampson, Scotland)
Eleocharis rostellata Beaked Spikerush SR-O - S2 G5
CT: brackish marshes, limesink ponds?
(Beaufort*, Brunswick*, Camden, Carteret,
Currituck, Dare, Hyde)
Elymus trachycaulus ssp trachycaulus Slender Wheatgrass SR-P - S1 G5T5
[= Agropyron tracycaulis]
M: olivine barrens (Clay)
Enemion biternatum [= Isopyrum biternatum] Eastern Isopyrum SR-P - S2 G5
PC: rich bottomlands, levees, and lower
slopes (Cumberland*, Durham, Franklin,
Granville, Halifax*, Harnett, Lee,
Northampton*, Orange*, Person*, Vance)
Epidendrum conopseum Green Fly Orchid SR-P - S2 G4
C: epiphytic on trees in blackwater river
swamps (Columbus, New Hanover*,
Pender*)
Epilobium ciliatum Purpleleaf Willowherb SR-P - S2 G5
M: seeps and bogs (Avery, Buncombe,
Henderson, Jackson*, Macon*, Madison,
Mitchell+, Swain*, Watauga, Yancey+)
Epilobium (see also Chamerion)
Eriocaulon aquaticum Seven-angled Pipewort SR-P - S2 G5
[= E. pellucidum, E. septangulare]
CS: blackwater creeks, natural lakes, tidal
freshwater marshes (Bladen+, Brunswick*,
Columbus, Craven*, Cumberland, Hoke,
Moore, Perquimans*, Tyrrell, Washington)
Eriocaulon parkeri [not in RAB] Estuary Pipewort SR-T - S1 G3
C: natural lakes (Hyde, Tyrrell*)
Eriocaulon texense Texas Hatpins SR-P - S1 G4
S: sphagnous bog (Cumberland)
Eriogonum tomentosum [not in NC in RAB] Southern Wild-buckwheat SR-P - SH G4G5
C: sandhills (Bladen*)
Erythrina herbacea Coralbean SR-P - S1 G5
TC: maritime forests (Brunswick,
Carteret*, New Hanover)
Eupatorium godfreyanum [not in RAB] Godfrey' s Thoroughwort SR-P - S1 G4
PM: woodlands, especially over mafic
rocks (Caswell*, Durham, Granville*,
Henderson*, McDowell*, Orange*,
Swain*, Vance*, Wake*)
Eupatorium incarnatum Pink Thoroughwort SR-P - S2 G5
PMC: rich woods and thin woodlands over
diabase, calcareous rocks, other basic
rocks, or rich alluvium (Alexander,
Durham*, Madison, Martin*, Polk,
Richmond, Warren*, Wilkes)
NATURAL HERITAGE PROGRAM LIST OF THE RARE PLANTS OF NORTH CAROLINA
Scientific Name Common Name Status Rank
Province: Habitat (Counties of occurrence) N.C. U.S. N.C. Global
21
Eupatorium leptophyllum [= E. capillifolium var l] Limesink Dog-fennel SR-P - S1 G4G5
C: limesink ponds and clay-based Carolina
bays (Brunswick, New Hanover, Scotland)
Eupatorium resinosum Resinous Boneset T-SC FSC S2S3 G3
SC: seepage bogs, beaver ponds,
pondshores, shrub swamps (Bladen,
Cumberland, Harnett, Hoke, Moore,
Sampson, Scotland)
Euphorbia commutata [not in NC in RAB] Cliff Spurge SR-P - S1 G5
MP: thin soil around mafic or calcareous
outcrops (Buncombe, Caswell*, Haywood)
Euphorbia mercurialina [not in RAB] Cumberland Spurge SR-P - S1 G4
P: rich slopes over gabbro (Anson,
Richmond)
Euphorbia purpurea Glade Spurge SR-T FSC S2 G3
M: forests, especially over mafic rock
(Ashe*, Buncombe, Clay, Graham,
Haywood, Jackson, Macon, Madison,
Mitchell, Swain*, Watauga+, Yancey)
Eustachys glauca [= Chloris glauca] Saltmarsh Fingergrass SR-P - SH G4
T: salt marshes (New Hanover*)
Filipendula rubra Queen-of-the-prairie E - S1 G4G5
M: bogs, wet meadows (Buncombe*,
Haywood, Macon, Watauga*, Yancey)
Fimbristylis perpusilla [not in RAB] Harper' s Fimbry T FSC S1 G2
C: drawdown zones of blackwater rivers
(Brunswick, Columbus)
Fothergilla major Large Witch-alder SR-T - S2 G3
MP: dry ridgetop or bluff forests (Burke,
Chatham, Gaston*, Montgomery, Orange,
Polk*, Rutherford, Stanly, Stokes, Surry*,
Transylvania)
Frasera caroliniensis [= Swertia carolinensis] Columbo SR-P - S2S3 G5
M: deciduous forests (Cherokee*, Clay,
Macon)
Gaillardia aestivalis Sandhills Gaillardia SR-P - S1 G5
S: sandhills (Cumberland*, Hoke, Moore*,
Richmond, Scotland)
Galactia mollis Soft Milk-pea SR-P - S2 G4G5
ST: sandhills (Brunswick*, Cumberland,
Hoke, Richmond, Scotland, Wayne*)
Gaylussacia tomentosa [not in RAB] Hairy Huckleberry SR-P - S1 G?
C: coastal fringe sandhill (New Hanover)
Gelsemium rankinii Swamp Jessamine SR-P - S2 G5
C: floodplains of blackwater rivers and
streams (Brunswick, Columbus,
Cumberland*, New Hanover, Pender)
Gentiana flavida [= G. alba] Yellow Gentian SR-D - SH G4
M: habitat not known (Watauga*)
Gentianopsis crinita Fringed Gentian E-SC - S1 G5
M: glades, serpentine barrens, open sites
over basic rocks (Ashe, Clay, Macon+,
Watauga)
Geum aleppicum Yellow Avens SR-P - S1 G5
M: bogs (Avery*, Swain*)
NATURAL HERITAGE PROGRAM LIST OF THE RARE PLANTS OF NORTH CAROLINA
Scientific Name Common Name Status Rank
Province: Habitat (Counties of occurrence) N.C. U.S. N.C. Global
22
Geum geniculatum Bent Avens T FSC S2 G2
M: high elevation forests, streambanks,
seepage slopes (Avery, Caldwell, Mitchell,
Watauga)
Geum laciniatum var trichocarpum Rough Avens SR-P - S1 G5T?
M: bogs (Avery, Wilkes*)
Geum radiatum Spreading Avens E-SC LE S1 G1
M: high elevation rocky summits (Ashe,
Avery, Buncombe, Burke*, Mitchell,
Transylvania, Watauga, Yancey)
Glyceria laxa [= G. canadensis var laxa] Lax Mannagrass SR-P - S1 G5
M: seeps (Alleghany*, Henderson*,
Macon*, Transylvania*)
Glyceria nubigena Smoky Mountain Mannagrass T FSC S2 G2
M: high elevation seeps (Graham,
Haywood, Swain*, Transylvania)
Glyceria (also see Torreyochloa)
Gnaphalium helleri var helleri [not in RAB] Heller' s Rabbit Tobacco SR-P - S2? G4G5T3?
PS: dry woodlands, openings, and glades,
especially over mafic rocks (Anson*,
Cabarrus, Davidson*, Forsyth*, Franklin*,
Granville, Guilford*, Halifax*, Hoke,
Mecklenburg, Montgomery, Orange*,
Person*, Rowan*, Scotland*, Union,
Wake)
Gnaphalium helleri var micradenium [not in RAB] Small Rabbit Tobacco SR-T - S1 G4G5T3?
P: dry woodlands (Caswell, Granville*,
Person, Stokes*, Vance)
Grammitis nimbata West Indian Dwarf Polypody E FSC S1 G4?
M: spray zone behind waterfalls (Macon)
Gymnocarpium appalachianum [not in RAB] Appalachian Oak Fern E FSC S1 G3
M: shaded and sheltered crevices on high
elevation rocky summits (Ashe)
Habenaria (see Coeloglossum, Platanthera)
Hasteola suaveolens [= Cacalia suav.] Sweet Indian-plantain SR-T - SH G3
M: bottomlands (Buncombe+, Henderson*,
Transylvania*)
Hedyotis (see Houstonia)
Helenium brevifolium Littleleaf Sneezeweed E - S1 G3G4
PMC: bogs, seeps, riverbanks, other wet
sites (Brunswick*, Clay*, Henderson*,
Iredell, Lenoir*, Montgomery, Rowan*,
Wake*)
Helenium pinnatifidum Dissected Sneezeweed SR-P - S2 G4
C: savannas and open, wet, mucky sites
(Bladen, Brunswick, Columbus, Iredell*,
Lincoln*, New Hanover*, Pender,
Robeson*, Rowan*)
Helenium vernale Spring Sneezeweed E - S1 G4?
C: savannas and adjacent ditches
(Brunswick, Columbus)
Helianthemum bicknellii Plains Sunrose SR-P - SH G5
M: rock outcrops, glades, fens (Ashe*,
Buncombe, Haywood, Jackson*, Macon*,
Transylvania*)
NATURAL HERITAGE PROGRAM LIST OF THE RARE PLANTS OF NORTH CAROLINA
Scientific Name Common Name Status Rank
Province: Habitat (Counties of occurrence) N.C. U.S. N.C. Global
23
Helianthemum carolinianum Carolina Sunrose SR-P - S1 G4
CS: sandhills, pinelands, dry savannas
(Brunswick*, Carteret, Craven*,
Cumberland*, New Hanover, Robeson*,
Wilson*)
Helianthemum corymbosum Pinebarren Sunrose SR-P - S1 G4G5
TC: maritime forests (Brunswick, Carteret,
Dare*)
Helianthemum georgianum Georgia Sunrose SR-P - S1 G4
TC: maritime forests (Brunswick,
Carteret*, Dare*, Hyde*, New Hanover*)
Helianthemum nashii Nash' s Sunrose SR-D - S1 G3?
C: coastal fringe sandhill (New Hanover)
Helianthemum propinquum Creeping Sunrose SR-P - S1 G4
M: rock outcrops, glades (Alleghany, Ashe,
Avery*, Buncombe, Clay, Forsyth*,
Haywood, Henderson*, Rockingham*,
Stokes*, Transylvania*, Watauga, Yancey)
Helianthus laevigatus Smooth Sunflower SR-P - S2 G4
PM: shaly open woods and roadsides
(Anson, Burke, Cleveland*, Montgomery,
Rowan, Rutherford, Stanly, Union)
Helianthus occidentalis Few-leaf Sunflower SR-P - SX G5
M: sandy bottomlands (Buncombe*)
Helianthus schweinitzii Schweinitz' s Sunflower E LE S2 G2
P: open woods and roadsides (Anson,
Cabarrus, Davidson, Gaston, Mecklenburg,
Montgomery, Randolph, Rowan, Stanly,
Stokes*, Surry, Union)
Heliotropium curassavicum var curassavicum Seaside Heliotrope SR-P - SH G5T5
T: salt flats and salt marshes (Hyde*)
Helonias bullata Swamp Pink T-SC LT S2 G3
M: bogs (Ashe, Henderson, Jackson,
Transylvania)
Hemicarpha (see Lipocarpha)
Heteranthera multiflora Multiflowered Mud-plantain SR-P - S1 G4
C: open pools in brownwater or blackwater
river floodplains (Bertie*, Martin*,
Pasquotank*, Perquimans*, Washington)
Hexalectris spicata Crested Coralroot SR-P - S2 G5
PMC: dry or mesic woods on basic soils
(Alleghany, Burke*, Cabarrus, Clay,
Cumberland, Davidson*, Davie*, Durham*,
Franklin*, Granville*, Jackson*, Johnston*,
Jones*, Macon, Madison*, Mecklenburg*,
Orange, Polk*, Randolph, Rutherford,
Stanly, Surry*)
Hexastylis contracta Mountain Heartleaf E FSC S1 G3
M: acidic forests under rhododendron
(Buncombe, Henderson)
Hexastylis lewisii Lewis' s Heartleaf SR-L - S3 G4
PSC: forests, pocosin edges (Bladen,
Burke*, Chatham, Cumberland*, Duplin*,
Durham, Granville, Halifax, Harnett,
Johnston, Lenoir*, Nash, Orange, Pender,
Person, Sampson, Vance, Wake)
NATURAL HERITAGE PROGRAM LIST OF THE RARE PLANTS OF NORTH CAROLINA
Scientific Name Common Name Status Rank
Province: Habitat (Counties of occurrence) N.C. U.S. N.C. Global
24
Hexastylis naniflora Dwarf-flowered Heartleaf T LT S2 G2
P: rich deciduous forests, bluffs, and
ravines (Burke, Caldwell, Catawba,
Cleveland, Lincoln, Polk, Rutherford)
Hexastylis rhombiformis [not in RAB] French Broad Heartleaf SR-L FSC S2 G2
MP: cove forests (Buncombe, Henderson,
Polk, Transylvania)
Hibiscus aculeatus Comfortroot SR-P - S1 G4G5
C: savannas (Carteret*, New Hanover*,
Robeson*)
Hierochloe odorata [not in RAB] Holy Grass E - S1 G4G5
M: bogs (Ashe, Macon)
Hottonia inflata Water Violet SR-O - S2 G4
CPT: pools in black- or brown-water
swamps, interdune ponds (Gates, Johnston,
Martin*)
Houstonia longifolia var glabra [not in RAB] Granite Dome Bluet SR-L - S2 G4G5T2Q
M: high elevation granitic domes, rarely
other outcrops (Haywood, Henderson,
Jackson, Macon, Madison, Transylvania)
Houstonia montana Roan Mountain Bluet E LE S2 G2Q
M: high elevation rocky summits, grassy
balds (Ashe, Avery, Mitchell, Watauga,
Yancey)
Hudsonia montana Mountain Golden-heather E LT S1 G1
M: gorge rim outcrops, rocky summits,
pine-oak/heath ridges (Burke, McDowell)
Hudsonia tomentosa Woolly Beach Heather SR-P - S2 G5
T: openings in maritime forest, blowouts,
dunes and medaños (Currituck, Dare)
Huperzia appalachiana [= Lycopodium selago] Appalachian Fir-clubmoss SR-P - S2 G4G5
M: high elevation rocky summits, seeps,
fens (Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Haywood,
Jackson, Macon, McDowell, Mitchell,
Rutherford, Transylvania, Watauga,
Yancey)
Huperzia porophila [= Lycopodium porophilum] Rock Fir-clubmoss SR-P - S2 G4
M: in spray zone of waterfalls (Jackson,
Macon, Polk*, Rutherford, Transylvania)
Hydrastis canadensis Goldenseal E-SC - S2 G4
MP: cove forests, other rich deciduous
forests (Alleghany, Buncombe, Jackson,
Macon, Madison*, Polk, Rockingham,
Stokes, Swain, Watauga*)
Hydrophyllum macrophyllum Largeleaf Waterleaf SR-P - S2 G5
M: rich woods, especially rocky calcareous
forests and cliffs (Buncombe, Haywood,
Jackson, Madison, Yancey)
Hymenophyllum tayloriae Gorge Filmy Fern PE - S1S2 G1G2
M: moist grottoes and spray cliffs in
escarpment gorges with high rainfall
(Jackson, Macon)
Hypericum adpressum Bog St. John' s-wort SR-T FSC SH G2G3
C: boggy places (Halifax*, New Hanover*,
Northampton*)
NATURAL HERITAGE PROGRAM LIST OF THE RARE PLANTS OF NORTH CAROLINA
Scientific Name Common Name Status Rank
Province: Habitat (Counties of occurrence) N.C. U.S. N.C. Global
25
Hypericum fasciculatum Peelbark St. John' s-wort SR-D - S1 G5
C: beaver ponds, low pinelands, pools
(Cumberland, Hoke, Moore, New
Hanover*)
Hypericum suffruticosum Pineland St. John' s-wort SR-P - SH G4G5
C: pine savannas (Bladen*, Sampson*)
Hypoxis sessilis Sessile Yellow Stargrass SR-P - S1 G4
CS: savannas, pinelands (Pender*)
Ilex amelanchier Sarvis Holly SR-P - S3 G4
CS: blackwater swamps and riverbanks,
clay-based Carolina bays (Bladen,
Brunswick, Columbus, Cumberland,
Harnett+, Hoke, Montgomery, Pender,
Richmond, Robeson, Sampson, Scotland)
Ilex collina [not in RAB] Long-stalked Holly T - S1 G3
M: bogs, wet streamsides, or high elevation
forests (Swain, Watauga)
Ilex longipes [= I. decidua var longipes] Georgia Holly SR-P - SH G5
P: upland forests and woodlands (Anson*,
Nash*, Wilson*)
Isanthus (see Trichostema)
Ipomoea imperati [= I. stolonifera] Beach Morning-glory SR-P - S1 G5
T: sea beaches and foredunes (Brunswick,
Carteret)
Isoetes microvela [not in RAB] Quillwort SR-L - S1 G1
C: emergent riverbanks, calcareous
influenced riverbanks (Brunswick, Jones,
Onslow)
Isoetes piedmontana [not in RAB] Piedmont Quillwort T - S1 G3
P: granite flatrocks and diabase glades
(Franklin, Granville, Rowan*, Rutherford,
Wake*)
Isoetes riparia Riverbank Quillwort SR-P - S1 G5?
C: tidal freshwater marshes and swamp
forests (Craven*, Currituck*, Pender, Pitt*,
Tyrrell*)
Isoetes virginica [not in RAB] Virginia Quillwort SR-L FSC S1 G1
P: upland depression swamp forests, clayey
soils (Caswell*, Person)
Isopyrum (see Enemion)
Isotria medeoloides Small Whorled Pogonia E LT S1 G2
MPS: forests, especially with white pine
(Burke, Cherokee, Cumberland+, Harnett+,
Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Macon,
McDowell, Orange*, Rutherford, Surry*,
Transylvania)
Iva microcephala [not in NC in RAB] Small-headed Marsh Elder SR-P - S1 G5
C: clay-based Carolina bays (Marlboro, SC,
Robeson, Scotland)
Jeffersonia diphylla Twin Leaf SR-P - S1 G5
M: rich cove forests, especially over
calcareous rocks (Jackson)
Juncus caesariensis [not in RAB] Rough Rush E FSC S1 G2
M: seepage bog (Clay, Henderson)
Juncus trifidus [= J. t. var monanthos] Highland Rush E - S1 G5
M: high elevation rocky summits (Ashe,
Buncombe, Mitchell)
NATURAL HERITAGE PROGRAM LIST OF THE RARE PLANTS OF NORTH CAROLINA
Scientific Name Common Name Status Rank
Province: Habitat (Counties of occurrence) N.C. U.S. N.C. Global
26
Juniperus communis var depressa Dwarf Juniper SR-D - S1 G5T5
MP: high elevation granitic domes, low
elevation rocky summits (Buncombe*,
Gaston, Macon)
Kalmia cuneata White Wicky SR-L FSC S3 G3
CS: pocosins (Bladen, Craven*,
Cumberland, Hoke, Moore, Pender,
Richmond, Sampson, Scotland)
Lachnocaulon beyrichianum (see watch list category 1)
Lachnocaulon minus Brown Bogbutton SR-P - S2 G3G4
CS: savannas, seeps (Brunswick, Carteret,
New Hanover)
Lechea maritima var virginica [not in RAB] Maritime Pinweed SR-T - S1 G5T3Q
T: barren dunefields with Hudsonia
tomentosa (Dare)
Lechea torreyi Torrey' s Pinweed SR-P - S1 G4G5
CS: sandhills, savannas (Brunswick,
Moore*, Pender)
Leptochloa fascicularis var maritima Long-awned Spangletop SR-O - S1 G5T3T4Q
CT: fresh to brackish tidal marshes
(Brunswick, Currituck, Dare*, Hyde,
Tyrrell)
Liatris aspera Rough Blazing Star SR-P - S1 G4G5
M: glades, open woods, fens (Ashe,
Burke*, Cleveland, Henderson*, Jackson*,
Macon*, McDowell*, Polk*,
Transylvania*)
Liatris helleri Heller' s Blazing Star T-SC LT S2 G2
M: high elevation rocky summits, cliffs
(Ashe, Avery, Burke, Caldwell, Mitchell*,
Watauga)
Liatris microcephala Small-head Blazing Star SR-P - S1 G3G4
M: rock outcrops, glades, dry woodlands
(Macon*, Polk*, Rutherford)
Liatris squarrulosa [= L. earlei] Earle' s Blazing Star SR-P - S2 G4G5
PSM: diabase glades, open woods
especially over mafic rocks; also sandhills
(Cumberland*, Durham, Graham,
Granville, Harnett+, Orange*, Richmond,
Robeson, Rutherford, Scotland, Stokes+,
Swain*)
Liatris turgida Shale-barren Blazing Star SR-T - S2 G3
M: dry rocky woods (Buncombe*, Burke,
Cleveland, Macon, Polk*, Rutherford)
Lilaeopsis carolinensis Carolina Grasswort T - S3 G3G5
TC: freshwater marshes, pools, tidal
marshes (Brunswick, Camden, Currituck,
Dare, Hyde, New Hanover, Pasquotank,
Perquimans, Washington)
Lilium canadense ssp canadense Yellow Canada Lily SR-P - S1 G5T4?
M: bogs, wet meadows (Cabarrus,
Watauga*)
Lilium canadense ssp editorum [not in RAB] Red Canada Lily SR-P - S1 G5T4
MP: bogs, wet meadows (Alleghany*,
Avery*, Cabarrus, Graham, Henderson+,
Rutherford+, Stanly*, Watauga*)
NATURAL HERITAGE PROGRAM LIST OF THE RARE PLANTS OF NORTH CAROLINA
Scientific Name Common Name Status Rank
Province: Habitat (Counties of occurrence) N.C. U.S. N.C. Global
27
Lilium grayi Gray' s Lily T-SC FSC S3 G3
M: bogs, wet meadows, seeps, grassy balds,
high elevation forests (Alleghany, Ashe,
Avery, Buncombe, Caldwell, Carter, TN,
Henderson*, McDowell, Mitchell,
Watauga, Yancey)
Lilium philadelphicum var philadelphicum Wood Lily SR-P - S1 G5T4T5
M: grassy balds, glades (Ashe, Avery,
Haywood, Mitchell, Polk+, Swain*,
Watauga, Yancey)
Lilium sp 2 [L. pyrophilum in ed.] Sandhills Bog Lily SR-L - S1 G2?Q
S: peaty seepage bogs (Cumberland,
Harnett, Hoke, Lee, Moore, Nash*,
Northampton*, Richmond, Scotland)
Limosella australis [= L. subulata] Awl-leaf Mudwort SR-P - S1 G4G5
T: tidal marshes (Currituck)
Lindera melissifolia Southern Spicebush E LE S1 G2
C: Carolina bays, upland depressions, and
other wet areas (Bladen*, Cumberland,
Sampson)
Lindera subcoriacea [not in RAB} Bog Spicebush E FSC S2 G2
SP: streamhead pocosins, white cedar
swamps, bogs (Anson*, Cumberland,
Hoke, Johnston, Lee, Montgomery, Moore,
Richmond, Robeson, Scotland, Wake)
Linum floridanum var chrysocarpum Yellow-fruited Flax SR-T - S1 G5?T3?
C: pine savannas (Brunswick, Columbus,
Pender)
Linum sulcatum var sulcatum Glade Flax SR-P - SH G5T5
P: diabase glades (Granville*)
Liparis loeselii Fen Orchid SR-P - S1 G5
MT: seeps, bay swamps (Alleghany,
Ashe+, Avery*, Dare, Jackson*,
Rutherford*, Swain, Watauga*)
Lipocarpha micrantha [= Hemicarpha m.] Small-flowered Hemicarpha SR-O - S1 G4
CT: drawdown zones of blackwater rivers,
salt marshes (Columbus, Dare*)
Lithospermum canescens Hoary Puccoon SR-P - S1 G5
P: diabase glades, open woods over diabase
(Durham, Granville)
Litsea aestivalis Pondspice SR-T FSC S2 G3
C: limesink ponds, other pools (Bladen,
Brunswick, Carteret, Craven, Cumberland,
Gates, Hoke*, New Hanover, Onslow,
Sampson, Wayne)
Lobelia boykinii [not in NC in RAB] Boykin' s Lobelia SR-T FSC S1 G2G3
C: clay-based Carolina bays, wet pine
savannas (Bladen*, Cumberland, Hoke,
Marlboro, SC, Onslow, Scotland)
Lobelia sp 1 [batsonii] (see watch list category 1)
Lonicera canadensis American Fly-honeysuckle SR-P - S2 G5
M: bogs, moist woods (Buncombe,
Haywood, Jackson, Macon, Mitchell*,
Watauga, Yancey*)
NATURAL HERITAGE PROGRAM LIST OF THE RARE PLANTS OF NORTH CAROLINA
Scientific Name Common Name Status Rank
Province: Habitat (Counties of occurrence) N.C. U.S. N.C. Global
28
Lonicera flava Yellow Honeysuckle SR-P - S2 G5?
MP: thin soils around rock outcrops,
mainly mafic (Buncombe, Burke,
Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, McDowell,
Polk, Rutherford)
Lophiola aurea [= Lophiola americana] Golden Crest E - S1 G4
C: very wet, mucky habitats in pine
savannas (Brunswick, Columbus, New
Hanover, Onslow)
Lotus helleri [= L. purshianus var helleri] Carolina Birdfoot-trefoil SR-T FSC S3 G5T3
P: open woods over clay soils, roadsides
(Cabarrus, Caswell*, Davidson, Davie*,
Granville, Iredell*, Mecklenburg, Moore,
Person*, Rockingham, Rowan, Stanly,
Union, Warren*)
Ludwigia alata Winged Seedbox SR-P - S2 G4
TC: interdune ponds, marshes
(Brunswick*, Camden, Carteret, Craven,
Currituck, Dare, Hyde, New Hanover*,
Onslow*, Pasquotank, Tyrrell*)
Ludwigia brevipes Long Beach Seedbox SR-T - S2 G4G5
CS: low, wet places and ditches
(Brunswick, Columbus, Craven*,
Cumberland, Currituck*, Dare, Gates*,
Harnett*, Hyde*, Johnston*, Robeson*,
Sampson*)
Ludwigia lanceolata Lanceleaf Seedbox SR-P - S1 G3
TC: interdune ponds, open wet areas
(Brunswick*, Carteret, Dare*, New
Hanover*)
Ludwigia linifolia Flaxleaf Seedbox SR-P - S2 G4
CT: limesink ponds (Brunswick, Carteret,
Columbus, New Hanover, Onslow)
Ludwigia ravenii [not in RAB] Raven' s Seedbox SR-T - S2? G2?
C: savannas, swamps, marshes, wet open
places (Columbus)
Ludwigia ravenii [not in RAB] Raven' s Seedbox SR-T - S2? G2?
C: savannas, swamps, marshes, wet open
places (Columbus)
Ludwigia sphaerocarpa Globe-fruit Seedbox SR-P - S1 G5
CTS: bogs and pools (Columbus, Craven,
Dare*, Hoke*, Johnston*, Richmond,
Washington*)
Luziola fluitans [= Hydrochloa caroliniensis] Southern Water Grass SR-P - S1S2 G4G5
C: pools, lakes, streams (Bladen,
Columbus, Pender, Richmond, Scotland)
Lycopodiella inundata Bog Clubmoss SR-P - S1 G5
M: bogs and seeps (Avery, Watauga)
Lycopodium (see Huperzia, Lycopodiella)
Lysimachia asperulifolia Rough-leaf Loosestrife E LE S3 G3
CS: pocosin/savanna ecotones, pocosins
(Beaufort, Bladen, Brunswick, Carteret,
Columbus*, Cumberland, Harnett, Hoke,
New Hanover, Onslow, Pamlico, Pender,
Richmond*, Scotland)
NATURAL HERITAGE PROGRAM LIST OF THE RARE PLANTS OF NORTH CAROLINA
Scientific Name Common Name Status Rank
Province: Habitat (Counties of occurrence) N.C. U.S. N.C. Global
29
Lysimachia fraseri Fraser' s Loosestrife E FSC S2 G2
M: forests, roadsides (Buncombe*,
Haywood+, Henderson+, Jackson, Macon,
Transylvania)
Macbridea caroliniana Carolina Bogmint T FSC S2 G2G3
C: blackwater swamps, savanna/pocosin
ecotones, ditches (Bladen, Brunswick,
Columbus, Johnston, Jones+, Pender,
Robeson, Sampson*)
Magnolia macrophylla Bigleaf Magnolia SR-P - S2 G5
P: rich deciduous forests (Gaston,
Henderson, Iredell, Wake)
Malaxis bayardii [not in RAB] Appalachian Adder' s-mouth SR-T - SH G2
MP: upland forests (McDowell)
Malaxis spicata Florida Adder' s Mouth SR-P - S1 G4?
CT: maritime swamp forests, calcareous but
mucky outer coastal plain swamps
(Brunswick*, Carteret, Chowan, Craven,
Dare*, Jones*)
Manisuris (see Coelorachis)
Marshallia grandiflora Large-flowered Barbara' s Buttons SR-T FSC SH G2
MP: bogs, dry basic soils (Henderson*,
Polk*)
Marshallia sp 1 [not in RAB] Butner Barbara' s Buttons SR-L FSC S1 G1
P: clayey upland soils over diabase
(Granville)
Marshallia trinervia Broadleaf Barbara' s ButtonsSR-P - SH G3
M: habitat not known (Macon+)
Matelea decipiens Glade Milkvine SR-P - S2 G5
PC: thin woodlands over mafic or
calcareous rocks (Burke, Davidson*,
Durham, Franklin, Granville, Hertford*,
Orange*, Rutherford*, Stanly, Wake)
Meehania cordata Meehania SR-P - S2 G5
M: cove forests, boulderfields (Alleghany+,
Ashe, Avery*, Haywood, Madison*,
Watauga, Yancey*)
Melanthium woodii Ozark Bunchflower SR-P - SH G5
[= Veratrum woodii; not in RAB]
M: habitat not known (Polk*)
Melica nitens Three-flowered Melic SR-P - S1 G5
M: open calcareous woods (Madison)
Menyanthes trifoliata [not in RAB] Buckbean T - S1 G5
M: bogs (Watauga)
Milium effusum Millet-grass SR-P - SH G5
M: high elevation forests or openings
(Swain*)
Minuartia godfreyi [= Arenaria godfreyi] Godfrey' s Sandwort E FSC S1 G1
C: tidal freshwater marshes (Craven,
Jones*)
Minuartia groenlandica Greenland Sandwort SR-D - S2 G5
[= Arenaria glabra var gr.]
MP: high elevation and low elevation rocky
summits (Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Burke,
Mitchell, Stokes, Surry)
NATURAL HERITAGE PROGRAM LIST OF THE RARE PLANTS OF NORTH CAROLINA
Scientific Name Common Name Status Rank
Province: Habitat (Counties of occurrence) N.C. U.S. N.C. Global
30
Minuartia uniflora [Arenaria u., incl. M. alab.] Single-flowered Sandwort E - S1 G4
P: granite flatrocks (Anson*, Rowan*,
Rutherford)
Monotropsis odorata [incl. var lehmaniae] Sweet Pinesap SR-T FSC S3 G3
PM: dry forests and bluffs (Alamance+,
Alleghany+, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell*,
Catawba, Cleveland, Durham, Henderson+,
Jackson, Macon+, McDowell, Orange,
Person*, Polk*, Rutherford, Stokes,
Swain*, Transylvania, Wake*)
Muhlenbergia glabriflora [not in RAB] Clay-pan Muhly SR-P - SH G4?
P: clay soils (Durham*)
Muhlenbergia glomerata Bristly Muhly SR-P - S1 G5
M: olivine barrens, fens, mafic cliffs (Ashe,
Clay)
Muhlenbergia sobolifera Rock Muhly SR-P - SH G5
M: dripping cliffs and rocky slopes
(McDowell*, Mitchell*)
Muhlenbergia torreyana [not in RAB] Pinebarren Smokegrass E - S1 G3
CS: cypress savannas (Brunswick,
Cumberland, Hoke, Onslow, Pender,
Richmond, Robeson)
Myrica gale [= Gale palustris] Sweet Gale E - S1 G5
M: bogs (Henderson)
Myriophyllum laxum Loose Watermilfoil T FSC S1 G3
CS: limesink ponds, waters of natural lakes
(Brunswick, Carteret, Craven*,
Cumberland, Hoke, Onslow)
Myriophyllum tenellum [not in RAB] Leafless Watermilfoil SR-P - S1 G5
C: waters of natural lakes, Washington)
(Bladen, Tyrrell, Washington)
Narthecium americanum Bog Asphodel E C SX G2
M: bogs (Henderson*)
Oenothera perennis Perennial Sundrops SR-P - S2 G5
MPC: bogs (Avery+, Burke, Clay,
Hertford*, Iredell+, Jackson, Macon,
McDowell, Transylvania, Tyrrell*)
Oldenlandia boscii [not in NC in RAB] Bosc' s Bluet SR-P - S1 G5
C: clay-based Carolina bays (Brunswick,
Columbus, Cumberland, Scotland)
Orbexilum macrophyllum Bigleaf Scurfpea E FSC SH GH
[= Psoralea macrophylla]
M: low mountain forests or outcrops?
(Polk*)
Oxypolis canbyi [not in RAB] Canby' s Dropwort E LE S1 G2
C: clay-based Carolina bays (Scotland)
Pachysandra procumbens Allegheny Spurge SR-P - S1 G4G5
P: cove forests (Polk)
Packera millefolium [=Senecio millefolium] Divided-leaf Ragwort T FSC S2 G2
M: granitic domes, other outcrops
(Buncombe, Henderson*, Jackson, Macon,
McDowell, Polk, Rutherford)
Packera paupercula [= Senecio pauperculus] Balsam Ragwort SR-P - S1? G5
PMC: fens, bogs, and diabase glades
(Alleghany*, Avery*, Nash*, Onslow,
Transylvania*, Yancey)
NATURAL HERITAGE PROGRAM LIST OF THE RARE PLANTS OF NORTH CAROLINA
Scientific Name Common Name Status Rank
Province: Habitat (Counties of occurrence) N.C. U.S. N.C. Global
31
Packera plattensis [= Senecio p.; not in RAB] Prairie Ragwort SR-P - S1 G5
M: mafic and calcareous rock outcrops and
cliffs (Ashe, Clay, Madison)
Packera schweinitziana Schweinitz' s Ragwort E - S2 G5?
[= Senecio schweinitzianus]
M: grassy balds (Avery, Buncombe,
Mitchell, Watauga, Yancey)
Panax quinquefolius (see watch list category 5B)
Panicum flexile Wiry Panic Grass SR-P - S1 G5
PM: glades and openings over mafic rocks
(Ashe*, Durham*, Granville, Orange*)
Panicum lithophilum [not in RAB] Flatrock Panic Grass SR-T - S1 G2G3Q
MP: soil islands on granite domes
(Alexander?, Franklin, Transylvania*,
Wake)
Panicum tenerum Southeastern Panic Grass SR-P - S3 G4
CST: wet savannas, sandhill seeps,
limesink ponds (Bladen, Brunswick,
Carteret, Columbus, Cumberland,
Marlboro, SC, Moore*, New Hanover,
Onslow, Sampson, Scotland)
Panicum (see also Dichanthelium)
Parietaria praetermissa Large-seed Pellitory SR-P - S1 G3G4
TC: shell middens, disturbed sites,
maritime forests (Carteret)
Parnassia caroliniana Carolina Grass-of-parnassus E FSC S2 G3
CS: wet savannas (Bladen, Brunswick,
Columbus, Cumberland, Harnett, Hoke,
Lee*, Onslow, Pender, Scotland)
Parnassia grandifolia Large-leaved Grass-of-parnassus T - S1 G3
MCP: fens and seeps over calcareous or
mafic rocks (Alleghany, Ashe, Avery*,
Brunswick, Buncombe*, Clay, Columbus,
Haywood, McDowell, Transylvania,
Watauga*)
Parthenium auriculatum [= P. integrifolium var a.] Glade Wild Quinine SR-T - S1 G3?Q
PM: glades and openings over mafic rocks
(Burke, Durham, Franklin, Granville,
Guilford*, Macon*, Montgomery, Orange*,
Person, Rockingham*, Warren*)
Paspalum dissectum Mudbank Crown Grass SR-P - S1 G4?
CTP: mudflats, other open wet areas
(Brunswick, Pender, Scotland)
Pedicularis lanceolata Swamp Lousewort SR-P - S1 G5
M: bottomlands, swampy woods
(Buncombe+, Cherokee+, Clay, Haywood,
Jackson*, Macon*, Watauga*)
Pellaea wrightiana Wright' s Cliff-brake E-SC - S1 G5
P: rock outcrops, mafic or with
nutrient-rich seepage (Alexander, Stanly)
Peltandra sagittifolia Spoonflower SR-P - S2S3 G3G4
C: pocosins, other wet, peaty sites
(Brunswick, Carteret, Columbus*, Craven*,
Dare, Jones*, New Hanover, Onslow,
Pender)
NATURAL HERITAGE PROGRAM LIST OF THE RARE PLANTS OF NORTH CAROLINA
Scientific Name Common Name Status Rank
Province: Habitat (Counties of occurrence) N.C. U.S. N.C. Global
32
Phacelia covillei [=P. ranunculacea] Buttercup Phacelia SR-T - S2 G2
PC: bottomlands, rich lower slopes
(Alamance, Chatham, Harnett, Lee, Moore,
Vance)
Phaseolus sinuatus (see watch list category 1)
Phegopteris connectilis [= Thelypteris phegopteris] Northern Beech Fern SR-P - S1 G5
M: spray zone of waterfalls, spruce-fir
forests, high elevation seepage bogs
(Haywood, Jackson, Macon, Swain*,
Transylvania*)
Phlox subulata Moss Pink SR-P - S1 G5
M: outcrops and glades, especially over
mafic rocks (Ashe, Buncombe, Jackson*,
Madison+, Yancey)
Pinguicula pumila Small Butterwort SR-P - S2 G4
C: savannas (Carteret, Pender)
Pityopsis graminifolia var graminifolia a silkgrass SR-P - S1? G5T4
C: savannas, pine flatwoods, sandy
roadsides (Brunswick, Columbus)
Plantago cordata Heart-leaf Plantain E - S1 G4
P: beds of small, slate-bottomed, perennial
streams (Davidson)
Plantago sparsiflora Pineland Plantain E FSC S1 G3
C: wet savannas (Bladen*, Brunswick,
Columbus, Onslow, Pender)
Platanthera flava var herbiola [not in RAB] Northern Green Orchid SR-P - S1? G4T4Q
M: bogs and moist forests (Buncombe*,
Clay*, Forsyth*, Graham*, Haywood,
Jackson*, Macon*, Transylvania)
Platanthera grandiflora Large Purple-fringed Orchid SR-P - S2 G5
[= Habenaria psycodes var g.]
M: bogs, seeps, grassy balds, high elevation
moist forests and banks (Alleghany, Ashe,
Avery, Buncombe, Clay, Haywood*,
Macon, McDowell*, Transylvania*,
Watauga, Yancey)
Platanthera integra [= Habenaria i.] Yellow Fringeless Orchid T - S1 G3G4
CMP: savannas (Brunswick, Carteret,
Cherokee*, Columbus, Craven, Forsyth+,
Henderson+, Onslow*, Pamlico+, Pender,
Robeson+, Rowan*)
Platanthera integrilabia [= Habenaria bleph. var i] White Fringeless Orchid E C SX G2G3
M: bogs (Cherokee*, Henderson*)
Platanthera nivea [= Habenaria n.] Snowy Orchid T - S1 G5
C: wet savannas (Beaufort*, Bladen*,
Brunswick, Columbus*, Craven, Dare*,
Hoke*, New Hanover*, Pender, Robeson*)
Platanthera peramoena [= Habenaria p.] Purple Fringeless Orchid SR-P - S1 G5
MP: bogs, forests (Buncombe+, Burke*,
Caldwell*, Clay*, Durham, Forsyth+,
Guilford, Haywood*, Henderson+,
Jackson*, Macon*, Mitchell*, Orange,
Swain*, Transylvania, Warren*, Watauga,
Yancey*)
Poa paludigena [not in RAB] Bog Bluegrass E FSC S1 G3
M: bogs (Ashe, Avery, Watauga*)
NATURAL HERITAGE PROGRAM LIST OF THE RARE PLANTS OF NORTH CAROLINA
Scientific Name Common Name Status Rank
Province: Habitat (Counties of occurrence) N.C. U.S. N.C. Global
33
Poa palustris Swamp Bluegrass SR-P - S1 G5
M: spruce-fir forests, grassy balds (Avery,
Haywood*, Henderson*, Macon*, Mitchell,
Polk*, Swain*, Yancey*)
Poa saltuensis [= P. languida] a bluegrass SR-P - S1 G5
M: olivine barrens (Clay, Haywood)
Polygala grandiflora Showy Milkwort SR-P - S2 G5?
SC: sandhills (Richmond, Scotland)
Polygala hookeri Hooker' s Milkwort SR-T - S2 G3
C: savannas (Brunswick, Carteret,
Columbus*, New Hanover*, Onslow,
Pender)
Polygonella articulata Coast Jointweed SR-P - SX G5
C: sandhills (Gates*)
Polygonum glaucum Seabeach Knotweed SR-T - S1 G3
T: ocean and sound beaches (Beaufort+,
Brunswick, Carteret, Dare*, Hyde*, New
Hanover+)
Polygonum hirsutum Hairy Smartweed SR-P - S1 G4G5
CS: limesink ponds, clay-based Carolina
bays, drawdown zones of blackwater
riverbanks (Brunswick*, Carteret*,
Onslow*, Richmond, Scotland*)
Ponthieva racemosa Shadow-witch SR-P - S2 G4G5
C: blackwater forests and swamps,
especially over marl (Beaufort*,
Brunswick*, Carteret, Craven, Jones,
Onslow, Pender)
Porteranthus stipulatus [= Gillenia stipulata] Indian Physic SR-P - S2 G5
P: forests and open woods, mainly over
mafic rocks (Cabarrus*, Chatham+,
Davidson, Durham, Granville, Lee*,
Montgomery*, Moore*, Orange*, Person,
Union, Wake)
Portulaca smallii Small' s Portulaca T - S2 G3
P: granite flatrocks and diabase glades
(Cabarrus, Forsyth*, Franklin, Granville,
Rowan, Wake)
Potamogeton confervoides Conferva Pondweed SR-D FSC S2 G4
SC: beaverponds and old millponds on
blackwater creeks (Cumberland, Gates*,
Harnett, Hoke, Moore, Richmond,
Scotland)
Prenanthes roanensis Roan Rattlesnakeroot SR-L - S3 G3
M: grassy balds, high elevation forests and
outcrops (Alleghany, Ashe, Avery,
Buncombe, Carter, TN, Clay, Graham,
Haywood, Jackson, Macon, Madison,
McDowell, Mitchell, Surry*, Swain,
Transylvania, Watauga*, Yancey)
Prunus pumila var susquehanae Susquehanna Cherry SR-P - SH G5T4
MP: rocky forests (Durham*)
Psilocarya (see Rhynchospora)
Psilotum nudum Whiskfern SR-D - S1 G5
C: acid swamp (Chowan)
Psoralea (see Orbexilum, Pediomelium)
NATURAL HERITAGE PROGRAM LIST OF THE RARE PLANTS OF NORTH CAROLINA
Scientific Name Common Name Status Rank
Province: Habitat (Counties of occurrence) N.C. U.S. N.C. Global
34
Pteroglossaspis ecristata [= Eulophia ecristata] Spiked Medusa E FSC S1 G2
C: pinelands (Bladen+, Cumberland*,
Hoke, New Hanover*)
Ptilimnium costatum Ribbed Bishop-weed SR-P - S1 G3G4
CT: tidal swamps or marshes (Brunswick*,
New Hanover)
Ptilimnium nodosum [incl. P. fluviatile] Harperella E LE S1 G2
P: rocky riverbeds (Chatham, Granville,
Lee*)
Ptilimnium sp 1 [not in RAB] Carolina Bishopweed SR-L - S1 G1
C: tidal freshwater marshes (Brunswick,
New Hanover*)
Pycnanthemum torrei Torrey' s Mountain-mint SR-T - SH G2
PM: dry upland forests and woodlands,
over mafic rocks (Alexander*, Ashe*,
Cleveland*, Granville*, Haywood*,
Jackson*, Macon*, Orange, Wilkes*)
Pyrola elliptica [not in RAB] Elliptic Shinleaf SR-P - S1 G5
M: moist forests (Ashe)
Pyxidanthera barbulata var brevifolia Sandhills Pyxie-moss E FSC S2 G2Q
S: sandhills (Cumberland, Harnett, Hoke,
Moore)
Quercus austrina Bluff Oak SR-P - S1 G5
CP: bluff and bottomland forests (Anson,
Craven*, Johnston*, Jones*, Montgomery,
Sampson*)
Quercus ilicifolia Bear Oak SR-P - S1 G5
P: dry summits and rocky woods on
Piedmont monadnocks (Burke, Gaston,
Stokes, Surry)
Quercus prinoides Dwarf Chinquapin Oak SR-P - SH G5
PM: dry, rocky slopes (Caldwell*,
Cleveland*, Gaston*, Guilford*, Iredell*,
Jackson*, Polk*, Rutherford*, Stanly*)
Ranunculus ambigens Water-plantain Spearwort SR-P - SH G4
CP: open wet areas (Bertie*, Orange*,
Perquimans*)
Ranunculus fascicularis [not in RAB] Thick-root Buttercup SR-P - S1 G5
MP: serpentine and diabase barrens (Clay,
Durham?)
Ranunculus flabellaris Yellow Water-crowfoot SR-P - S1 G5
C: pools in blackwater swamps
(Edgecombe*, Gates*)
Ranunculus hederaceus Ivy Buttercup SR-D - SH G5
C: marshes (Currituck*)
Ranunculus micranthus Rock Buttercup SR-P - SH G5
P: rich woods (Durham*, Forsyth*)
Rhexia aristosa Awned Meadow-beauty T FSC S3 G3
C: clay-based Carolina bays and limesink
ponds (Bladen, Brunswick*, Cumberland*,
Hoke, Marlboro, SC, Onslow, Robeson,
Scotland)
Rhexia cubensis West Indies Meadow-beauty SR-P - S1 G4G5
C: limesink ponds (Brunswick, Carteret,
Columbus, New Hanover, Onslow, Pender,
Sampson)
NATURAL HERITAGE PROGRAM LIST OF THE RARE PLANTS OF NORTH CAROLINA
Scientific Name Common Name Status Rank
Province: Habitat (Counties of occurrence) N.C. U.S. N.C. Global
35
Rhododendron cumberlandense [not in RAB] Cumberland Azalea SR-P - S1 G4?
M: grassy or shrub balds (Graham*,
Macon, Swain, Transylvania*)
Rhododendron prinophyllum [= R. roseum] Election Pink SR-P - S1 G5
M: high elevation forests (Ashe)
Rhododendron vaseyi Pink-shell Azalea SR-L - S3 G3
M: wet swampy places, high elevation
rocky areas, openings, or forests (Avery,
Buncombe, Caldwell, Haywood, Jackson,
Macon, McDowell, Mitchell+,
Transylvania, Watauga, Yancey)
Rhus michauxii Michaux' s Sumac E-SC LE S2 G2
SCP: sandhills, sandy forests, woodland,
woodland edges (Cumberland, Davie,
Durham*, Franklin, Hoke, Johnston*,
Lincoln*, Mecklenburg*, Moore, Orange*,
Richmond, Robeson, Scotland, Wake,
Wilson*)
Rhynchospora alba Northern White Beaksedge SR-P - S2 G5
MCS: fens, bogs, pocosin openings,
limesink ponds (Alleghany, Ashe, Bladen,
Brunswick, Craven*, Cumberland*, Dare,
Mitchell, Pender*, Rutherford, Tyrrell*,
Watauga)
Rhynchospora breviseta Short-bristled Beaksedge SR-P - S2 G3G4
S: savannas (Brunswick, Carteret,
Columbus, Craven*, Onslow, Pender)
Rhynchospora crinipes [not in RAB] Alabama Beaksedge E FSC S1 G1
S: seepy banks of blackwater rivers (Hoke,
Moore)
Rhynchospora decurrens Swamp Forest Beaksedge SR-P FSC S1 G3G4
C: swamp forests (Brunswick, Columbus,
Onslow)
Rhynchospora divergens [not in NC in RAB] White-seeded Beaksedge SR-P - S1 G4
C: wet savannas (Brunswick, Columbus,
Onslow, Pender)
Rhynchospora globularis var pinetorum Small' s Beaksedge SR-T - S1 G5?T3?
C: wet savannas (Brunswick, Carteret,
Columbus, Onslow, Pender)
Rhynchospora harperi [not in RAB] Harper' s Beaksedge SR-P - S1 G4?
C: limesink ponds and cypress savannas
(Brunswick, Carteret, Onslow)
Rhynchospora macra [not in RAB] Southern White Beaksedge E - S1 G3
S: seepage bogs (Carteret, Cumberland,
Harnett, Hoke, Moore, Richmond,
Scotland)
Rhynchospora odorata Fragrant Beaksedge SR-P - S1 G4
T: maritime wet grasslands (Brunswick*,
Carteret, Hyde, Pender*)
Rhynchospora oligantha Feather-bristle Beaksedge SR-P - S2S3 G4
CSP: savannas, seepage bogs (Brunswick,
Carteret, Columbus, Craven, Cumberland,
Harnett, Hoke, Moore, Onslow, Pender,
Richmond)
NATURAL HERITAGE PROGRAM LIST OF THE RARE PLANTS OF NORTH CAROLINA
Scientific Name Common Name Status Rank
Province: Habitat (Counties of occurrence) N.C. U.S. N.C. Global
36
Rhynchospora pleiantha Coastal Beaksedge SR-T - S1 G2
C: limesink ponds (Brunswick, Carteret,
New Hanover, Onslow)
Rhynchospora scirpoides [= Psilocary scirpoides] Long-beak Baldsedge SR-O - S2 G4
C: beaver ponds, limesink ponds, wet
savannas (Brunswick, Carteret, Columbus*,
Craven, Cumberland, Harnett, Hoke,
Moore, New Hanover, Onslow, Richmond,
Tyrrell*)
Rhynchospora thornei [not in RAB] Thorne' s Beaksedge E FSC S1 G1G2
C: wet savannas (Brunswick, Onslow,
Pender)
Rhynchospora tracyi Tracy' s Beaksedge SR-P - S2 G4
C: clay-based Carolina bays, limesink
ponds (Brunswick, New Hanover, Onslow,
Scotland)
Robinia hartwegii Hartwig' s Locust SR-L - S1 G3T1
M: high elevation granitic domes (Jackson,
Macon, Mitchell*)
Robinia hispida var fertilis [not in RAB] Fruitful Locust SR-O - S1 G4T1Q
M: acidic cove forests, northern hardwoods
forests, high elevation granitic domes
(Alleghany*, Avery, Burke*, Graham*,
Jackson*, McDowell*)
Robinia hispida var kelseyi [= R. kelseyi] Kelsey' s Locust SR-O - S1 G4T1
M: high elevation red oak forests, dry rocky
woods (Buncombe*, Burke*, Haywood*,
Henderson*, Madison*, Transylvania*)
Rubus idaeus ssp strigosus [= R. i. var canadensis] Red Raspberry SR-P - S2? G5T5
M: high elevation spruce-fir forests and
openings (Buncombe, Haywood, Jackson,
Swain*, Yancey)
Rudbeckia heliopsidis Sun-facing Coneflower E FSC SH G2
C: moist pine flatwoods and woodland
borders (Harnett*, Moore*)
Rudbeckia triloba var pinnatiloba [not in RAB] Pinnate-lobed Black-eyed Susan SR-T FSC S1 G4G5T2?
M: mafic cliffs (Buncombe)
Ruellia ciliosa [not in NC in RAB] Sandhills Wild-petunia SR-P - S1 G3G4Q
S: sandhills, especially in loamy, submesic
swales (Cumberland, Hoke, Richmond,
Scotland)
Ruellia humilis Low Wild-petunia T - S1 G5
P: diabase glades (Durham, Granville,
Wake)
Ruellia purshiana Pursh' s Wild-petunia SR-O - S2 G3?
PM: glades and woodlands, mostly over
mafic or calcareous rocks (Durham*,
Forsyth*, Granville, Madison,
Montgomery, Orange*, Randolph*,
Rutherford*, Wake)
Ruellia strepens [not in NC in RAB] Limestone Wild-petunia SR-P - S1 G4G5
C: low woods over marl (Pender)
Rugelia nudicaulis Rugel' s Ragwort T FSC S3 G3
[= Cacalia rugelia, Senecio rugelia]
M: spruce-fir forests (Haywood, Sevier,
TN, Swain)
NATURAL HERITAGE PROGRAM LIST OF THE RARE PLANTS OF NORTH CAROLINA
Scientific Name Common Name Status Rank
Province: Habitat (Counties of occurrence) N.C. U.S. N.C. Global
37
Sabal palmetto Cabbage Palm SR-P - S1 G5
TC: maritime forests on the southeastern
coast (Brunswick, Carteret*)
Sabatia kennedyana [= S. dodecandra var k.] Plymouth Gentian T-SC - S1 G3
C: drawdown zones on banks of blackwater
rivers (Brunswick, Columbus)
Sageretia minutiflora [not in NC in RAB] Small-flowered Buckthorn SR-P - S1 G4
C: shell middens (Carteret, Onslow,
Pender)
Sagittaria fasciculata Bunched Arrowhead E LE S1 G1
M: bogs and mountain swamp forests
(Buncombe*, Henderson)
Sagittaria graminea var chapmanii [not in RAB] Chapman' s Arrowhead SR-P - S1 G5T3?
C: limesink ponds (Bladen, Carteret,
Onslow)
Sagittaria graminea var weatherbiana Grassleaf Arrowhead SR-T - S2 G5T2
C: fresh to slightly brackish marshes,
streams, swamps, and pond margins
(Pender)
Sagittaria isoetiformis [= S. teres in RAB] Quillwort Arrowhead SR-P - S1 G4?
CS: limesink ponds, clay-based Carolina
bays, beaver ponds, natural lakes
(Brunswick*, Cumberland, Moore,
Sampson, Scotland)
Sagittaria stagnorum Water Arrowhead SR-P - S1 G4G5
[= S. subulata var gracillima]
C: blackwater streams, rivers, and lakes
(Columbus*, Craven*, Pender*, Wilson*)
Salvia azurea Azure Sage SR-P - S1 G4G5
SC: sandhills (Hoke*, New Hanover*,
Richmond, Scotland*)
Sanguisorba canadensis Canada Burnet SR-P - S3 G5
M: bogs, seeps, rarely seepy exposed cliffs
at high elevations (Alleghany, Ashe,
Buncombe, Clay, Haywood, Henderson,
Jackson, Macon*, Transylvania, Watauga,
Yancey)
Sarracenia jonesii Mountain Sweet Pitcher Plant E-SC LE S1 G3T1
M: bogs (Buncombe*, Henderson,
Transylvania)
Sarracenia minor Hooded Pitcher Plant SR-P - S1 G4
C: savannas (Brunswick, Columbus)
Sarracenia oreophila [not in RAB] Green Pitcher Plant E-SC LE S1 G2
M: seepage bogs (Clay)
Satureja (see Calamintha)
Saxifraga caroliniana Carolina Saxifrage SR-T FSC S2 G2
M: high to middle elevation moist cliffs
and rock outcrops (Alleghany*, Ashe,
Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Cleveland,
Graham, Haywood, Jackson*, Macon,
Madison, Mitchell, Rutherford, Watauga,
Yancey*)
Saxifraga pensylvanica Swamp Saxifrage SR-P - S1 G5
MP: bogs, seeps (Wake, Watauga)
NATURAL HERITAGE PROGRAM LIST OF THE RARE PLANTS OF NORTH CAROLINA
Scientific Name Common Name Status Rank
Province: Habitat (Counties of occurrence) N.C. U.S. N.C. Global
38
Schisandra glabra Magnolia Vine T-SC - S1 G3
C: rich slopes and floodplain islands
(Gaston, Martin)
Schoenoplectus acutus Hardstem Bulrush SR-P - SH G5
C: natural lakes (Carteret+, Craven*,
Dare*, Hyde*)
Schoenoplectus etuberculatus Canby' s Bulrush SR-P - S3 G3G4
CS: blackwater creeks (Bladen, Brunswick,
Columbus, Craven*, Cumberland,
Harnett*, Hoke, Hyde*, Johnston*, Moore,
Onslow, Pender*, Randolph*, Richmond,
Scotland, Wayne*)
Schoenoplectus subterminalis Swaying Bulrush SR-P - S3 G4G5
S: blackwater creeks (Cumberland, Harnett,
Hoke, Moore+, Richmond, Scotland)
Schwalbea americana Chaffseed E LE S1 G2
SC: savannas and moist to dryish pinelands
with frequent fire (Bladen*, Cumberland,
Hoke, Moore, Pender*, Scotland)
Scirpus flaccidifolius [not in RAB] Reclining Bulrush SR-L FSC S1 G2
C: swamp forests (Northampton)
Scirpus lineatus [= S. fontinalis in RAB] Drooping Bulrush SR-P - S2 G4
C: low rich woods over marl (Brunswick,
Craven, Jones, Onslow, Pender)
Scirpus pendulus [= S. lineatus in RAB] Rufous Bulrush SR-O - S1 G5
P: wet places over mafic rocks (Durham*,
Granville, Onslow)
Scleria baldwinii Baldwin' s Nutrush SR-P - S1 G4
C: wet savannas (Brunswick, Carteret,
Columbus, Pender)
Scleria georgiana Georgia Nutrush SR-P - S2 G4
CS: savannas (Brunswick, Carteret,
Columbus, Craven, Hoke, Marlboro, SC,
New Hanover, Onslow, Pender, Robeson,
Scotland)
Scleria reticularis [sensu stricto] Netted Nutrush SR-O - S2 G4
CS: clay-based Carolina bays, limesink
ponds (Brunswick, Cumberland, Hoke,
Marlboro, SC, New Hanover, Onslow,
Sampson, Scotland)
Scleria verticillata Savanna Nutrush SR-P - S1 G5
TC: savannas over coquina limestone ,
intermediate swales (Brunswick*, Carteret,
Columbus, Dare*, Onslow, Pender)
Scutellaria arguta Appalachian Skullcap SR-T - SH G2?Q
M: rocky forests, boulderfields
Scutellaria australis [not in RAB] Southern Skullcap SR-P - S1 G?Q
PS: alluvial forests (Granville, Johnston*,
Lee*, Orange*, Richmond*)
Scutellaria galericulata Hooded Skullcap SR-P - SH G5
M: habitat not known
Scutellaria leonardii Shale-barren Skullcap SR-P - S1 G4Q
P: diabase glades (Durham, Granville,
Moore, Orange)
NATURAL HERITAGE PROGRAM LIST OF THE RARE PLANTS OF NORTH CAROLINA
Scientific Name Common Name Status Rank
Province: Habitat (Counties of occurrence) N.C. U.S. N.C. Global
39
Scutellaria nervosa Veined Skullcap SR-P - S1 G5
P: alluvial forests (Chatham*, Durham*,
Granville, Jackson*, Northampton, Wake*,
Warren*)
Scutellaria saxatilis Rock Skullcap SR-T - S1 G3
MP: northern hardwoods forests, rocky
woodlands (Ashe, Graham, Mitchell,
Watauga*)
Sedum glaucophyllum [= S. nevii] Cliff Stonecrop SR-P - S2 G4
PM: rock outcrops, mainly calcareous or
mafic (Jackson, Macon, Rockingham,
Stokes)
Sedum pusillum Puck' s Orpine E - S1 G3
P: granite flatrocks (Anson)
Sedum rosea [var roanensis] Roseroot E - S1 G5
M: high elevation rocky summits (Ashe*,
Avery*, Mitchell)
Senecio (see also Cacalia, Packera)
Seymeria pectinata Sticky Afzelia SR-P - SH G4G5
C: disturbed habitats (Brunswick*)
Shortia galacifolia var brevistyla Northern Oconee Bells E-SC FSC S1 G2T1Q
M: streambanks, slopes, and outcrops in
humid gorges (McDowell)
Shortia galacifolia var galacifolia Southern Oconee Bells E-SC FSC S2 G2T2
M: streambanks, slopes, and outcrops in
humid gorges (Jackson*, Swain*,
Transylvania)
Sida elliottii Elliott' s Fan-petal SR-P - S1 G4G5
C: stream banks, sandy woodlands (Iredell)
Sideroxylon tenax Tough Bumelia SR-P - S1 G3?
[= Bumelia tenax; not in NC in RAB]
T: maritime forests and scrub (Brunswick,
New Hanover*)
Silene ovata Mountain Catchfly SR-T FSC S2 G2G3
M: rich slopes, cove forests, montane
oak-hickory forests (Buncombe, Cherokee,
Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson,
Macon, Madison, Rutherford*, Swain*,
Yancey)
Silphium connatum [not in RAB] Virginia Cup-plant SR-T - S1 G3?Q
P: floodplains, rich alluvial woods
(Alleghany*, Iredell, Rockingham, Stokes)
Silphium perfoliatum Northern Cup-plant SR-P - S1 G5
PM: floodplains (Alleghany*, Ashe,
Cabarrus, Forsyth, Iredell*, Mecklenburg,
Stokes*, Surry)
Silphium terebinthinaceum Prairie Dock SR-P - S2 G4G5
P: diabase glades, other open or semi-open
sites over mafic rock (Cabarrus, Davie,
Durham, Granville, Mecklenburg, Wake*)
Sisyrinchium dichotomum [not in RAB] White Irisette E LE S2 G2
M: thin woods, especially over
amphibolite, in the escarpment region
(Greenville, SC, Henderson, Polk,
Rutherford)
Solidago gracillima (see watch list category 1)
NATURAL HERITAGE PROGRAM LIST OF THE RARE PLANTS OF NORTH CAROLINA
Scientific Name Common Name Status Rank
Province: Habitat (Counties of occurrence) N.C. U.S. N.C. Global
40
Smilax hugeri Huger' s Carrion-flower SR-P - S2 G4
MP: deciduous forests (Anson*, Clay,
Graham, Macon, Richmond, Swain)
Smilax lasioneura [not in RAB] a carrion-flower SR-P - SH G5
M: oak-hickory forests over mafic rocks
(Guilford*, Polk*)
Solidago leavenworthii Leavenworth' s Goldenrod SR-P - S1 G3G4
C: savannas, pocosin borders, clay-based
Carolina bays, peaty seeps (Carteret*,
Columbus, Robeson)
Solidago plumosa [not in RAB] Yadkin River Goldenrod E FSC S1 G1
P: riverside rocks (Montgomery, Stanly)
Solidago ptarmicoides [not in RAB] Prairie Goldenrod E - S1 G5
P: diabase glades (Granville, Rowan*)
Solidago pulchra [not in RAB] Carolina Goldenrod E FSC S3 G3
C: savannas (Brunswick, Carteret, Craven,
Cumberland, Jones, Onslow, Pender)
Solidago radula Western Rough Goldenrod SR-P - S1 G5?
P: dry woodlands over mafic rocks (Stanly,
Wake*)
Solidago rigida ssp glabrata [not in RAB] Southeastern Bold Goldenrod SR-P - S2 G5T4
P: diabase glades, other open sites over
mafic rock (Cabarrus, Durham, Granville,
Mecklenburg*, Person*, Rockingham)
Solidago rigida ssp rigida Prairie Bold Goldenrod SR-P - S1 G5T5
M: forest openings, presumably on mafic or
calcareous rocks (Haywood*, Madison*)
Solidago simulans [not in RAB] Granite Dome Goldenrod SR-L - S1 G1
M: High and low elevation granitic domes
south of the Asheville Basin (Jackson,
Macon, Rutherford)
Solidago spithamaea Blue Ridge Goldenrod SR-P LT S1 G1
M: high elevation rocky summits (Avery,
Mitchell)
Solidago squarrosa Squarrose Goldenrod SR-P - S1 G4?
M: moist forests at high elevations
(Buncombel*, Caldwell*, Mitchell*,
Yancey*)
Solidago tortifolia Twisted-leaf Goldenrod SR-P - SH G4G5
CS: dry savannas and sandhills (Bladen*,
Brunswick*, Jones*, New Hanover*,
Robeson*, Scotland*)
Solidago uliginosa Bog Goldenrod SR - S1S2 G4G5
MSP: bogs, seeps (Ashe, Clay*, Haywood,
Macon, Madison*, Moore*, Transylvania*,
Watauga, Yancey*)
Solidago verna Spring-flowering Goldenrod SR-L FSC S3 G3
CS: mesic to moist pinelands, pocosin
ecotones (Bladen, Brunswick, Carteret,
Columbus, Craven, Cumberland, Harnett,
Hoke, Johnston, Jones, Moore, New
Hanover*, Onslow, Pamlico, Pender,
Sampson, Scotland)
NATURAL HERITAGE PROGRAM LIST OF THE RARE PLANTS OF NORTH CAROLINA
Scientific Name Common Name Status Rank
Province: Habitat (Counties of occurrence) N.C. U.S. N.C. Global
41
Solidago villosicarpa [not in RAB] Coastal Goldenrod SR-L - S1 G1
C: edge of coastal fringe evergreen forest
(Brunswick*, New Hanover*, Onslow,
Pender)
Solidago (see also Chrysoma)
Sparganium chlorocarpum Greenfruit Bur-reed SR-P - S1 G5
M: pondshores (Avery*, Watauga)
Spartina pectinata Freshwater Cordgrass SR-P - S1 G5
MCS: freshwater marshes, spray zones of
waterfalls, other moist sites (Alleghany,
Ashe*, Chowan+, Mitchell+,
Montgomery*, Transylvania)
Spigelia marilandica Pink Root SR-P - S1 G4
M: open woods (Cherokee)
Spiraea betulifolia ssp corymbosa [= S. betulifolia] Shinyleaf Meadowsweet SR-O - S1 G4G5T4?
P: open woods, thin soil over rock
(Alexander, Catawba, Stokes)
Spiraea virginiana Virginia Spiraea E LT S1 G2
M: riverbanks (Ashe, Buncombe*, Graham,
Macon, Mitchell, Swain, Unicoi, TN,
Yancey)
Spiranthes brevilabris var floridana Florida Ladies' -tresses SR-P - SX G3G4T?
[= S. grac. var f.]
C: moist sites (Pender*)
Spiranthes lacera var lacera [not in RAB] Northern Slender Ladies' -tressesSR-D - SH G5T5
M: mountain balds (Clay*)
Spiranthes laciniata Lace-lip Ladies' -tresses SR-P - S1 G4G5
C: moist wet habitats (Beaufort*, Bladen,
Brunswick, Carteret, Columbus, Onslow)
Spiranthes longilabris Giant Spiral Orchid SR-T - S1 G3
C: savannas (Bladen*, Brunswick, Carteret,
Onslow, Pender)
Spiranthes lucida [not in RAB] Shining Ladies-tresses SR-O - S1 G5
M: seepage over amphibolite (Alleghany)
Spiranthes ochroleuca [not in RAB] Yellow Ladies' -tresses SR-P - SH G4
M: grassy balds, meadows, wooded slopes
(Ashe*, Avery*, Buncombe*, Haywood*,
Watauga*, Yancey*)
Sporobolus heterolepis Prairie Dropseed E - S1 G5
M: olivine barrens (Clay, Jackson)
Sporobolus teretifolius sensu stricto Wireleaf Dropseed T FSC S1 G2?
C: wet savannas (Brunswick, Columbus)
Sporobolus virginicus Saltmarsh Dropseed SR-P - SH G5
T: brackish marshes (Brunswick)
Stachys clingmanii Clingman' s Hedge-nettle SR-T - SH G2Q
M: spruce-fir forests, northern hardwoods
forests (Haywood*, Jackson*, Swain*,
Transylvania*)
Stachys eplingii [=S. nuttallii in RAB] Epling' s Hedge-nettle SR-T - SH G5
M: bogs (Burke+, Henderson*, Jackson*)
Stachys nuttallii [not S. nuttallii in RAB] Heartleaf Hedge-nettle SR-P - S1 G5?
MS: bogs (Madison)
Stachys sp 1 [not in RAB] - SR-T - S1 G?
P: sandy edges of forested floodplains
(Montgomery)
NATURAL HERITAGE PROGRAM LIST OF THE RARE PLANTS OF NORTH CAROLINA
Scientific Name Common Name Status Rank
Province: Habitat (Counties of occurrence) N.C. U.S. N.C. Global
42
Stellaria alsine Longstalk Starwort SR-P - SH G5
M: seeps (Madison*, Polk*)
Stenanthium robustum [not in RAB] Bog Featherbells SR-P - S1 G?Q
M: bogs and wet meadows (Alleghany,
Ashe)
Streptopus amplexifolius White Mandarin SR-P - S1 G5
M: spruce-fir forests, northern hardwoods
forests (Buncombe, Haywood, Jackson,
Macon*, Mitchell*, Swain*, Yancey)
Stylisma aquatica [= Bonamia a.] Water Dawnflower SR-P - S1 G4
C: clay-based Carolina bays, moist sandy
pinelands (Brunswick, Marlboro, SC,
Moore, Robeson, Scotland)
Stylisma pickeringii var pickeringii [= Bonamia p.] Pickering' s Dawnflower E FSC S2 G4T2T3
SC: sandhills (Bladen, Cumberland,
Harnett, Hoke, Moore, New Hanover,
Richmond, Scotland)
Synandra hispidula Synandra SR-T - SH G4
M: rich cove forests (Swain*)
Synosma (see Hasteola)
Talinum mengesii Large-flowered Fameflower PE - S1 G3
P: shallow soil over felsic rock, where
periodically wet by seepage (Granville)
Taxus canadensis [not in RAB] Canada Yew SR-P - S1 G5
M: bogs, swamp forests under spruce
(Ashe*, Watauga)
Thalictrum cooleyi Cooley' s Meadowrue E LE S1 G1
C: wet savannas (Brunswick, Columbus,
New Hanover+, Onslow, Pender)
Thaspium pinnatifidum Mountain Thaspium SR-T - S1 G2G3
M: calcareous slopes (Jackson*, Madison,
Swain*)
Thelypteris simulata [not in RAB] Bog Fern T - S1 G4G5
M: bogs (Alleghany, Avery)
Thelypteris (see also Phegopteris)
Thermopsis fraxinifolia Ash-leaved Golden-banner SR-T - S2? G4?T3?
MP: dry ridges (Buncombe, Burke,
Henderson, Jackson*, Macon, McDowell*,
Polk, Stokes*, Surry*, Transylvania,
Yancey*)
Thermopsis mollis sensu stricto Appalachian Golden-banner SR-P - S2 G3G4Q
PM: dry ridges and open woodlands
(Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba,
Chatham*, Columbus*, Durham*,
Forsyth*, Franklin*, Gaston, Granville,
Guilford*, Henderson*, Iredell*, Lincoln*,
McDowell, Mecklenburg*, Orange*, Polk,
Rutherford, Stokes*, Surry, Transylvania*,
Vance*, Wake*, Warren)
Tofieldia glabra (see watch list category 1)
Tofieldia glutinosa [= T. racemosa var g.] Sticky Bog Asphodel SR-P - S1 G5
MP: bogs, seepages (Ashe, Caldwell*,
Haywood, Henderson+, Jackson,
Transylvania)
NATURAL HERITAGE PROGRAM LIST OF THE RARE PLANTS OF NORTH CAROLINA
Scientific Name Common Name Status Rank
Province: Habitat (Counties of occurrence) N.C. U.S. N.C. Global
43
Torreyochloa pallida [= Glyceria p] Pale Mannagrass SR-P - S1 G5?
CM: blackwater pools, old millponds, and
small stream swamps (Avery+, Columbus*,
Currituck, Duplin*, Gates*)
Tradescantia virginiana Virginia Spiderwort SR-P - S1 G5
P: rich woods on circumneutral soils
(Harnett, Montgomery, Moore,
Rockingham, Surry)
Trichomanes boschianum Appalachian Filmy-fern T - S1 G4
M: spray zone of waterfalls, seeps over
rock (Jackson, Macon, Polk*)
Trichomanes petersii Dwarf Filmy-fern T - S1 G4G5
M: moist rocks in humid gorges (Graham*,
Jackson, Macon, Transylvania)
Trichophorum cespitosum [= Scirpus c. in RAB] Deerhair Bulrush SR-D - S2S3 G5
M: high elevation rocky summits, moist
cliffs (Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke,
Caldwell+, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson,
Mitchell, Rutherford, Transylvania,
Yancey+)
Trichostema brachiatum Glade Bluecurls SR-P - S1 G4G5
[ = Isanthus brachiatus; not in RAB]
PM: diabase glades, other dry calcareous or
mafic outcrops (Granville, Madison,
Orange*, Rockingham, Yancey*)
Trichostema sp 1 [not in RAB] Dune Bluecurls SR-L FSC S2 G2
T: dunes, openings in maritime forest and
scrub (Brunswick, Carteret, Dare, Hyde,
New Hanover)
Tridens ambiguus [not in NC in RAB] Pineland Triodia SR-P - S1 G4
C: clay-based Carolina bays (Marlboro, SC,
Scotland)
Tridens carolinianus Carolina Triodia SR-T - S3 G3
S: sandhills and pine flatwoods
(Brunswick*, Cumberland, Harnett, Hoke,
Moore, Richmond, Scotland)
Tridens strictus Spike Triodia SR-P - SH G5
C: pine flatwoods (Duplin*, Hoke+,
Pender*, Robeson*)
Trientalis borealis [not in RAB] Starflower SR-P - S1 G5
M: coves, northern hardwood forest
(Cherokee, Graham, Haywood)
Trifolium carolinianum Carolina Clover SR-O - SH G5
C: savannas, sandy open areas (Duplin*,
New Hanover*, Onslow*)
Trillium discolor Mottled Trillium T - S1 G3
M: rich coves in the Savannah River
drainage (Jackson, Transylvania)
Trillium flexipes [not in RAB] Bent White Trillium SR-P - SH G5
M: rich coves (Henderson*, Swain*)
Trillium pusillum var 1 Alabama Least Trillium E FSC S1 G3T2Q
M: rich cove forests (Clay, Haywood*)
NATURAL HERITAGE PROGRAM LIST OF THE RARE PLANTS OF NORTH CAROLINA
Scientific Name Common Name Status Rank
Province: Habitat (Counties of occurrence) N.C. U.S. N.C. Global
44
Trillium pusillum var pusillum Carolina Least Trillium E FSC S1 G3T2
CP: ecotones between savannas and
nonriverine wet hardwood forests, over
marl (Halifax, Johnston, Nash, Pender,
Wake*)
Trillium pusillum var virginianum [not in RAB] Virginia Least Trillium E FSC S1 G3T2
C: mesic to swampy hardwood forests
(Camden, Currituck, Gates)
Trillium recurvatum [not in RAB] Prairie Trillium SR-P - S1 G5
M: rich coves (Madison*)
Trillium sessile [not in RAB] Sessile-flowered Trillium SR-P - S1 G4G5
C: rich alluvial levees and slopes (Halifax*,
Northampton*)
Trillium simile [not in RAB] Sweet White Trillium SR-L - S1 G3
MP: rich coves (Burke, Cherokee,
Haywood*, Henderson, Macon, Madison,
McDowell, Polk, Rutherford, Swain*)
Trisetum spicatum Soft Trisetum E - SX G5
M: grassy balds and/or high elevation
rocky summits (Mitchell*)
Uniola (see Chasmanthium)
Urtica chamaedryoides Dwarf Stinging Nettle SR-P - S1 G4G5
C: rich alluvial levees (Bertie, Halifax)
Utricularia floridana Florida Bladderwort SR-T - SH G3G5
C: natural lakes (Wayne*)
Utricularia geminiscapa [not in RAB] Two-flowered Bladderwort SR-P - S1 G4G5
SC: seepage areas on Suffolk Scarp, beaver
ponds (Beaufort*, Moore, Pender)
Utricularia macrorhiza [in RAB = U. vulgaris] Greater Bladderwort SR-O - S1 G5
C: pools and ponds (Chowan*, Currituck*,
Hyde*, Perquimans*)
Utricularia minor [not in RAB] Small Bladderwort SR-D - SH G5
M: bogs (Watauga*)
Utricularia olivacea Dwarf Bladderwort T - S2 G4
C: limesink ponds, beaver ponds
(Brunswick*, Carteret, Craven*,
Cumberland, Hoke, New Hanover, Onslow,
Pender)
Utricularia resupinata [not in RAB] Northeastern Bladderwort SR-O - S1 G4
C: natural lakes (Columbus, Washington*)
Vaccinium hirsutum (see watch list category 1)
Vaccinium macrocarpon Cranberry SR-P - S2 G4
MC: bogs, seeps, pocosins (Alleghany,
Ashe, Avery, Bladen+, Brunswick, Burke,
Cumberland, Currituck*, Dare, Haywood,
Hyde, Tyrrell, Watauga)
Veratrum (see Melanthium)
Verbena riparia Riverbank Vervain SR-T FSC SU GUGHQ
P: habitat not known (Caldwell*, Stanly+)
Verbesina walteri [not in RAB] Walter' s Crownbeard SR-T - SH G3?
M: rich cove forests (Polk*)
Veronica americana American Speedwell SR-P - S2 G5
MC: seeps, bogs (Alleghany, Ashe*, Avery,
Craven*, Madison, Mitchell*, Watauga,
Yancey*)
NATURAL HERITAGE PROGRAM LIST OF THE RARE PLANTS OF NORTH CAROLINA
Scientific Name Common Name Status Rank
Province: Habitat (Counties of occurrence) N.C. U.S. N.C. Global
45
Viola appalachiensis [not in RAB] Appalachian Violet SR-T - S2 G3
M: olivine barrens and alluvial forests
(Clay, Macon)
Waldsteinia lobata [not in RAB] Lobed Barren-strawberry SR-T - S1 G2
M: streambanks and ravines (Jackson*,
Transylvania)
Warea cuneifolia Carolina Pineland-cress SR-P - S1 G4
S: sandhills (Harnett*, Hoke)
Woodsia appalachiana [= W. scopulina] Appalachian Cliff Fern SR-P - S1 G4
M: cliffs, rock outcrops (Alleghany, Ashe*,
Buncombe*, Burke, McDowell, Polk,
Surry, Wilkes+)
Woodsia ilvensis Rusty Cliff Fern SR-P - S1 G5
M: cliffs, rock outcrops (Alleghany, Ashe,
Surry)
Xyris brevifolia Shortleaf Yellow-eyed-grass SR-P - S2 G4G5
C: savannas, other low wet areas (Bladen,
Brunswick, Carteret, Columbus+, Onslow,
Pender)
Xyris chapmanii [not in RAB] Chapman' s Yellow-eyed-grass SR-T - S2 G3
S: mucky sandhill seeps (Cumberland,
Harnett, Hoke, Moore, Richmond,
Scotland)
Xyris difformis var floridana [not in RAB] Florida Yellow-eyed-grass SR-P - S1 G5T4T5
C: savannas (Onslow, Robeson*)
Xyris flabelliformis (see watch list category 1)
Xyris scabrifolia [not in RAB] Roughleaf Yellow-eyed-grass SR-T - S2 G3
S: sandhill seeps and bogs (Cumberland,
Harnett, Hoke, Moore, Richmond,
Scotland)
Xyris serotina Acid-swamp Yellow-eyed-grass SR-P - S1 G3G4
C: savannas (Pender)
Xyris stricta a yellow-eyed grass SR-P - S1 G3G4
C: savannas (Brunswick, Carteret)
Yucca gloriosa Moundlily Yucca SR-P - S2? G4?
T: dunes (Brunswick, Carteret, Dare, Hyde,
Onslow, Pender)
Zephyranthes sp 1 Carolina Atamasco Lily SR-L FSC S1 G1G2Q
[= Z. simpsoni; misapplied in RAB]
C: roadsides, calcareous coastal fringe
forest (Brunswick)
Zigadenus elegans ssp glaucus [= Z. glaucus] White Camas SR-P - S1 G5T4T5
M: calcareous rock outcrops (Buncombe*,
McDowell, Yancey*)
Zigadenus leimanthoides Pinebarren Death-camus SR-O - S1 G4Q
M: high elevation rocky summits, thin soil
at high elevations (Ashe*, Avery, Burke,
Yancey*)
Mosses
Bartramidula wilsonii Dwarf Apple Moss SR-D - S1 G4?
M: in spray zones of waterfalls, moist rocks
in humid gorges (Jackson, Macon*,
Rutherford*, Transylvania)
NATURAL HERITAGE PROGRAM LIST OF THE RARE PLANTS OF NORTH CAROLINA
Scientific Name Common Name Status Rank
Province: Habitat (Counties of occurrence) N.C. U.S. N.C. Global
46
Brachydontium trichodes Peak Moss SR-D - S1 G2G4
M: on moist rocks in spruce-fir forests
(Mitchell, Swain*)
Brachymenium andersonii Anderson' s Melon-moss SR-L FSC SH GH
M: on humus in acidic cove forests - mixed
hardwood-hemlock (Macon*)
Brachymenium systylium Mexican Melon-moss SR-D - S1 G5
M: on humus in acidic cove forests mixed
hardwood-hemlock (Macon*)
Brachythecium populeum Matted Feather Moss SR-P - SH G5
M: mountain forests (Avery*)
Brachythecium rotaeanum Rota' s Feather Moss SR-D - S1 G3G4
M: on bark or rock in cove forests
(Jackson*, Martin*, McDowell*)
Bryocrumia vivicolor Gorge Moss E FSC SH G1G2
M: rocks and streambanks in humid gorges,
spray zones of waterfalls (Jackson*,
Transylvania*)
Bryoerythrophyllum ferruginascens a moss SR-D - S1 G3G4
M: on moist rocks or soil at high elevations
(Jackson)
Bryoerythrophyllum inaequalifolium a moss SR-D - S1 G4?
M: on thin soil over shale (McDowell*)
Bryoxiphium norvegicum Sword Moss SR-O - S1 G5?
M: rocks in humid gorges, spray zones of
waterfalls (Jackson, Macon, McDowell*)
Bryum riparium Riverside Bryum SR-D - SH G2G4
M: spray zones of waterfalls
(Transylvania*)
Buxbaumia aphylla Bug-on-a-stick SR-O - SH G4G5
M: forests, roadside banks (Haywood*)
Buxbaumia minakatae Hump-backed Elves SR-T - SH G2G3
M: on rotten logs and stumps in mountain
forests
Campylium stellatum Yellow Starry Fen Moss SR-D - S1 G5
M: fens (Ashe)
Campylopus atrovirens var cucullatifolius Cliff Campylopus SR-D - S1 G4?T4
M: cliffs, high elevation rocky summits
(Ashe*, Haywood*, Jackson*, Macon*,
Transylvania*)
Campylopus carolinae Savanna Campylopus SR-T FSC S1 G1G2
C: savannas, sandhills (Brunswick,
Carteret, Scotland)
Campylopus oerstedianus Oersted' s Campylopus SR-D - S1 G1G3
P: granite flatrocks (Wake*)
Campylopus paradoxus Paradoxical Campylopus SR-D - S1 G5
M: high elevation rock outcrops (Avery*)
Cirriphyllum piliferum a moss SR-P - S1 G5
M: moist rocks, wet by seepage or waterfall
spray (Alleghany*, Jackson*, McDowell*,
Swain*, Transylvania)
Coscinodon cribrosus [= Grimmia cribrosa] Copper Grimmia SR-T - S1 G3G4
M: high elevation rocky summits
(Alleghany*)
NATURAL HERITAGE PROGRAM LIST OF THE RARE PLANTS OF NORTH CAROLINA
Scientific Name Common Name Status Rank
Province: Habitat (Counties of occurrence) N.C. U.S. N.C. Global
47
Dichodontium pellucidum a moss SR-P - S2 G4G5
M: seepage or spray zones of waterfalls on
mafic or calcareous rocks (Ashe*,
Buncombe*, Haywood*, Jackson*,
Macon*, McDowell*, Mitchell*, Swain*,
Transylvania*)
Dicranum undulatum Bog Broom-moss SR-D - S1 G5
M: bogs, seeps (Avery*, Buncombe*,
Burke*, Haywood*, Yancey*)
Ditrichum ambiguum Ambiguous Ditrichum SR-P - S1 G4?
M: acidic cove forests (Macon*)
Drepanocladus (see Warnstorfia)
Encalypta procera Extinguisher Moss SR-D - S1 G4G5
M: on moist calcareous rocks (Macon*,
McDowell*)
Entodon compressus Flattened Entodon SR-P - S1 G4
MP: on moist calcareous rocks (Macon*,
McDowell*, Person*, Rockingham*)
Entodon concinnus Lime Entodon SR-P - S1 G4G5
M: on moist calcareous rocks (McDowell*)
Entodon sullivantii Sullivant' s Entodon SR-O - S2 G3G4
M: on rocks or bark in humid gorges and
cove forests (Buncombe+, Caldwell*,
Graham*, Macon*, McDowell*, Polk*,
Transylvania)
Eucladium verticillatum Lime-seep Eucladium SR-O - S1 G4
M: on moist calcareous rocks (McDowell*)
Eurhynchium (see Platyhypnidium)
Fissidens hallii Hall' s Pocket Moss SR-T - S1 G2
C: on bark in cypress-gum swamps
(Jones*)
Grimmia (see Coscinodon)
Homalia trichomanoides Lime Homalia SR-P - S1 G5
M: in spray zones of waterfalls, on rocks in
humid gorges (Avery, Jackson*, Macon*,
McDowell*, Transylvania)
Homaliadelphus sharpii Sharp' s Homaliadelphus SR-P - S1 G3?
M: on dry mafic or calcareous rocks in
gorges (Jackson*)
Hygrohypnum closteri Closter' s Brook-hypnum SR-T - S1 G3
MP: on rocks submersed in streams
(McDowell*, Orange*, Polk*, Swain*)
Leptodontium excelsum Grandfather Mountain Leptodontium SR-L - S1 G2
M: on bark of Fraser Firs and Red Spruces
in spruce-fir forests (Avery*, Haywood*,
Jackson*, Swain*, Transylvania*)
Leptodontium flexifolium Pale-margined Leptodontium SR-D - S1 G5
M: high elevation rocky summits and moist
calcareous rocks (Ashe*, Avery*,
Haywood*, Swain*, Transylvania*,
Yancey*)
Leptohymenium sharpii Mount Leconte Moss SR-L - S1 G1
[= Pterigynandrum sharpii]
M: moist rocks in spruce-fir forests
(Haywood*, Yancey*)
NATURAL HERITAGE PROGRAM LIST OF THE RARE PLANTS OF NORTH CAROLINA
Scientific Name Common Name Status Rank
Province: Habitat (Counties of occurrence) N.C. U.S. N.C. Global
48
Lindbergia brachyptera Lindberg' s Maple-moss SR-P - S1 G5
M: bark of hardwoods (Ashe*, Cherokee*)
Macrocoma sullivantii Sullivant' s Maned-moss SR-D - S2 G3G5
MP: bark of cedar or hardwoods (Clay*,
Jackson, Macon, Swain, Transylvania,
Wilkes*)
Mnium (see Plagiomnium)
Orthodontium pellucens Translucent Orthodontium SR-O - S1 G4
MP: moist felsic or calcareous rocks
(Stokes*, Swain*)
Orthotrichum keeverae Keever' s Bristle-moss E FSC S1 G1
P: on trees around low elevation granitic
domes (Alexander, Alleghany, Wilkes)
Orthotrichum obtusifolium Blunt Bristle-moss SR-P - S1 G5
M: bark of hardwoods (Ashe*)
Palamocladium leskeoides Palamocladium SR-D - S1 G3G5
M: calcareous rocks in humid gorges
(Jackson*)
Plagiomnium carolinianum Carolina Star-moss SR-L - S2 G3
[= Mnium carolinianum]
M: rocks and streambanks in humid gorges
(Jackson*, Macon*, Swain*, Transylvania)
Platydictya confervoides Alga-like Matted-moss SR-P - S1 G4G5
M: calcareous rocks (Madison*,
McDowell*)
Platyhypnidium pringlei [= Eurhynchium pringlei] Pringle' s Eurhynchium SR-D - S1 G2G3
M: rocks and streambanks in humid gorges,
spray zones of waterfalls (Polk*,
Transylvania)
Pterigynandrum (see Leptohymenium)
Rhabdoweisia crenulata Himalayan Ribbed-weissia SR-D - S1 G3G4
M: moist rocks in cove forests in humid
g