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Pachysandra procumbens Michx.
Allegheny-spurge
Federal Protection: No US federal protection
State Protection: Rare
Global Rank: G4G5
State Rank: S1S2
Element Locations Tracked in Biotics: Yes
SWAP 2015 Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN): No
SWAP 2025 Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN): Yes
2025 SGCN Priority Tier: High Conservation Concern
Element Occurrences (EOs) in Georgia: 10
Habitat Summary for element in Georgia: Mesic hardwood forests over basic soils
Perennial herb with fleshy, reddish-green stems up to 8 inches (20 cm) long, usually hidden under leaf litter. The leaves are 1.8 - 3 inches (4.5 - 8 cm) long and 1 - 2.4 inches (3 - 6 cm) wide, oval, thick, coarsely and irregularly toothed, alternate, evergreen, dark green mottled with light green. The flower spike is 1 - 4 inches (3 - 10 cm) long, with an erect, fleshy, reddish stalk that rises from the previous year’s growth; the flower spike is often hidden in leaf litter. Female flowers are small and inconspicuous, held at the base of the spike, and enclosed in 4 reddish bracts; there are no petals or sepals. Male flowers are held at the top of the spike, each with 4 - 7 white, fragrant, showy stamens; 4 reddish bracts at the base of the flower, and no petals or sepals. The fruit is a round capsule, about 0.4 inch (1 cm) long, with 2 - 4 pointed beaks; rarely seen.
Japanese Spurge (Pachysandra terminalis) is an Asian species widely used as a groundcover; it may persist at old home sites or rarely escape into natural areas. It forms dense, leafy mats and has smaller, rarely mottled, and more sharply, regularly toothed leaves, 1 - 2.4 inches (3 - 6 cm) long and 0.5 - 1 inch (1.3 - 2.5 cm) wide.
None in Georgia.
Moist, mature hardwood forests over soils high in calcium.
Allegheny Spurge is a perennial herb. It is monoecious – it has separate female and male flowers occurring on the same plant. There are no published studies of pollination in this species, but Japanese Spurge flowers are visited by bees, and it seems likely that bees, flies, and beetles visit the sweet-smelling flowers of Allegheny Spurge. Fruits are rarely seen and most populations appear to spread vegetatively, by the growth of stolons (horizontal, ground-level stems just under the leaf litter).
Surveys may be conducted year-round since leaves are evergreen; leaves may turn reddish-brown in the winter. Plants flower mid March–early April.
Georgia, Florida, west to Louisiana and north to Pennsylvania and Indiana.
Destruction and conversion of mature hardwood forests by logging, clearing, and commerical and residential development. Site prep for pine plantations. Browsing by deer and rooting by feral hogs. Invasion by exotic pest plants especially Japanese Honeysuckle.
| Threat 1 | Threat 2 | Threat 3 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Threat | Natural system modifications | Biological resource use | Residential & commercial development |
| Specific Threat | None | None | None |
Pachysandra procumbens is ranked S1S2 by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, indicating that it is imperiled in Georgia. Nine populations have been observed in Georgia but none occur on conservation land.
Maintain hardwood canopy cover. Avoid clearcutting and soil disturbance in rich hardwood forests. Reduce the size of Georgia’s deer population. Eradicate feral hogs and exotic pest plant species such as Japanese Honeysuckle.
Chafin, L.G. 2007. Field guide to the rare plants of Georgia. State Botanical Garden of Georgia and University of Georgia Press, Athens.
GADNR. 2020. Element occurrence records for Pachysandra procumbens. Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division, Social Circle, Georgia.
Horn, D., T. Cathcart, T.E. Hemmerly, and D. Duhl. 2005. Wildflowers of Tennessee, the Ohio Valley, and the southern Appalachians. Lone Pine Publishing, Auburn, Washington.
Jiao, Z. and J. Li. 2009. Phylogenetics and biogeography of eastern Asian–North American disjunct genus Pachysandra (Buxaceae) inferred from nucleotide sequences. Journal of Systematics and Evolution 47(3): 183-262. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/toc/17596831/2009/47/3
NatureServe. 2019. Pachysandra procumbens comprehensive report. NatureServe Explorer. Arlington, Virginia. http://explorer.natureserve.org/servlet/NatureServe?searchName=Pachysandra+procumbens
Radford, A.E., H.E. Ahles, and C.R. Bell. 1968. Manual of the vascular flora of the Carolinas. University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill.
Small, J.K. 1933. Manual of the southeastern flora. 1972 Reprint Edition. Hafner Publishing Company, New York.
Weakley, A.S. 2015. Flora of the southern and mid-Atlantic States. University of North Carolina Herbarium, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. http://www.herbarium.unc.edu/flora.htm
Linda G. Chafin
L. Chafin, Jul. 2008: original account
K. Owers, Feb. 2010: added pictures
L. Chafin, Mar. 2020: updated original account
