The plant and fungi Watchlist contains native species of vascular plants, mosses (bryophytes), macroalgae, lichens, and fungi (as determined by experts in the specific taxa groups) that may be in need of greater conservation efforts in Minnesota. Unlike species that have been assigned official legal status (Endangered, Threatened, Special Concern), Watchlist species have no legal status. They have been placed on the Watchlist because there is a need to gather additional data on their distribution and abundance, in many cases to inform future Endangered, Threatened, and Special Concern listing decisions. The current understanding of these species may be based upon both historic and recent collections and/or field experience and observations. However, they all share the need for additional data to properly assess their status in Minnesota.
A species may be included on the Watchlist for one or more of the following reasons:
- Historic – A native species that has not been documented within the state in the past 50 years, and is thought to be extirpated. Historic species are prime candidates for targeted field surveys.
- Newly discovered/re-discovered – A native species that has recently been discovered within the state. This designation is also used for species that have been recently re-discovered in the state after being formerly designated as historic. Species in this category are prime candidates for consideration during the next revision of Minnesota’s List of Endangered, Threatened, and Special Concern Species.
- Recently delisted – A native species that was removed from the state’s List of Endangered, Threatened, and Special Concern Species during a recent list revision process. Species with this designation are still considered uncommon enough to warrant further data collection and status review in the future (Note: This category is not an automatic landing spot for all Recently Delisted species. Those that are considered adequately secure will typically not be moved to this category).
- Insufficient information – A species in this category needs additional data to determine its potential status for state Endangered, Threatened or Special Concern listing. This may be because technical taxa expertise is lacking or additional surveys are needed. Species needing monitoring may also be included in this list, as may taxa that have recently been subjected to taxonomic revision.
- Geographically limited – A native species that is thought to be just “secure enough” as to not warrant a Special Concern status or higher but is of heightened conservation interest because it has a very limited geographic range in the state. Species in this category are generally at a greater risk of being negatively impacted by climate change, invasive species, and other factors.
- Declining – A native species whose range and/or abundance is in significant decline but is not yet quite rare enough to warrant a status of Special Concern or higher. Uncommon species of increasingly threatened habitats may fit in this category.
Collecting and maintaining current data on these species between the statutorily mandated three-year Endangered, Threatened, and Special Concern Species list revision reviews will leave us in a better position to participate in the listing process and related efforts. The Watchlist includes species with conservation S-Ranks (as defined by NatureServe) of 1-Critically Imperiled, 2-Imperiled, 3-Vulnerable, 4-Apparently Secure, H-Historic and NR-Not Ranked. The ranks will potentially change as additional documentation of these species occurs. Even though no official protection is given to Watchlist species, the fact that they are being documented and tracked in the same Natural Heritage Information System database as Endangered, Threatened and Special Concern species does raise awareness of their rarity.
An excel file of the watchlist (updated 01/06/2022) is available for download. This spreadsheet contains the species listed below, the reason they were included on the Watchlist, their current S-Rank, and suspected area(s) of the state where they may be found.
The list is current as of 02/01/2022.
Suggesting an addition to the watchlist
Please complete this online form if you have a suggestion of a native species of vascular plant, moss (bryophyte), macroalgae, lichen, or fungus that you think may warrant inclusion on this list. We ask that you include sufficient detail and rationale with your suggestion. Please note submissions received via this form will be considered, but are not guaranteed to be added to the list.
Reporting watchlist species observations
Watchlist observations should be submitted using the same templates and process used for reporting an endangered, threatened or special concern species (including the collection of voucher specimens for documentation). Learn more by visiting the Natural Heritage Information System -Submitting Data section. You should email your observations to: [email protected]
- Vascular plants
Scientific name Common name Listing Reason Agastache nepetoides Yellow Giant Hyssop Newly Discovered/Re-Discovered Anagallis minima Chaffweed Insufficient Information Anemone multifida Cut-leaved Anemone Insufficient Information Astragalus racemosus Racemose Milk-vetch Historic Astragalus tenellus Loose-flowered Milk-vetch Historic Aureolaria grandiflora var. pulchra Large-flowered False Foxglove Historic Boechera collinsii Collins' Rock-cress Geographically Limited Botrychium crenulatum Dainty Moonwort Newly Discovered/Re-Discovered Botrychium michiganense Michigan Moonwort Insufficient Information Callirhoe triangulata Clustered Poppy-mallow Newly Discovered/Re-Discovered Calopogon oklahomensis Oklahoma Grass Pink Historic Canadanthus modestus Modest Aster Insufficient Information Carex capillaris Hair-like Sedge Insufficient Information Carex crus-corvi Raven Foot Sedge Historic Carex debilis var. rudgei Weak Sedge Insufficient Information Carex katahdinensis Katahdin Sedge Insufficient Information Carex lucorum var. lucorum Blue Ridge Sedge Historic Carex lurida Shallow Sedge Insufficient Information Carex trichocarpa Hairy-fruited Sedge Geographically Limited Ceratophyllum echinatum Spiny Hornwort Insufficient Information Chamaerhodos erecta Nuttall Groundrose Recently Delisted Corispermum villosum Eastern Bugseed Insufficient Information Cornus drummondii Rough-leaved Dogwood Newly Discovered/Re-Discovered Crataegus coccinea var. pringlei Scarlet Hawthorn Historic Crataegus laurentiana Laurentian Hawthorn Insufficient Information Crataegus scabrida Rough Hawthorn Historic Crataegus sheridana Great Plains Hawthorn Insufficient Information Cuscuta megalocarpa Large-fruit Dodder Insufficient Information Cuscuta obtusiflora var. glandulosa Peruvian Dodder Insufficient Information Cuscuta polygonorum Smartweed Dodder Insufficient Information Cyperus houghtonii Houghton Cyperus Declining Cystopteris laurentiana Laurentian Bladder Fern Insufficient Information Cystopteris tennesseensis Tennessee Bladder Fern Insufficient Information Dendrolycopodium obscurum Flat-branched Tree Club-moss Newly Discovered/Re-Discovered Descurainia incana Richardson Tansy Mustard Historic Desmodium illinoense Illinois Tick-trefoil Geographically Limited Didiplis diandra Water Purslane Historic Dodecatheon amethystinum Jeweled Shooting Star Geographically Limited Dryopteris filix-mas Male Fern Newly Discovered/Re-Discovered Eleocharis engelmannii Engelmann Spikerush Insufficient Information Eleocharis mamillata Mamillate Spike-rush Insufficient Information Erigeron pulchellus var. tolsteadii Ribin Plaintain Historic Euphorbia hexagona Six-angle Spurge Historic Eutrochium maculatum var. foliosum Historic Galium circaezans var. hypomalacum Licorice Bedstraw Newly Discovered/Re-Discovered Galium palustre Marsh Bedstraw Newly Discovered/Re-Discovered Gaura biennis Biennial Gaura Insufficient Information Geum laciniatum Rough avens Insufficient Information Gleditsia triacanthos Honeylocust Insufficient Information Hedeoma pulegioides Pennyroyal Historic Hesperostipa curtiseta Small Porcupine Grass Newly Discovered/Re-Discovered Hieracium longipilum Long-bearded Hawkweed Geographically Limited Hypericum kalmianum Kalm St. John-wort Insufficient Information Juncus anthelatus Greater Poverty Rush Insufficient Information Lactuca floridana Florida Lettuce Insufficient Information Lemna obscura Little Duckweed Insufficient Information Lemna perpusilla Minute Duckweed Insufficient Information Leucophysalis grandiflora Dwarf Ground Cherry Insufficient Information Leucospora multifida Narrowleaf Paleseed Insufficient Information Lupinus perennis Wild Lupine Declining Lycopus virginicus Virginia Water Horehound Insufficient Information Lysimachia lanceolata Lance-leaved Loosestrife Newly Discovered/Re-Discovered Monolepis nuttalliana Povertyweed Historic Morus rubra Red Mulberry Newly Discovered/Re-Discovered Muhlenbergia schreberi Drop Seed Insufficient Information Myriophyllum pinnatum Cutleaf Water-milfoil Insufficient Information Oenothera laciniata Slashed Evening Primrose Insufficient Information Ophioglossum pusillum Adder Tongue Insufficient Information Oxypolis rigidior Cowbane Declining Penstemon digitalis Beard-tongue Insufficient Information Penstemon pallidus Pale Beard-tongue Insufficient Information Plantago virginica Hoary Plantain Insufficient Information Poa arida Plains Bluegrass Geographically Limited Poa sylvestris Woodland Bluegrass Insufficient Information Polygonum hydropiperoides Mild Water Pepper Insufficient Information Potamogeton x hagstroemii Hagström Pondweed Insufficient Information Potamogeton x haynesii Haynes' Pondweed Insufficient Information Potentilla hippiana Woolly Cinquefoil Insufficient Information Potentilla lasiodonta Sandhills Cinquefoil Insufficient Information Potentilla paradoxa Nicollet Cinquefoil Insufficient Information Prenanthes crepidinea Nodding Rattlesnake-root Historic Puccinellia nuttalliana Alkali Grass Insufficient Information Quercus muehlenbergii Dwarf Chestnut Oak Historic Rhynchospora capitellata Brownish Beak Sedge Newly Discovered/Re-Discovered Rorippa sinuata Spreading Yellow Cress Insufficient Information Rubus wheeleri Wheeler Blackberry Insufficient Information Rudbeckia subtomentosa Sweet Coneflower Geographically Limited Schoenoplectus purshianus var. purshianus Weak-stalk Bulrush Insufficient Information Scirpus georgianus Georgia Bulrush Insufficient Information Scirpus pendulus Pendulous Bulrush Insufficient Information Sparganium glomeratum Clustered Bur-reed Recently Delisted Symphyotrichum laeve var. geyeri Smooth Aster Historic Symphyotrichum pilosum var. pilosum Awl Aster Insufficient Information Symphyotrichum pilosum var. pringlei Awl Aster Insufficient Information Thalictrum revolutum Waxleaf Meadowrue Insufficient Information Triodanis leptocarpa Venus' Looking-glass Historic Verbena x deamii Historic Verbena x perriana Historic Vernonia baldwinii Insufficient Information Viola palustris Northern Marsh Violet Insufficient Information Viola x primulifolia Primrose Violet Insufficient Information Wolffia brasiliensis Pointed Watermeal Newly Discovered/Re-Discovered Woodsia obtusa ssp. obtusa Bluntlobe Cliff Insufficient Information Zizania aquatica var. aquatica Southern Wild Rice Geographically Limited
- Bryophytes
Scientific name Common name Primary reason for listing Diphyscium foliosum A Species of Moss Insufficient Information Fontinalis welchiana Welch's Fontinalis Moss Newly Discovered/Re-Discovered Philonotis yezoana Philonotis Moss Newly Discovered/Re-Discovered Riccia sorocarpa Common Crystalwort Newly Discovered/Re-Discovered Splachnum ampullaceum A Species of Moss Insufficient Information Tayloria serrata Serrate-leaved Dung Moss Newly Discovered/Re-Discovered Tetraplodon angustatus A Species of Dung Moss Newly Discovered/Re-Discovered Tetraplodon mnioides Slender Cruet-moss Newly Discovered/Re-Discovered Tomentypnum falcifolium Curved-leaved Golden Moss Newly Discovered/Re-Discovered
- Macroalgae
Scientific name Common name Primary reason for listing Lychnothamnus barbatus A Species of Macroalgae Newly Discovered/Re-Discovered
- Lichens
Scientific name Common name Primary reason for listing Bryoria implexa Boreal Horsehair Lichen Bryoria nadvornikiana Spiny Gray Horsehair Lichen Calicium pinastri A species of Lichen Cetraria arenaria A species of Lichen Cetraria ericetorum A species of Lichen Chaenotheca brachypoda A species of Lichen Chaenotheca nitidula A species of Lichen Chaenothecopsis asperopoda A species of Lichen Chaenothecopsis brevipes A species of Lichen Chaenothecopsis exilis A species of Lichen Chaenothecopsis ochroleuca A species of Lichen Chaenothecopsis viridialba A species of Lichen Cyphelium notarisii A species of Lichen Enchylium expansum A species of Lichen Lepraria disjuncta A Species of Dust Lichen Leproloma membranaceum A species of Lichen Lobaria quercizans Smooth Lungwort Microcalicium ahlneri A species of Lichen Microcalicium conversum A species of Lichen Parmotrema hypotropum Parmotrema Lichen Parmotrema perlatum Black Stone Flower Physconia subpallida Pale-bellied Frost Lichen Ramalina farinacea Dotted Ramalina Ramalina obtusata A species of Lichen Rhizocarpon lecanorinum A species of Lichen Rinodina wetmorei A species of Lichen Solorina saccata Chocolate Chip Lichen Sphinctrina leucopoda A species of Lichen Umbilicaria hirsuta Hairy Navel Lichen Usnea angulata Beard Lichen Usnea dasaea A species of Lichen Usnea entoviolata A species of Lichen Usnea perhispidella A species of Lichen
- Fungi
Scientific name Common name Primary reason for listing Ascocoryne turficola A species of Fungi Newly Discovered/Re-Discovered