Narthecium montanum (Small) Grey (1938:446)
Appalachian yellow asphodel, Appalachian bog asphodel
Taxonomy & Nomenclature
Synonym/s: Abama montana Small in Torreya 24: 86 (1924)
Conservation Status
Extinct (Knapp et al., 2021; Albani Rocchetti et al., 2022; POWO, 2023; Christenhusz & Govaerts, 2025; NatureServe, 2026)
Last record (disputed): 1919 (Knapp et al., 2021); 1933 (Christenhusz & Govaerts, 2025)
Distribution & Habitat
Henderson County, North Carolina, USA
Biology & Ecology
Hypodigm
Media
References
Original scientific description:
Small, J. K. (1924). A new bog-asphodel from the mountains. Torreya 24: 86-87.
Other references:
Albani Rocchetti, Giulia, Carta, Angelino, Mondoni, Andrea, Godefroid, Sandrine, Davis, Charles C., Caneva, Giulia, Albrecht, Matthew A., Alvarado, Karla, Bijmoer, Roxali, Borosova, Renata, Bräuchler, Christian, Breman, Elinor, Briggs, Marie, Buord, Stephane, Cave, Lynette H., Da Silva, Nílber Gonçalves, Davey, Alexandra H., Davies, Rachael M., Dickie, John B., Fabillo, Melodina, Fleischmann, Andreas, Franks, Andrew, Hall, Geoffrey, Kantvilas, Gintaras, Klak, Cornelia, Liu, Udayangani, Medina, Leopoldo, Reinhammar, Lars Gunnar, Sebola, Ramagwai J., Schönberger, Ines, Sweeney, Patrick, Voglmayr, Hermann, White, Adam, Wieringa, Jan J., Zippel, Elke Zippel and Abeli, Thomas. (2022). Selecting the best candidates for resurrecting extinct-in-the-wild plants from herbaria. Nature Plants 8: 1385-1393. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41477-022-01296-7 [Supplementary Tables S1-S6]
Christenhusz, Maarten J. M. and Govaerts, Rafaël. (2023). Uitgestorven. Op plantenjacht rond de wereld: 1-511. Sterck & De Vreese.
Christenhusz, Maarten J. M. and Govaerts, Rafaël. (2025). Plant extinction in the Anthropocene. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society 207(3): 183-196. https://doi.org/10.1093/botlinnean/boae045 [Appendix S1]
Godfrey, R. K. and Wooten, J. W. (1979). Aquatic and wetland plants of southeastern United States, monocotyledons. University of Georgia Press, Athens, Georgia, USA.
Govaerts, R., Wilkin, P. and Saunders, R. M. K. (2007). World Checklist of Dioscoreales. Yams and their allies: 1-65. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Knapp, Wesley M., Frances, Anne, Noss, Reed, Naczi, Robert F. C., Weakley, Alan, Gann, George D., Baldwin, Bruce G., Miller, James, McIntyre, Patrick, Mishler, Brent D., Moore, Gerry, Olmstead, Richard G., Strong, Anna, Kennedy, Kathryn, Heidel, Bonnie and Gluesenkamp, Daniel. (2021). Vascular plant extinction in the continental United States and Canada. Conservation Biology 35(1): 360-368. https://doi.org/10.1111/cobi.13621 [Supporting Information (Appendix S1)]
NatureServe. (2026). Narthecium montanum: Appalachian Bog Asphodel. NatureServe Network Biodiversity Location Data accessed through NatureServe Explorer [web application]. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia. Available at: https://explorer.natureserve.org/ [Accessed on 26 September 2026]
POWO. (2023). Narthecium montanum (Small) Grey. Plants of the World Online (online resource). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, United Kingdom. Available at: https://powo.science.kew.org/ [Accessed 26 December 2023]
Radford, A. E., Ahles, H. E. and Bell, C. R. (1968). Manual of the vascular flora of the Carolinas. University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill, N.C. 1183 pp.
Schumacher, A. (1947). Die Moorlilien (Narthecium)-Arten Europas. Archiv für Hydrobiologie 41: 112-195.
Small, J. K. (1933). Manual of the southeastern flora, being descriptions of the seed plants growing naturally in Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, eastern Louisiana, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill, N.C.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). (2012). Review of native species that are candidates for listing as endangered or threatened; Annual notice of findings on resubmitted petitions; Annual description of progress on listing actions. Federal Register 77(225): 69994-70060.
Utech, F. H. (2002). Narthecium, pp. 66-67. In: Flora of North America Editorial Committee, eds. 1993+, Flora of North America North of Mexico. 19+ vols. New York and Oxford. Vol. 26.
Weakley, A. S. (2015). Flora of the Southern and Mid-Atlantic States. Working Draft: 21 May 2015. <http://www.herbarium.unc.edu/flora.htm> Accessed March 2010.
Weakley, A. S., and Southeastern Flora Team. (2023). Flora of the southeastern United States. Edition of April 14, 2023. University of North Carolina Herbarium (NCU), North Carolina Botanical Garden, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. 2105 pp.
Weakley, A. S. and SFT (Southeastern Flora Team). (2026). Flora of the southeastern United States Web App. University of North Carolina Herbarium, North Carolina Botanical Garden, Chapel Hill, U.S.A. https://fsus.ncbg.unc.edu/main.php?pg=show-taxon-detail.php&lsid=urn:lsid:ncbg.unc.edu:taxon:{84EE673D-E9F3-4D94-A84E-D4B18CD92B35}&tempaccesskey=822316061. Accessed Aug 21, 2026.
Weakley, A. S. and Sorrie, B. A. (2017). Re-recognition of Narthecium montanum, an (apparently) extinct relict in the North Carolina mountains. In Weakley, A.S., D.B. Poindexter, R.J. LeBlond, B.A. Sorrie, C.H. Karlsson, P.J. Williams, E.L. Bridges, S.L. Orzell, B.R. Keener, A. Weeks, R.D. Noyes, M. Flores-Cruz, J.T. Diggs, G.D. Gann, and A.J. Floden. 2017. New combinations, rank changes, and nomenclatural and taxonomic comments in the vascular flora of the southeastern United States. II. J. Bot. Res. Inst. Texas 11: 291-325.