Toxicodendron radicans (L.) Kuntze ssp. radicans

eastern poison ivy

Talus slopes, bases of cliffs, rich mesic forests, wet forests, swamps, and disturbed ground. It occurs in a variety of habitats but does particularly well in calcareous and rich sites.

Vine

Perennial

Vascular

3

Toxicodendron radicans ssp. radicans is primarily a taxon from the coastal plain or near the coast especially in the north. In New York, it primarily occurs in southeastern New York and up the Hudson River valley and into the Lake Champlain valley. Specimens from outside of this range should be critically examined. A specimen from Oswego County at BH (BH 000 010 888) might represent a hybrid or a different taxon. The New York Flora Association (1990) reports T. radicans ssp. radicans from many western and central New York counties. They also include T. radicans ssp. negundo in their checklist but do not list it for any counties. So, since T. radicans ssp. radicans is not known to occur in western and central New York (based on our herbarium research and Gillis' work [1971]), many of the reports of T. radicans ssp. radicans in the 1990 atlas (New York Flora Association 1990) have been excluded in the current version of the atlas. Some records have been reported to the atlas without distinguishing subspecies. These specimens although currently included here should be critically examined.

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Native FAC (NWPL EMP) FAC (NWPL NCNE) S5 (State Rank)

Gillis 1971