Species at Risk – Plants

Meadowlily Woods is identified by the Ministry of Natural Resources of containing both Provincially Significant Wetlands and Habitant for Endangered Species. Meadowlily Woods has over 350 species of vascular plants that were recorded in 80 families.

Meadowlily Woods is part of the Forks of the Thames watershed and according to the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority is home to 34 Species at Risk. This beautiful area of London is very special because it has everything: mature upland forests, forested ravines that are dissected by intermittent streams, bottomland forests, floodplain forests, shrub thickets, marshes, meadows and provides a natural corridor for wildlife to the river and other sources of food.

Wood-poppy – Stylophorum diphyllum

Wood-poppy is a perennial herb that reaches up to 40 centimetres in height. The long-stalked leaves are mostly found near the base of the plant and are deeply divided into five to seven main lobes, which are themselves irregularly lobed.

The primary threat to Wood-poppy is habitat loss and degradation due to residential development and road-building, agricultural expansion, logging, recreational activities and the impact of invasive species such as Garlic Mustard and Japanese Knotweed. The Wood-poppy was already assessed as endangered when the Endangered Species Act took effect in 2008. In Canada, there are only three known populations of Wood-poppy found in southwestern Ontario, all in the county of Middlesex – Meadowlily Woods being one of them.

Eastern Flowering Dogwood – Cornus florida

Eastern Flowering Dogwood is a small tree that reaches 3-10 metres in height and has oval leaves arranged in pairs along the branch. The bark of larger trees is brownish-grey and separated into scales, giving it the appearance of alligator skin. Tiny yellow flowers grow in clusters at the ends of small branches and are surrounded by four large, showy white leaves that look like petals. 

The Eastern Flowering Dogwood is listed as an endangered species under the ESA which protects both the tree and its habitat. The Act prohibits any damage or destruction of that habitat without authorization. Such authorization would require that conditions established by the Ministry of Natural Resources be met. “Endangered” means the species lives in the wild in Ontario but is facing imminent extinction or extirpation.

Eastern False Rue-anemone – Enemion biternatum

Eastern False Rue-anemone is a member of the buttercup family. It grows to a height of 10 to 40 centimetres. Most leaves are divided into three groups of three leaflets, each leaflet being irregularly two to three lobed. The flowers, which bloom in early spring, occur singly or in groups of two to four.

Status Threatened – Threatened means the species lives in the wild in Ontario, is not endangered, but is likely to become endangered if steps are not taken to address factors threatening it. The main threat to Eastern False Rue-anemone is habitat destruction due to recreational activities such as cycling, ATV-use and hiking, that can result in inadvertent trampling of this plant. Forest clearing, soil erosion, and agricultural run-off are also concerns. Road salt is known to have harmed at least one population in Ontario.

Green Dragon – Arisaema dracontium

The Green Dragon is a perennial wildflower which grows 15 to 90 centimetres tall. There is usually just one long-stalked leaf divided into five to 13, sometimes as many as 21, elliptic to broadly lance-shaped leaflets. A separate stalk holds the plant’s green-yellow blossom. A long narrow leaf-like cup surrounds the flower spike which protrudes beyond it evoking the idea of a dragon’s tongue.

Green Dragon is listed as a species of special concern under the ESA. The main threats to Green Dragon populations in Ontario are habitat loss and degradation. This species is specially adapted to survival in forested floodplain habitat and therefore is susceptible to habitat alterations such as changes to the forest canopy structure or the hydrology of the site. Floodplains are currently protected through zoning, however, development on adjacent upland areas may impact hydrology and introduce other threats (e.g., invasive species, trampling along trails). Hardening of surfaces through paving of roads and building construction results in water level peaks and more severe spring flooding. Due to historical and ongoing development, Green Dragon is confined to increasingly small, isolated habitat fragments in Ontario.

To learn more about species at risk go to: https://www.ontario.ca/page/species-risk