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Amorpha glabra

Desf. ex Poir.

Smooth Indigobush

G4Apparently Secure Found in 2 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G4Apparently SecureGlobal Rank
UnknownThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.134008
Element CodePDFAB08060
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
Endemicendemic to a single nation
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassDicotyledoneae
OrderFabales
FamilyFabaceae
GenusAmorpha
Other Common Names
Appalachian Indigobush (EN) Mountain Indigo (EN) Mountain Indigobush (EN)
Concept Reference
Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
Conservation Status
Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2
Review Date2024-02-08
Change Date2024-02-08
Edition Date2024-03-18
Edition AuthorsSE Ranking Workshop (2024)
Threat ImpactUnknown
Range Extent20,000-200,000 square km (about 8000-80,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences81 - 300
Rank Reasons
Amorpha glabra is a perennial shrub endemic to ridgetop and slope forests in the southern Appalachian Mountains and adjacent Piedmont in the southeastern United States. With 81 to 300 occurrences anecdotally, abundant habitat, and no obvious intrinsic vulnerabilities, this species is considered secure.
Range Extent Comments
Amorpha glabra occurs in the southern Appalachian Mountains and nearby provinces, including the Piedmont, in northeastern Alabama, northern Georgia, western North Carolina, northwestern South Carolina, and eastern Tennessee in the southeastern United States (Weakley and the Southeastern Flora Team 2023).
Occurrences Comments
By applying a 1 km separation distance to herbarium specimen data and photo-based observation data documented between the years of 1993 and 2023, it is estimated that there are at least 33 occurrences (iNaturalist 2024, SEINet 2024), though most specimens are not georeferenced. However, anecdotal evidence suggests there are likely between 81 and 300 occurrences (Bradley, Crabtree, Estes, Schaner, Tessel, Umstead, Weakley, pers. comm., 2024).
Threat Impact Comments
Amorpha glabra is potentially threatened by development, recreational activities, and rights-of-way maintenance activities, though there is insufficient data, including anecdotal accounts, to understand scope and severity of threats for this species.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Amorpha glabra grows on "dry to dry-mesic ridgetop and slope forests, primarily at low elevations around the higher Blue Ridge" (Weakley and the Southeastern Flora Team 2023).
Terrestrial Habitats
Forest - HardwoodForest EdgeWoodland - Hardwood
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN4
ProvinceRankNative
GeorgiaS3Yes
AlabamaS3Yes
TennesseeSNRYes
North CarolinaS3Yes
South CarolinaS3Yes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
Unknown/undetermined———

—

Plant Characteristics
DurationPERENNIAL
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (2)
Alabama (1)
AreaForestAcres
Blue MountainTalladega National Forest4,986
North Carolina (1)
AreaForestAcres
Woods MountainPisgah National Forest9,602
References (12)
  1. Bradley, Keith. Personal communication. Senior Botanist, South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, Heritage Trust Program, Columbia, South Carolina.
  2. Crabtree, Todd. Personal communication. Botanist, Tennessee Division of Natural Areas, Tennessee Department of Environmental Conservation, Nashville, TN.
  3. Estes, Dwayne. Personal communication. Executive Director, Southeastern Grassland Institute, and Professor & Curator of APSC Herbarium, Department of Biology, Austin Peay State University, Clarksville, TN.
  4. Flora of North America Editorial Committee (FNA). 2023. Flora of North America north of Mexico. Vol. 11. Magnoliophyta: Fabaceae, parts 1+2. Oxford Univ. Press, New York. xxvii + 1108 pp.
  5. iNaturalist. 2024. Online. Available: https://www.inaturalist.org (accessed 2024).
  6. Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
  7. Schaner, Jessica. Personal Communication. Western Regional Botanist, North Carolina Natural Heritage Program, Asheville, North Carolina.
  8. Southwest Environmental Information Network (SEINet). 2024. Collections Databases. Online. Available: https://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/collections/index.php (accessed 2024).
  9. Tessel, Samantha. Personal communication. Upstate Botanist, South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, Heritage Trust Program, Clemson, SC.
  10. Umstead, Hannah. Personal Communication. Botanist. Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division, Social Circle, GA.
  11. Weakley, Alan. Curator. The University of North Carolina Herbarium. University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC. personal communication.
  12. 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.