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Acmispon americanus

(Nutt.) Rydberg

American Bird's-foot-trefoil

G5Secure Found in 119 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.138124
Element CodePDFAB2A1H0
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassDicotyledoneae
OrderFabales
FamilyFabaceae
GenusAcmispon
Synonyms
Hosackia americana(Nutt.) PiperLotus unifoliolatus(Hook.) Benth.Trigonella americanaNutt.
Other Common Names
American bird's-foot trefoil (EN) American Deervetch (EN) American deervetch (EN) Lotier des prairies (FR) Prairie deervetch (EN) Prairie Deervetch (EN) Spanish clover (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.
Taxonomic Comments
FNA (2023, vol. 11) recognizes Lotus as native to Eurasia, with taxa native to North American treated as Acmispon or Hosackia. FNA (2023, vol. 11) treats Lotus unifoliatus in the genus Acmispon as A. americanus.

Kartesz (1994 and 1999) uses the older name Lotus unifoliolatus for the plants commonly called Lotus purshianus (and in older works, sometimes called Lotus americanus); he also includes here, as var. helleri, the plants also recognized as the distinct species Lotus helleri. Weakley et al. (2023) recognize two distinct species in the genus Acmispon, Acmispon americanus (=Lotus unifoliolatus var. unifoliolatus sensu Kartesz 1999) and A. helleri (=Lotus unifoliolatus var. helleri sensu Kartesz 1999).
Conservation Status
Rank MethodExpertise without calculation
Review Date2015-08-12
Change Date1994-11-03
Ecology & Habitat
Other Nations (2)
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
MassachusettsSNANo
NebraskaSNRYes
AlabamaSNANo
OklahomaSNRYes
New YorkSNANo
New MexicoSNRYes
North CarolinaSNRYes
IowaSNRYes
GeorgiaSNRYes
IdahoSNRYes
LouisianaSNRYes
ConnecticutSNANo
NevadaS3Yes
MontanaSNRYes
South DakotaSNRYes
MinnesotaSNRYes
ArkansasSNRYes
CaliforniaSNRYes
IndianaSNANo
North DakotaSNRYes
South CarolinaSNRYes
ArizonaSNRYes
WyomingS3Yes
IllinoisSNRYes
KansasSNRYes
VirginiaS1Yes
WashingtonSNRYes
TexasSNRYes
WisconsinSNRYes
OregonSNRYes
MissouriSNRYes
CanadaN4
ProvinceRankNative
British ColumbiaS4Yes
ManitobaS2Yes
SaskatchewanS3Yes
Plant Characteristics
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (119)
Arizona (2)
AreaForestAcres
Hell HoleApache-Sitgreaves National Forests15,512
Lower San FranciscoApache-Sitgreaves National Forests59,310
California (94)
AreaForestAcres
Barker ValleyCleveland National Forest11,940
Bear MountainLos Padres National Forest913
Bell MeadowStanislaus National Forest7,968
Big RocksLos Padres National Forest11,866
Black MountainLos Padres National Forest16,818
Bucks LakePlumas National Forest680
CajonSan Bernardino National Forest7,548
CalienteCleveland National Forest5,953
CamuesaLos Padres National Forest8,209
Caples CreekEldorado National Forest17,854
Carson - IcebergStanislaus National Forest56,430
Castle Crags AShasta-Trinity National Forest113
Castle Crags BShasta-Trinity National Forest1,619
Castle PeakTahoe National Forest14,974
Chalk PeakLos Padres National Forest7,472
ChannellSequoia National Forest45,429
ChicoSequoia National Forest39,836
Chips CreekPlumas National Forest12,940
City CreekSan Bernardino National Forest9,997
Cow CreekShasta-Trinity National Forest22,627
Cucamonga AAngeles National Forest1,249
Cucamonga CSan Bernardino National Forest4,106
Cutca ValleyCleveland National Forest14,530
Deep CreekSan Bernardino National Forest23,869
Devil GulchSierra National Forest30,490
Devils RockShasta-Trinity National Forest16,209
Dinkey LakesSierra National Forest34,171
DomeStanislaus National Forest11,085
Domeland Add.Sequoia National Forest3,046
Dry LakesLos Padres National Forest17,043
Duncan CanyonTahoe National Forest8,621
EagleStanislaus National Forest16,116
EagleShasta-Trinity National Forest6,553
Eagle PeakCleveland National Forest6,481
Ferguson RidgeSierra National Forest6,104
Fish CanyonAngeles National Forest29,886
Garcia MountainLos Padres National Forest7,850
Granite ChiefTahoe National Forest6,546
Greenhorn CreekSequoia National Forest28,226
Heart LakeLassen National Forest9,349
Horse Creek RidgeSan Bernardino National Forest8,969
Horseshoe SpringsLos Padres National Forest14,089
JuncalLos Padres National Forest12,289
La BreaLos Padres National Forest14,031
Little French CShasta-Trinity National Forest11,529
ManzanaLos Padres National Forest2,101
MatilijaLos Padres National Forest5,218
Middle YubaTahoe National Forest7,379
Mill CreekSequoia National Forest27,643
Mill PeakSan Bernardino National Forest7,884
Monkey CreekSix Rivers National Forest9,017
MonoLos Padres National Forest28,141
No NameCleveland National Forest4,897
NordhoffLos Padres National Forest12,031
North Fork American RiverTahoe National Forest38,495
North MountainStanislaus National Forest7,856
PantherShasta-Trinity National Forest12,016
Pine CreekCleveland National Forest503
Pleasant ViewAngeles National Forest26,395
ProspectLassen National Forest4,078
PyramidEldorado National Forest24,347
Pyramid Peak BSan Bernardino National Forest7,194
Raymond PeakStanislaus National Forest3,646
Raywood Flat BSan Bernardino National Forest11,373
Red MountainAngeles National Forest8,034
Rock Creek WestInyo National Forest3,626
Rouse HillSan Bernardino National Forest13,745
RussianKlamath National Forest21,771
Salt CreekAngeles National Forest11,022
San Gabriel AddAngeles National Forest2,527
San JoaquinSierra National Forest22,474
San SevaineSan Bernardino National Forest6,866
Santa CruzLos Padres National Forest21,182
Sawmill - BadlandsLos Padres National Forest51,362
Sheep MountainAngeles National Forest21,098
Sill HillCleveland National Forest5,294
Siskiyou BSix Rivers National Forest18,871
Slate Mtn.Sequoia National Forest12,299
SnoozerKlamath National Forest23,414
SoliderSix Rivers National Forest14,918
South SierraSequoia National Forest8,008
South SierraInyo National Forest41,853
SugarloafSan Bernardino National Forest8,206
Tepusquet PeakLos Padres National Forest5,821
Timbered CraterLassen National Forest4,096
TrabucoCleveland National Forest23,341
Trumbull PeakStanislaus National Forest6,164
WaterhouseStanislaus National Forest4,394
West GirardShasta-Trinity National Forest37,516
WestforkAngeles National Forest4,407
White LedgeLos Padres National Forest18,632
WildhorseCleveland National Forest1,483
WoodpeckerSequoia National Forest11,936
WoolstaffSequoia National Forest41,445
Idaho (3)
AreaForestAcres
North Lochsa SlopeNez Perce-Clearwater National Forest117,662
Peace RockBoise National Forest191,734
SeceshPayette National Forest248,088
Nevada (2)
AreaForestAcres
Rose - GalenaHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest3,711
Rose - Whites CanyonHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest2,568
New Mexico (3)
AreaForestAcres
Hell HoleGila National Forest19,553
Lower San FranciscoGila National Forest26,460
Peloncillo (NM)Coronado National Forest43,339
North Dakota (1)
AreaForestAcres
Kinley PlateauDakota Prairie Grasslands16,900
Oregon (12)
AreaForestAcres
Brattain ButteFremont National Forest5,959
Calf - Copeland CreekUmpqua National Forest15,696
Castle Rock AppendageUmpqua National Forest4,649
Dixie ButteMalheur National Forest12,208
Mt. BaileyUmpqua National Forest18,401
Mt. HagenWillamette National Forest6,406
North KalmiopsisSiskiyou National Forests91,560
Roaring RiverMt. Hood National Forest27,316
Skimmerhorn AppendageUmpqua National Forest1,820
Sky Lakes AWinema National Forest3,940
South KalmiopsisSiskiyou National Forests104,477
W. BoundaryWinema National Forest2,345
Washington (2)
AreaForestAcres
EntiatWenatchee National Forest72,617
White PassGifford Pinchot National Forest1,145
References (4)
  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. Kartesz, J.T. 1999. A synonymized checklist and atlas with biological attributes for the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. First edition. In: Kartesz, J.T., and C.A. Meacham. Synthesis of the North American Flora, Version 1.0. North Carolina Botanical Garden, Chapel Hill, N.C.
  4. 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.