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Chamaecrista nictitans

(L.) Moench

Sensitive Partridge-pea

G5Secure Found in 20 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
UnknownThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.130979
Element CodePDFAB47060
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassDicotyledoneae
OrderFabales
FamilyFabaceae
GenusChamaecrista
Other Common Names
sensitive partridge pea (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 Date2024-07-03
Change Date1991-10-17
Edition Date2024-07-03
Edition AuthorsJohnson, J. (2024)
Threat ImpactUnknown
Range Extent>2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences> 300
Rank Reasons
Chamaecrista nictitans is a forb that is native throughout large areas of North, Central, and South America and non-native in Asia. With a large range extent, over 300 occurrences, and broad habitat preferences for abundant habitat, this species is considered secure.
Range Extent Comments
Chamaecrista nictitans is native to the central and eastern United States, Mexico, Central America, Caribbean, and South America as far south as Buenos Aires, Argentina. It is also non-native in the Transcaucasus and South Asia regions, Japan, and Hawaii (GBIF 2024, POWO 2024). Range extent was estimated using herbarium specimens and photo-based observations documented between 1993 and 2024 (GBIF 2024, iNaturalist 2024, SEINet 2024).
Occurrences Comments
By applying a 1 km separation distance to herbarium specimens and photo-based observations documented between 1993 and 2024, it is estimated that there are more than 300 occurrences rangewide (GBIF 2024, iNaturalist 2024, SEINet 2024).
Threat Impact Comments
Although threats are not widely documented, Chamaecrista nictitans is potentially threatened by development, road maintenance, invasive species, and other threats in some places. However, their overall impact is likely negligible given species' broad range, large number of occurrences, tolerance of disturbance, and affinity for typically abundant habitats, as well as no obvious intrinsic vulnerabilities.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Chamaecrista nictitans grows in "Open woods, thickets, sandy fields and pastures, shores, waste places, old fields, cleared land, roadsides" (C. n. var. nictitans), "Sandy pinelands, beaches, dunes, limestone or coral detritus, old fields, roadsides, ditches, and railways" (C. n. var. aspera), "Arid grasslands, desert slopes and washes, thorn-forests, open spaces in pine and oak forests" (C. n. var. leptadenia) (FNA 2023).
Terrestrial Habitats
Forest - HardwoodForest - ConiferForest EdgeWoodland - HardwoodWoodland - ConiferWoodland - MixedShrubland/chaparralGrassland/herbaceousOld fieldDesertSand/duneBare rock/talus/screeCropland/hedgerowSuburban/orchard
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
WisconsinSNRYes
West VirginiaS5Yes
Rhode IslandSNRYes
MarylandSNRYes
South CarolinaSNRYes
VermontS2Yes
TexasSNRYes
ArkansasSNRYes
District of ColumbiaSNRYes
AlabamaSNRYes
OklahomaSNRYes
IndianaS4Yes
GeorgiaSNRYes
MississippiSNRYes
New HampshireSNRYes
ArizonaSNRYes
HawaiiSNANo
North CarolinaS5Yes
KentuckySNRYes
FloridaS4Yes
MissouriSNRYes
KansasSNRYes
New MexicoSNRYes
VirginiaS5Yes
OhioSNRYes
IllinoisSNRYes
ConnecticutSNRYes
MichiganSNRYes
LouisianaSNRYes
PennsylvaniaS5Yes
DelawareS5Yes
New YorkSNRYes
New JerseySNRYes
TennesseeSNRYes
MassachusettsSNRYes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
Unknown/undeterminedUnknownUnknownUnknown

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Plant Characteristics
DurationANNUAL, PERENNIAL
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (20)
Arizona (2)
AreaForestAcres
Middle Dragoon RoadlessCoronado National Forest10,543
Upper Romero WsrCoronado National Forest150
Florida (1)
AreaForestAcres
PinhookOsceola National Forest15,405
Georgia (3)
AreaForestAcres
Boggs CreekChattahoochee National Forest2,073
Kelly RidgeChattahoochee National Forest8,325
Pink KnobChattahoochee National Forest12,127
Kentucky (1)
AreaForestAcres
WolfpenDaniel Boone National Forest2,835
Missouri (1)
AreaForestAcres
Irish Rare II Study AreaMark Twain National Forest1,226
North Carolina (6)
AreaForestAcres
Bald MountainPisgah National Forest11,085
Catfish Lake NorthCroatan National Forest11,299
Harper CreekPisgah National Forest7,325
Jarrett CreekPisgah National Forest7,485
Overflow CreekNantahala National Forest3,379
South Mills RiverPisgah National Forest8,588
Puerto Rico (2)
AreaForestAcres
El Toro AreaCaribbean National Forest12,584
Mameyes AreaCaribbean National Forest11,150
Tennessee (1)
AreaForestAcres
Sampson Mountain AdditionCherokee National Forest3,064
Virginia (2)
AreaForestAcres
Mountain Lake Addition AJefferson National Forest1,469
Oak KnobGeorge Washington National Forest10,882
West Virginia (1)
AreaForestAcres
Dry River (WV)George Washington National Forest7,331
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. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). 2024. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) data portal. Online. Available: https://www.gbif.org/ (accessed 2024).
  3. iNaturalist. 2024. Online. Available: https://www.inaturalist.org (accessed 2024).
  4. 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.