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Lespedeza repens

(L.) W. Bart.

Creeping Bushclover

G5Secure Found in 12 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
LowThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.159381
Element CodePDFAB270B0
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassDicotyledoneae
OrderFabales
FamilyFabaceae
GenusLespedeza
Other Common Names
creeping lespedeza (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 Date2024-06-28
Change Date1984-06-07
Edition Date2024-06-28
Edition AuthorsNordman, C. (2024).
Threat ImpactLow
Range Extent>2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences> 300
Rank Reasons
Creeping Bushclover (Lespedeza repens) occurs in eastern North America, in the United States from Connecticut and New York, south to Florida, and west to Wisconsin, Kansas, Texas and Nuevo León state in northeastern Mexico. There are estimated to be more than 300 occurrences, including on various National Forests, National Park Service lands, State Forests, State Parks, and other conservation lands. Loss of habitat as a result of residential development and urbanization is a threat.
Range Extent Comments
Creeping Bushclover (Lespedeza repens) occurs in eastern North America, in the United States from Connecticut and New York, south to Florida, and west to Wisconsin, Kansas, Texas and Nuevo León state in northeastern Mexico (Villaseñor 2016, Weakley and Southeastern Flora Team 2024). Range extent was estimated to be 2.34 million square kilometers using herbarium specimens and photo-based observations documented between 1993 and 2024 (GBIF 2024, iNaturalist 2024).
Occurrences Comments
By applying a 1 km separation distance to herbarium records and photo-based observations documented between 1993 and 2024, it is estimated that there are more than 300 occurrences of Creeping Bushclover (Lespedeza repens) rangewide (GBIF 2024, iNaturalist 2024).
Threat Impact Comments
Loss of habitat as a result of residential development and urbanization is a threat.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Dry, acid, rocky upland woodlands, dry pine flatwoods, edges of woodlands, old fields, and roadside cuts (Isely 1990, Weakley and Southeastern Flora Team 2024).

Reproduction

Flowers in May to September and fruits in August to November (Weakley and Southeastern Flora Team 2024).
Terrestrial Habitats
Forest/WoodlandForest Edge
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
WisconsinSNRYes
OhioSNRYes
KansasS2Yes
South CarolinaS5Yes
TexasSNRYes
OklahomaSNRYes
IndianaSNRYes
KentuckyS4Yes
ConnecticutS1Yes
DelawareS5Yes
New JerseyS5Yes
AlabamaSNRYes
District of ColumbiaSNRYes
VirginiaS5Yes
MissouriSNRYes
PennsylvaniaS5Yes
TennesseeSNRYes
MarylandSNRYes
MississippiSNRYes
ArkansasSNRYes
West VirginiaS5Yes
IllinoisSNRYes
LouisianaSNRYes
North CarolinaS5Yes
GeorgiaSNRYes
FloridaSNRYes
IowaSXYes
New YorkS3Yes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
1 - Residential & commercial developmentSmall (1-10%)Serious or 31-70% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
1.1 - Housing & urban areasSmall (1-10%)Serious or 31-70% pop. declineHigh (continuing)

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Plant Characteristics
DurationPERENNIAL
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (12)
Alabama (1)
AreaForestAcres
Blue MountainTalladega National Forest4,986
Arkansas (3)
AreaForestAcres
Clifty CanyonOzark-St. Francis National Forest1,963
Little BlakelyOuachita National Forest3,342
Pedestal RocksOzark-St. Francis National Forest21,957
Georgia (1)
AreaForestAcres
Rocky MountainChattahoochee National Forest4,269
Kentucky (1)
AreaForestAcres
WolfpenDaniel Boone National Forest2,835
North Carolina (2)
AreaForestAcres
Big Indian (addition)Nantahala National Forest1,155
Chunky Gal (addition)Nantahala National Forest3,336
Tennessee (1)
AreaForestAcres
Bald MountainCherokee National Forest11,743
Virginia (2)
AreaForestAcres
Brush Mountain EastJefferson National Forest4,916
Mill MountainGeorge Washington National Forest10,840
West Virginia (1)
AreaForestAcres
Dry River (WV)George Washington National Forest7,331
References (7)
  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. Isely, D. 1990. Vascular flora of the southeastern United States. Vol. 3, Part 2. Leguminosae (Fabaceae). Univ. North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill. 258 pp.
  5. 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.
  6. Villaseñor, J.L. 2016. Checklist of the native vascular plants of Mexico. Revista Mexicana de Biodiversidad 87: 559-902.
  7. Weakley, A.S., and Southeastern Flora Team. 2024. Flora of the southeastern United States. Edition of March 4, 2024. University of North Carolina Herbarium (NCU), North Carolina Botanical Garden, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. 2203 pp.