Astragalus bibullatus

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Astragalus bibullatus

Critically Imperiled  (NatureServe)[1]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae
Subfamily: Faboideae
Genus: Astragalus
Species:
A. bibullatus
Binomial name
Astragalus bibullatus
Pyne's ground plum (fruits)
Close-up of the flowers

Astragalus bibullatus, the limestone glade milkvetch or Pyne's ground plum, is an

central basin of Tennessee in the United States. It is found in only eight populations located within a few kilometers of each other in Rutherford County, Tennessee
.

Taxonomy and similar species

Astragalus bibullatus was first described in 1987 by Rupert Charles Barneby and Edwin L. Bridges.[2] The common name refers to Milo Pyne, who discovered the species in the 1980s, and the odd-looking smooth, reddish fruits that ripen on the ground and look superficially like plums (Prunus). However, the species is a legume and is unrelated to plums, which are in the rose family.

The foliage of Astragalus bibullatus looks similar to the more widespread cedar glade endemic,

A. tennesseensis
(Tennessee milkvetch). However, the stem, leaves, and fruits of A. tennesseensis are all fuzzy, while they are smooth in A. bibullatus. Also, the flowers of A. bibullatus are pinkish purple in contrast to the yellow-white flowers of A. tennesseensis. The fruits are also quite different. A. tennesseensis fruits are greenish, hairy, and are more elongated (similar to an elf shoe) as is more typical for legumes. The flowers of A. bibullatus bloom in April and May, while the fruit ripens in May or June.

Threats

Because of the small number of populations, A. bibullatus is threatened by habitat destruction.[3] Eight populations are now protected including the Flat Rock Cedar Glade and Barrens State Natural Area and Manus Road Cedar Glade.[4] Because there is very little genetic differentiation among populations,[5] further loss of genetic variability is not a threat.[6]

References

  1. ^ "Astragalus bibullatus". NatureServe Explorer. NatureServe. Archived from the original on 2008-06-02. Retrieved 2008-05-02.
  2. Brittonia
    39:358-363.
  3. ^ Morris, A. B., R. S. Baucom, and M. B. Cruzan. 2002. Stratified analysis of the soil seed bank in the cedar glade endemic Astragalus bibullatus: evidence for historical changes in genetic structure. American Journal of Botany 89: 29-36.
  4. Tennessee Department of Environment & Conservation. Archived from the original
    on October 11, 2012. Retrieved September 12, 2012.
  5. JSTOR 2991999. Archived from the original
    on 2006-05-20.
  6. ^ "NatureServe Explorer 2.0".

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Astragalus bibullatus.
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