Search / Plant Profile / Chamaecrista lineata var. keyensis

Plant Profile

Big Pine Partridge-pea (Chamaecrista lineata var. keyensis)

Photo Credit: Keith Bradley

Global Rank: T2 - Imperiled
Legal Status: Federally Endangered
Family: Fabaceae
State: FL
Nature Serve ID: 152168
Lifeform: Subshrub, Forb/herb
Date Inducted in National Collection:

Description:

Horizontal perennial herb with one or more stems rising from a single rootstock. It has alternate, compound leaves, about an inch long long. Leaves have 4-7 pairs of oblong leaflets, each 1/4" long. Flowers are axially having yellow petals with small orange markings near the base.

Where is Big Pine Partridge-pea (Chamaecrista lineata var. keyensis) located in the wild?

Habitat:

Chamaecrista lineata var. keyensis can be found in the pine rocklands of South Florida, specifically Miami-Dade and Monroe counties.

Distribution:

As of 2006, population on Cudjoe Key is approximately 150 plants and 2-3 plants occur on Lower Sugarloaf Key. Estimates for population size on Big Pine Key (before Hurricane Wilma in 2005) were estimated to be between 900,000 and 1,400,000. (NatureServe 2017.)

Habitat loss, fragmentation, and degradation, and associated pressures from increased human population, are major threats to Chamaecrista lineata var. keyensis. These threats are expected to continue, placing these plants at greater risk. This plant may be impacted when pine rocklands are converted to other uses or when lack of fire causes the conversion to hardwood hammocks or other unsuitable habitat conditions. Any populations of this found on private property could be destroyed by development; the limited pine rocklands, rockland hammock, and coastal berm habitat on public lands can also be affected by development of recreational facilities or infrastructure projects. (Federal Register 2016.)

States & Provinces:

Big Pine Partridge-pea can be found in Florida

Which CPC Partners conserve Big Pine Partridge-pea (Chamaecrista lineata var. keyensis)?

Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden

Not Sponsored

Conservation Actions

Assigned 06/09/17

CPC's Plant Sponsorship Program provides long term stewardship of rare plants in our National Collection. We are so grateful for all our donors who have made the Plant Sponsorship Program so successful. We are in the process of acknowledging all our wonderful plant sponsorship donors on our website. This is a work in progress and will be updated regularly.

Conservation Actions

Tina Stanley

05/11/2023

According to a March 2023 extract of the Florida Plant Rescue Database, Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden holds 5 accessions of Chamaecrista lineata var. keyensis totalling approximately 9752 seeds representing 137 maternal lines.

Nature Serve Biotics

05/02/2017

Endemic to the Florida Keys, where currently known only from Big Pine Key in Monroe County, Florida. Threatened by habitat alteration, altered fire regime, development and non-native plants. The habitat of Chamaecrista lineata var. keyensis is very uncommon; these plants occur only on the edges of rockland hammocks and pinelands in the pine rocklands. Given its narrow habitat range, and the small number of individuals that occur, Chamaecrista lineata var. keyensis is vulnerable to extinction if these threats continue.