Sand Butterfly-pea (Centrosema arenicola)

Centrosema arenicola flower in October 2024 Photo Credit: Chico Rivera

Global Rank: G2 - Imperiled
Legal Status: N/A
Family: Fabaceae
State: FL
Nature Serve ID: 159965
Lifeform: Vine, Forb/herb
Date Inducted in National Collection: 01/16/2025

Description:

Where is Sand Butterfly-pea (Centrosema arenicola) located in the wild?

States & Provinces:

Sand Butterfly-pea can historically be found in Florida

Which CPC Partners conserve Sand Butterfly-pea (Centrosema arenicola)?

Bok Tower Gardens

Not Sponsored

Conservation Actions

Assigned 01/16/25

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

Cheryl Peterson

01/10/2025

On October 1, 2024, the Rare Plant Conservation Program of Bok Tower Gardens placed nine seed collection bags around developing seed pods of Sand butterfly pea, Centrosema arenicola, throughout a healthy population within a state park. At that time, those nine plants had begun forming their unique, long, flattened seed pods, and numerous flowers and buds were observed on many additional plants. Seed collection plans therefore involved a return to the site at a later date to place additional seed collection bags. However, seed collection efforts for this species highlighted one of the issues of late fall seed collection in Florida – the impact of hurricanes. Several days after the first nine bags were secured onto plants, Hurricane Milton swept through central Florida, severely impacting much of the state, including its natural areas. When the park could reopen several weeks after the storm, the seeds bags were relocated. Surprisingly, all nine bags were intact. However, no additional flowers or seeds pods were observed, and were presumably removed by the powerful winds of Milton. The reproductive output of this population for 2024 is therefore expected to be substantially reduced. This showcases how hurricanes can impact the dynamics of even a healthy population for fall flowering species.