Family: Fabaceae
Group: Dicot
Substrate:
Terrestrial
Habit:
Shrub
Perennation:
Perennial
Native Range: South Florida, the West Indies, Central America and northern South America.
Map of select IRC data for peninsular Florida
NatureServe Global Status:
Apparently Secure
State of Florida Status:
Endangered
Florida Natural Areas Inventory State Status:
Critically Imperiled
IRC SOUTH FLORIDA Status:
Critically Imperiled
SOUTH FLORIDA Occurrence:
Present
SOUTH FLORIDA Native Status:
Native
South Florida History and Distribution: Ranked as historical in Rare Plants of South Florida (
Gann et al. 2002; pp 112-113 ) as
Acacia tortuosa, this species had been last reported in 1978 from Chokoloskee Island. In 2003 this species was rediscovered at Chokoloskee island (Gann 1131-1133 FTG) and was reranked as critically imperiled. It was subsequently found at several other nearby locations.
SOUTH FLORIDA Cultivated Status:
Cultivated
Comments: For more images, click on the Atlas of Florida Vascular Plants link below.
Dismal Key, where poponax is present, is part of both the Cape Romano - Ten Thousand Islands Aquatic Preserve and Ten Thousand Islands National Wildlife Refuge. Cape Romano - Ten Thousand Islands Aquatic Preserve is, in turn, part of the Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. Poponax is acually known from only Dismal Key and three islands in Everglades National Park.
See also, IRC’s report
Vascular plant species of management concern in Everglades National Park (Gann 2015), page 31.
Synonyms: Acacia tortuosa.
