United States

Origin: Native

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

Type of Residency: Year-round

Global Range: Extant from vicinity of Cape Hatteras, NC, to vicinity of Cape Romain, SC, and at scattered sites on Long Island, NY, and in coastal Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and New Jersey. Formerly occurred from vicinity of Charleston, SC north to islands south of Cape Cod, MA. Actual area occupied (even formerly) quite small; occurs only in a narrow band of suitable habitat.

Historic Range:
U.S.A. (DE, MA, MD, NC, NJ, NY, RI, SC, VA)

Amaranthus pumilus Raf.:
United States (North America)

Amaranthus pumilus is a globally and federally threatened species (Global Heritage Status Rank G2; National Heritage Status Rank N2) originally restricted to dunes and barrier island beaches along the Atlantic Ocean from southern Massachusetts to South Carolina. It has been eliminated from two-thirds of its former range, being last reported from Massachusetts in 1849, from Rhode Island in 1856, from New Jersey in 1913, and from Virginia in 1972 (S. Ramsey et al. 2000). As of fall 2003, extant populations are known only from Long Island, New York, Delaware, Maryland, North Carolina, and South Carolia. Many threats exist, including construction of sea walls and dune fencing, development, heavy recreational use, and off-road vehicle traffic. It is difficult to afford protection because of the dynamic nature of the habitat and the fugitive nature of the biology of the species. "Fugitive" refers to the fact that the species does not necessarily occur throughout its potential range at any given time (S. E. Clemants 1992). 

 Amaranthus pumilus is in the Center for Plant Conservation’s National Collection of Endangered Plants.

Plants annual, glabrous. Stems prostrate to ascending (often forming mats), red, much-branched, 0.1-0.4(-0.5) m, fleshy. Leaves clustered near tips of branches; petiole 5-10 mm; blade orbiculate, broadly ovate or obovate, 1-1.5 cm × 1-1.5 cm, fleshy, base broadly cuneate to tapering, margin entire, plane or slightly undulate, apex broadly rounded to obtuse, mucronate. Inflorescences dense axillary glomerules, green. Bracts of pistillate flowers ovate or elliptic, 1.2-2 mm, ¹/2 as long as tepals. Pistillate flowers: tepals 5, linear to narrowly oblanceolate, slightly unequal, 2.5-4 mm, margins entire, apex obtuse; style branches erect; stigmas 3. Staminate flowers intermixed with pistillate; tepals 5; stamens 5. Utricles ovoid, 4-6 mm, exceeding tepals, fleshy, smooth or slightly rugose, longitudinally wrinkled on drying, indehiscent. Seeds dark reddish brown, lenticular, 2.5 mm diam., glossy.

Amaranthus pumilus may be characterized by sepals mostly 2-4 mm; seeds 2-2.5 mm; fruit indehiscent; seeds obovate or elliptic (Gleason and Cronquist, 1991).

Comments: Barrier islands, mainly on coastal overwash flats at the accreting ends of the islands and lower foredunes and on ocean beaches above mean high tide (occasionally on sound-side beaches). Intolerant of competition; does not occur on well-vegetated sites. According to Weakley and Bucher (1991), this species appears to need extensive, dynamic, natural areas of barrier island beaches and inlets. Within this dynamic landscape, Pumilus functions as a fugitive species, occupying suitable habitat as it becomes available. Seeds may survive many years buried in the sand; they germinate when brought near the surface by severe storms.

Flowering summer-fall. Maritime sand dunes, beaches, mostly on foredunes and at high tide level; of conservation concern; 0-10 m; Conn., Del., Md., Mass., N.J., N.Y., N.C., Pa., R.I., S.C., Va.

Note: For many non-migratory species, occurrences are roughly equivalent to populations.

Estimated Number of Occurrences: 21 - 300

Comments: Nearly 110 presumed extant occurrences have been mapped; however, in many cases, groups of existing mapped sites should be lumped to represent single, dynamic populations. For example, a recent re-mapping effort in New York reduced the number of occurrences from 29 to 9 (S. Young pers. comm. 2008). Once all occurrences are re-mapped in this fashion, the rangewide number may be on the order of 30-50. Most presumed extant occurrences are in North and South Carolina; smaller numbers of occurrences are known from New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Virginia, and Maryland. Historic in Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts.

United States

Rounded National Status Rank: N2 - Imperiled

Rounded Global Status Rank: G2 - Imperiled

Reasons: Eliminated from two-thirds of its historic range. Formerly occurred on barrier island beaches from Massachusetts to South Carolina; now only extant in significant numbers in New York and the Carolinas, and in tiny stands in Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and New Jersey. Approximately 50 populations are estimated to remain, all in a narrow band of suitable habitat (even formerly, the actual area occupied was quite small). Many threats exist, including construction of sea walls and dune fencing, development, heavy recreational use, and off-road vehicle traffic. It is difficult to afford protection because of the dynamic nature of the habitat and the fugitive nature of the biology of the species.

Current Listing Status Summary

Status: Threatened
Date Listed: 04/07/1993
Lead Region:   Southeast Region (Region 4) 
Where Listed:


Population detail:

Listing status: T

For most current information and documents related to the conservation status and management of Amaranthus pumilus, see its USFWS Species Profile

Global Short Term Trend: Decline of 10-30%

Comments: Serious decline eliminated occurrences from much of its range between 1840's and 1970's. Decline is now apparently somewhat stabilized, with range restricted to about 30% of former.

Comments: Primarily threatened by beach-hardening (sea walls, riprap, etc.), soft stabilization (dune fencing), development, heavy recreational use, and off-road traffic. Overall, there are many threats to this species.

Needs: Research possibilities of protecting populations in cooperation with piping plover protection.

Comments: This attractive and colorful plant has a prostrate growth habit which makes it effective as a sand binder and could lend itself to planting on beach-front lots. Other amaranths have been cultivated as food crops in North, Central, and South America and has a high nutririve value. The plant is being researched by the USDA as well as universities and private institutions for potential use in crop development and improvement. (Murdock, 1992)