{"assessment":{"band":"Not native","fit_score":null,"native_basis":"not_native","rarity_adjustment":null,"rarity_policy":"Conservation status is displayed separately and never changes ecological scores, including when unranked.","reason":"Reported non-native to Alabama.","reference":"NC native reference cohort, method 0.6.4; not a Alabama percentile","score":null,"scoring_inputs":{"harm_penalty":0,"invasive":false,"invasive_rank":null,"native":false,"state_rank":""},"status":"not_native","version":"shared-0.6.5"},"condition_evidence":{"light":{"evidence_id":"fact:9f01066dd24989b97def789afb1607e3d8723f9a48bd3836ce1c39e2ef697bf9","levels":[4],"policy":"selected-condition-categories-2","range":[4,4],"scope":{"kind":"region","region_id":"floraquest_nc_sc_ga"},"semantics":"documented_native_habitat_conditions","source_field":"habitat_light_categories","source_label":"FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team)","source_url":"https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.emountainworks.android.southeastfieldguide","status":"mapped_selected_fact"},"moisture":{"evidence_id":"fact:c897b306f0631ee65206accfcfa50dbbb086b15da88d70427fa8efbc8df78b76","levels":[0,3],"policy":"selected-condition-categories-2","range":[0,3],"scope":{"kind":"region","region_id":"floraquest_nc_sc_ga"},"semantics":"documented_native_habitat_conditions","source_field":"habitat_moisture_categories","source_label":"FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team)","source_url":"https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.emountainworks.android.southeastfieldguide","status":"mapped_selected_fact"}},"evidence":{"fit_score":null,"growth_habit":["Forb/herb"],"invasive_status":{"status":"unresolved"},"native_status":{"status":"not_native"},"occurrence":{"county_fips":["01071"],"meaning":"Recorded occurrence; not a county native-range assertion"},"quercus_score":null,"regional":{"county_fips":["01071"],"growth_habit":null,"growth_habit_source":null,"invasive":null,"invasive_evidence":[],"invasive_rank":null,"native":false,"native_basis":"state_source","native_decided_by":"al_atlas","native_evidence":[{"claim":"introduced","flag":"N","matched_name":"Acmispon helleri","scope":"AL","source":"al_atlas","url":"https://dev.alabama.plantatlas.usf.edu/plant/species/5353"},{"claim":"native","matched_name":"Acmispon helleri","scope":"L48","source":"usda","text":"L48:N","url":"https://plants.usda.gov/"},{"claim":"native","matched_name":"Acmispon helleri","scope":"NC","source":"nc_flora","url":"https://auth1.dpr.ncparks.gov/flora/"},{"claim":"native","matched_name":"Lotus helleri","scope":"NC","source":"nc_flora","url":"https://auth1.dpr.ncparks.gov/flora/"},{"claim":"native","matched_name":"Lotus unifoliolatus var. helleri","scope":"NC","source":"nc_flora","url":"https://auth1.dpr.ncparks.gov/flora/"},{"basis":"native range text in the regional flora","claim":"native","scope":"NC-SC-GA","source":"floraquest_carolinas_georgia","text":"A. helleri is endemic to the Piedmont of extreme sc. Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and ne. Georgia.","url":"https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.emountainworks.android.southeastfieldguide"},{"basis":"native range text names Georgia","claim":"native","scope":"GA","source":"floraquest_carolinas_georgia","text":"A. helleri is endemic to the Piedmont of extreme sc. Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and ne. Georgia.","url":"https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.emountainworks.android.southeastfieldguide"},{"basis":"native range text names South Carolina","claim":"native","scope":"SC","source":"floraquest_carolinas_georgia","text":"A. helleri is endemic to the Piedmont of extreme sc. Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and ne. Georgia.","url":"https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.emountainworks.android.southeastfieldguide"}],"native_explanation":"Alabama Plant Atlas (published flora, state claim) gives the value, over a broader claim from a higher tier. Speaks for its own area (GA, GA-NC-SC, NC, SC), not this state: FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Weakley), Vascular Plants of North Carolina (NC Natural Heritage Program).","native_provenance":{"flags":["over_higher_tier"],"source":"al_atlas","specificity":"state","tier":"published_flora"},"native_status":"not_native","package_native_status":"not_native","source_ids":["al_atlas:AL:5353"],"source_name":"Acmispon helleri","source_refs":["al_atlas"],"source_url":"https://dev.alabama.plantatlas.usf.edu/plant/species/5353","state_rank":null},"source_refs":["al_atlas"],"source_url":"https://dev.alabama.plantatlas.usf.edu/plant/species/5353","state_rank":{"value":null}},"fit_inputs":{"light":[4,4],"moisture":[0,3],"ph":null},"fit_provenance":{"counties":"USDA PLANTS: recorded in 12 NC counties","light":"FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team)","moisture":"FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team)"},"fit_record":{"band":"Not native","condition_evidence":{"light":{"evidence_id":"fact:9f01066dd24989b97def789afb1607e3d8723f9a48bd3836ce1c39e2ef697bf9","levels":[4],"policy":"selected-condition-categories-2","range":[4,4],"scope":{"kind":"region","region_id":"floraquest_nc_sc_ga"},"semantics":"documented_native_habitat_conditions","source_field":"habitat_light_categories","source_label":"FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team)","source_url":"https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.emountainworks.android.southeastfieldguide","status":"mapped_selected_fact"},"moisture":{"evidence_id":"fact:c897b306f0631ee65206accfcfa50dbbb086b15da88d70427fa8efbc8df78b76","levels":[0,3],"policy":"selected-condition-categories-2","range":[0,3],"scope":{"kind":"region","region_id":"floraquest_nc_sc_ga"},"semantics":"documented_native_habitat_conditions","source_field":"habitat_moisture_categories","source_label":"FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team)","source_url":"https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.emountainworks.android.southeastfieldguide","status":"mapped_selected_fact"}},"county_fips":["01071","13073","13105","13133","13181","13189","13221","13247","37025","37033","37057","37059","37077","37097","37119","37145","37159","37167","37179","37185","45001","45023","45039","45047","45059","45065","45071","45081","45091","51019","51037","51083","51143"],"fit_inputs":{"light":[4,4],"moisture":[0,3],"ph":null},"fit_note":"Shared sunlight, moisture and pH calculation; county geography is an additional layer. Missing source traits remain unknown.","fit_provenance":{"counties":"USDA PLANTS: recorded in 12 NC counties","light":"FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team)","moisture":"FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team)"},"garden_suitability":{"default_excluded":false,"flags":[],"review_status":"not_assessed","suggestions_excluded":false},"invasive_rank":false,"native_eligible":false,"quercus_score":null,"state":"AL"},"garden_suitability":{"default_excluded":false,"flags":[],"review_status":"not_assessed","suggestions_excluded":false},"growing_observations":{"floraquest_carolinas_georgia":{"matched_name":"Acmispon helleri","retrieved":"2026-10-04T13:31:16.252589+00:00","scope":{"kind":"region","region_id":"floraquest_nc_sc_ga"},"scope_note":"Original regional ecological and identification evidence; no location-specific gardening adjustments.","source_label":"FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team)","source_name":"Acmispon helleri","source_record_id":2688,"source_sha256":"684f6b364ff9f3023aa61ed02ae50f6f6d6d4d3bcf76847b78ab769ae0453469","source_url":"https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.emountainworks.android.southeastfieldguide","trait_evidence":[{"field":"habitat_description","source_column":"HabitatText","source_database_sha256":"684f6b364ff9f3023aa61ed02ae50f6f6d6d4d3bcf76847b78ab769ae0453469","source_record_id":2688,"source_table":"Organism","value":"Dry woodlands and openings, originally probably limited to prairie-like sites (fire-maintained, post oak-blackjack oak savannas), generally on clayey soils, now primarily seen on roadbanks, along railroads, and in powerline rights-of-way, where mowing and bush-hogging have replaced fire as the force keeping the habitat open, sunny, and suitable for this plant of prairie affinities."},{"field":"geographic_range_description","source_column":"Description","source_database_sha256":"684f6b364ff9f3023aa61ed02ae50f6f6d6d4d3bcf76847b78ab769ae0453469","source_record_id":2688,"source_table":"Organism","value":"A. helleri is endemic to the Piedmont of extreme sc. Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and ne. Georgia."},{"field":"phenology_source_text","source_column":"Phenology","source_database_sha256":"684f6b364ff9f3023aa61ed02ae50f6f6d6d4d3bcf76847b78ab769ae0453469","source_record_id":2688,"source_table":"Organism","value":"(Jun-) Jul-Aug (-Sep)."},{"field":"taxonomic_synonymy","source_column":"Synonymy","source_database_sha256":"684f6b364ff9f3023aa61ed02ae50f6f6d6d4d3bcf76847b78ab769ae0453469","source_record_id":2688,"source_table":"Organism","value":"[= S, Va; = Acmispon americanus (Nutt.) Rydb. var. helleri (Britton) Brouillet — FNA11.1, K4, POWO; = Lotus helleri Britton — RAB, S13; = Lotus purshianus F.E. & E.G.Clem. var. helleri (Britton) Isely — C, SE3, Isely (1981), Isely (1998); = Lotus unifoliolatus (Hook.) Benth. var. helleri (Britton) Kartesz & Gandhi — K1, NS; Lotus americanus (Nutt.) Bisch. — F; Lotus purshianus F.E. & E.G.Clem. — G]"},{"field":"botanical_comments","source_column":"Comments","source_database_sha256":"684f6b364ff9f3023aa61ed02ae50f6f6d6d4d3bcf76847b78ab769ae0453469","source_record_id":2688,"source_table":"Organism","value":"A. helleri is clearly closely related to A. americanus (= Lotus unifoliolatus , = Lotus purshianus , = Lotus americanus ), of prairies of the midwestern states and various habitats farther west, which ranges east to LA, AR, MO, IL, IN, and WI. Isely (1981) reduced A. helleri to a variety (in Lotus ), because it \"is but one of many elements within the L. purshianus complex and its differences from the rest are less than among the California races,\" while also stating \"since it has no breeding contact with var . purshianus , it is reasonably maintained as a species.\" Since A. helleri seems adequately separated from A. americanus by its narrower leaflets, glabrate vestiture, and allopatric distribution, we choose to reasonably maintain it as a species. See Sorrie (2015) for notes on its morphology."},{"field":"heliophily_index","source_column":"HIndex","source_database_sha256":"684f6b364ff9f3023aa61ed02ae50f6f6d6d4d3bcf76847b78ab769ae0453469","source_record_id":2688,"source_table":"Organism","value":9},{"field":"habitat_moisture_categories","source_column":"Attr2","source_database_sha256":"684f6b364ff9f3023aa61ed02ae50f6f6d6d4d3bcf76847b78ab769ae0453469","source_record_id":2688,"source_table":"GraphicKey","value":["Dry","Moist"]},{"field":"habitat_light_categories","source_column":"Attr3","source_database_sha256":"684f6b364ff9f3023aa61ed02ae50f6f6d6d4d3bcf76847b78ab769ae0453469","source_record_id":2688,"source_table":"GraphicKey","value":["Full sun"]},{"field":"graphic_key_source_attributes","source_column":"Attr0..25","source_database_sha256":"684f6b364ff9f3023aa61ed02ae50f6f6d6d4d3bcf76847b78ab769ae0453469","source_record_id":2688,"source_table":"GraphicKey","value":{"Attr0":"gr09","Attr1":"nc_pd,sc_pd,ga_pd,","Attr10":"nr","Attr11":"3,5","Attr12":"e","Attr13":"bil","Attr15":"pi,wh,ye","Attr16":"n","Attr17":"DSS","Attr2":"Dry,Moist","Attr3":"Sun","Attr3a":"y","Attr3a_subregion":"native_nc_pd:y,native_sc_pd:y,native_ga_pd:y,","Attr4":" 6-9","Attr5":"er","Attr6":"glb,pub","Attr7":"alt","Attr8":"c","Attr9":"in,wi"}}],"values":{"botanical_comments":"A. helleri is clearly closely related to A. americanus (= Lotus unifoliolatus , = Lotus purshianus , = Lotus americanus ), of prairies of the midwestern states and various habitats farther west, which ranges east to LA, AR, MO, IL, IN, and WI. Isely (1981) reduced A. helleri to a variety (in Lotus ), because it \"is but one of many elements within the L. purshianus complex and its differences from the rest are less than among the California races,\" while also stating \"since it has no breeding contact with var . purshianus , it is reasonably maintained as a species.\" Since A. helleri seems adequately separated from A. americanus by its narrower leaflets, glabrate vestiture, and allopatric distribution, we choose to reasonably maintain it as a species. See Sorrie (2015) for notes on its morphology.","geographic_range_description":"A. helleri is endemic to the Piedmont of extreme sc. Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and ne. Georgia.","graphic_key_source_attributes":{"Attr0":"gr09","Attr1":"nc_pd,sc_pd,ga_pd,","Attr10":"nr","Attr11":"3,5","Attr12":"e","Attr13":"bil","Attr15":"pi,wh,ye","Attr16":"n","Attr17":"DSS","Attr2":"Dry,Moist","Attr3":"Sun","Attr3a":"y","Attr3a_subregion":"native_nc_pd:y,native_sc_pd:y,native_ga_pd:y,","Attr4":" 6-9","Attr5":"er","Attr6":"glb,pub","Attr7":"alt","Attr8":"c","Attr9":"in,wi"},"habitat_description":"Dry woodlands and openings, originally probably limited to prairie-like sites (fire-maintained, post oak-blackjack oak savannas), generally on clayey soils, now primarily seen on roadbanks, along railroads, and in powerline rights-of-way, where mowing and bush-hogging have replaced fire as the force keeping the habitat open, sunny, and suitable for this plant of prairie affinities.","habitat_light_categories":["Full sun"],"habitat_moisture_categories":["Dry","Moist"],"heliophily_index":9,"phenology_source_text":"(Jun-) Jul-Aug (-Sep).","taxonomic_synonymy":"[= S, Va; = Acmispon americanus (Nutt.) Rydb. var. helleri (Britton) Brouillet — FNA11.1, K4, POWO; = Lotus helleri Britton — RAB, S13; = Lotus purshianus F.E. & E.G.Clem. var. helleri (Britton) Isely — C, SE3, Isely (1981), Isely (1998); = Lotus unifoliolatus (Hook.) Benth. var. helleri (Britton) Kartesz & Gandhi — K1, NS; Lotus americanus (Nutt.) Bisch. — F; Lotus purshianus F.E. & E.G.Clem. — G]"}}},"light_range":["full sun","full sun"],"light_source":"FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team)","native_synthesis":{"claims":[{"claim":"introduced","flag":"N","matched_name":"Acmispon helleri","scope":"AL","source":"al_atlas","url":"https://dev.alabama.plantatlas.usf.edu/plant/species/5353"},{"claim":"native","matched_name":"Acmispon helleri","scope":"L48","source":"usda","text":"L48:N","url":"https://plants.usda.gov/"},{"claim":"native","matched_name":"Acmispon helleri","scope":"NC","source":"nc_flora","url":"https://auth1.dpr.ncparks.gov/flora/"},{"claim":"native","matched_name":"Lotus helleri","scope":"NC","source":"nc_flora","url":"https://auth1.dpr.ncparks.gov/flora/"},{"claim":"native","matched_name":"Lotus unifoliolatus var. helleri","scope":"NC","source":"nc_flora","url":"https://auth1.dpr.ncparks.gov/flora/"},{"basis":"native range text in the regional flora","claim":"native","scope":"NC-SC-GA","source":"floraquest_carolinas_georgia","text":"A. helleri is endemic to the Piedmont of extreme sc. Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and ne. Georgia.","url":"https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.emountainworks.android.southeastfieldguide"},{"basis":"native range text names Georgia","claim":"native","scope":"GA","source":"floraquest_carolinas_georgia","text":"A. helleri is endemic to the Piedmont of extreme sc. Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and ne. Georgia.","url":"https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.emountainworks.android.southeastfieldguide"},{"basis":"native range text names South Carolina","claim":"native","scope":"SC","source":"floraquest_carolinas_georgia","text":"A. helleri is endemic to the Piedmont of extreme sc. Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and ne. Georgia.","url":"https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.emountainworks.android.southeastfieldguide"}],"county_native_range":"unresolved","decided_by":"al_atlas","explanation":"Alabama Plant Atlas (published flora, state claim) gives the value, over a broader claim from a higher tier. Speaks for its own area (GA, GA-NC-SC, NC, SC), not this state: FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Weakley), Vascular Plants of North Carolina (NC Natural Heritage Program).","label":"Not native to Alabama","provenance":{"flags":["over_higher_tier"],"source":"al_atlas","specificity":"state","tier":"published_flora"},"rule":"fact-hierarchy-2","status":"not_native"},"source_name":"Acmispon helleri","taxon_id":"taxon:e1f6b1fc-0e68-5ef4-a585-b4af9e6baff2","revision":"publish:903368a2-17ec-496c-89d2-a217f30d9dda","photos":[{"id":"nohands-inat-419445272","src":"/api/photos/image/299b6e7f0389626deb4974582e9e17ff96d98217b4e65fa2df67141e67539b7d.jpeg","view":"bloom","alt":"Acmispon helleri — bloom photograph","width":723,"height":1024,"artist":"no rights reserved","license":"CC0","license_url":"https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/","source_url":"https://www.inaturalist.org/photos/419445272","changes":"iNaturalist large rendition; uncropped, no retouching.","kind":"photo"}]}