The Fish and Wildlife Service claimed a modest Endangered Species Act victory Wednesday with the decision that a wee little wildflower some call Tiny Tim no longer needs the ESA crutch.
Listed as threatened since 1987, the wildflower, formally known as Geocarpon minimum, has since spread across a wider region and developed solid resilience in the face of threats, according to the federal agency. Once found in 17 populations in two states, it is now known to be present in 17 populations across five states, where it favors lots of sunlight and highly mineralized soils that are not suitable for most other plants.
“New populations continue to be found, and the known species’ range has expanded from 10 counties in Missouri and Arkansas to 22 counties and parishes in Missouri, Arkansas, Texas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana,” the Fish and Wildlife Service reported.
More than half of the known Geocarpon minimum populations are on lands that are wholly or partially publicly owned or are otherwise conserved, FWS said.
