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Floristic Inventory of the Florida Keys Database Online

Rhynchosia swartzii (Vail) Urb.
Swartz’s snoutbean

Rhynchosia swartzii
Copyright by: Joie Stolt

Family: Fabaceae

Group: Dicot

Substrate: Terrestrial

Habit: Vine

Perennation: Perennial

Native Range: South Florida, the West Indies (Cuba, Bahamas) and southern Mexico.

NatureServe Global Status: Rare

State of Florida Status: Endangered

Florida Natural Areas Inventory State Status: Critically Imperiled

IRC SOUTH FLORIDA Status: Imperiled

Map of select IRC data for peninsular Florida

SOUTH FLORIDA Occurrence: Present

SOUTH FLORIDA Native Status: Native

South Florida History and Distribution: Ranked as critically imperiled in Rare Plants of South Florida (Gann et al. 2002; pp 508-510) based on three occurrences in six protected areas (Biscayne National Park; Crocodile Lake National Wildlife Refuge, Dagny Johnson Key Largo Hammocks Botanical State Park, and John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park; Key Largo Ansama Parcel, Florida Keys Wildlife and Environmental Area and Dove Creek Hammocks, Florida Keys Wildlife and Environmental Area). Since 2002 this species has been discovered in several other protected areas, including in Big Cypress National Preserve. It was reranked as imperiled in 2024.

SOUTH FLORIDA Cultivated Status: Not Cultivated

Comments: An observation in Big Cypress National Park, Collier County, needs to be vouchered.

Synonyms: Dolicholus swartzii.

FLORIDA KEYS Occurrence: Present

FLORIDA KEYS Native Status: Native

IRC FLORIDA KEYS Status: Critically Imperiled

Map of select IRC data for the Florida Keys

Florida Keys History and Distribution: First collected on the island of Key West by either John Loomis Blodgett between 1838 and 1853 or by Ferdinand Rugel in 1846.   Reported in 1913 by John Kunkel Small for hammocks from the upper Keys to the lower Keys.  We consider this native and extant in the upper Keys and possibly extirpated in the lower Keys.  For more information on R. swartzii in South Florida, see IRC's species account.

Other data on Rhynchosia swartzii available from :


Rhynchosia swartzii has been reported from the following 6 conservation areas in the FLORIDA KEYS :
Occurrence Native Status
Big Torch Hammocks, Florida Keys Wildlife and Environmental Area Present Native
Biscayne National Park, Florida Keys Section Present Native
Crocodile Lake National Wildlife Refuge Present Native
Dagny Johnson Key Largo Hammocks Botanical State Park Present Native
Dove Creek Hammocks, Florida Keys Wildlife and Environmental Area Present Native
John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park Present Native




Rhynchosia swartzii has been reported for the following habitat in THE FLORIDA KEYS :
Rockland Hammock


All Images:

Rhynchosia swartzii
Copyright by: Joie Stolt