SAVING VIRGIN ISLANDS PLANTS
Agave eggersiana and Solanum conocarpum are two rare plant species native only to the U.S. Virgin Islands. Agave eggersiana, native only to the island of St. Croix, is extremely rare and its survival may be dependent on captive propagation and reintroduction. Of all the endemic plant species on the Virgin Islands, Solanum conocarpum, endemic to the island of St. John, is likely the most in danger of extinction.
The Center has worked hard in court to force the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to provide Endangered Species Act protection for these rare plants, which were first petitioned for in 1996. Finally, after more than a dozen years of stalling and two Center lawsuits, in 2009 the Service set a timeline for protecting both species. Agave eggersiana was slated for a listing proposal by September 2010, with Solanum conocarpum to be proposed for protection by February 2011.
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