Between 1940 and 1985 the Running Buffalo Clover was thought to be extinct. However, two populations were rediscovered in West Virginia. Since that discovery, a number of populations have been found in five of the eight states where it was originally distributed. Estimates are that there are two populations in Indiana, 23 in Kentucky, 3 in Missouri, 12 in Ohio and 25 in West Virginia. Like so many rare plants, threats facing the Running Buffalo Clover include habitat loss, population isolation, excessive grazing, loss of insects to pollinate, competition from non-native plants, and susceptibility to new diseases. Also, the populations are so small that it may lead to further inbreeding depression.