This attractive and useful publication is the second of a two-volume treatment of the grasses of Illinois. The first volume, Grasses: Bromus to, Paspalum, appeared in 1972. The two volumes recognize 286 species, with keys, descriptions, common names, habitats, and pen-and-ink illustrations of each taxon. Maps are given showing the distribution of the taxa within Illinois.
This is a handsome, sturdy volume, essentially a condensation of the five-volume work, “Vascular Plants of the Pacific Northwest,” written by C. Leo Hitchcock, Arthur Cronquist, Marion Ownbey, and J. W. Thompson, published serially from 1955 to 1969, and reviewed earlier in this journal. The “Pacific Northwest” is considered as including all of Washington, the northern half of Oregon, Idaho north of the Snake River Plains, the mountainous portion of Montana, and an indefinite southern fringe of British Columbia. The work includes a taxonomic treatment of all species of flowering plants, conifers, ferns and fern-related plants known to grow without cultivation in the area.
The red algae have fascinated botanists and others for ages with their beautiful symmetry and elaborate life histories. They are mostly marine, chiefly along rocky coasts, but are widespread, from waters of the Arctic and Antarctic regions all the way to the tropics. Despite their interest and their wide range, however, they are often omitted from botany textbooks, perhaps because they are so complicated.
The distributional list of orchids in the Upper East Tennessee counties of Carter, Johnson, Sullivan, Unicoi and Washington by Peter F. Small and Frank H. Barclay (Castanea 38: 189-193, 1973) may as a matter of interest be supplemented as follows
Eleuterius, L. N. (Gulf Coast Research Laboratory, Ocean Springs, Mississippi 39564) and S. McDaniel (Mississippi State University, State College, Mississippi 39762). Observations on the flowers of Juncus roemerianus. Two plant forms were found to occur within Juncus roemerianus. One plant form consistently produces perfect flowers and the other produces pistillate flowers. Staminate flowers were not found. Pistillate flowers result from aborted stamens. Extracted rhizomes bearing inflorescences and transplants were used in the study. Observations and data presented may serve to clarify previous inconsistent descriptions of floral morphology.
The vegetation in the coastal dunes of South Carolina was sampled by the quadrat method. Thirty-five 1 m2 quadrats were established in five locations: (1) front of the fore dune, (2) top of the fore dune, (3) depression behind the fore dune, (4) top of the second dune, (5) depression behind the second dune, in four coastal counties (Horry, Georgetown, Charleston, and Beaufort) of South Carolina. The results of this study demonstrate that Uniola paniculata is dominant at all sites but prefers the exposed sites on locations (1), (2) and (4). Spartina patens favors the depressions behind the dunes but may also be found on the front and top of the fore dune. Iva imbricata favors the exposed front and top of the fore dune. Species favoring the sheltered depressions include Cenchrus tribuloides, Cenchrus spp. Euphorbia polygonifolia, and Diodia teres. Erigeron canadensis and Heterotheca subaxillaris are usually found some distance from the ocean where salt spray is minimal.
During the spring of 1971, a survey of the vascular flora of the Virginia portion of the Dismal Swamp was conducted.
From March to June, one hundred and nine (109) species were collected and preserved in the herbarium at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia. Four (4) species were observed in the field but not collected. An additional sixteen (16) species collected from 1965 to 1970 had been recorded in the herbarium. These one hundred and twenty-nine (129) species represent one hundred and two (102) genera within fifty-five (55) families. The majority of the species are common to the eastern Carolinas and Virginia and are frequently associated with swamp forests or disturbed habitats.
This floristic study treats the 2 species of Corydalis and the 3 species of Fumaria native or adventive to Florida. A key to the genera and keys to the species are given. Distribution within the state is shown by maps based on county records. Corydalis flavula (Raf.) DC., Fumaria capreolata L., and F. parviflora Lam. are newly reported for the state.
A listing of the native plants in the 128-square-mile area of Shavers Fork of Cheat River in central West Virginia, reveals 20 species to be circumpolar in distribution, 25 species to be native to Asia or Japan, and 96 additional genera native to Asia. The balance of 15 genera are North America or tropical in distribution. There are 147 native genera represented here with 90% of these being also indigenous to Asia. Reasons for vegetational differences are explored.
The floristic composition of the chestnut oak-dominated communities in the Uwharrie Wildlife Management Area was studied during one entire growing season. Rare, infrequent, and disjunct species are reported.
The families and genera of the Uwharrie flora were compared numerically with those of Japan, southwestern Europe, and California.
A list of 277 county records collected during this study is included.