Volume 48 – Issue 3 (Sep 1983)

The Hanging Rock area of northwestern North Carolina is underlain by three rock types: metabasalt, arkose, and siltstone. Soils developing from metabasalt are fine-textured, moist, and rich in nutrients; northern hardwoods and northern red oak forests predominate. Arkose weathers into a coarse-textured soil that is often dry and poor in nutrients. It supports mostly pine-oak/heath and modified northern hardwoods forests. Soils over siltstone are intermediate in texture and nutrient content. Slopes with northerly aspects support northern hardwoods and cove hardwoods forests, whereas southerly slopes support pine-oak/heath forests. Included in the flora of 355 species are 21 species new to Avery County and 27 new to Watauga County.

A typical shale barren with several endemic and characteristic shale barren plants was found on the Rose Hill formation in Allegany County, Maryland, apparently the first shale barren recorded from bedrock of Silurian age.

This paper presents chromosome numbers for twelve species of Aster from Virginia. Camera lucida drawings are given for Aster cordifolius L. (n= 16), A. divaricatus L. (n=9), A. infirmus Michx. (n=9, 2n= 18), A. laevis L. (n=24), A. novae-angliae L. (n=5), A. oblongifolius Nutt. (n=5), A. patens Ait. (n=10), A. paternus Cronquist (n=9, 2n=18), A. pilosus Willd. (n=24), A. prenanthoides Muhil (n= 16), A. puniceus L. (n=8), and A. simplex Willd. (n=16; 32). The chromosome number for A. infirmus Michx. is reported for the first time. Data on the remaining eleven species are compared with chromosome number reports for the taxa in other North American locations.

The fern commonly called Cystopteris fragilis (L.) Bernh. var. mackayi Laws. (Dryopteridaceae) has been interpreted as either a variety of C. fragilis or as a hybrid resulting from introgression between C. fragilis var. fragilis and the predominantly southern hemispheric taxon C. diaphana (Bory) Blasdell. Neither of these two interpretations correctly reflects its evolutionary relationships; rather, var. mackayi appears to be a distinct species on the basis of its range, habitat, morphology, and cytology. Cystopteris tenuis (Michx.) Desv. is the earliest legitimate name for this plant at the specific level.

Haplostephium passerina Mart. ex DC., the only species of this Brazilian genus, is described. Synonymies and taxonomic commentary are provided.

In “Distribution of Senecio pauperculus Michx. in the Southeastern United States” (Castanea 48(2):153-154), the acronyms UNC and UVW should read NCU and WVA respectively.

Nostochopsis lobatus Wood is known from several southeastern states, including Florida (Brannon 1952, Nielsen 1956, Lackey and Lackey 1965), Georgia (Patrick 1961, Patrick et al 1967), North Carolina (Whitford 1974), South Carolina (Patrick et al 1967), and Virginia (Patrick 1961, Wood son and Holomon 1964). Drouet (1981) lists other locations from which N. lobatus has been reported.

Trianthema portulacastrum L. has been collected from Mud Island in Memphis.

Previous opinions, principally those of Charles S. Sargent in 1886 and P.A. Davies in 1956, are reviewed concerning the type location and the date of collection by Andre Michaux of the type specimen of Shortia galacifolia T.&G. A 1976 rendering of Michaux’s journal by Margaret Mills Seaborn permits a new interpretation for both the type location and the date of collection for the Shortia type specimen. Phenological observations prove the type specimen was collected in June, 1787 during Michaux’s first journey to Oconee County, SC, when he continued on into Jackson and Macon Counties, NC, and Rabun County, GA. A detailed study of journal entries strongly indicates that Michaux’s party traveled through the heart of the natural range of Shortia on June 13. He was out of the natural range on June 12 and on June 14. Further interpretation resolves that the type location lies within a six-mile stretch along the west bank of the upper Keowee River above present Jocassee Dam and along the northeast bank of the Whitewater River in Jocassee Valley, Oconee County, SC.

The vascular flora of Lilley Cornett Woods was investigated for two growing seasons (May 1978-October 1979). Collections included old growth plant communities as well as successional forests and old fields. A total of 516 vascular plant species, representing 92 families and 297 genera is included in the floral list. The Asteraceae and Poaceae are the two largest families and represent 21.71% of the flora. Two species, Monotropsis odorata Schwein, and Panax quinquefolius L., are considered threatened in Kentucky. The floristic richness is comparable to other areas in the southern Appalachians.

Lilley Cornett Woods is a Registered National Natural Landmark (U.S. Dept. of Interior, National Park Service) and represents a stable remnant of the once expansive Mixed Mesophytic Forest region near the center of development of the Eastern Deciduous Forest.