Volume 51 – Issue 3 (Sep 1986)

Terpsinoe musica is a euryhaline diatom species of infrequent occurrence. Inland reports of this taxon are generally limited to isolated springs and river sections; however, taken together with marine populations its ecological range broadens considerably. Terpsinoe musica was observed forming brown flocculant masses on submerged branches and roots and was infrequently found on other substrates in the outflow stream of a constantly flowing spring in southcentral Oklahoma. Mucilage secretion from apical pore fields maintained attachment to substrates and a filamentous growth habit. Populations exhibited a large degree of variation in cell length, whereas width varied only slightly. Reduced length corresponds to increased polymorphism in valve outline. Features of the valve include a single labiate process near the central region, and irregularly arranged pores on the valve face. Terpsinoe musica may provide a model for examining genetic variation within species with populations that are morphologically similar, but have restricted distributions.

Specimens in existence of the presumably extinct legume Orbexilum stipulatum (T. & G.) Rydb. (=Psoralea stipulata T. & G.) were collected from 1835 to 1881. The species has been listed in various taxonomic works as having occurred in Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio. However, after reviewing the evidence, it appears that O. stipulatum was endemic to Rock Island of the Falls of the Ohio River in Louisville, Kentucky, at the time of its discovery by botanists in the 1830’s.

The treatment of Vaccinium L. in the Flora of West Virginia by Strausbaugh and Core is slightly revised. The number of species in the state is reduced from ten to eight and all infraspecific categories except two formae are abandoned. New county records and limited notes on morphology, taxonomy, and distribution are presented. A key is offered which stresses vegetative characters.

Annual height growth rates for saplings (1-12 m high) of 13 canopy tree species were measured in natural gaps of southern Appalachian cove forests. Study sites were limited to three federally protected tracts of land at mid (570 m) to high (1300 m) elevations in which little or no man-made disturbance was evident. Disturbances within these regions generally were due to small, single-tree gaps averaging 155 m² for the saplings studied. In such gaps, average height growth was found to be about 30 cm/yr with species averages ranging from 18 to 49 cm/yr. The most commonly sampled species increased in growth rate in the order, Fagus grandifolia, Acer saccharum, Tilia heterophylla, Liriodendron tulipifera, and Halesia carolina. Topographic factors (i.e., slope, elevation, and aspect) and gap size and age were analyzed using a stepwise multivariate regression procedure. In general, the most rapid growth occurred for taller saplings in large young gaps in protected hillsides at lower elevations.

Vaccinium formosum H.C. Andrews, a name based on an illustration with analysis of essential characters, should have priority over V. australe Small.

The relative densities of tree species in virgin bottomland forests of Louisiana are reported for eight types of sites ranging from well-drained second bottoms to almost permanently flooded swamps. The second bottom terraces and the swamps had distinct species associations, but the intermediate first bottoms were characterized by a continuum of over 15 species gradually changing in abundance from the best to the most poorly drained sites. The distribution of each species appears to be determined by its tolerance to flooding and saturated soils. These forests contained a wide range of size classes and many young trees, indicating a continual replacement of older by younger trees.

Twenty vascular plant species are here recorded for Arkansas. Several are cited as new to that state, while others are of interest for the extension of their known geographical range.

Lindernia saxicola M.A. Curtis has been known only from Tallulah Gorge, Rabun Co., Georgia, and Hiwassee Gorge, Cherokee Co., North Carolina (Curtis 1843), and was last collected by the late Dr. E.T. Wherry in 1932. Damming the rivers totally destroyed populations at both sites, with the species being considered extinct. This species is under review (category 1, as possibly extinct) for inclusion on the Federal list of endangered or threatened species (Lamberton 1980).

Nine species of Cuscuta all belonging to the Section Cleistogrammica of the Subgenus Grammica occur in Virginia: Cuscuta campestris, C. pentagona, C. compacta, and C. gronovii are widespread, C. rostrata is restricted to the higher elevations of the Appalachian Mountains; C. indecora is found in coastal areas but may also be weedy; C. polygonorum, C. coryiji, and C. cephalanthii are known from only a few collections each. Taxonomic characters of the Section Cleistogrammica as well as the biology and distribution of Virginia dodders are discussed.

The following includes nomenclatural transactions and commentary preliminary to a summary of the Leguminosae: Mimosoideae for the Vascular Flora of the Southeastern United States. Genera discussed are Albizia, Leucaena and Schrankia. New combinations include: Schrankia microphylla (Dryander) Macbride var. floridana (Chapman) Isely, and Schrankia nuttallii (DC. ex Britt. & Rose) Standl. var. hystricina (Small ex Britt. & Rose) Isely.