Volume 70 — Issue 2 (June 2005)

The objectives of this study were to document changes, between 1971 and 1999, in overstory vegetation structure and composition at Lilley Cornett Woods (LCW), an old-growth mixed mesophytic forest in eastern Kentucky. Similar to other old-growth forests, overstory density (284 to 347 trees/ha) and basal area (26.4 to 29.9 m²/ha) have significantly increased during this time. The increase in density was primarily due to recruitment into the smallest overstory diameter-class (12.5-30.0 cm). Six species have comprised over 60% of total overstory importance since 1971; Fagus grandifolia has remained the most important species. The overstory composition in 1999 was not similar to 1971 (C = 63.4%) as several changes have occurred during the 28-year period, including increases in the importance of maples and eastern hemlock and decreases in oaks. These trends are consistent with other reports in the eastern United States.

The Henry Allan Gleason Nature Preserve is located in the extensive glacial sand deposits associated with the Illinois River in central Illinois. An extensive sand dune is present within the preserve on which undisturbed dry sand prairie, disturbed dry sand prairie, and blow-out communities are present. The undisturbed sand prairie is dominated by Schizachyrium scoparium (42% of the importance value [IV]), along with Tephrosia virginiana, Opuntia humifusa, and Ambrosia psilostachya. The disturbed sand prairie is dominated by Eragrostis trichodes (24% of the IV), followed by Heterotheca camporum, Ambrosia psilostachya, and Rhus aromatica. Common species in an active blow-out includes Aristida tuberculosa and Cyperus grayioides, while nearly stabilized blow-outs have a high diversity characterized by Bouteloua hirsuta, Ambrosia psilostachya, and Eragrostis trichodes. A total of 172 plant species were found: 4 fern and fern-allies, 3 gymnosperms, 39 monocots, 126 dicots. Thirty-one non-native species were found, comprising about 18% of the flora. The Floristic Quality Index for the nature preserve is 41.33 when the non-native species are included in the calculations.

The revision of Apios in North America is based on morphological analysis of herbarium specimens as well as field and greenhouse observations. The genus is herein recognized as consisting of two distinct species in North America. Apios priceana was described by Robinson in 1898. Currently it is listed as threatened by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and is known from 47 populations in 22 counties in Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi and Tennessee. The other species, A. americana, widely distributed in eastern North America, was first described by Cornut in 1633 and has been regarded as consisting of six infraspecific taxa, which are not recognized in the present treatment. Demarcation is based primarily on reproductive features as vegetative characteristics, both within and between species, exhibits a significant amount of variation. In addition to the taxonomic descriptions, dichotomous keys, illustrations and distribution maps are presented for each species.

Eriocaulon decangulare is a wetland species that is rare in the North Carolina mountains. The mountain populations are disjunct from those in the Coastal Plain, where the species is more common. We investigated the habitat and plant associates of E. decangulare in three mountain wetlands during summer 2002. We centered 40, 0.25-mi quadrats around randomly selected E. decangulare plants (8-20 quadrats per wetland), and estimated the percent cover occupied by all species within the quadrat. We also measured photosynthetically active radiation in each quadrat and determined the soil pH at each site. For seven plant types, only the coverage of woody plants differed significantly among sites. Most of the woody plants occurred as seedlings, small sprouts, or trailing stems. Overall, E. decangulare appeared to favor open, acidic, sunny conditions with abundant Sphagnum mosses. We documented four other unique and uncommon wetland plant species occurring with E. decangulare, and recommend continued management of all three wetlands to suppress woody species and increase the sunlight available to smaller herbaceous plants.

Wells Savannah is a unique wet pine savanna located in the Lower Coastal Plain of North Carolina. It consists of two utility rights-of-way and a fire-suppressed pond pine (Pinus serotina) woodland. The objectives of this study of Wells Savannah were to characterize its soils, inventory its vascular flora, and compare its soils and flora with those of reference sites. Soil drainage, texture, and redoximorphic features were described at all locations. Wetland indices were calculated to represent the degree to which the plant communities were adapted to wet substrates. We identified 209 species in 107 genera and 48 families at Wells Savannah. Eight community associations were recognized. Wetland indices for Wells Savannah were significantly lower than those for the reference savannas. The unique combination of fine textured, very wet soil and plant species composition present at Wells Savannah has not been identified in previous studies of savannas in the region.

We undertook a floristic study of Highland Heights Community Park and undeveloped adjacent property, Cuyahoga County, Ohio, locating 403 taxa of vascular plants belonging to 249 genera and 87 families. The study site is a large suburban park containing a mixture of wetland and non-wetland communities. A wet meadow within the site supports a diverse flora and is currently the only known locality in Ohio for Solidago puberula. Also this meadow represents the sole location in Cuyahoga County for Rhynchospora capitellata and Hypericum gentianoides.

We are saddened to report the passing of Wilbur H. Duncan, University of Georgia Professor Emeritus of Botany and retired Curator of the GA Herbarium. He died at his home attended by his family on March 25, 2005 in Athens, Georgia. He was over 94 years old.

In the spring of 1894, Allen Hiram Curtiss (1845-1907), perhaps the first professional botanist to reside in Florida (Wunderlin and Hansen 2000), came upon a robust blue-eyed-grass in the “pine barrens near Jacksonville,” Duval County, Florida. On March 17 he made collections of this plant in flower and on June 1 in fruit. He then, as was his practice, prepared printed labels: “Curtiss’ Second Distribution of Plants of the Southeastern United States,” the habitat and location, and his name. H

Lindera melissifolia (Walt.) Blume, pondberry, is a federally endangered (United States Fish and Wildlife Service [USFWS] 1986) deciduous, aromatic shrub in the Lauraceae. It occurs in seasonally flooded wetlands and is extant in only six states (AR, GA, MO, MS, NC, SC). Th

Noteworthy Collections: Maryland and Alabama