Volume 73 — Issue 4 (Dec 2008)

Cumberland Island National Seashore, Camden County, Georgia, is administered by the National Park Service, United States Department of the Interior, and comprises 14,740 ha (36,415 acres) that include property and historic residences once owned by the Thomas Carnegie family. A floristic survey of the 7,880 ha (19,472 acres) owned by the National Park Service was conducted to provide Park Service personnel with a vouchered plant species checklist, supplemented with salient information such as relative abundance, locality data, and general community type. Six intensive collecting trips conducted in 2004–2006 yielded 498 species of plants, including 233 species not previously vouchered for the Island. The four largest families were Poaceae, Cyperaceae, Asteraceae, and Fabaceae. Identifications of specimens in the Cumberland Island National Museum Herbarium were also verified and incorporated into the annotated list. Maps, descriptions, and photographs of the various plant communities are provided.

Seed source, absence of favorable microhabitat conditions, and presence of competitors, predators or allelochemicals are among the many factors that may limit the germination of viable seeds. We conducted six field, growth chamber, and veranda experiments to investigate the effects of seed source, physical or chemical presence of cooccurring species, and litter presence on germination percentages of the Florida scrub endemic Liatris ohlingerae. This perennial herb produces many seeds but recruits few seedlings. Germination percentages were similar when seeds from scrub and roadside habitats were sown into their own and the contrasting habitat. We found no evidence of chemical inhibition from a co-occurring terrestrial lichen or from the allelopathic Florida rosemary (Ceratiola ericoides), the dominant shrub in the habitat preferred by L. ohlingerae. However, germination was higher in shallow than in deep litter, and was suppressed by litter from oaks and pines compared to litter from Florida rosemary. In one experiment, higher levels of post-sowing seed predation closer to Florida rosemary shrubs limited germination. Germination of intact L. ohlingerae seeds generally exceeded 60% under a range of field and lab conditions. High field germination percentages within a few weeks of sowing suggest that L. ohlingerae does not maintain a sizeable persistent seed bank. Low seedling recruitment in this endangered plant is not likely caused by poor seed germination.

Noteworthy Collections: Virginia

Index to Volume 73—Castanea 2008

Every botanist– or anyone who purports to know something about plants– should have a poisonous plant book handy. While rare, the calls from the local hospital poison control center must be answered; and the curiosity of students, colleagues, and neighbors should be addressed. It is important to take every opportunity to reassure people that the vast majority of plants are not dangerous, but are in fact useful– though you certainly don’t want to advocate self-medication with wild herbs or random nibbling of colorful berries in the ornamentals garden.

Clethra alexandri Griseb. is a shrub or low tree endemic to high montane forests of the Blue Mountains, St. Andrews and St. Thomas Parishes, Jamaica.

Statement of Ownership, Management, and Circulation of Castanea, The Journal of the Southern Appalachian Botanical Society

There are very few plants mentioned in this slim book. That’s because it is about invertebrates insects and spiders. These animals are all around us, and some are considered unpleasant. But insect expert and prolific author Arthur Evans of the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, tells us interesting stories about them, how they function in our world, and why we should not be afraid of them. The beauty of this book is that it does what even we as botanists and naturalists want to do– show how all plants and animals are tied together in the web of life and how diversity is the key to a vibrant ecosystem.

This is my second opportunity, since taking office in April, to address the entire membership of the Southern Appalachian Botanical Society. The first was in the summer issue of our newsletter Chinquapin, where I stressed the need for each of us to consider offering our time and talents to further the mission of this society. Having done so, I will use this space to update you on the state of our society.