Volume 77 - Issue 3 (Sept 2012)

ABSTRACT There has been question whether the taxon known as Yucca filamentosa (Agavaceae) is to be distinguished from the taxon known as Yucca flaccida. Much of the uncertainty lay in the absence of sure knowledge of the forms intended by their original authors. A neotype of Y. flaccida from Florida was selected in 2006. Here, the type locality in Virginia of Y. filamentosa is revisited and an epitype is selected. The two taxa, as represented by plants from these two type localities, differ markedly in a number of characteristics. It is suggested that Y. filamentosa and Y. flaccida be retained at specific rank.

ABSTRACT The first occurrence of Lythrum hyssopifolia L. (hyssop loosestrife or grass poly, Lythraceae) is documented for Illinois. This Old World native is presently known from every continent except Antarctica with its North American distribution limited to thirteen states within the United States as well as two Canadian provinces.

While making collections across the state of Alabama, 57 state records and/or noteworthy taxa were observed. The collection information, along with a brief account of observations, where pertinent, is provided below. For each taxon listed, voucher specimens were collected and deposited at Alabama Natural Heritage Section Herbarium (ALNHS) and/or the Jacksonville State University Herbarium (JSU), which includes the herbarium at the Anniston Museum of Natural History, unless otherwise noted.

The purpose of this article is to report collections which are all believed to constitute noteworthy and/or new additions to the flora of Alabama. Many of the collections suggest strongly disjunct observations, illustrating an immense need for further floral surveys in the state of Alabama. Currently ranking sixth in terms of overall plant biodiversity with approximately 4,040 plant taxa (Kartesz 2011), Alabama has a wondrous bounty of plant life. With such a varied assortment of habitats, ecotones, and microspheric niches, future floral inventories will almost certainly reveal many more state records. The treatments consulted for verification of state record status and/or noteworthy finds for the species listed below include: Alabama Natural Heritage Program (2011), Kartesz (2011), Kral et al. (2011), Weakley (2011), and Mohr (1901). Floristic reports such as this will continue to provide a better understanding of plant distributions, fill in gaps of existing knowledge, and illustrate the number of unknown native and nonnative species within Alabama’s flora.

For each of the taxa listed below, with the exception of one taxon, voucher specimens were collected and deposited at the Alabama Natural Heritage Section Herbarium (ALNHS) and/or the Jacksonville State University Herbarium (JSU), which includes the herbarium at the Anniston Museum of Natural History. The sole collection voucher for Stellaria fontinalis was deposited at Austin Peay State University (ASPC). Vouchers for S. fontinalis are currently being prepped for future dissemination.

As outlined by Poindexter et al. (2011), the tendency for alien species to be overlooked in floras and new/noteworthy manuscripts until the plants are ‘‘well-established and widespread’’ is normal. In this manuscript we have tried to include as much pertinent information regarding the status of each taxon that is considered nonnative to Alabama’s flora. Each nonnative taxon is denoted with a dagger, ‘‘†’’. Categorization of exotics is modeled after Poindexter et al. (2011), where a ‘‘naturalized population’’ is regarded as a population of plants that appears to have been introduced and has become relatively well established. Waif plants, doubtful of sustaining a long-term population, are regarded as an ‘‘adventive population.’’ ACANTHACEAE (ACANTHUS FAMILY)

ABSTRACT Buford Mountain Conservation Area, located primarily in the northeastern corner of Iron County, Missouri, on the border with Washington County, is both geologically and floristically unique. To help develop an area management plan, the Missouri Department of Conservation was interested in conducting a floristic survey of vascular plants on a designated igneous glade region. The purpose of this study was to provide a vouchered floristic inventory, and to document any occurrences of rare or endangered taxa. The floristic survey was conducted over parts of two growing seasons (from 7 August 2010 to 2 August 2011) during which specimens were collected on approximately weekly to biweekly intervals. A controlled burn that encompassed the entire study site was conducted by the Missouri Department of Conservation on 13 April 2011 in an attempt to discourage encroachment by Carya ovata (shagbark hickory) and Juniperus virginiana var. virginiana (red cedar). A total of 132 vascular plant taxa (including 15 taxa identified to the level of variety or subspecies) in 102 genera and 49 families were collected, including 3 ferns, 1 gymnosperm, 25 monocots, and 103 dicots. All of the taxa were native except for Setaria faberi (nodding foxtail). The most diverse family was the Asteraceae with 22 species, followed by the Fabaceae and Poaceae represented by 14 and 12 species, respectively. The most diverse genus was Panicum with six different species. Only one species of conservation concern was collected, Eupatorium semiserratum (a thoroughwort), which was abundant in the wooded areas surrounding the glades.

ABSTRACT Back Bay and its flora have historically been influenced by the interaction of freshwater flow in combination with frequent intrusion of saline water into its basin. These events have resulted in a dynamic environmental setting influencing the abundance and composition of its phytoplankton community. Dominating these oligohaline waters is a diverse representation and high abundance of freshwater filamentous and colonial cyanobacteria. These include the nonheterocystous Planktolyngbya contorta, Planktolyngbya limnetica, and Pseudanabaena limnetica, taxa implicated as bloom producers in Bay waters with N:P molar ratios ranging from 23:1 to 74:1

ABSTRACT Populations of naturalized mimosa (Albizia julibrissin Durazz., Fabaceae) are reported from 32 counties in the southern third of Illinois. Literature and field studies suggest a significant range expansion of this taxon within Illinois during the last 50 yr. Most populations occur in open areas or along roadsides and forest edges, but a high-quality loess hill prairie on the Mississippi River bluffs contains high densities of mimosa seedlings and saplings. Mimosa is expected to continue to spread into suitable habitat based on its long history of invasion.

ABSTRACT Soil parameters were compared between serpentine oak savanna and grassland in Soldiers Delight Natural Environment Area, Maryland. Soils were analyzed for texture, depth to bedrock, bulk density, magnesium (Mg), calcium (Ca), aluminum (Al), nickel (Ni), potassium (K), iron (Fe), phosphorous (P), and acidity or alkalinity (pH). Oak savanna occurred on silt loam (61% silt) and grassland on sandy loam (64% sand). Silt loam had significantly greater depth (mean depth > 900 mm) than sandy loam (mean depth < 100 mm) and 50% higher fine soil bulk density. Rock fragment content was high in sandy loam (0.46 kg kg1, 0.20 m3 m3) and very low in silt loam (0.01 kg kg1, 0.01 m3 m3). The Mg:Ca ratio was not significantly different between soil types, pH was high for both soils (5.8 to 6.7), and bioavailability of Ni was probably not important ecologically. Based on the results of this study, soil physical properties contribute to vegetation differences between these soil types and not soil chemistry. Very shallow soil depth and high rock fragment content probably inhibit woody species establishment and development on sandy loam. However, based on the historical literature, woody plants may become established on sandy loam not excessively shallow for root system development.

ABSTRACT Harperella (Harperella nodosum) is a federally endangered plant with 26 known sites in the southeastern United States. Experiments in the greenhouse and observations in the wild demonstrated that harperella is an annual plant and its seeds can germinate immediately after seed maturation under warm-weather conditions in late summer. Harperella was observed to utilize two complementary reproductive strategies as important adaptations to survival in a frequently flooded, semiaquatic habitat, depending on flooding frequency and amplitude: (a) sexual reproduction during low-water years involving flowering and seed production and (b) asexual reproduction during high-water years involving viability of ramets produced at the nodes.

The 2012 Richard and Minnie Windler Award winner for the best systematics botany paper published in Castanea during 2011 is Dr. James Schrader for his work ‘‘Taxonomy of Leitneria (Simaroubaceae) Resolved by ISSR, ITS, and Morphometric Characterization’’ (Schrader, J.A. and W.R. Graves, Castanea 76:313–338). Jim is currently Assistant Scientist III in Dr. Bill Graves’ Woody Plant Ecology Lab in the Department of Horticulture at Iowa State University. Jim received his B.A. in Biology from Bemidji State University in Bemidji, Minnesota, in 1997, and both his M.S. and Ph.D. in Plant Physiology from the Department of Horticulture at Iowa State University. He completed his graduate studies in 2002 and was immediately hired to work in his present research position.

Jim has studied rare plant species with disjunct populations for many years, including the biosystematics and phenology of Alnus maritima for his Ph.D. dissertation. Remarkably, he was the 2003 Windler Award recipient for his paper on this species in Castanea in 2002. In Jim’s words, ‘‘Castanea is a wonderful journal in which to publish papers on systematics. It is highly respected around the world, and the editorial staff have been wonderful to work with.”

Jim became acquainted with Leitneria while looking for his next research project on rare and disjunct plant species. He was surprised at how little work had been done on Leitneria below the genus level, although its higher-level taxonomy had long been debated. ‘‘I have felt very fortunate to visit colonies within all five disjunct populations of Leitneria,’’ said Jim. ‘‘Visiting the locations in person was quite valuable in understanding the variable ecologies of the Leitneria taxa.’’ As in his dissertation work, Jim approached the systematics of Leitneria with both molecular and morphometric methods. Using these tools, he was able to ascertain differences strongly supporting his description of new species and subspecies of Leitneria. He believes there is no reason for a researcher not to include molecular work in resolving systematics problems, given the increased affordability and ease of implementation of modern molecular methods.

Jim’s research interests are currently in the field of applied horticulture, where he has started a 5-year, USDA-funded project entitled, ‘‘Bioplastic Container Cropping Systems: Green Technology for the Green Industry.’’ The goal of this project is to develop and test biorenewable, biodegradable container materials (as opposed to petroleum-based plastics) for container-crop production. While conducting such a large project, Jim will not have time for plant systematics research for a while, but he would eventually like to return to work in that area.

—Katherine G. Mathews, Western Carolina University, Chair, Windler Award Committee.

We are proud to announce the 2012 Elizabeth Ann Bartholomew Award recipient as Audrey Mellichamp, a longtime managing editor for Castanea. From 1982 through 2011, Audrey worked to pull together manuscripts and organize them into issues of the journal. In the process she guided authors through the procedures, reminded officers of needed submissions, and communicated details to the printer.

Audrey received her B.A. in Biology from Albion College (Albion, Michigan) and her M.S. in Botany from the University of Michigan. She started learning the editorship ropes about 1980 as Jesse Clovis retired from his position as editor and as the Southern Appalachian Botanical Club (as it was known then) moved the Castanea central office from the University of West Virginia to the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. It was a time of much transition, with changes in printers, journal size, communication methods, organizational officers, and technology of publication. Over the years one thing never changed: Audrey’s dedication to making sure the journal was formatted well and published in a timely manner.

When I first became Secretary-Treasurer, I quickly realized that Audrey was an important component in the article publication process. She developed a list of procedures and kept every author on task. Once accepted for publication, a manuscript was physically sent to Audrey for processing. She would look for errors, standardize citations, and make sure all components were present. Once manuscripts became proofs, she would check details and encourage authors to complete a timely review by orchestrating interactions between authors, editors, and the printer. She would lay out each issue, and then generate the table of contents and index. Numerous other components were added periodically such as award winners, presidential letters, statement of ownership, advertisements. Audrey oversaw the first Occasional Papers in Eastern Botany, which she edited as part of her other routine duties, and initiated the first line drawings on the cover of Castanea. As we moved into the 1990s, technology became an important part of publications: e-mail correspondence, submission of manuscripts electronically, and most recently, electronic publication.

Many authors relied on Audrey to help with the detailed formatting procedures that were required, commenting on uniformity and readability; and she could catch the tiniest typo in a lengthy manuscript. But perhaps even more importantly, she worked closely with first-time authors and graduate students to help them navigate the intimidating world of journal publication.

No one loved Castanea and all it represented more than Audrey; and by all accounts, she certainly carried on the spirit of Betty Bartholomew. So we, the Society, thank her for her service and wish her well in retirement as she engages in other botanical pursuits.

—Charles N. Horn, Newberry College, member, Elizabeth Ann Bartholomew Award Committee. 214