Volume 86 — Issue 2 (December 2021)

The Editorial Committee gratefully acknowledges the following people who reviewed manuscripts for Castanea in 2021

We present a method for recording cool-season (mid-October–May) weather events near Nags Head, North Carolina. Standardized traumatic resin duct frequency (TRDsf) formations in loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) were determined from earlywood radial growth samples using the number of traumatic resin ducts that occur in response to stressful weather events. Based on a sample of 39 cores collected at Nags Head Woods Ecological Preserve during summer 2020, we tested if the occurrence of traumatic resin ducts in the earlywood was caused by late-season tropical cyclones, mid-latitude windstorms, and snow/ice storms and served as a proxy for extreme weather frequency during 1950–2019. TRDsf was significantly related to years that had at least one documented cool-season weather event. The average TRDsf in a non-storm year was 1.95 while the average for a storm year was 2.99. Further, TRDsf was correlated with the number of cool-season weather events and there was no tree age-related bias to storm-event detection. These results support using TRD frequency to reconstruct cool-season storm history beyond current climate records at locations where older (150+ years) stands of loblolly pine forests exist along coastal North Carolina.

Ludwigia ravenii is a critically imperiled tetraploid known historically from Virginia to Florida. There have been no published studies examining the number of seeds produced per capsule to guide researchers and conservationists in planning studies or collection efforts. Such data are important considering current guidelines by the Center for Plant Conservation recommend that no more than 10 percent of a population’s seed production be collected in a single season. To fill this void, our objective was to examine and report on capsule-seed allometric relationships in the species. Our study is based on 25 capsules from six plants from the North Carolina Coastal Plain. Though admittedly limited in geographic scope, we focused on these wild plants to avoid destruction of herbarium specimens and as they were already the subject of a broader, permitted inquiry into seed germination. Consistent with prior, range-wide monographic study, measured capsule dimensions were: length 2.87–5.41 mm (mean=3.98, sd=0.64); broader facet width 1.95–3.67 mm (mean=2.94, sd=0.43); narrower facet width 1.88–3.27 mm (mean=2.70, sd=0.39). The mean number of seeds produced per capsule was 304.8 (sd=94.9). The mean number of seeds produced by capsules at least 4 mm long was 361 (sd=65.7), whereas the mean number of seeds produced by capsules less than 4 mm long was 233 (sd=77.8). In the absence of additional data from other populations, we preliminarily recommend that capsule collection efforts focus on capsules at least 4 mm long.

Three species of non-native vascular plants are reported here as new to Alabama. Persicaria capitata (Buch.-Ham. ex D. Don) H. Gross, Pistacia chinensis Bunge, and Sedum diffusum S. Watson are all species cultivated as ornamentals, and likely represent escapes from nearby plantings.

This collection represents the southern limit of the North American distribution, north of Mexico, of Saggitaria platyphylla.

The current cycle of global warming has contracted some range restricted species while concurrently expanding the range of more adaptable species. Sabal minor is a member of Arecaceae, the palm family, and is confined to lower latitudes in both western hemispheres. Latitudinal limitation of S. minor is believed to be related to low temperature intolerance. However the exact mechanism remains elusive. In this study reproductive fecundity of anthropogenically introduced populations in southern Virginia Beach, Virginia, was evaluated. Diaspore viability, approximated by floatability of fruits, was used to evaluate distribution by hydrochory. This study also documents a previously unidentified condition of fungal mass growth around the fruits of S. minor during buoyancy testing and suggests some areas for additional investigation.

Non-native and invasive (NNI) plants have spread throughout the southeastern United States. To monitor the spread of NNI plants and implement appropriate management we need to understand the relationship between NNI plants and their avian dispersers. Birds are the primary disperser of many NNI plants, and thus a thorough understanding of their role can aid agencies wishing to control the spread of NNI plants. We examined the literature to assess the current knowledge of the relationship between NNI plants, specifically shrubs, trees, and vines, and their avian dispersers in the southeastern United States. We found 56 papers covering 28 NNI plant species and 46 bird species. 66% of papers on NNI plants did not connect plants with specific avian dispersers and those that did tended to mention fewer than five avian species. More studies were conducted in Florida than any other state and most papers focused on the spread of NNI plants. Our review indicates a need for further research to identify the avian dispersers of NNI plants and the role they play in the spread of NNI in the southeast.