Volume 90 – Issue 2 (December 2025) – The Southern Appalachian Botanical Society

The Botanical Contributions of Robert Leslie James (1897–1977) in Northwestern Alabama and Northeastern Tennessee

Foster Levy
Benjamin A. McCullough
2026-01-13T17:38

Robert Leslie James was an exemplary citizen scientist who, although largely forgotten to history, discovered the monotypic genus named for him, Jamesianthus (Asteraceae), made modest but important herbarium collections including new state records for Alabama and Tennessee, and published diverse and detailed botanical papers. Most of James’ work was centered around his home in Russellville, Alabama and his subsequent long-term residence at the Mountain Home Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Johnson City, Tennessee. Through copious correspondence, he befriended numerous botanists of the eastern United States and led several on collecting trips in the under- botanized regions of northwestern Alabama and northeastern Tennessee.

Late-Stage Stress Gene Activation Reveals the Cost of Carnivory in Dionaea muscipula

Jeremy D. Rentsch
2026-01-13T17:29

Carnivorous plants rely on prey digestion to supplement nutrient acquisition in low-nutrient habitats, yet the physiological costs of this adaptation remain understudied. Here, we test whether carnivory engages stress programs at the expense of photosynthesis (Givnish model) by profiling Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula) gene expression across a time series of prey capture and digestion. Using a transcriptome-guided RNA-seq analysis, we quantify trap-wide responses in a curated set of 75 stress associated genes spanning oxidative detoxification, protein folding, and signal transduction. We find minimal activation following mechanical stimulation alone, but significant upregulation during prey digestion, particularly at 12–72 h. Summed transcripts per million (TPM) and differential expression analyses indicate that prey presence, not closure per se, is the primary driver of stress signaling. We extend this analysis with a targeted photosynthesis gene panel, which reveals an early (3 h) onset and pronounced late (48–72 h) suppression of PSI/PSII core, antenna, and ATP synthase transcripts in traps with prey, consistent with a selective, digestion-coupled down-regulation of the light-harvesting/ photochemical apparatus.

Noteworthy Collections: Rare Species Documented from Streamside Bogs of the Martin’s Fork Watershed, Cumberland Gap National Historical Park, Bell County, Kentucky

Alaina Krakowiak
Zach Irick
2026-01-13T17:13

Martin’s Fork is a 32-mile tributary to the Cumberland River that originates in the remote backcountry wilderness of Cumberland Gap National Historical Park (CUGA) and flows through Bell and Harlan counties, Kentucky. Within CUGA, this shallow stream slowly meanders through a narrow, montane valley (730 m) between the ridges of Cumberland and Brush Mountains. This valley is primarily forested with healthy eastern hemlocks (Tsuga canadensis) and various hardwoods, and is characterized by the presence of several globally rare streamside bogs (G2; CEGL007771). These “bogs” are influenced by both groundwater and precipitation, with slow-draining hydric soils along a low gradient slope and thus could also be described as poor fens. In addition to the multiple known occurrences of state rare species such as Eriophorum virginicum (S1), Juncus subcaudatus (S1), and Oclemena acuminata (S2), we documented two new species of conservation concern in streamside bogs of the Martin’s Fork watershed: the federally-listed Platanthera integrilabia (G2/ S1), a first for the Central Appalachians Level III Ecoregion, and Isoëtes valida, a state record for Kentucky.

A Preliminary Survey and Assessment of Rare Plant Communities of the Calcareous Tertiary of Mississippi and Alabama

John Kees
2026-01-13T17:05

Mississippi’s Jackson Prairie and related limestone barrens of southwest Alabama are highly imperiled yet critical components of the North American Coastal Plain biodiversity hotspot. I here offer a preliminary, qualitative classification of plant communities associated with Eocene- and Oligocene-aged calcareous outcrops with an annotated checklist of associated species. A map of calcareous prairie patches from the past 30 years was constructed from satellite imagery, with reference to USDA soils data and geologic shapefiles. A total of 1393 patches were mapped spanning 2191.57 hectares. Site visits were conducted in the spring and summer 2021–2023 to ground-truth mapping and assemble species checklists for individual prairie and outcrop sites. Herbarium records, Element Occurrence Records, and iNaturalist observations were incorporated to examine current and historic presence of species. Documented here are 744 vascular plant species associated with 17 distinct community types, including grasslands, woodlands, and forests correlated with different substrates, disturbance regimes, and topographic positions, more specific than those included in the U.S. National Vegetation Classification. Long-term distributional trends are difficult to analyze due to lack of data and inconsistencies in historic records, but it is clear that the extent, quality, and diversity of all natural communities has declined, and that due to preservation bias a significant portion of the historic acreage of the Jackson Prairie represents likely extinct community types associated with more mesic, loamy, and acidic soils than current remnants.

Genetic Insights and Conservation Priorities for Lilium grayi (Liliaceae), Gray’s Lily, in the Southern Appalachians

S. Ben Brewer
Matt C. Estep
2025-11-20T16:23

Lilium grayi (Liliaceae), or Gray’s Lily, is a rare, threatened, perennial herb endemic to high elevations in the Southern Appalachians. Once more widespread, it is now restricted to 46 occurrences across 15 counties. Lilium grayi faces numerous threats, including limited distribution, habitat loss, small and fragmented populations, and reproductive failure caused by an invasive fungal pathogen. Despite these concerns, no prior studies have assessed the species’ genetic diversity or population structure—critical data for informed conservation planning. Here, we analyzed 19 populations of L. grayi, including four putative hybrid populations of L. ×pseudograyi, using 11 microsatellite loci. Contrary to expectations for a rare and fragmented species, we found moderate levels of genetic diversity and little genetic differentiation among populations, suggesting substantial gene flow, likely facilitated by the species’ long-distance migratory hummingbird pollinator. Population structure analyses (DAPC, STRUCTURE, AMOVA) supported this high connectivity, revealing no clear geographic clustering. Hybrid populations, by contrast, exhibited lower genetic diversity and higher fixation indices, indicating increased isolation and inbreeding. These findings provide an essential genetic baseline for L. grayi, highlight the importance of continued monitoring, and suggest that conservation efforts should prioritize preserving both genetic diversity and connectivity among populations to enhance resilience in the face of ongoing threats.

Scientific Note: First Record of Extrafloral Nectary Expression and Myrmecophytism in the Eastern Prickly Pear (Opuntia cespitosa)

Cade C. Campbell
2025-11-20T16:08

This is the first documentation of extrafloral nectaries and associated myrmecophytism in Opuntia cespitosa. Three species of ants were observed visiting extrafloral nectaries on O. cespitosa, and two species were observed exhibiting competitive plant-guarding behavior.

Community Analyses of Urban and SuburbanForested Natural Areas in Shelby County,Tennessee, Reveal Old-Growth Attributes

Braxton J. Jeffcoat
Lee E. Bridges, Aidan M. Kron, Jacob F. Spears, and Robert G. Laport
2025-10-10T16:38

European colonization of eastern North America resulted in widespread loss of old-growth easterndeciduous forest, altering native plant and animal biodiversity. Though recent studies have revealedremnant old-growth forests, it remains uncertain how widespread forests with old growth characteristicsare throughout the southeastern United States. This is especially true near urban centerswhere historical disturbance was likely most pronounced. Yet, small patches of forest with oldgrowth characteristics persist as urban or suburban forested natural areas where they are importantreservoirs of biodiversity and provide crucial ecosystem services. Here, we investigate several uplanddeciduous forest communities in Shelby County, Tennessee, to assess whether urban and suburbanforested natural areas exhibit species assemblage and structural features consistent with commonly acceptedcriteria for old-growth forest, and how they may have been shaped by diverse land usehistories across an urban to suburban gradient. We found community composition broadly similarbetween urban and suburban forested natural areas, but also significant differences in speciesassemblage based on tree densities and basal areas, likely due to unique land use and disturbancehistories. Forests also meet some, but not all, commonly employed criteria for western and mixedmesophytic old-growth forest, including individual tree ages >200 years, consistent with ongoingsuccessional trajectories toward old-growth forest. Nevertheless, the urban and suburban forestednatural areas of southwest Tennessee harbor important plant biodiversity in a region that has experiencedintensive post-colonial anthropogenic disturbance and likely warrant continued thoughtfulmanagement and restoration to attain “new” old-growth status.

Population Trends, Demography, and Seed Ecology of the Florida Scrub Endemic Chrysopsis highlandsensis (Asteraceae: Astereae)

Aaron S. David
Stephanie M. Koontz, Sterling A. Herron, Steve Orzell, and Eric S. Menge
2025-10-10T16:27

Chrysopsis highlandsensis (Highlands Goldenaster; Asteraceae) is a state endangered herb found primarily within pyrogenic scrub communities in south-central Florida. Little is known of its ecology, including population trends, demography, response to fire, and seed ecology. Here, we report on the first detailed demographic study of C. highlandsensis over 24 years of field monitoring across 10 populations (6,456 plants) and supplemental surveys and experiments to investigate (1) population trends and vital rates in scrub and roadside habitat, (2) seed ecology, and (3) rangewide population trends. Seedling recruitment occurred year-round, primarily during the winter dry season following flowering (Dec–Mar), and large recruitment events were not associated with fire or mechanical disturbances. Although burning reduced survival, 39% of individuals (>1 year old) that experienced fire survived. Roadside vegetative plants transitioned to reproductive adults at smaller sizes (rosette diameter) than did those in the scrub. Reproductive individuals lived a mean of 4.3 years (max. 12 years). Mortality occurred following the first reproductive event in 87% of individuals, indicative of a largely monocarpic life cycle. Viability of intact seeds was estimated at 20%. Across five field germination experiments, germination ranged from 1.0–8.6%, and the maximum observed seed bank duration was five years. Seed predation by vertebrates accounted for a 23% decline in seed numbers. Rangewide surveys showed significant declines in five of seven sites from 2005–2020. Together, these findings indicate that populations are generally declining, and that several factors, particularly low reproductive output and seedling recruitment, likely limit population growth.

Noteworthy Collections: Korean Rock Fern, Polystichum luctuosum (Kunze) T.Moore (Dryopteridaceae) Collections in Georgia

Robert W. Pemberton
2025-09-15T18:24

These are the first collections of the Korean rock fern having escaped cultivation in Georgia.

Viola impostor (Violaceae), a New Species from the Southeastern Atlantic Coastal Plain

Remington N. Burwell
Harvey E. Ballard, Jr.
2025-09-15T18:17

While long recognized as a distinctive biotic region, the North American Coastal Plain has received increasing taxonomic attention in recent decades, resulting in many newly described species and resurrected older names. Recent intensive taxonomic studies in Viola subsect. Borealiamericanae (Acaulescent Blue violets) of eastern North America have supported recognition of more than 40 distinct evolutionary species, including several undescribed taxa and other long-neglected names requiring reinstatement or elevation in rank. A new southeastern Atlantic Coastal Plain endemic, Viola impostor, belonging to the Affinis species group, was previously confused with Viola affinis, V. cucullata, and Viola langloisii, but differs in features of leaves, chasmogamous flowers, cleistogamous capsules, and seeds. It grows in and around riparian baldcypress-swamps and deciduous floodplains from southeastern Virginia to eastern Georgia, where it is mostly restricted to the outer Atlantic Coastal Plain. A table of salient macromorphological traits and dichotomous keys to chasmogamous flowering and cleistogamous fruiting specimens distinguish the new species from others most similar to it. A diagnosis and description, plate of structures, specimen citations, ecological information, conservation assessment, and a geographic distribution map provide further details on V. impostor.

Volume 90 – Issue 2 (December 2025)

Castanea