LONG ISLAND BOTANICAL SOCIETY NEWSLETTER Vol. 7, No. 6 Nov. - Dec. 1997 Preliminary Atlas of the Ranunculaceae of Long Island, New York The Flora Committee has been working for the past year on this fourth contribution to an atlas of Long Island plants. This installment treats the Ranunculaceae or buttercup family. As with the preceding treatments we have followed the names as presented in the Flora of North America. The latest (third) volume of FNA covers the Ranunculaceae, and includes the following name changes that may not be familiar: Anemone americana(DC.) H. Hara for Hepatica americana (DC.) Ker.; common name: round-lobed hepatica. Recent research indicates ih?L\. Anemone, Hepatica, and Pulsatilla all belong to the same genus. Ranunculus aquatilisL. var. dijfusus Withering for Ranunculus trichophyllus Chaix ex Vill. Thalictrum thalictroides (L.) Fames & Boivin for Anemonella thalictroides i}^.) Spach. Recent research adds support for 'mc\u r , Thalictrum revolutum DC. - WAXY MEADOW-RUE Native Ranunculus repens L. - Alien CREEPING BUTTERCUP 1 «- — ^ A ' Ul7v rf-. 1/ ■v>"^ Thalictrum thalictroides (L.) Eames & Boivin - Native RUE ANEMONE Xanthorhiza simplicissima Marsh Native YELLOWROOT L,L Botanical Society Nov, - Dec. 1997 Page 37 Seabeach Amaranth Doing Well in 1997 A total of just under 8000 plants of the federally threatened seabeach amaranth {Amaranthus pumilus) were counted on Long Island beaches this year. Annual counts have taken place on Long Island since 1990 when the plant was rediscovered, and this year’s count is the highest ever. Most plants are concentrated at two sites in western Nassau and eastern Queens counties but plants are found east to Westhampton Island. Because North and South Carolina plants have suffered from numerous recent hurricanes Long Island may have the most flowering plants in the world at this time. The recent success of Long Island plants seems to be primarily due to the protection provided by the fencing of beaches for rare piping plovers and terns. Unfortunately there is constant pressure from beach users to reduce or eliminate these areas. The replenishment and movement of barrier island sands by the U.S. Corps of Engineers is another big unknown factor in the success of this plant. It probably provides new habitat in some areas and destroys habitat in others. We hope future research will provide new insights on the biology of this rare and interesting beach plant. Steve Young, NY Natural Heritage Program Sexual Reproduction in American Chestnut on L.I. The hand pollination of a group of flowering American chestnut trees in July (see LIBS newslet- ter, vol. 7: 28-29) bore seed this October. Some of these seeds (of Long Island stock) will be planted at Caleb Smith State Park and others will go on to American Chestnut Foundation research. Special thanks to Margaret Conover, Gary Chattam, and Ann Carter for properly identifying and locating these important trees. John Potente, Hauppauge Recovery of Curly-Grass Fern on Eastern Long Island Curly-grass fern (Schizaea pusilla) was first collected on Long Island by Roy Latham in the 1920’s. But Latham’s discovery went unnoticed by the botanical world for more than 30 years. In Gray’s Manual of Botany (Fernald, 1950) curly-grass fern is listed as occurring in Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, and the pine barrens of New Jersey. Likewise, in The New Britton and Brown Illustrated Flora, Gleason (1952) reported curly- grass fern as “rare and local,” in Newfoundland, Nova Scotia. Ontario, and New Jersey (the report from Bruce County, Ontario, has been subsequently discounted by most fern experts). Harold and Andrew Moldenke’s discovery of a second population of curly-grass fern at Napeague, Long Island, was the first published report from New York State (Moldenke, 1960; Rhodora 62; 294). Throughout the late 1960’s and I970’s the two populations were monitored by local botanists including Joe Beitel, Henry Bookout, Ann Johnson, and Chris McKeever. Others knowledgeable of the site included Stanley Smith from the State Museum at Albany and Jim Montgomery from New Jersey. Sometime around 1980 one of the two populations died out and has never recovered. Changes in local water drainage patterns may account for the loss of this popula- tion which was located in an open peaty depression adjacent to railroad tracks at Napeague. Throughout the 1980’s and early 1990’ s the remaining population of curly-grass fern thrived in a long, open moist swale in Napeague which Chris McKeever de- scribed as “undoubtedly the bed of the old wagon road to Montauk.” During these years the population size varied between 40 to more than 100 individuals (Lament, personal observation). In 1995 Long Island suffered a severe drought. The long, moist swale at Napeague dried up. Plant leaves curled and turned brown. Cranberries shrivelled and withered away. The open swale baked in the intense summer heat; the effects of the drought on the fern population were devastating. During several visits to the site, I was able to locate only 6 plants; none had produced fertile fronds. Normal amounts of precipitation fell on Long Island during late 1995 and the first six months of 1996. But intense searches by several botanists revealed only two individuals of Schizaea at the “long swale” locality in Napeague. It was feared that New York might lose its last known population of curly-grass fern. Monthly surveys from June to October 1997, revealed a substantial recovery of Schizaea at Napeague. Twenty- L.L Botanical Society Nov. - Dec. 1997 Page 38 four individuals were observed at the long swale locality and a new sub-population, consisting of three individuals, was discovered 350 to 400 feet east of the main popula- tion. Approximately half the individuals had produced fertile fronds. Yearly surveys of the historical “railroad track” population have revealed no signs of recovery; the last documented occurrence of curly-grass fern from that locality was in September 1978 (Ann Johnson, personal communication). The site is consistently drier than it used to be and the area is slowly succeeding into a shrubland. Curly-grass fern is notoriously difficult to find, searches are often conducted on hands and knees even in areas where it is known to occur. It is possible that additional populations of Schizaea may occur scattered throughout the numerous isolated moist swales and depressions at Napeague. Acknowledgments; Appreciation is expressed to Jim Ash, Henry Bookout, and Ann Johnson for assistance in field surveys and for sharing historical information. I am indebted to the late Joe Beitel who first shared with me the locality of Schizaea at Napeague. Eric Lamont, Riverhead Society News LIBS Elections 1997 The Nominating Committee has submitted the following slate of candidates to serve as officers during 1998 and 1999: President Eric Lamont Vice President Skip Blanchard - Treasurer Carol Johnston Recording Secretary Barbara Conolly Corresponding Sec’y John Potente Elections will take place during the monthly meeting of 1 1 November 1997. As stated in the by-laws, chairpersons of each committee are not voted into office, but appointments are confirmed by the Executive Board. Vincent Puglisi, Chairperson Nominating Committee Executive Board Meeting A meeting of the Executive Board will be held on 1 1 Nov. 1997 at 6:15 pm (before the monthly meeting and program) at the Bill Paterson Nature Center, Muttontown Preserve. All members are welcome. Lost Newsletters? For some unexplained reason several members did not receive the last issue of the newsletter (Sept/Oct 1997; vol. 7, no. 5). If you did not receive your copy, please contact Eric Lamont at 516/722-5542. Field Trip Report Aquatic Plants of Eastern Long Island- On 23 August 1997, Dr. Alfred Schuyler from the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia presented a workshop on identification of aquatic plants. Sixteen LIBS members participated. The afternoon field trip consisted of visits to Sweezy Pond (south of Riverhead), Peconic River, Sandy Pond (Calverton), and Carmans River. The following aquatic plants were observed (nomenclature follows Mitchell & Tucker, 1997): water- shield {Brasenia schreberi), fanwort iCabomba caroliniana), four species of spikerush {Eleocharis acicularis, E. microcarpa, E. flavescens, E. robbinsii), pipewort (Eriocaulon aquaticum), Tuckerman’s quillwort {Isoetes tuckermanii), duckweed {Lemna minor), yellow pondlily (Nuphar variegata), white waterlily (Nymphaea odorata), floating-heart (Nymphoides cordata), arrowleaf (Peltandra virginica), pickerel-weed (Pontederia cordata), three species of pondweed (Potamogeton epihydriis, P. petfoliatus, P. spirillus), white water- crowfoot (Ranunculus trichophyllus), quill-leaf arrow- head (Sagittaria teres), chairmaker's rush (Scirpus pungens), clubrush [Scirpus subterminalis), bur-reed [Sparganium eurycarpum), giant duckweed [Spirodela polyrhiz.a), three species of bladderwort [Utricularia cornuta, U. fibrosa, U. purpurea), tapegrass [Vallisneria americana), watermeal [Wolff a braziliensis), and large yellow-eyed grass [Xyris smalliana). Eric Lamont, Riverhead Answers to Botany Quiz {from page 33) A. Early Meadow-rue [Thalictrum dioicum)-, B. Virgin's- bower [Clematis virginiana)', C. Wild Columbine [Aquilegia canadensis)-, D. White Baneberry [Actaea pachypoda)-, E. Wood Anemone [Anemone quinquifolia)-, F. Thimbleweed [Anemone cylindrica). L.L Botanical Society Nov. - Dec. 1997 Page 39 LONG ISLAND BOTANICAL SOCIETY Founded: 1986; Incorporated: 1989. PROGRAMS The Long Island Botanical Society is dedicated to the promotion of field botany and a greater understanding of the plants that grow wild on Long Island. New York, President Vice President Treasurer RecVd Sec'y Cofsp Sec'y Local Flora Field Trip Membership Conservation Education Hospitality Program Editor Eric Lament Skip Blanchard Carol Johnston Barbara Conolly Jane Blanchard Steven Clemants Glenn Richard Allan Lindberg Lois Lindberg John Turner Louise Harrison Mary Laura Lainont Thomas Allen Stock Betty Lotowyez Skip Blanchard Steven Clemants Eric Lament Membership Membership is open to all. and we welcome new members. Annual dues are $10. For membership, make your check payable to LONG ISLAND BOTANICAL SOCIETY and mail to: Lois Lindberg, Membership Chairperson, 45 Sandy Hill Road, Oyster Bay, NY 11771-3111 11 November 1997 - 7:30 pm* Dr. Steven Clemants (Brooklyn Botanic Garden) "Plants of the Ukraine" A slide show of plants of the Carpathian Mts., and other regions of the Ukraine Location: Bill Patterson Nature Center, Muttontown Preserve, East Norwich 9 December 1997 - 7:30 pm* Dr. Margery Oldfield (Director, Seatuck Research Program) "Values & Uses of Plant Diversity" Why is biodiversity such an important issue these days? Find out as Dr. Oldfield explains, using local, national and global examples. Location: Museum of L.L Natural Sciences, Room 137. SUNY at Stony Brook. ^Refreshments & informal talk begin at 7:30pm, the meeting starts at 8pm. For directions to: 1) Muttontown Preserve call 516/571-8500; 2) MOLINS, call 516/632-823 0, LONG ISLAND BOTANICAL SOCIETY c/o Muttontown Preserve Muttontown Lane East Norwich, New York 11732 L.L Botanical Society Nov. - Dec. 1997 Page 40