Vol. 28 No. 3 Long Island Botanical Society The Quarterly Newsletter Summer 2018 Noteworthy plants reported from Long Island, New York 2016 and 2017 by Eric Lamont 1 and Stephen Young 2 President, Long Island Botanical Society, 2 Chief Botanist, NY Natural Heritage Program Noteworthy plants include native and non-native vascular species. Examples include but are not limited to new records for Long Island, current status of globally or locally rare species, range extensions, extirpations, population fluctuations, and other interesting observations. Nomenclature follows Werier (2017). Amaranthus spinosus , spiny amaranth (not native) Amaranthaceae, the Amaranth Family In October 2016, Andrew Greller found several individuals of A. spinosus growing around horse dung heaps behind the stables at Caumsett State Historic Park, Lloyd Neck, Suffolk County. Victoria Bustamante also recently reported this species from Montauk, Suffolk County (Fig. 1). These reports are new county records (Weldy et al. 2018). Spiny amaranth was collected several times on Fong Island during the 1870s from Kings County and was not reported again from the Island until 2011 (FIBS Flora Committee 2012) when it was collected in Kings Co. (Midwood High School athletic field on Avenue F, Bennett 11362 , BKF) and Nassau Co. (North Hempstead, along Northern State Pkwy, exit 27, Glenn 13524, BKF). While some species of Amaranthus can prove difficult to identify, the paired nodal spines (metamorphosed bracteoles) of A. spinosus make it one of the easiest to distinguish. Asclepias viridiflora, green milkweed (native, S2) Apocynaceae, the Dogbane Family A large population of A. viridiflora was reported in June 2016 by James Stevenson from the Greentree Foundation grasslands in Nassau County (Fig. 2). A survey was conducted by Steve Young on 5 July 2016 and again on 20 July 2017 when plants were flagged and counted. A total of 151 individuals were counted making it the largest population in the state. The next largest New York population is on Staten Island with 50 plants. There are six additional known populations on Fong Island but they are all small. The population of 23 plants surveyed in 1997 at Old Westbury Gardens, Nassau County was resurveyed in 2016 and no green milkweed was observed; the grassland where they were located had succeeded to dense grasses, herbs, and invasive species. Carex barrattii , Barratt’s sedge (native, SI) Cyperaceae, the Sedge Family Hundreds of flowering culms of C. barrattii (Fig. 3) were found in 1986 by Bob Zaremba in Massapequa Fake Barrens along a stream in wet pine barrens that had been burned over. In (Continued on page 17) Figure 1. Amaranthus spinosus (spiny amaranth) at Montauk. [All photos by S. Young, except where noted.] Figure 2. Asclepias viridiflora (green milkweed) at Greentree Foundation grasslands. Page 16 Long Island Botanical Society Vol. 28 No. 3 Long Island Botanical Society Founded: 1986 • Incorporated: 1989 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. Visit the Society’s Web site www.libotanical.org Executive Board President Eric Lamont 631-722-5542 elamont@optonline. net Vice President Andrew Greller agreller2@optonline.net Treasurer Carol Johnston j ohnfj ohnston2@optonline. net Recording Secretary Sue Avery suea483@gmail.com Corresponding Secretary Rich Kelly vze2dxmil@verizon.net Committee Chairpersons Flora Eric Lamont elamont@optonline.net Andrew Greller agreller2@optonline.net Field Trips Allan Lindberg ajlindberg@optonline.net Programs Rich Kelly vze2dxmil@verizon.net Membership Lois Lindberg lalindberg3@optonline.net Conservation Bill Titus btitus@optonline.net John Turner redknot2@verizon.net Education MaryLaura Lamont woodpink59@gmail.com Hospitality Kathleen Gaffneykg73@cornell.edu Dorothy Titus btitus@optonline.net Newsletter Editor Margaret Conover margaret. conover@gmail. com with special thanks to Skip & Jane Blanchard Webmaster Donald House libsweb@yahoo.com Society News Blizzard shuts down LIBS meeting. For the second year in a row the March meeting was cancelled because of a snowstorm. Nineteen inches of snow fell on portions of Long Island on March 12 th and 13 th . Lois Lindberg’s talk on “Shu Swamp Preserve and the Beaver Brook Watershed” has been rescheduled to 9 October 2018. New publication by Andrew M. Greller. LIBS' vice-president recently published a book chapter entitled: “Beech (. Fagus grandifolia ) in the Plant Communities of Long Island, New York, and Adjacent Locations, and Some Comparisons Across Eastern North America” [Chapter 10 in Geographical Changes in Vegetation and Plant Functional Types, Geobotany Studies , published by Springer International Publishing AG, part of Springer Nature 2018. A. M. Greller et al. (eds.)] Brentwood Library exhibit highlights LIBS. In April, the Brentwood Public Library hosted a display about LIBS and botany on Long Island, curated by Donald House, LIBS webmaster. The centerpiece of the display was a set of herbarium sheets of ferns that Carol Johnston prepared while at Planting Fields Arboretum. There was a display case devoted to publications by LIBS and LIBS members and another two highlighting a selection of books useful for exploring botany on Long Island. Plum Island update. LIBS is a charter member of the Preserve Plum Island Coalition. John Turner, co-chair of the LIBS Conservation Committee, recently reported: “Over the past several years, members of the Steering Committee of the Preserve Plum Island Coalition have been meeting with multiple New York state agencies in order to gain support and set the stage for making an ask of Governor Cuomo to use his powers to protect Plum Island. This has been our backup strategy should Congress fail to pass meaningful legislation to prevent the sale of the entirety of Plum Island. Unfortunately, the two Plum Island protection bills in Congress today are stagnating in the Senate due to resistance by certain mid-western senators. We believe it is now time to engage Governor Cuomo’s help.” Towards this end, on 2 May 2018, a letter was sent to the governor with LIBS as a co-signer. Long Island Botanical Society Vol. 28 No. 3 Page 17 (Noteworthy Plants, continued from coverj his sketch of the site Zaremba showed some Phragmites to the west of the Carex population. In the summer of 2016 Steve Young searched for the sedge but found only a large monoculture of Phragmites growing in the area outlined by Bob. A complete bushwhacking survey was not conducted in 2016 and the sedge may be hiding in the interior of the Phragmites stand. In the future if a fire burns the site or if the Phragmites is controlled some other way, Barratt’s sedge may return. This population was the only known extant occurrence of this species in Nassau County. There are two historical occurrences in the county at Lynbrook and Woodmere, but they are considered extirpated because the habitat has been developed. There are only two other extant localities for this sedge in the state, both from the vicinity of Connetquot River State Park Preserve; both populations appeared healthy and vigorous in 2016. Figure 3. Carex barrattii (Barratt’s sedge). Carex mesochorea, midland sedge (native, S2) Cyperaceae, the Sedge Family While surveying the Hempstead Plains at Mitchel Field in May 1985, Bob Zaremba collected a Carex which was later identified as the state-threatened C. mesochorea (Fig. 4) but the specific locality was not noted at the time. In May 2017, the species was relocated by Steve Young during a Natural Heritage Program survey of the Plains and confirmed again in the field the following July and again at a new locality in early September when the plants and fruits were more mature. Chondrillajuncea, skeleton-weed (not native) Asteraceae, the Aster Family On 23 August 2017, Andrew Greller located a population of approximately 100 individuals of C. juncea (Fig. 5) at Jones Beach, Nassau County, and only after his find did Rich Kelly report he had observed the species there in 2008. The Kelly and Greller reports represent the first record of C. juncea for Nassau County; it is also known from Kings and Suffolk counties. The Jones Beach population occurs in fine, windblown beach sand along the border of West End 2 parking lot (immediately south of the bathroom facilities and extending eastward for about 50 yards); scattered individuals also were found in some sandy cracks of the concrete parking lot and in a natural sandy swale adjacent to the parking lot. Along the coastal plain of eastern United States C. juncea (native of Eurasia) is well established in northern Virginia with widely scattered occurrences in Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York; south of Virginia, it is known only from one county in Georgia (USDA Plants Database 2018). Cuscuta obtusiflora subsp. glandulosa , southern dodder (native, SI) Convolvulaceae, the Morning-glory Family Steve Young and Eric Lamont were surveying the shoreline of one of the Calverton coastal plain ponds in Suffolk County on 21 September 2016 and found a colony of southern dodder (Fig. 6) growing on pond shore vegetation. This occurrence is only the third time this state-endangered plant has been recorded for Long Island. Its flowers are almost identical to Cuscuta gronovii var. latiflora, another New York species mainly (Continued on page 18) Figure 6. Cuscuta obtusiflora subsp. glandulosa (southern dodder). Figure 5. Chondrilla juncea (skeleton-weed), Jones Beach. Page 18 Long Island Botanical Society Vol. 28 No. 3 (Noteworthy Plants, continued from page 17) restricted to Long Island, but can be distinguished from it by the shape of the fruits which are wider than high with a depressed beak. Fraxinus nigra, black ash (native) Oleaceae, the Ash Family Black ash, a rare tree on Long Island, was located in a swamp forest at Shu Swamp Preserve, Mill Neck, Nassau County, by Daniel Atha on 3 June 2017. The tree was about 5 m (16.4 ft) tall with a diameter (dbh) of about 10 cm (4 in). Voucher specimens were collected and deposited at The New York Botanical Garden (NY). George Peters (1973) in “The Trees of Long Island” described F. nigra as “a rare tree of wet ground with only a few herbarium specimens (NY) from West Hempstead and Mill Neck, and observations (NYSM) from Glen Cove and Jamaica.” Herniaria hirsuta subsp. cinerea , hairy rupturewort (not native) Caryophyllaceae, the Pink Family While searching for rare plants on Plum Island, Suffolk County, on 13 August 2015, Steve Young and Eric Lamont found a low, mat-forming plant they were not familiar with (Fig. 7). More than 60 individuals were located on low dunes, swales, and sandy/gravelly disturbed sites on the western end of the island. They puzzled over the identity for a few days, thinking it might be a species in the Chenopodiaceae, but finally identified it as Herniaria hirsuta subsp. cinerea (Young 2&9ANYS). No wonder they didn’t recognize it, the last time the species was collected in New York was in 1898 at the Yonkers Wool Mill, Westchester County by E. P. Bicknell (he first collected it on 8 July 1894 at the same locality; vouchers at NY). On 8 October 2015, Young found an additional individual in gravel at the edge of the Plum Island ferry parking lot in Orient so it is also growing on Long Island {Young2898 NYS). It is common in gravel areas around the ferry slip on Plum Island and seeds many have been transferred between the islands. A search for it along the beach to the tip of Orient Point did not turn up any new plants. This species is native to southern Europe, North Africa, and southwestern Asia. In North America it is fairly common in California and Arizona but has only been collected a few times east of the Mississippi River, including the Boston and Philadelphia areas. Almost exactly a year later, on 10 August 2016, Lamont found hairy rupturewort growing in sidewalk cracks in New Haven, Connecticut; apparently, a new state record (Haines 2011, USDA Plants Database 2018). Additional visits to New Haven in 2017 and 2018 revealed 100+ individuals growing in disturbed sites along State Street and Bishop Street. Voucher specimens were collected and are in Lamont’s personal herbarium. The original group of individuals found in New Haven was eradicated by herbicides in 2017 but the species appears to be well established in the area. Hydrocotyle sibthorpioides , lawn marsh pennywort (not native) Araliaceae, the Ginseng Family The earliest collection of H. sibthorpioides from Long Island is from 1934 (Suffolk Co., Cold Spring Harbor, in lawn, 20 Sep 1934, KE. Maxwell 18598, BH). In 2013 it was reported from Queens County by Nick Wagerik (Atha 2017) and in 2014 was collected in Kings County (14 Oct 2014, Atha 14936, NY). In 2017 Eric Lamont collected H. sibthorpioides from a lawn in Old Bethpage, Nassau County, representing a new county record {Lamont s.n., pers. herb.) This species is native to eastern Asia and according to Atha (2017) shows potential to be an “aggressive invader in southeastern New York particularly in wetlands.” Thus far, all known populations on Long Island are restricted to lawns. Limonium sp., sea lavender (not native) Plumbaginaceae, the Leadwort Family Figure 8. Limonium sp. (sea lavender). [Photo by V. Bustamante] Hundreds of flowering individuals of a yet-to- be determined species of Limonium (Figs. 8, 9) were found in the spring of 2017 by Lisa D’Andrea growing in the upper salt marsh of Three Mile Harbor, Suffolk County. The population came from plantings on an adjacent property; among the plantings were landscaping tags labeled (Continued on next page) Long Island Botanical Society Vol. 28 No. 3 Page 19 Pellaea atropurpurea , purple cliffbrake (native) Pteridaceae, the Cliff Brake Family Figure 9. Limonium sp. (sea lavender) rosettes. [Photo by V. Bustamante] Limonium latifolium. Daniel Atha at NYBG studied a collection by Victoria Bustamante and noted: “The Limonium specimen (Bustamante 1073) may be Limonium binervosum. The habit, leaves and inflorescences look reasonable, but there are so many species, it’s hard to be sure.” Efforts to eradicate the population began in 2017. This species needs to be identified and monitored at Three Mile Harbor. Mercurialisperennis , dog’s mercury (not native) Euphorbiaceae, the Spurge Family A small colony of this hairy, herbaceous perennial was observed by Lois Lindberg in the spring of 2016 along the border of a lawn and woodland at Coffin Woods Preserve (a unit of the North Shore Wildlife Sanctuary), Locust Valley, Nassau County. In 2017, the size of the colony increased to more than 50 individuals. The inconspicuous flowers appeared to be female only. A specimen was collected by Lindberg and photographs were sent to several botanists including Gerry Moore who identified it as M. perennis. David Werier (pers. comm., 13 Sept 2017) noted: “I am including this species in the upcoming list of plants for New York (see attached image of the specimen that I am basing my inclusion in the flora on). I consider this species not naturalized in New York and simply persisting or spreading slightly from where it was first introduced. ... Perhaps this species is starting to naturalize?” The voucher cited by Werier includes the following label data: [Nassau Co.], Westbury, “Westbury Gardens” ... abundantly established, apparently undisturbed for many years in lighted woodland, now made into a “woodland garden,” 1963, B. Blackburn s.n., BH. On a field trip (15 October 2016) to Fort Totten, Queens County, John Turner and Andrew Greller found a cliffbrake fern (Fig. 10) growing in the mortar of the old fort. Photographs were taken and sent to Michael Sundue who noted: “The dark green plant in the photo is Pellaea atropurpurea. Most of it is juvenile and sterile so the pinnae are more broad and rounded than they are on mature plants. Around New York City, P. atropurpurea can form large populations on masonry when it gets established. If you walk the eastern perimeter of Central Park for example, it is established along large stretches of the wall.” The Turner and Greller report is the first record of P. atropurpurea from Long Island (Weldy et al. 2018). Woodsia obtusa and Asplenium platyneuron also grow on the walls of the old fort (Greller and Locke 1983). Persicaria longiseta f. albiflora , low smartweed (not native) Polygonaceae, the Buckwheat Family A white flowered smartweed was collected by Rich Kelly from Planting Fields Arboretum, Oyster Bay, Nassau County, on 17 October 2016. The specimen was identified by Daniel Atha as a white color form of P. longiseta , native to Japan and rare in North America. Quercusphellos , willow oak (native, SI) Fagaceae, the Beech Family While hiking on the Long Island Greenbelt Trail in Smithtown, Suffolk County, John Turner found a large individual of willow oak with a diameter (dbh) of 3 ft 2 in which he reported “has to be several hundred years old.” Turner first observed and photographed the tree on 23 August 2017 along the north side of the Greenbelt Trail (on land owned by New York State) a little north of Jericho Turnpike just before Summerset Drive. Willow oak is a southern species whose northern range barely extends into southeastern New York. House (1924) reported Q. phellos as “Infrequent on Staten Island and rare on Long Island south of the moraine.” Torrey (1843) reported Q. phellos from (Continued on page 20) Figure 10. Pellaea atropurpurea (purple cliffbrake). [Photo by A. Greller] Page 20 Long Island Botanical Society Vol. 28 No. 3 (Noteworthy Plants, continued from page 19) New York and only listed it from Suffolk County; Miller and Young (1874), Jelliffe (1899), and Taylor (1915) also reported it from Suffolk County without a specific locality. The label data on a herbarium collection at the New York State Museum in Albany (NYS) reveals that in 1914 Roy Latham documented willow oak from Suffolk County “from a specimen brought to me from Smithtown.” It is possible that Turner found the same tree documented by Latham 100 years ago. Saururus centum, lizard’s tail (native) Saururaceae, the Lizard’s Tail Family On a field trip (7 September 2017) to Hempstead Lake State Park, Nassau County, Andrew Greller and Rich Kelly located a population of lizard’s tail consisting of approximately 100 individuals in shallow water along the southwestern edge of Hempstead Lake. This species is very rare on Long Island and has only been reported three times before (LIBS Flora Committee 2012). The last known report of lizard’s tail from Nassau County is from 1880, based on a collection from Shu Swamp Preserve, Mill Neck [Coles s.n. BKL). Utricularia striata, striped bladderwort (native, S2) Lentibulariaceae, the Bladderwort Family Figure 11. Utricularia striata (striped bladderwort) Sandpit Ponds, Calverton. During a survey of one of the coastal plain ponds in Calverton, Suffolk County, a new population of U. striata (Fig. 11) was found by Steve Young and Matthew Kaelin on 7 July 2016. It is the ninth known population of this species in New York, all of them from coastal plain ponds in Suffolk County. Literature Cited Atha, D. 2017. Hydrocotyle sibthorpioides and H. hatrachium (Araliaceae) new for New York State. Phytoneuron 2017-56: 1-6. Greller, A. M. and D. C. Locke. 1983. Stone Fort at Fort Totten: Last habitat for Woodsia obtusa and Asplenium platyneuron in Queens County, Long Island, New York. Amer. Fern J. 73: 6-8. Haines, A. 2011. Flora Novae Angliae. A Manual for the Identification of Native and Naturalized Higher Vascular Plants of New England. Yale Univ. Press, New Haven, CT. House, H. D. 1924. Annotated list of the ferns and flowering plants of New York State. Bull. New York State Mus. Nat. Hist. 254: 1-759. Jelliffe, S. E. 1899. The Flora of Long Island. The New Era Printing Co., Lancaster, PA. LIBS [Long Island Botanical Society] Flora Committee. 2012. LIBS Database of Long Island Plants. Unpublished. Miller, E. S. and H. W. Young. 1874. Catalogue of the Phaenogamous and Acrogenous Plants of Suffolk County, Long Island. Overton Printers, Port Jefferson, NY. Peters, G. H. 1973. The Trees of Long Island. The Long Island Horticultural Society, Oyster Bay, NY. Taylor, N. 1915. Flora of the vicinity of New York. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 5: 1-683. USDA NRCS. 2018. The PLANTS Database (http://plants. usda.gov). National Plant Data Team, Greensboro, NC 27401-4901 USA. Weldy, T., D. Werier, and A. Nelson. 2018. New York Flora Atlas. New York Flora Association, Albany, NY. http:// newyork.plantatlas. usf. edu/. Werier, D. 2017. Catalogue of the vascular plants of New York State. Mem. Torrey Bot. Soc. 27: 1-543. JOIN LIBS TODAY! Annual Membership is $25 payable to: Long Island Botanical Society Mail your dues to: Carol Johnston, LIBS Treasurer 347 Duck Pond Road Locust Valley, NY 11560 Long Island Botanical Society Vol. 28 No. 3 Page 21 Field Trips July - October 2018 July 14, 2018 (Saturday) 10 AM Shore Road Sanctuary and Wawapek, Cold Spring Harbor, Suffolk Co. An introduction to two land trust acquisitions Trip Leaders: Jane Jackson and Amanda Furcall, North Shore Land Alliance Shore Road Sanctuary, formerly owned by ExxonMobil, was a fuel oils terminal for decades prior to its remediation and transfer to the Land Alliance. Undergoing a habitat restoration plan, it is now a thriving grassland with pockets of maritime shrubland and wet meadow communities in progress, alongside a shoreline punctuated with tidal marsh species. Wawapek, a former estate once slated for conversion to 13 house lots, contains remnants of a formal garden alongside dense hardwood forest that slopes dramatically down to the Harbor. We will stroll along (and off!) trails through both preserves as we explore the past, present and future of these special parcels. We will begin at 95 Shore Road, then drive from there up Snake Hill Road to Wawapek. Dress for the weather; waterproof footwear may be useful. Camera and binoculars recommended. Bring a liquid and snack or sandwich, as desired. Directions: From the LIE to 95 Shore Road, Cold Spring Harbor: Take the LIE to Exit 44 to Route 135 North. At end of 135 North turn right onto Route 25/Jericho Turnpike going east toward Woodbury. Travel approximately 0.6 mile, then turn left/north onto Southwoods Road. At the end of Southwoods Road bear right onto Cold Spring (or Cold Spring Harbor or Cold Spring Harbor-Syosset!) Road. At the end of Cold Spring Road (there are a light and a stop sign here) turn right onto Route 25A. Travel east approximately 1.7 miles along Route 25A to Shore Road in Cold Spring Harbor (at light near fire station on the right at western end of the Village). Turn left onto Shore Road. Travel approximately 0.6 of a mile north on Shore Road to the preserve. The parking area is very small; you may park on the lawn at either side of it. September 8, 2018 (Saturday) 10 AM Hempstead Plains Preserve, Garden City, Nassau Co. Hempstead Plains Flora Joint trip with the New York Flora Association Trip Leaders: Steve Young and Greg Edinger The Hempstead Plains Preserve is the last remaining grassland that was part of a huge expanse of grassland in Nassau and Suffolk Counties. Fourteen rare plants have been documented there and three of them are the largest occurrences in the state. Steve Young, chief botanist of the New York Natural Heritage Program and Greg Edinger, chief ecologist, completed a survey of the plains and the adjacent Purcell Preserve in 2017. Join them for a look at the plants and communities of both preserves and how the area has changed over the years from extensive grasslands to airfields to the remaining green space we see today. The trip will end around 3 pm. There is no limit to the number of attendees but please register by contacting Steve with your name and contact phone number at 518-588-8360 or nyfloral@gmail.com. Steve will send out directions and information as the date approaches. October 20, 2018 (Saturday) 10 AM Hallock State Park Preserve. Riverhead Township, Suffolk Co. Botany and Geology Trip Leaders: Eric Lamont and Gil Hanson We will meet at the visitor’s center for an introduction to the land-use history of the park and then take a leisurely hike to the dunes and bluffs overlooking Long Island Sound, looking at autumn wildflowers and interesting geological features including hoodoos, locally called “The Pinnacles.” The land was acquired in the 1960s for use as a sand mining operation by the Levon Corp. and, in the 1970s, by the Long Island Lighting Co. as the site for a proposed nuclear power plant. New York State purchased the property in 2002 and opened it to the public in 2017. Please register by contacting Eric (elamont@optonline.net) with your name and contact phone number. Bring a liquid and snack or sandwich, as desired. Directions: Take the Long Island Expressway (1-495) east to exit 73, continue east on County Road 58 (aka Old Country Road) to Northville Turnpike, continue north to Sound Avenue and turn east for 3.4 miles to the park’s entrance (the visitor’s center is located off Sound Ave.). The address is: 6062 Sound Avenue, Jamesport. Long Island Botanical Society PO Box 507 Aquebogue, NY 11931 Page 22 Long Island Botanical Society Vol. 28 No. 3 Upcoming Programs September 11,2018* Tuesday, 7:30 PM Dave Taft: “With a Little Help from My Friends— The Parasites, Carnivores, Saprophytes and Heterotrophs Among Us.” Plants are far more than just pretty green things. In fact, some are downright Machiavellian,opportunistic, or just plain strange. Learn about the wily means through which certain resourceful plants obtain energy in this survey of the “only-sometimes-green” world of heterotrophic local plants. Dave Taft is currently the coordinator of the Jamaica Bay Unit of Gateway National Recreation Area in Brooklyn and Queens (...the other Long Island!). Though a self-described orchid addict, he can often be observed skulking through local woodlands searching for unfortunate natural subjects to photograph, write about, or draw. Location: Bill Paterson Nature Center Muttontown Preserve, East Norwich October 9, 2018* Tuesday, 7:30 PM Lois Lindberg: “Shu Swamp Preserve and the Beaver Brook Watershed.” Shu Swamp Preserve, officially the Charles T. Church Nature Sanctuary in Mill Neck, is a 60-acre jewel of the North Shore Wildlife Sanctuary system of preserves and is one component of the larger Beaver Brook Watershed. Acquisitions by Nassau County and the North Shore Land Alliance have added critical parcels that create a natural corridor to protect this valuable ecosystem. This program will explore the area’s beauty and biodiversity, especially highlighting the wildflowers and other flora of this special place. Lois has been involved in nature, ecology, and outdoor education and interpretation for many years. She has a degree in Biology from Hofstra University, and is a past Curator of Natural Science for Nassau County Department of Parks, Recreation & Museums, having worked at Muttontown, Welwyn, Sands Point, Garvies Point, and Tackapausha Preserves. She is currently the Membership Chair for the Long Island Botanical Society, and volunteers at Sagamore Hill National Historic Site in Oyster Bay as a naturalist/field trip leader. Location: Bill Paterson Nature Center, Muttontown Preserve, East Norwich * Refreshments and informal talk begin at 7:30 p.m. Formal meeting starts at 8:00 p.m. Directions to Muttontown or Stony Brook: 516-354-6506 Vol. 28 No. 4 Long Island Botanical Society The Quarterly Newsletter Fall 2018 More than a Quarter Century of LIBS Newsletters by Eric Lamont, President, Long Island Botanical Society and Margaret Conover, Newsletter Editor, Long Island Botanical Society For the past 28 years the LIBS Newsletter has been the society’s main outlet for disseminating knowledge on Long Islands flora. Original articles by local botanists and naturalists are featured in each issue in addition to society news and announcements. Articles published in the Newsletter have been cited in peer-reviewed botanical journals and books like the recently published Catalogue of The Vascular Plants of New York State by David Werier (2017). Lois Lindberg served as the first editor in 1991 followed by Steven Clemants from 1992 to 1995, Eric Lamont from 1996 to 1999, John Potente from 2000 to 2003, and Margaret Conover from 2004 to present. It should be noted that editors served without compensation. The first four editors not only selected articles and copy-edited them, but also did their own layout, printing, and mailing. Beginning in 2004, we used paid services to do layout, printing and mailing. The Newsletter has been published quarterly since 2000, but earlier, from 1991 to 1999, six issues were published yearly. Altogether, 28 volumes have been published comprising 131 issues and 1081 pages (including this issue). Articles published in the Newsletter cover a vast range of botanical topics. Many issues include a section entitled “Plant Sightings,” “Botanical Notes,” or “Noteworthy Plants Reported from Long Island.” These are lists and descriptions of both native and non¬ native vascular plant species; examples include new records for Long Island, current status of globally or locally rare species, range extensions, extirpations, population fluctuations, and appearance of invasive species. Additionally, articles on “lower plants” like mosses, liverworts, hornworts, mushrooms, lichens, seaweeds, and slime molds have been published. Plant ecology has been a frequently featured topic in the Newsletter. Articles include descriptions of new ecological (Continued on page 24) > ❖ ❖ ❖ ❖ At the Annual LIBS BBQ, June 2018 Page 24 Long Island Botanical Society Vol. 28 No. 4 Long Island Botanical Society Founded: 1986 • Incorporated: 1989 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. Visit the Society’s Web site www.libotanical.org Executive Board President Eric Lamont 631-722-5542 elamont@optonline. net Vice President Andrew Greller agreller2@optonline.net Treasurer Carol Johnston j ohnfj ohnston2@optonline. net Recording Secretary Sue Avery suea483@gmail.com Corresponding Secretary Rich Kelly vze2dxmil@verizon.net Committee Chairpersons Flora Eric Lamont elamont@optonline.net Andrew Greller agreller2@optonline.net Field Trips Allan Lindberg ajlindberg@optonline.net Programs Rich Kelly vze2dxmil@verizon.net Membership Lois Lindberg lalindberg3@optonline.net Conservation Bill Titus btitus@optonline.net John Turner redknot2@verizon.net Education MaryLaura Lamont woodpink59@gmail.com Hospitality Kathleen Gaffneykg73@cornell.edu Dorothy Titus btitus@optonline.net Newsletter Editor Margaret Conover margaret. conover@gmail. com with special thanks to Skip & Jane Blanchard Webmaster Donald House libsweb@yahoo.com Society News Environmental Disaster at North Fork Preserve by Eric Lamont Bulldozers and other heavy machinery began arriving on 21 June 2018, and clearing of native vegetation began four days later. LIBS and the entire local environmental community had no idea what was about to happen to the extensive freshwater wetlands and old growth forest at NFP, but it didn’t take long to find out. As environmentalists and several news agencies watched in disbelief, bulldozers began uprooting mature trees and clearing native vegetation during peak nesting season for birds and other wildlife. On June 26 th , more than two dozen environmentalists and concerned citizens met with County Legislator A1 Krupski and other governmental officials in Riverhead. Officials handed out maps and defended the details of their project entitled “Drainage Improvements at North Fork Preserve,” an apparent effort to control flooding along Sound Shore Road bordering the north side of the new county park. The goal of the project was to permanently alter the natural flow of water from the wetlands into the Long Island Sound and retain all water within NFP. County and State officials previously determined (unknown to LIBS) that the action would have no negative environmental impacts and would actually “improve” the park’s wetlands. Within the heart of one of Suffolk County’s most environmentally sensitive ecosystems, the County began construction of impoundments and diffusion wells, water-control and overflow structures with piping and bubbler basins, subsurface storage modules, and 4-foot high berms. Setbacks from freshwater wetlands were not deemed necessary. The project also included excavation and removal of native soils and introduction of sub-surface derived fill and crushed stone. Environmentalists pleaded for the protection of three wetlands in particular that would be severely impacted by the project. The wetlands are located deep within a globally rare swamp white oak (Quercus bicolor) forest and one pond supported a population of featherfoil (.Hottonia inflata), a rare aquatic plant in New York. County officials eventually agreed to slightly alter construction plans at two of the wetlands and completely relocate the third impoundment, originally to be constructed within the center of a wetland. Heavy rains began to fall on August 18 th , eight weeks after construction began. Water and fine sediments of silt and clay broke through “protective” silt fences on two of the ponds and turned the once-pristine pond water into a sickly cafe-au-lait color; one pond supported the colony of featherfoil previously mentioned. Negotiations continue with the County to correct the worst of what has happened. [Ed. Note: LIBS previously published a series of articles highlighting the rich biodiversity and environmental sensitivity of NFP (see LIBS Newsletter. vol. 23, pp. 32-33; vol. 24, p. 10, and vol. 25, pp. 19-20).] Long Island Botanical Society Vol. 28 No. 4 Page 25 (Quarter Century of LIBS Newsletters, continued from cover) communities on Long Island, alternative views on the origin of the Pine Barrens, surveys of old growth forests and novel ecosystems, and the past and present status of unique communities like the maritime grasslands and the Grandifolia Sandhills. Articles on the history of botany include tributes to local botanists like Roy Latham and Fanny Mulford, wildflower observations by Teddy Roosevelt, a history of botany education in American high schools, and a review and database of the field trips offered by LIBS since its inception. Other articles cover original research on fossil plants, conservation topics and management of sensitive habitats. Notes and articles on local and regional environmental laws, as well as preservation of sensitive habitats like the Hauppauge Springs and entire ecosystems like Plum Island, keep the membership informed on important environmental issues. Original poetry by LIBS members has also been featured. Print circulation has fluctuated over the years but since 2013 has remained steady at about 190 subscribers. Since about 2005, LIBS newsletters have been available digitally both to members and to the general public through LIBS’s website: http://www.libotanical.org/newsletters.html as pdf files that are printable and can be read with Adobe Reader. These newsletters are searchable if you know how. To read what has been written about a given species, e.g. Magnolia , type the following into the Google search engine: “magnolia site:http://www.libotanical.org/newsletters”. The search will yield links to every newsletter in which the word appears. Similar searches can be done on author and place names. Since 2016, LIBS newsletters have been included in the Biodiversity Heritage Library (BHL), "a consortium of natural history and botanical libraries that cooperate to digitize the legacy literature of biodiversity held in their collections and to make that literature available for open access and responsible use as a part of a global biodiversity commons.” The site is searchable and is visited by over 100,000 researchers every month. LIBS newsletters, which have been uploaded by The LuEsther T. Mertz Library of The New York Botanical Garden, appear at this link: https://www.biodiversitylibrary. org/bibliography/113735#/summary [Ed. Note: With this issue, I end a delightful 14-year experience as your Newsletter editor. I’d like to thank all the authors, artists, and photographers who contributed their scholarly and creative works; the program and field trip coordinators, A1 Lindberg and Rich Kelly; Eric Lamont who as LIBS’ president solicited nearly every article we published; layout designer Marylee Kuczewski; and especially Skip and Jane Blanchard whose cheerfully-delivered editing and proof-reading remarks made this task both educational and enjoyable. And of course, thank you all for reading! Margaret Conover, Eugene, Oregon.] Fi e ld Trips October 20, 2018 (Saturday) 10 AM Hallock State Park Preserve. Riverhead Township, Sujfolk Co. Botany and Geology Trip Leaders: Eric Lamont and Gil Hanson We will meet at the visitor’s center for an introduction to the land-use history of the park and then take a leisurely hike to the dunes and bluffs overlooking Long Island Sound, looking at autumn wildflowers and interesting geological features including hoodoos, locally called “The Pinnacles.” The land was acquired in the 1960s for use as a sand mining operation by the Levon Corp. and, in the 1970s, by the Long Island Lighting Co. as the site for a proposed nuclear power plant. New York State purchased the property in 2002 and opened it to the public in 2017. Please register by contacting Eric (elamont@optonline. net) with your name and contact phone number. Bring a liquid and snack or sandwich, as desired. Directions: Take the Long Island Expressway (1-495) east to exit 73, continue east on County Road 58 (aka Old Country Road) to Northville Turnpike, continue north to Sound Avenue and turn east for 3.4 miles to the park’s entrance (the visitor’s center is located off Sound Ave.). The address is: 6062 Sound Avenue, Jamesport. Upcoming Programs cont'd from back cover December 11, 2018* Tuesday, 7:30 PM Members Night: Members are welcome to bring photos, stories, specimens, and tales of peculiar sightings of favorite plants. This is a great opportunity to show what you have found while exploring on Long Island or elsewhere. Please contact Rich Kelly in advance to advise as to the approximate number of images/slides that you would like to show and preferred medium of presentation. Thanks. Location: Bill Paterson Nature Center, Muttontown Preserve, East Norwich * Refreshments and informal talk begin at 7:30 p.m. Formal meeting starts at 8:00 p.m. Literature Cited Werier, D. 2017. Catalog of the vascular plants of New York State. Mem. Torrey Bot. Soc. 27:1-543. Reminder - no meetings in January or February. Long Island Botanical Society PO Box 507 Aquebogue, NY 11931 Page 26 Long Island Botanical Society Vol. 28 No. 4 Upcoming Programs October 9, 2018* Tuesday, 7:30 PM Lois Lindberg: “Shu Swamp Preserve and the Beaver Brook Watershed.” Shu Swamp Preserve, officially the Charles T. Church Nature Sanctuary in Mill Neck, is a 60-acre jewel of the North Shore Wildlife Sanctuary system of preserves and is one component of the larger Beaver Brook Watershed. Acquisitions by Nassau County and the North Shore Land Alliance have added critical parcels that create a natural corridor to protect this valuable ecosystem. This program will explore the area’s beauty and biodiversity, especially highlighting the wildflowers and other flora of this special place. Lois has been involved in nature, ecology, and outdoor education and interpretation for many years. She has a degree in Biology from Hofstra University, and is a past Curator of Natural Science for Nassau County Department of Parks, Recreation & Museums, having worked at Muttontown, Welwyn, Sands Point, Garvies Point, and Tackapausha Preserves. She is currently the Membership Chair for the Long Island Botanical Society, and volunteers at Sagamore Hill National Historic Site in Oyster Bay as a naturalist/field trip leader. Location: Bill Paterson Nature Center, Muttontown Preserve, East Norwich November 13, 2018* Tuesday, 7:30 PM John Potente: "Herbicides in Agriculture and Land Restoration." John will discuss the role of herbicides in crop production and land restoration. The program will cover how they are used, what they are intended to do, and what ecological consequences may arise from their use. He will also discuss the collateral effects of herbicides on non¬ plant species. John Potente is president of Native America and recently published his second book entitled Ode to an Egg, an analogy between the Humpty Dumpty story and planet Earth. In the first stanzas of Ode, Humpty is described as "an egg that was wide and a little tall, not quite so round, with a bulge in his middle," a poetic way of describing a slightly oblate spheroid, the true shape of Earth . . . and Humpty Dumpty. John, a life member of LIBS, served on the executive board for 14 years from 1998 to 2011 and was editor of the Newsletter for four years. He is still active in his dental practice. Location: Bill Paterson Nature Center, Muttontown Preserve, East Norwich (Programs continued inside on page 25)