Botrychium pallidum Newly Discovered in Maine

2004·1.3 MB·English

by  Arthur V Gilman

American Fern Journal 94(3):155-162 (2004)
Shorter Notes
—
A
Botrychium pallidum Newly
Discovered Maine,
in recent report of
Botrychium pallidum W. H. Wagner from Maine (Wagner, W. H. and
Jr.,
FNA
F. Wagner, 1993, Ophioglossaceae. Pp. 85-105 in Editorial Commit-
S.
Flora North America north Mexico, voL Pteridophy^es and
tee, of of 2.
New
Gymnosperms, Oxford University Press, York) was apparently erroneous
(W. H. Wagner, pers. comm.) and was subsequently removed in the second
known
on what was made, and
printing of early 1994. not basis the report
is
It
no specimens have been seen in regional herbaria support Now, however,
to
it.
the species has been discovered at a site in Washington County, Maine, the
first in the northeastern United States, The site is located approximately 440
km
known
south of the nearest station Bic, Saguenay County, Quebec.
at
The Maine population was observed on 2000 and again on 17 June
July
first 3
On
two were Given
2001, both dates, only plants observed. the difficulties
inherent in identifying moonworts (Williston, P. 2001. The Botrychiaceae of
Alberta. Alberta Natural Heritage Information Centre, Edmonton], the
was made on
identification awaited confirmation until another visit 14 June
2003, when 60 well-formed, unequivocally identifiable plants were observed.
They occurred singly and in small clumps (2-4 stems per clump), scattered
m
On
over an area approximately 12 X 60 m. a return visit on 24 June 2003,
due on were
fewer plants were observed, perhaps to herbivory; plants that date
One
observed be sporulating and most were already senescent. plant (above
to
and two
ground parts only] was collected for isozyme analysis for vouchers.
(Don Iowa
Isozyme confirmed the identity Farrar, State
analysis also
comm.].
University, pers.
Manan
Voucher USA: Maine: Washington County: Steuben, Petit
material:
with Botrychium simplex and
National Wildlife Refuge, 60 plants in old field,
Botrychium among low grasses, forbs, mosses, and lichens,
matricariifolium,
Norm Famous & Marcia Spencer-Famous
14 Gilman 03008, (lA];
June 2003,
&
Rooney, Linda Welch
Arthur Haines, Sally
24 Gilman 03009,
June 2003,
Manan
(MAINE, National Wildlife Refuge).
Michael Langlois Herb. Petit
where was
from Quebec,
was described
Botrychium pallidum originally it
W. and Wagner.
1990.
(Wagner, H.
Catherine F. S.
collected near Bale
St. Jr.,
moonworts North America with descriptions
Notes on fan-leaved group of in
the
been
Quebec, has
two new members. Amer. Fern 80:73-81]. In also
of it
J.
MICH,
[Wagner 90010 Wagner, image seen; Coursol et ah,
collected at Bic Et
Gaspe County Labrecque,
DAO, and Federal Park,
image Forillon
seen],
(J.
known
du Quebec, comm.]. also from the
Ministere de FEnvironement pers. It is
and
Michigan (Upper and Lower Peninsulas), Ontario,
Great Lakes region in
Montana, and Colorado
Saskatchewan, Alberta,
and
Minnesota, occurs in
Wagner and Wagner, 1993; Williston, 2001).
(Wagner and Wagner, 1990;
normally
widely populations
with scattered
species
Nevertheless, a rare
it is
156 AMERICAN FERN JOURNAL: VOLUME NUMBER
94
3 (2004)
consisting of few individuals. It currently has a Global Heritage Status Rank of
G3
(globally vulnerable) taxon [NatureServe, 2003, NatureServe Explorer: an on-
encyclopedia [web
line of life application]. Version 1.8. NatureServe, Arlington,
VA.
http: www.natureserve.org/explorer accessed 6 April 2004). Williston
maybe
however, suggested even G2
[2001), rarer, (globally imperiled).
it i.e.,
The Maine Manan
population occurs on the Petit National Wildlife Refuge
(PMNWR),
holding
a federal dedicated primarily to preserving migratory bird
and
enhancing
habitat the success of seabird nesting petitmananfws.gov).
(http:
Botrychium pallidum colony approxima
is
fiiifi
Pourret and rubra and
F. L., a sparse cover of mostly non-native
forbs,
Hieracium
especially pilosella H. praealtum Gochnat, Taraxacum
L., laeviga-
tum DC, Rhinanthus Rumex
(Wild.)
crista-galli acetosella and an
L.,
L.,
Trifoli
m
a
tricariifoli
Other on show
fields the Refuge a dominant
significant or cover of
shrubs, Vaccinium
e.g. angustifoli
Michx., Kalmia am
angustifolia
L.,
J
angustifoli
vjtis-idaea occur in the area of the Botrychium colony, evidence perhaps
of
a less acidic soil reaction or different history of disturbance immediate
in the
area. Areas within the colony not covered with
vascular plants support patches
of mosses, including Aulacomnium
palustre (Hedw.) and
Schaegr. Poly-
trichum Hedw., and
piliferum Hchens, and
Peltigera Cladonia
sp. spp.
The
discovery One
presents challenges.
is to discover other regional
populations. Botrychium
matricariifolium, simplex, and
B. B. lunaria
(L.)
Maine
Maritime
expected. Accurately
characterizing the micro-habitat
of this population with
respect to soil type, soil chemistry, nutrient input [perhaps including
ions
from storm spray), disturbance regime, and may
other factors prove helpful in
searching for other regional populations.
Another challenge devolves upon US
the Fish and
Wildlife
Service:
to
manage
manner
the habitat in a that will maintain Some
this population. type
may
of long-rotation disturbance regime
be
necessary
to retard habitat
and
succession provide
colonizable
(Oilman,
sites A. V. 2002. Botrychium
lunaria Sw. {Moonwort) Conservation and New
(L.) Research Plan
England.
for
New
England Wild Flower
Framingham, MA).
Society,
Thanks
are extended to Linda Welch, Refuge Manager,
permission
for
to
and
enter protected areas to collect specimens, Michael (PMNWR)
to Langlois
and Norm
Famous
for aid information, to and Marcia
Spencer-famous
for
Don
assistance in fieldwork, and Iowa
to Farrar, State University,
for confir-
mation specimen
of through isozyme
a
analysis.
Janis Lesbines, Arthur
Haines,
and Rooney me
Sally also accompanied
in the field at various times.—Arthur
Will
Winch