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Journal of the Oklahoma Native Plantsociety, Volume 3, Number 1, December 2003

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Journal of the Oklahoma Native Plantsociety, Volume 3, Number 1, December 2003 4 Oklahoma Native Plant Record Volume 3, Number 1, December 2003 Black Mesa Flora Study James K. McPherson, Ph.D. Department of Botany Oklahoma State University 22 February 1993 Summary of season’s work (grass) family clearly dominate most of The following constitutes a report the landscape. The Pinaceae (in the on field, laboratory, and library work done inclusive sense) is the other dominant in 1992 on the flora of the State Parks-The family, due to the numerous members of Nature Conservancy preserve property at the genus Juniperus in some areas. Black Mesa. This property is north of the Two species that are endemic were town of Kenton; R1E, T6N, sections 28-33 collected. The shrub Glossopetalon (portions), and R1E, T5N, S6 (portion), planitierum (=Forsellesia p.), Cimarron County, Oklahoma. Celastraceae, which is known only from a I spent 14 full days collecting few adjacent counties in the Texas plants on the preserve, each time camping panhandle, one nearby county in New at the state park a few miles away the Mexico and the Black Mesa area of nights before and after, so very little travel Cimarron County, OK. The type locality time was used on collecting days. is “near the top of Black Mesa, Cimarron Collecting dates in the 1992 growing Co.” It is possible that the type locality is season were 2-3 March, 6-7 April, 30 now on the preserve, though it probably is April-1 May, 14-16 May, 26 June, 2-3 not possible to know with certainty. The September, and 21-22 September. During other endemic collected was the perennial each trip an effort was made to visit and herb Astragalus puniceus, Leguminosae. collect in as many different types of sites It is known only from the Mesa de Maya as possible. area (Las Animas County, Colorado; Collections of 199 species were Union County, New Mexico; and made. These were handled in the Cimarron County, Oklahoma) and Deaf conventional way, with duplicate Smith County, Texas. Both species are specimens being made. One set is fairly common locally, but can be deposited in the Oklahoma State considered rare in a general sense. University Herbarium, and the other in the Four other species are worth Bebb herbarium at the University of mentioning in this context. I did not Oklahoma. collect them, but know about them from the literature (Rogers, 1953; Harrington Interpretation of findings 1964; Waterfall 1969; McGregor et al. Flora. The families Compositae, 1977; McGregor et al. 1986, Correll and Leguminosae, and Gramineae are Johnston 1970). Sarcostemma lobata, represented by the largest numbers of Asclepiadaceae, is apparently known only species. However, 47 other families are from Black Mesa. It is likely that this present. Members of the Gramineae species will be found on the preserve, and McPherson, J.K. https://doi.org/10.22488/okstate.17.100018 Oklahoma Native Plant Record 5 Volume 3, Number 1, December 2003 seems to be a legitimate rare species. Scirpus validus (S. lacustris in Lesquerella calcicola, Cruciferae, Waterfall 1969) Palafoxia macrolepis, Compositae, and Lemnaceae Swertia coloradensis, Gentianaceae, are Lemna minor all endemic in southeastern Colorado, but Liliaceae are at higher elevations and/or on soil Allium canadense var. fraseri types that are not found in Oklahoma, so Salicaceae probably are not on the preserve. Salix interior forma wheeleri Finally, Pericome glandulosa, S. nigra (possibly Rogers’ “Salix Compositae, was collected and is species”) described by Rogers (1953) as being an Moraceae endemic, but has been reduced to varietal Morus alba[1] status by Harrington. Thus it is now Chenopodiaceae Pericome caudata var. glandulosa. The Suckleya suckleyana reduction appears legitimate. The type Ranunculaceae locality for it is also Black Mesa. In my Clematis hirsutissima var. scottii[1] opinion, var. glandulosa is only a local Cruciferae variant of a widespread species. It occurs Arabis fendleri on sandstone hills which are common in Saxifragaceae the region and there does not seem to be Ribes odoratum [1] any substantial distinct feature about it. Leguminosae Concern about it is probably not justified. Petalostemon tenuifolium I collected 199 species. Rogers’ Linaceae (1953) list contains 578 species and 11 Linum rigidum var. rigidum varieties, a total of 589 taxa. There are Vitaceae some caveats to be mentioned about the Parthenocissus quinquefolia (ident. comparison of numbers, however. First, should be checked) Rogers collected from a much larger area. Vitis vulpina Second, he included types of sites that are Onagraceae not on the preserve (elevations up to 6850 Oenothera triloba ft., Cimarron River bed and floodplain, Asclepiadaceae sand dunes, and a salt-pan). Finally, some Asclepias arenaria[1] of his species seem questionable in view Sarcostemma crispum[1] of present knowledge. Boraginaceae The following is a list of species I Cryptantha minima collected that Rogers (1953) did not. Labiatae Identifications will be rechecked. Salvia azurea var. grandiflora Rubiaceae Selaginellaceae Galium texense [1] Selaginella underwoodii Compositae Polypodiacae Ambrosia linearis[1] (tentative) Cheilanthes lanosa Aster fendleri [1] Asplenium serpentrionale A. leucelene Gramineae Hymenoxys acaulis Bromus unioloides Kuhnia chlorolepis [1] Eragrostis trichodes var. trichodes Solidago mollis Cyperaceae McPherson, J.K. 6 Oklahoma Native Plant Record Volume 3, Number 1, December 2003 Most of these species are dominants, Buchloe dactyloides and permanent resident, “climax” types. They Bouteloua gracilis. probably would not have immigrated into On the Apache stony clay loam the area since Rogers made his collections (USDA, 1960), which is found only on the in the late 1940’s. The most likely basalt rock forming the top of the mesa, is explanation is that Rogers simply missed a slightly different version of shortgrass seeing them. prairie. The dominant grasses, Buchloe Vegetation. This is not a formal dactyloides and Bouteloua gracilis, are the study of the vegetation or plant same, but they are more dominant and communities of the preserve, but I made there are fewer weeds. More of the native observations on these attributes of the site forbs such as Castilleja sessiliflora, on which I can report. Two vegetation Oenothera lavendulaeflora, and several types, in the conventional sense of Compositae are present. In my judgment, Barbour and Billings, 1988, are present on the difference is caused by a history of less the preserve. These are Juniper-Pinyon disturbance, and by the soil’s higher clay Woodland, which is on the steeper slopes content. The contrast between the two of the mesa and rock outcrops, and variants of short grass prairie will Shortgrass Prairie, on level to gently probably diminish with time and the sloping sites with deeper soil. cessation of grazing, but differences due to Within this general picture are the contrasting soils are likely to remain. some smaller-scale patterns. The most The mesa-top community probably will obvious is the presence of Cooper’s have a higher diversity of climax species. Arroyo, a stream with rare-intermittent On the sides of the mesa the soils flow. It does have a pool that contains are mapped as Rough stony land and the water most of the time, and its bed higher parts of the Travessilla stony loam provides conditions that support typical (USDA, 1960). This is where the Juniper- moist-soil plant species such as Salix spp., Pinyon woodland is found. Juniperus Tamarix gallica, and Carex gravida. This monosperma is the strong dominant here, can be termed a riparian community. with only a few Pinus edulis trees, despite Two variants of shortgrass prairie the traditional name of the vegetation type. are present. On the Berthoud loam and There are differing communities within portions of the Travessilla stony loam this area, but they are not as clearly (USDA, 1960) in the low-lying parts of separated as is the case with the prairie the preserve is a prairie with many weeds, communities. The most noteworthy group especially Erioneuron pilosum, of species here, after J. monosperma, is Bothriochloa sacchariodes, and Ambrosia the shrubs. On the drier, open slopes are psilostachya. There is also a substantial Rhus aromatica, Cercocarpus montanus, amount of the cactus Opuntia imbricata Brickellia brachyphylla, and B. which here is associated with disturbance. californica. Also, Opuntia imbricata is This portion of the preserve was the most here, appearing less weedy than it does in accessible to cattle when the land was the prairies. In one area near the east end ranched, and was where most of the water of the preserve the endemic Glossopetalon was provided. It appears that overgrazing planitierrum is a component of the shrub is the main cause of the abundance of flora. All are fairly widely spaced so that weedy species and partial loss of the walking among them is easy. McPherson, J.K. Oklahoma Native Plant Record 7 Volume 3, Number 1, December 2003 In the canyons where more Xanthium strumarium, Cenchrus moisture accumulates and there is some pauciflorus, and Suckleya suckleyana. If shelter from the wind is a denser shrub left alone, without cattle trampling, the community. Near the bottoms of the dams and margins of these ponds will deeper canyons it is dense indeed, slowly revert to shortgrass prairie. The becoming impenetrable in places. Most of beds will be weedy as long as the dams the species just listed are present, and they occasionally retain water. are joined by Prunus americana, P. virginiana, Rubus deliciosus, Ptelea References Cited trifoliata, and Celtis reticulata. Here also Barbour, M.C. and W.D. Billings (eds.). is Juniperus scopulorum, a Rocky 1988. North American terrestrial Mountain species, which is quite vegetation. Cambridge, MA: Cambridge uncommon and is very close to the Univ. Press. extreme edge of its range. Correll, D.S. and M.C. Johnston. 1970. Throughout the Juniper-Pinyon Manual of the vascular plants of Texas.
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