21 The Endemic Biota of Oklahoma Henry W. Robison Department of Biological Sciences, Southern Arkansas University, Magnolia, AR 71754 Chris T. McAllister Science and Mathematics Division, Eastern Oklahoma State College, Idabel, OK 74745 There has not been a previous effort to document the endemic biota of Oklahoma. Because the state has a wonderful diversity of flora and fauna contained within its geographical borders, there is a need to publish a list of the endemic biota. Herein, we report a total of 20 endemic taxa, including three vascular plants and 17 animals (one flatworm, two amphipods, six isopods, four crayfishes, three millipeds and one salamander) from Okla- homa. By providing an initial report of the endemic plants and animals of the state, it is our hope that researchers as well as the general public will be informed about this unique biota and be stimulated to participate in future research, stewardship and conservation. © 2012 Oklahoma Academy of Science. INTRODUCTION continuing study of the state flora and fauna will reveal additional endemic organisms Oklahoma has a wonderful diversity of in the Sooner state, including new species. plant and animal life contained within its For the purpose of this report, we use the geographical borders. This rich biodiver- political boundaries of Oklahoma to define sity is due to several factors including the the area of endemism. We are cognizant of varied physiography and topography of the artificiality of this delineation; however, the land, a long period of stable and favor- we feel it is important to make this part of able climates and habitats, and the fact that our state natural heritage known. It is also Oklahoma was not affected directly by our belief that exposure of these endemic Pleistocene glaciation during the past one life forms to the general public will help million years. Within this biodiversity is an stimulate future research and preservation. endemic element which is poorly known. To our knowledge, there has not been any MATERIALS AND METHODS previous effort to publish a list of the entire Oklahoma endemic biota. Most Oklaho- An extensive search of previous literature mans are not even aware that we have an and the Internet was conducted in an at- endemic element of our state biota as only tempt to locate sources for information on cursory remarks in scattered published Oklahoma endemics. This also included papers suggest this aspect of the state biodi- correspondence with various state person- versity. Conversely, our contiguous eastern nel for additional information not readily neighboring state, Arkansas, has enumer- available from other sources. Herein we use ated their state endemic biota (presently NatureServe Explorer and Nature Heritage listed at 110 endemic species) in a number Program state (S, subnational) and rounded of publications (Robison and Smith 1982; global (G) conservation status ranks (Na- Robison and Allen 1995; Robison et al. 2008; tureServe 2012) for each taxa (when avail- McAllister et al. 2009). The present study able) and those are included after their brings up–to–date the little known endemic scientific name as follows: SNR, GNR (not biota of Oklahoma. It is expected that the yet ranked subnationally, globally); S1, G1 Proc. Okla. Acad. Sci. 92: pp 21-28 (2012) 22 H. W. ROBISON and C. T. McALLISTER (critically imperiled); S2, G2 (imperiled); S3, Table 1. The Oklahoma endemic biota. G3 (vulnerable). PLANTAE RESULTS Class Magnoliopsida: Order Solanales: Family Polemoniaceae Currently, there are three vascular plant taxa Phlox pilosa ssp. longipilosa and 17 species of animals that are endemic to the state boundaries. Together, this brings Order Capparales: Family Brassicaceae the total number of Oklahoma state endemic Leavenworthia aurea plants and animals presently known to 20 (Table 1). The following is a annotated list- Order Euphoriales: Family Euphorbiaceae ing of those taxa. Argythamnia humilis var. leiosperma ENDEMIC SPECIES OF ANIMALIA OKLAHOMA Phylum Platyhelminthes: Class Cestoidea: Vascular Plants Family Bothriocephalidae Bothriocephalus euryciensis Of the over 2,800 vascular plants docu- mented for Oklahoma (Taylor and Taylor Phylum Arthropoda: Subphylum Crusta- 1994; Hoagland et al. 2010; USDA–NRCS cea: Order Amphipoda 2012), only three endemic taxa are known Family Allocrangonyctidae from the state, namely, Phlox pilosa ssp. Allocrangonyx pellicucidus longipilosa (sometimes given full species Family Crangonyctidae status as Phlox longipilosa), Leavenworthia Stygobromus bowmani aurea and Argythamnia humilis var. leiosperma. Order Isopoda: Family Asellidae Caecidotea acuticarpa Magnoliopsida: Solanales: Polemoniaceae Caecidotea adenta Phlox pilosa ssp. longipilosa (Waterf.) Locklear, Caecidotea mackini 1971–Longhair phlox. SNR, GNR. Lirceus trilobus Waterfall (1971) originally described Family Trichoniscidae Phlox pilosa ssp. longipilosa from the north Amerigoniscus centralis slope of the granite mountains south of Lake Miktoniscus oklahomensis Altus, Kiowa County. However, Taylor and Taylor (1981) reduced the plant to a variety Order Decapoda: Family Cambaridae of P. pilosa, and Locklear (2009) made a no- Cambarus subterraneus menclatural name change to a subspecies. Cambarus tartarus This plant is a perennial herb of the Phlox Orconectes difficilis family and grows to 20–45 cm in height. It Orconectes saxatilis has linear leaves toward the base, but they become lanceolate near the top; flowers are Class Diplopoda: Order Chordeumatida: purple blooms 10-12 mm in length. Flower- Family Trichopetalidae ing season is late May to early June. This Trigenotyla blacki plant inhabits soils derived from granitic Trigenotyla seminole rock and is associated with mixed grass Trigenotyla vaga prairie or live oak or post oak woodlands (Locklear 2009; ONHI 2011). Hoagland et Phylum Chordata: Subphylum Vertebrata: al. (2010) reported 10 to 20 populations of Class Amphibia this plant in Greer and Kiowa counties in Plethodon sequoyah Proc. Okla. Acad. Sci. 92: pp 21-28 (2012) OKLAHOMA ENDEMIC BIOTA 23 the Quartz and Wichita Mountains of south- inhabit subterranean habitat. The endemic western Oklahoma, and an additional popu- fauna includes one flatworm, two amphi- lation from adjacent Comanche County; pods, six isopods, four crayfishes, three however, the latter population has not been millipeds, and one amphibian. rediscovered. In any one population, there may be hundreds of individuals. Platyhelminthes Cestoidea: Bothriocephalidea: Bothrioce- Magnoliopsida: Capparales: Brassicaceae phalidae Leavenworthia aurea Torr., 1937–Golden Bothriocephalus euryciensis Schaefer and Self, gladecress. S2, G2. 1978–a salamander tapeworm. SNR, GNR. Leavenworthia aurea, a member of the Bothriocephalus euryciensis is an endemic mustard family, was originally described by tapeworm originally taken from the intesti- Torrey (1937) from Fort Towson, “Arkansas” nal tract of dark–sided salamanders (Eurycea (now Choctaw County, Oklahoma), Texas, longicauda melanopleura). It is known only and Alabama (Hoagland et al. 2004). The from hosts collected at Adair Cave, Adair Alabama specimens were later determined County (Schaefer and Self 1978). The in- to be misidentified while the Texas plants tensity of infection ranged from six to 19 were first elevated to L. texana, reduced to cestodes per host (Schaefer and Self 1978). a separate variety of L. aurea (L. aurea var. Although specimens of E. l. melanopleura texana, but now L. texana), leaving L. aurea have been examined from two caves in as a state endemic to Oklahoma (Hoagland neighboring Arkansas, no B. euryciensis were et al. 2004). The Oklahoma endemic differs found (McAllister and Bursey 2004). by having a paler yellow petal color, differ- ences in apical leaf segments (Mahler 1987), Arthropoda and chromosome number. Leavenworthia Crustacea: Amphipoda: Allocrangonyc- aurea is confined to glade areas at 25 sites tidae in Choctaw and McCurtain counties (Hoa- Allocrangonyx pellucidus Mackin 1935–Okla- gland et al. 2004). Each population may homa cave amphipod. S2, G2. include hundreds of individuals. The type locality of this stygobite am- phipod is in Johnston County at a spring Magnoliopsida: Euphoriales: Euphorbia- upstream of Tishomingo National Fish ceae Hatchery (Mackin 1935). This state endemic Argythamnia humilis (Engelm. & A. Gray) is also known from Murray and Pontotoc Mull. Arg. var. leiosperma (Waterf.)–Low counties, and is endemic to the Arbuckle– silverbush. SNR, GNR. Simpson aquifer/hydrologic basin within This variety of silverbush is a peren- subterranean waters and spring runs at nial subshrub or forb/herb which has 18 sites (Graening et al. 2006b, 2011). In been found only in the far western pan- addition, Graening et al. (2011) provided a handle of Cimarron County (Hoagland et photograph of A. pellucidus. al. 2010). The seeds of this variety are basi- cally smooth with several whitish slightly Amphipoda: Crangonyctidae roughened encircling bands (Kartesz 1994). Stygobromus bowmani Holsinger 1967–Bow- This plant is being re-evaluated; therefore, man’s Cave amphipod. S1, G1. whether or not it is a true endemic may The type locality of this amphipod is change in the future. a seep at a Girl Scout camp (Camp Scott), 3.2 mi (5.1 km) south of Locust Grove, Animals Mayes County. Hubricht (1943) collected Oklahoma supports a rich diversity 22 specimens of amphipods at this seep and of animals, including several species that erroneously reported them as Sympleonia Proc. Okla. Acad. Sci.