sign in sign up
<<
Home , Ceanothus americanus, Liatris, Mimosa nuttallii, Silphium (genus), Symphyotrichum dumosum, Tridens (plant)

University of - Lincoln DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln

Proceedings of the North American Conferences North American Prairie Conference

2004

Flora of the Anacoco Prairie on Fort Polk,

Charles Allen State University

Sara Thames Colorado State University

Linda Chance Oak Ridge Insitute for Science and Education

Charles Stagg Fort Polk Environmental Section

Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/napcproceedings

Part of the International and Area Studies Commons

Allen, Charles; Thames, Sara; Chance, Linda; and Stagg, Charles, "Flora of the Anacoco Prairie on Fort Polk, Louisiana" (2004). Proceedings of the North American Prairie Conferences. 63. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/napcproceedings/63

This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the North American Prairie Conference at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in Proceedings of the North American Prairie Conferences by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. FLORA OF THE ANACOCO PRAIRIE ON FORT POLK, LOUISIANA

Flora of the Anacoco Prairie on Fort Polk, Louisiana

by Charles Allen!, Sara Thames!, Linda Chance' and Charles Stagg' 'CoIm-ado Slate University, Fort Polk Slation, 1647 23rd St., Fort Polk, LA 71459; [email protected] 2 Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, 1647 23rd St., Fort Polk, LA 71459 ' Fort Polk Environmental Section, 1647 23rd St., Fort Polk, LA 71459

Abstract The two major types of prairie in Louisiana are Cajun Prairie-a coastal prairie type located in southwest Louisiana­ and the calcareous that are scattered across central and north Louisiana. Fort Polk, located in west central Louisiana, is predominately forest, but also includes calcareous prairies. A floristic survey of the Anacoco Prairie on Fort Polk has been ongoing since 1991. Herbaceous species dominant in the small prairie openings, which are surrounded by strips of calcareous forests. A total of 177 species of vascular have been identified from the Anacoco Prairie. The top two families are and with more than one~half of the herbaceous species. The next family with regard to number of species is . The genera with the most number of species include Pa5palum, Andropogon, and .

Keywords: calcareous prairies, Anacoco Prairie, Poaceae, Asteraceae, Fabaceae, Paspalum, Andropogon, Liatris

Introduction Anacoco Prairie species were lumped into the shortleaf loblolly pine system. Hart and Lester (1993) described the The calcareous or inland prairie system occurs in the central Anacoco Prairie and listed some of the species found there. and northern parts of Louisiana (Post 1969, Smith 1995) Allen (1994, 1995) conducted an intensive search for while Cajun Prairie, a coastal prairie type, is located in south~ Anacoco Prairie and provided a list of species. He also west Louisiana and was described by Allen and his colleagues reported that the Anacoco Prairie consisted of 26 areas and (2001). The calcareous prairies occur in small patches in about 2,090 acres. In a description of the entire vegetation of widely scattered locations, while Cajun Prairie occupied Fort Polk, Allen (1998) described the Anacoco Prairie and 2,470,000 acres that was only interrupted by the gallery forests provided a list of species. that developed along the streams (Allen and Vidrine 1989). Since 2001, the authors have visited the Anacoco Prairie A calcareous forest surrounds most calcareous prairie patches sites several times per year and documented the presence of while the Cajun Prairie grades into coastal marsh to the south, additional species. Voucher specimens of many of the species bottomland hardwood forests to the east, and pine savanna have been collected and deposited in the Fort Polk Herbarium forest to the north and west. The soils in the Cajun Prairie are and/or the Herbarium of the University of Lou isiana at moderately acid silt loams underlain by a densely packed, hard Monroe (NLU). clay pan located 7.8 to 15.6 inches below the surface (Allen and others 200l). The soils of the Anacoco Prairie are usually moderately alkaline clays (Soil Survey Staff 2003). Results The calcareous prairie located in Vernon Parish in west~ A total of 177 species are reported from the Anacoco Prairie central Louisiana is known as the Anacoco Prairie (Post at Fort Polk. In the Anacoco Prairie, the family with the most 1969). A large portion of this prairie occurs in the northwest species is the Poaceae with 46 species and was followed by the corner of Fort Polk (Hart and Lester 1993; Allen 1994, 1995). Asteraceae with 43 and the Fabaceae with 25. The genus with Apparently, this prairie was more common in areas to the west the most species (six) was Pasl)alum and two genera and north of Fort Po lk but those areas have been highly (Andropogon and Liatris) each had five species. Only 13 disturbed by agricultural and forestry practices. The prairie is species (7.34 %) of the species are non~native. The nomen~ located on Hornbeck clay soil (Soil Survey Staff 2003). clature follows the USDA Plants Database (USDA, NRCS 2004 ). Reports and Observations The Anacoco Prairie flora is based on the published reports of Discussion Hart and Lester (1993), Johnson and others (1993), and The Louisiana Flora as reported by Thomas and Allen (1993, Allen (1994, 1995, 1998) plus additional species observed by 1996,1998) includes 3,249 taxa- l77 (5,4 %) were identified the authors. A floristic survey of Fort Polk was conducted from the Anacoco Prairie. The 177 taxa or 5.4 % is notable from 1991 to 1992 (Johnson and others 1993) in which the given the sma ll total area of the Anacoco Prairie. A total of

PROCEEDINGS OF THE 1 9 TIt NORTH AMERICAN PRAIRIE CONFERENCE 19 PART I: PRAIRI E FLORA AN D FLOR IST I C STUDIES = 128 species, 72.3 % of the 177 Anacoco Prairie species were Freeman, CC and L.C Hulbert. 1985. An annotated list of the in common with Cajun Prairie (Allen and others 2001). vascular flora of Konza Prairie Research Natural Area, . Smith and others (1989) report 314 species from Keiffer Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Sciences 88:84-115. Prairie/forest complex, another calcareous prairie system Glenn,Lewin, D.C 1976. The vegetation of Stinson Prairie, Kossuth located in Winn Parish, Louisiana. The Anacoco Prairie has County, . Proceedings of the Iowa Academy of Sciences 8H&--93. 78 (44.1 %) of the 177 spec ies in common with the Keiffer Hart, B.L. and G.D. Lester. 1993 . Natural community and sensitive system. When compared to the Konza Prairie in Kansas species assessment on Fort Polk Military Reservation, Louisiana. (Freeman and Hulbert 1985), there are also 78 (44.1 %) Prepared by Louisiana Natural Heritage Program in cooperation species of the 177 in the Anacoco Prairie that are also in the with The Nature Conservancy for U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Koma Prairie. Only 67 (37.9 %) species in the Anacoco Johnson, EL., CM. Allen, M.D. Proctor, R.A. Thompson and G.D. Prairie are also reported from one or more Iowa prairies Schnell. 1993. Floral Inventory of Fort Polk, Louisiana. Prepared (Sorensen 1962, Crum 1972, G lenn-Lewin 1976, Wetzel and by Biological Survey for U.S. Army Construction others 1999). Note the decrease in species in common with Engineering Research Laborawries. the increase in distance. Post, L.C 1969. Louisiana as it is . Original author Samuel Lockett. This is a floristic listing of the species of the Anacoco Baton Rouge: louisiana University Press. Prairie on Fort Polk, Louisiana. It provides other prairie Smith, L.M. 1995. State rare communities in Louisiana. Baton Rouge : louisiana Natural Heritage. researchers a flora for comparison. The prairie on Fort Polk is Smith, L.M., N.W. Gilmore, R.P. Martin and G.D. Lester. 1989. a refugium for the species and the ecosystem as it is protected Keiffer Prairie/Forest complex: A research report and preliminary from agricultural disturbance that has virtually destroyed this management plan. Baton Rouge: Louisiana Natural Heri tage. prairie at other locations. Soil Survey Staff. 2003. Soil Survey of Vernon Parish, Louisiana. , D.C : Department of Agriculture, References Natural Resources Conservation Serv ice. Sorensen, P.D. 1962. The Williams Prairie, a prairie relict in Johnson Allen, CM. 1994. Calcareous Pra irie Ecosystem on Fort Polk. County. Proceedings of the Iowa Academy of Sciences 69:45- 53 . Report submitted to Fort Polk Environmental Section through Thomas, R.D. and C.M. Allen. 1993. Atlas of the vascular flora of Radian Corp. Louisiana, Vol. 1: Ferns and ferns allies, conifers, and mono, __. 1995. The Calcareous Ecosystem on Fort Polk: Summary and cotyledons. Baton Rouge: louisiana Department of Wildlife and Management Recommendations. Report submitted to Fort Polk Fisheries. Environmental Section through Radian Corp. __. 1996. Atlas of the vascu lar flora of Louisiana, Vo l. 2: __. 1998. Flora and Vegetation of Fort Polk. Prepated by USGS, Dicotyledons Acanthaceae,Euphorbiaceae. Baton Rouge: Baton Rouge, Louisiana for Fort Polk Environmental Section. Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. Allen, C M. and M.E Vidrine. 1989. Wildflowers of the Cajun __. 1998. Atlas of the vascular flora of Louisiana, Vol. 3: Prairi e. Louisiana Conservationisr 41 :20-25. Dicotyledons Fabaceae,Zygophyllaceae. Bawn Rouge: Louisiana Allen, CM., M.E Vidrine, B. Borsari and L. Allain. 2001. Vascular Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. Flora of the Cajun Prairie of Southwestern louisiana. In N. USDA, NRCS. 2004. The PLANTS database Bernstein and L. Ostrander (eds.), Proceedings of the 17th North (http://plants.usda.gov/plants). National Plant Data Center, American Prairie Conference. Mason City, Iowa: North Iowa Baton Rouge, LA 70874-4490 USA. Area Community College. Wetzel, P.R. , WR. Norris and K.M. Ll yles. 1999. The vascular flora Crum, G.H. 1972. Flora of a sand prairie in Black Hawk County, of Doolittle Prairie Preserve-a prairie pothole complex. Journal Iowa. Proceedings of the Iowa Academy of Sciences 78:8 1-87. of the Iowa Academy of Sciences 106,26-33.

20 P ROCEEDINGS OF THE 19nt NORTH AM ERICAN PRA IRIE CON FERENCE FLORA OF THE ANACOCO PRAIRIE ON FORT POLK, LOUISIANA = Appendix 1. Eragrostis hirsura (Michx.) Neese c List of taxa by major plant group and then by Family from Eragrostis lugens Nees c Anacoco Prairie, Fort Polk, Louisiana. Eragrostis refracta (Muhl.) Scribn. Eragrostis specrabilis (Pursh) Steud.eikll" Gymnopogon brevifolius Trin.c Key: *before name = introduced taxon Hordeum pusillum N utt. ck The superscripted letter, if present, e indicates a report also Muhlenbergia capillaris (Lam.) Trin.cII" from Cajun Prairie in Louisiana (Allen and others 2001), i Panicum anceps Michx.ew

indicates a report also from one or more Iowa prairies Panicum flexile (Ganinger) Scrtbn. II' (Sorensen 1962, KruIn 1972, Glenn-Lewin 1976, Wetzel and L.cik", ClI others 1999), k indicates a report also from Konza Prairie *Paspalum dilatatum Poir. • cW (Freeman and Hulbert 1985), and W indicates a report also Paspalum floridanum Michx. c from Kejffer Prairie in Winn Parish, Louisiana (Smith and Paspalum plicawlum Michx. others 1989). Paspalum pubiflorum Rupr. ex Fourn. Paspalum setaceum Michx.cik *Paspalum urvillei Steud.cw PTERIDOPHYTES Saccharum giganteum (Walt.) Pers. Schizachyrium scoparium (Michx.) Nash var. scopariumCikw Schizachyrium tenerum Neesc AGAVACEAE (Pair.) Kergue lenCw Manfreda virginica (L.) Salisb. ex Rose ell' Setaria parviflora Sorghastrum nurans (L.) Nashcikw CYPERACEAE (Pair.) Merr. ckw Carex cherokeensis Schwein. ell' Sporobolus compositus Sporobolus junceus (Beauv.) KunthCW Carex crinita Lam. Nashk Carex meadii Deweyik Sporobolus neglectus (ElL) JA Schultes' Carex microdonra Torr. & Hook.e Tridens ambiguus (Nutt.) Nashe", Cyperus srrigosus L.ci Tridens strictus Tripsacum doctyloides (L.) L.,k Fimbristylis annua (All.) Roemer & J.A. Schultes Trisetum interruptum Buckl. Fimbristylis puberula (Michx.) Vahl ow Rhynchospora caduca Ell.e DICOTYLEDONS Rhynchospora globularis (Chapman) Small var. globularis c Rhynchospora inexpansa (Michx.) Vahl ACANTHACEAE Rhynchospora recognira (Gale) Kral Ruellia humilis Nutt.eikw lRIDACEAE APlACEAE Herbertia lahue (Molina) Goldblatt ssp. caerulea (Herbert) Chaerophyllum tainturieri Hook. c Goldblatt Eryngium yuccifolium Michx.ci JUNCACEAE APOCYNACEAE Juncus tenuis Willd. i Apocynum cannabinum L. ikw LlLlACEAE ASCLEPIADACEAE Nothoscordum bivalve (L.) Britt.ew Asclepias obovata EIl.ew POACEAE Asclepias tuberosa L. cikw Agrostis h:yemalis (Walt.) B.S.p'cikw eikw Asclepias verticillata L. cik Andropogon gerardii Vitman ckw Andropogon glomeratus (Walt.) B.5.I'."· Asclepias viridis Walt. ASTERACEAE Andropogon gyrans Ashe var. gyranse Ambrosia artemisiifolia L cik Andropogon temarius Michx.c Ambrosia bidentata Michx.c Andropogon virginicus L. var. virginicusew Michx.cW Aristida longispica Pair. var. longispica"I' Cirsium horridulum CoreopSiS lanceolata L.CI" Aristida oligantha Michx.ckw Coreopsis pubescens Ell. var. debilis (Sherif) E.B. Sm.' Aristida palustris (Chapman) Vasey Coreopsis tinctoria Nun.ck Aristida purpurascens Pair. var. purpurascens"" Echinacea pallida (Nutt.) Nutt.ciw * Avena sativa L. Echinacea purpurea (L.) Moench *Bothriochloa ischaemum (L.) Keng var. songarica (Rupr. ex Fisch. & CA. Mey.) Celarier & Harlan ckw Echinacea sanguinea Nutt. Erechtites hieraciifolia (L.) Raf. ex OC.c iw Bouteloua rigideseta (Steud.) Hitchc. Erigeron strigosus Muh!. ex Willd.cikl\' Dichanthelium aciculare (Desv. ex Pair.) Gould & C.A. Clark"" Eupatorium capiUifolium (Lam.) Smalle Dichamhelium acuminawm (Sw.) Gould & CA. Clark var. Eupatorium hyssopifolium L.c acuminatumcikw Eupatorium rotundifolium L var. rowndifoliumc Dichanthelium depauperatum (Muhl.) Gould Eupatorium serotinum Michx.cW Dichanthelium oligosanthes (J.A. Schultes) Gould var. scribneri~ Cl Eurybia hemispherica (Alexander) Nesom " anum (Nash) Gouldcik", Cl Eurhamia leptocephala (Torr. & Gray) Greene \' Eragrostis elliottii S. Wats.c Gaillardia aestivalis (Walt.) H. Rock var. aestivalisc

PROC EEDINGS OF THE 1 9 TIt NORTH AMERICAN PRAIRIE CONFERENCE 21 PART I: PRAIRIE FLORA AND FLORISTIC STUDIES = *Helenium amarum (Raf.) H. Rockc *Glottidium vesicarium (Jacq.) Harper'w Heliamhus angustifolius L.C *Lespedeza cuneara (Dum.~Cours.) O. Don hirsutus Raf.c\\' Lespedeza repens (L.) W. Barr.c Ionactis linariifolius (L.) Greene nuttallii (DC.) B.L. Turnerk Michx. ikw (Leavenworth ) Benth.cw (WalL) Michx.c Orbexilum pedunculatum (P. MilL) Rydb.' Michx.ci \\' Tephrosia virginiana (L.) Pers.) (L.) Willd.' Vida minutiflora EG. Dietr.w Liatris squarrulosa Michx. w GENTlANACEAE Oligoneuron nitidum (Torr. & Gray) Smallc\\' Sabatia angularis (L.) Purshw Pityopsis graminifolia (Michx.) Nutt.c GERANlACEAE Pseudognaphalium helleri (Britt.) A. Anderb. Geranium carolinianum L. cik Pseudognaphalium obrusifolium (L.) Hilliard & Burtr'i *Geranium dissectum L.w Pyrrhopappus carolinianus (Walt.) DGcw LAMIACEAE Raribida pinnata (Vent.) Barnh! Hedeoma hispida Purshikw Rudbeckia hirta L. cikw Salvia azurea Michx. ex Lam.C\'· Rudbeckia missouriensis Engelm. ex GL. Boynt. & Beadle Salvia lyrata L. cw Silphium gracile Gray' LYTHRACEAE L. ci kw Lythrum alatum Pursh var. lanceolatum (Ell. ) Torr. & Gray ex Solidago canadensis L.cikw Rothrock ci Solidago odora Ait.c ONAGRACEAE Solidago rugosa P. MilLc Gaura longif/ora Spach"" dumosum (L.) NesomC\" PRlMULACEAE Symphyotrichum parens (Ait.) Nesom var. parens cw *Anagallis arvensis L. ssp. arvensis C Symphyotrichum pratense (Raf.) Nesomckw *Anagallis arvensis L. ssp.foemina (P. MilL) Schinz & Thellung BORAGINACEAE AnagaUis minima (L.) Krausec Heliotropium renellum (Nutt.) Torr. w RANUNCULACEAE Myosotis verna Nutt.'k Ranunculus fascicularis Muhl. ex Bige lowCi BUDDLEJACEAE Polypremum procumbens L.C\,' americanus L.C\,. CAMPANULACEAE ROSACEAE Triodanis perfoliara (L.) Nieuwl. var. biflora (Ruiz & Pav6n) *Rosa bracteata J.e. WendL Bradleyw Rubus argutus Linkcw Triodanis perfaliara (L.) Nieuwl. var. perfoliat'ik Rubus trivialis Michx.C\'· CLUSlACEAE RUBIACEAE Hypericum drummondii (Grev. & Hook.) Torr. & Graf Galium pilosum Ait.w CONVOLVULACEAE Galium tincrarium L. ci Dichondra carolinensis Michx.cW Galium virgatum Nun.c EUPHORBIACEAE Hedyotis nigricans (Lam.) Fosberg'kw Acalypha gracilens Grafw Houstonia micrantha (Shinners) Terrell Chamaesyce maculata (L.) Smallci Oldenlandia boscji (OC.) Chapmanc Chamaesyce serpens (Kunth) Smallk *Sherardia arvensis L. Croton capitatus Michx.ck SCROPHULARIACEAE k C Croton monanthogynus Michx. Agalinis oligophylla PenneII \\' Euphorbia corollar.a L.ci kw Agalinis pulchella Pennell Euphorbia marginara Purshk Agalinis purpurea (L.) Pennelli Tragia bewnicifolia Nun.ck Agalinis viridis (Small) Pennel Ie FABACEAE Mecardonia acuminata (Wal[.) Smallcw Acacia angustissima (P. MilL) Kuntze var. hirta (Nun.) B.L. SOLANACEAE Robins. w Physalis heterophylla Neesik Baptisia alba (L.) Vent. var. macrophylla (Larisey) lselfiw Physalis longifolia Nutt. var. subglabrata (Mackenzie & Bush) BaPtisia nutr.alliana Smallc Cronq.i Centrosema virginianum (L.) Benth.c Physalis pumila Nutt. kw Chamaecrista fasciculata (Michx.) Greenecikw VERBENACEAE Crotalaria sagittalis L. ckw *Verbena brasiliensis Vell.clV Dalea candida Michx. ex Willd.cikw VITACEAE Dalea purpurea Vent. ikw Ampelopsis arborea (L.) Koehnecw Galactia volubilis (L.) Britt.'w

22 PROCEEDINGS OF THE 19nt NORTH AM ERICAN PRAIRIE CONFERENC E