U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service U.S. Geological Survey Paradise Lost? The Coastal Prairie of Louisiana and Texas History Coastal prairie is a The Coastal Prairie is located along the western gulf coast of the United native grassland found States, in southwest Louisiana and southeast Texas, just inland from the along the coast of Texas coastal marsh (see map). This Coastal Prairie is a tallgrass prairie similar in Historical range of and Louisiana. Over nine Coastal Prairie. Stars many ways to the tallgrass prairie of represent national the midwestern United States. It is wildlife refuges. estimated that, in pre-settlement million acres of prairie times, there were nine million acres of Coastal Prairie, with once existed as a grassland 2.5 million acres in paradise for Native Americans and early settlers. Today less than 1% remains as a refuge for rare and endangered birds, mammals, reptiles, insects and plants. Is Louisiana, and 6.5 million acres in Texas. Today, substantially less than “Paradise Lost?” Private one percent of the Coastal Prairie remains with remnants totaling less than 100 acres in Louisiana and less groups, conservation than 65,000 acres in Texas. While much of the organizations, and former prairie has been government agencies are converted to pasture for working together to protect cattle grazing, the majority has and restore this “critically been altered for growing rice, imperiled” ecosystem. sugarcane, forage, and Coastal Prairie grain crops. In Louisiana, most of the They need your help and railroad remnant in prairie’s few remaining remnants are July found on narrow strips of land along support if this effort is to railroad tracks. A larger amount remains in Texas because it was used succeed. for cattle production and never plowed. Many species, however, have been lost through overgrazing.
2 3 Coastal Prairie differs from that The “Cajun Prairie” of Louisiana found in the Midwest because plant species like sweet golden rod, red The portion of Coastal Prairie found in southwest milkweed, and the grasses slender Louisiana is often called the “Cajun Prairie” bluestem and brown-seed paspalum because it was settled in the early nineteenth are found here. Coastal Prairie also century by exiled Acadian settlers. As of 1999, less Attwater’s prairie provides habitat for the Attwater’s than 100 acres remain of the 2.5 million acres that chicken prairie chicken, a relative of the once dominated this area, making it one of our most extinct heath hen once found in the endangered ecosystems. Most of the few remaining Midwest. remnants of prairie in Louisiana are found on narrow strips of land along railroad tracks. Despite the small size of these remnants, most contain a high diversity of native tallgrass prairie flora.
Cajun prairie along railroad right-of-way in May
Rejuvenating prairie Factors that contribute to the What makes Coastal Prairie a prairie? with winter fire establishment and maintenance of The Coastal Prairie can be likened to prairie are soil type, fire, rainfall, and the central and northern “tallgrass grazing. Drought, fire, and prairie.” Many wildflowers common competition from adapted plant to the Midwestern prairies such as species combine to prevent the button snakeroot, compass plant, establishment of woody plants and Kansas gayfeather, and black-eyed maintain a grass-dominated susan are also found in Coastal ecosystem. Prairie. In those remnants that still exist in Louisiana, switchgrass, little Many prairie species depend on fire bluestem, big bluestem, and for seed production because it Indiangrass dominate just as they do removes accumulated plant litter and in the Midwest. Because of the satisfies seed dormancy needs. region’s high rainfall, and the fact Drought occurs in areas of low that Coastal Prairie gradually turns rainfall and heavy clay soils hold into coastal marsh in Louisiana, water making it unavailable to plants. switchgrass is more common than in Grasshopper Plants can also experience drought- Midwestern prairies. In contrast, foraging on prairie like stress as a result of root remnants of Coastal Prairie in Texas grass restriction caused by a 8-12" deep are dominated by little bluestem, hard pan layer in some soils that brown-seed paspalum, and roots cannot penetrate. Grazing Indiangrass. Common wildflowers (historically bison and elk and now found here are the prairie coneflower, cattle) affects prairie vegetation in Texas coneflower, white heath aster various ways. While it helps seeds to and yellow-puff. germinate by removing their seed 4 5 Grasses and grasslike plants of the Coastal Prairie
little bluestem big bluestem split-beard bluestem pinewoods dropseed gaping panicum purple silkyscale
silver bluestem bushy bluestem switchgrass Texas wintergrass toothache grass gulf cordgrass
Indiangrass Eastern gamagrass brown-seed paspalum knotroot bristlegrass falling beakrush white-top sedge
Florida paspalum thin paspalum longspike tridens Carolina’s whipgrass Vahl’s hairy fimbry yellow-eyed-grass
6 7 coat during digestion, it also stresses Coastal Prairie flowers bloom in a grazed plants and creates vivid range of colors from the green disturbances that allow other plants of the green flowered milkweed and to establish. Smaller grazers such as nose burn; to the white of flowering grasshoppers and other plant-eating spurge and button snakeroot; to the insects often concentrate on a single yellow of partridge pea and compass plant species, leaving its neighbors plant; to the blue of blue waterleaf untouched, therefore giving them an and Sampson’s snakeroot; to the pink advantage over their competitors. of false dragonhead and sensitive briar; to the purple of gayfeathers and ironweed; and to the red of the red milkweed and winecup. Coastal Prairie wildflowers are a diverse group with many species belonging to the sunflower, Butterfly weed and Natural prairie abounds with long- legume, and blackeyed Susan in lived perennials which form a dense mint families. flower in May and Native June. “sod” or mat of intertwined roots. Disturbances to this dense mass are Americans and rapidly filled in by growth from European surrounding plants. With the settlers on the exception of partridge pea, false- Coastal Prairie foxgloves and a few others, annuals used plants for are rare in undisturbed prairie sod. foods, spices, dyes, textiles, Plants and medicines. Coastal prairie vegetation consists mostly of grasses overlain by a Kansas gayfeather in Some of the more spectacular plants diverse variety of wildflowers and mass during August in Coastal Prairie include: blazing other plants. Its wildflowers are often stars (with up to three foot spikes of found in patches creating a “flower purple flowers); compass plants (with garden” in the green sea of grass. leaves pointing east and west); button Nearly 1,000 plant species have been snakeroot (an important nectar identified in Coastal Prairie and source for many insects); sweet almost all are perennials with golden rod (with a liquorice odor and underground structures (not all these that can be used to make a tea); false structures are roots) like rhizomes, indigos (yellow or white flowered tubers, or crowns. These underground species, whose flowers were used by structures have a variety of functions, early settlers to dye Easter eggs); one of which is to ensure survival after and butterfly weed (with bright fire. The underground portion of orange flowers favored by Coastal Prairie plants may be up to butterflies). three times the size of the aboveground part. 8 9 Wildflowers of the Coastal Prairie
white colic-root false garlic drummond rain lily large-flowered pennywort button snakeroot beeblossom
spider lily swamp lily spring beauty water hemlock American snowball whorled milkweed
snowy orchid spring ladies’-tresses ten petal anemone narrowleaf sandvine tansy dogshade silky evolvulus
Illinois bundleflower white wild-indigo hairy ticktrefoil cluster bushmint clustered slender mountain- mountain-mint mint
multibloom-hoarypea white prairie clover flowering spurge white mountain mint poorjoe prairie bluets
snow on the prairie New Jersey tea woolly rose-mallow Indian plantain narrowleaf boneset roundleaf boneset
10 11 marsh fleabane rabbit tobacco climbing hemp vine roundpod St. John’s nits and lice St. Peter’s-wort wort
doll’s daisy heath aster yarrow grassland prickly Texas prickly pear yellow pear meadowbeauty
golden colic-root eastern yellow prairie buttercup narrowleaf seedbox common evening- prairie parsley stargrass primrose
huisache yellow-puff partridge pea Canada lousewort false dandelion woolly groundsel
nodding wild-indigo yellow wild indigo arrowleaf rattlebox Canadian goldenrod seaside goldenrod shiny goldenrod
sidebeak pencil- stiff yellow flax candyroot sweet goldenrod wrinkle-leaf flat-topped goldenrod flower goldenrod
12 13 rayless goldenrod hairy golden aster Maryland golden- yellow Indian- bitterweed fringed sneezeweed aster blanket
silkgrass compass plant rosinweed purple-head meadow garlic red iris sneezeweed
Texas coneflower prairie coneflower spotflower bearded grass-pink sensitive briar sessile-leaf ticktrefoil
annual sunflower Maximilian narrowleaf sunflower round-head coralbean spurred butterfly pea sunflower bushclover
ashy sunflower tall coneflower black-eyed susan pink wildbean downy milkpea sandbur
lanceleaf coreopsis plains coreopsis tall tickseed Maryland milkwort drumheads pink milkwort
14 15 swamp milkwort Turk’s cap Texas star hibiscus false foxglove sharpsepal Texas thistle beardtongue
winecups Maryland meadow showy evening- pale coneflower hairy spiderwort Virginia dayflower beauty primrose
centuary prairie rose-gentian butterfly-weed eastern blue-eyed prairienymph southern blueflag grass
red milkweed water southern saltmarsh Carolina larkspur blue jasmine Sampson’s snakeroot morning-glory morning-glory
prairie phlox American germander slender false single stem scurfpea Louisiana vetch arrow-leaf violet dragonhead
Texas paintbrush Lindheimer’s spotted beebalm maypop lanceleaf loosestrife blueflower eryngo beebalm
16 17 hooker’s eryngo catchfly prairie eastern blue-star Kansas gayfeather scaly gayfeather slender gayfeather gentian
blue waterleaf Texas vervain rough skullcap white bract tall ironweed Texas ironweed blazingstar
small skullcap blue sage lemon beebalm blue-mist flower ivyleaf boneset late purple aster
silverleaf nightshade western horsenettle Muskogee western silver aster willowleaf aster American aloe beardtongue
old field toadflax Florida bluehearts prairie petunia woolly croton three-seeded mercury betonyleaf noseburn
Venus’ looking-glass downy lobelia pale lobelia green milkweed long-leaf milkweed pineland milkweed
18 19 Animals What’s at risk? Coastal Prairie, and its adjacent Wildflowers and grasses once marsh habitat, provided immense covered the Coastal Prairie region, spaces for waterfowl and thousands of along with birds, butterflies, and other forms of wildlife. Even in its other insects. In earlier times it was altered state, Coastal Prairie home to herds of bison and routinely hosts more red-tailed hawk, pronghorn antelope, and red wolves northern harrier, white ibis, and roamed among the riverine forests white ibis white-faced ibis than any other region that crisscrossed the area. Today, the in the United States. Waterfowl, bison, antelope, and red wolves have sandpipers, and other shorebirds are disappeared, and this ecosystem is abundant during the fall, winter, and listed as “critically imperiled” by spring months, paralleling and often major conservation organizations. surpassing other regions with longstanding traditions as crucial No one knows how many Coastal stopover areas for these species. Prairie species have followed the Many rare European species such as prairie vole and the Louisiana Indian northern wheatear, black-tailed paintbrush to extinction, but it is godwit, curlew sandpiper, and ruff certain that many other species are red-tailed hawks have also been observed routinely. now quite rare. The black-lace cactus and Texas prairie dawn-flower are the Prairie flowers and insects naturally go together. Native insects need native plants as food, and many prairie plants 1 Milkweed Butterflies provide plentiful and continuous The milkweed butterflies are a supplies of nectar. Prairie also provides family of mostly tropical butterflies habitat with relatively little insecticide that includes the monarch and the residue. The result is unique insect queen. Monarch butterflies cannot diversity including butterflies, withstand freezing temperatures, so dragonflies, and numerous kinds of they migrate south for winter, flying bees, wasps, ants, grasshoppers, 2 several thousand miles. The larvae beetles, and preying mantis. This of these North American species plethora of insects provides a food feed on milkweeds, incorporating preying mantis source for many animals enhancing toxic substances into their bodies the habitat value of Coastal Prairie. and making them distasteful to predators.Twelve species of The most conspicuous prairie insects milkweed occur in Coastal Prairie, are the butterflies and skippers with making the area an important more than 100 species found in 3 element in the migration flyway of Louisiana’s prairie alone. The gulf monarchs. Some monarchs winter fritillary, also known as the passion- on the gulf coast, depending on the vine butterfly, is the most common great variety of Coastal Prairie hummingbird on butterfly species found in Coastal wildflowers for nectar. ashy sunflower Prairie. Monarchs, whose larvae Illustrated at left are the stages of depend on the many milkweeds found metamorphosis of a monarch in Coastal Prairie, are frequent 4 butterfly: visitors. More than 100 different species of dragonfly eat mosquitoes 1. the egg, and other insects as they dart and bob 2. the caterpillar, over the prairie. The prairie forceptail 3. the pupa or chrysalis, and is a unique dragonfly in the Cajun 4. the adult butterfly. Prairie as it is seen nowhere else. 20 21 Butterflies of the Coastal Prairie
black swallowtail pipevine swallowtail gorgone crescent tiger swallowtail, zebra longwing tiger swallowtail, male female
red admiral buckeye butterfly cloudless sulphur gulf fritillary, female zebra swallowtail hackberry
spring azure pearl crescent spicebush swallowtail gulf fritillary, male wood nymph queen
varigated fritillary goatweed question mark gray hairstreak viceroy red spotted purple
22 23 only Coastal Prairie plant species on The suppression of fire allows the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s remnants to become overgrown with endangered species list. However, native shrubs like eastern baccharis more than a dozen plant species are and wax myrtle. Another able listed as imperiled or critically invader, and a primary threat to imperiled, including the wild coco, Coastal Prairie, is the Chinese tallow Texas windmill grass, coastal tree. Chinese tallow and other exotic gayfeather, and Correll’s false plants invade Coastal Prairie, often dragonhead. Another 15 plant species becoming the focus of land managers. are listed as rare to very rare including While fire is an important tool in the Texas coneflower, fringed sneezeweed, control of these exotic plants, Silveus dropseed, southwestern whooping crane herbicides are also used. The impact bedstraw, and lemon beebalm. of herbicide used for control of wild coco prairie invaders and weeds on In addition to plants, the Coastal adjacent croplands has not yet been Prairie is home to the federally- fully explored. There are other exotic endangered Attwater’s prairie plants that are fire and herbicide chicken (North America’s most tolerant and while they have not yet endangered bird) and is the exclusive arrived in Coastal Prairie may wintering ground of the present even federally-endangered greater whooping crane. Other problems in residents such as the gulf the future. coast hognosed skunk and the Cagle’s map turtle The current are also critically absence of imperiled. A number of big bluestem, rare migratory grassland Indiangrass, birds depend on coastal and some grasslands including wildflowers Bachman’s, Texas olive in many and Henslow’s sparrows Texas and the loggerhead prairies may shrike. be due to American bison Chinese tallow overgrazing Threats by cattle. Palatable native grasses Development poses the greatest risk such as big bluestem, Indiangrass, to what remains of Coastal Prairie. and eastern gamagrass cannot Most remnants are privately owned tolerate the close grazing of cattle with only a small percentage but are adapted to the occasional, preserved on government land. The fast moving, tip nipping of bison. largest and most pristine remnants Foreign species, such as vaseygrass, in Texas are hay meadows, and they from South America, and are in danger of development or johnsongrass, from the Mediterranean, conversion to other kinds of are adapted to cattle grazing and Henslow’s sparrow agriculture. Remnants along flourish in overgrazed prairie. While railroads make up much of what haying and rotational grazing are remains in Louisiana and are important tools of prairie currently being destroyed when managment, overgrazing can adjacent highways are widened or decrease diversity and impact the railroad beds are graded or sprayed effectiveness of fire. with pesticides. 24 25 Dragonflies of the Coastal Prairie
calico pennant common green black saddlebags blue dasher, female roseate skimmer, common whitetail, darner, male male female
golden winged widow skimmer, prairie forceptail, painted skimmer eastern pondhawk, familiar bluet skimmer female female female
prairie forceptail, blue footed dancer widow skimmer, male golden winged Halloween pennant, ebony jewelwing male skimmer female
common whitetail, common green Needham’s skimmer varigated Rambur’s forktail citrine forktail, male male darner, male meadowhawk
26 27 Restoration prescribed burns, haying, and Even if every acre of Coastal Prairie chemically controlling invasive plants. now in existence were preserved for future generations, we would continue The Coastal Prairie Conservation to lose species to extinction. Plants Initiative is a partnership between and animals need large areas of habitat the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, for survival, so if the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s future generations are Natural Resources Conservation to enjoy the Service, local soil and water biodiversity found in conservation districts, and private Coastal Prairie, more landowners along the middle and area must be restored. upper gulf coast Enthusiasm for region of Texas. The restoration of Coastal goals of this initiative Prairie is growing are to conserve and thanks to the efforts of restore the Coastal pioneers like Drs. Prairie ecosystem, Charles Allen and reintroduce captive- Malcolm Vidrine who bred Attwater’s in 1988 succeeded in prairie chickens on Sign at eleven-year- old restoration site. restoring a prairie in Eunice, private lands, and Louisiana. A number of private groups provide private and conservation organizations landowners with exchange information, provide incentives directed at education, work to preserve remnants, Coastal Prairie and assist restoration efforts while conservation. government agencies assist private land owners with incentive programs. Restoration methods Scientists at the U.S. Geological vary between Survey’s National Wetlands Research geographical areas Center are conducting experiments and individual relevant to prairie restoration and restorationists, and management and are developing Top: USGS restoration success varies from year to year. methods to disseminate this information. experiments. Planting a restoration involves: Below: mechanized The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service seed collection. 1. site preparation by herbicide, lists restoration of Coastal Prairie solarization, and/or tillage; as one of its top priorities in the gulf 2. planting by haying, seeding, coast area. National wildlife refuges hydromulching, sodding, including Anahuac, Aransas, plugging, and/or reintroduction; Attwater, Brazoria, Cameron and Prairie, Lacassine and Sabine are restoring and managing prairie on 3. management by mowing, Hand held seed federal lands. Lacassine NWR in irrigation, grazing, and/or collection. Louisiana has embarked on several burning. Coastal Prairie restorations Fall and winter are generally the best including 327 acres called the times for planting. Seeds can be Duralde Prairie. Brazoria National purchased commercially but are Wildlife Refuge in Texas has sometimes hard to find. If seeds are undertaken to restore more than collected from wild populations it is 5,000 acres of overgrazed prairie by best to collect from plants in the limiting cattle grazing, conducting vicinity of your restoration. These 28 29 Other Species of the Coastal Prairie
cloudless sulphur ambush bug dickcissels fence lizard flower beetle grasshopper and Turks cap
giant swallowtail gulf coast toad grass spider black swallowtail eastern hognosed halictid bee and snake wild petunia
loggerhead shrike buckeye butterfly green tree frog crab spider walking stick on tiger swallowtail blazing star
gulf fritillary lynx spider halictid bee and Potter’s wasp leopard frog metallic bee on partridge pea tickseed
30 31 plants are adapted to local conditions prairie in the winter and early spring. and their gene pools should be It is most common to burn when preserved. Restorationists do not plants are dormant, but an occasional agree on how far from a site seeds burn during the growing season may be collected, and distances enhances diversity. Where fire is not range from 50 to 250 miles. Most an option, the restoration may be restorationists use 100 miles as a mowed or hayed (mowing and haying rule of thumb, are very different — hay is not and that distance removed after mowing), but this may can be stretched affect the species that survive long east or west if term. Weeds such as Chinese tallow no other seeds trees may have to be sprayed with are available. herbicide or physically removed, Individuals or especially from wet spots where fire organizations does a poor job of control. It will take interested in several years before a Coastal Prairie restoration patch begins to mature, but when it should thoroughly does, most weedy exotics will be explore the excluded naturally. Hay seeding Coastal options. Several books, websites, and Prairie at Lacassine experts are available to assist National Wildlife The Coastal Prairie is a unique and Refuge. restorationists, and some are listed at vital part of the biosphere that has the back of this brochure. almost vanished within the last 100 years. Much has been lost both in Management terms of land coverage and native Restorationists are often discouraged species, and what remains is in need of when the first few years after a protection and rehabilitation. Because restoration has been implemented, so little remains, the future of Coastal aggressive annual weeds dominate Prairie depends on restoration. the site. However, they shouldn’t Using fire to control Americans can help in this effort to despair for perennials will eventually Chinese tallow trees. protect and restore Coastal Prairie by displace the weedy annuals. Experts supporting or don’t recommend the use of fertilizer participating in because it will often give weedy restoration annuals an advantage. efforts. Even a small backyard Burning is the natural mechanism by prairie garden which prairie renews itself. Fire (12' x 12') prevents woody plants from provides a piece establishing, stimulates seed of this native germination, replenishes nutrients, ecosystem. and allows light to reach young Thousands of leaves. Winter burning after the first such gardens dot year speeds the change from an the midwestern annual community to one dominated countryside, by perennial plants. Restorations can providing a be burned every one to three years refuge for native based on available fuel and plants, insects, management objectives. Historically, and birds, and an prairie fires occurred in the summer alternative, as a result of lightning strikes. sustainable Native Americans often burned landscape. 32 33 Appendix Native Prairies Association of Texas Contacts for more information 3503 Lafayette Avenue, Austin, TX 78722-1807 512/327 5437 Louisiana Organizations The Nature Conservancy of Texas Cajun Prairie Habitat Preservation Society, Dr. Charles Allen P.O. Box 1440, San Antonio, TX 78295-1440 Dept. of Biology, University of Louisiana at Monroe, Monroe, LA 71209 210/224 8774 318/342 1814 Texas Organization for Endangered Species Cajun Prairie Gardens, Dr. Malcolm Vidrine P.O. Box 12773, Austin, TX 78711 1932 Fournerat Road, Eunice, LA 70535 Texas Audubon Society 337/457 4497 2525 Wallingwood, Suite 301, Austin, TX 78746-6922 Lacassine National Wildlife Refuge 512/306 0225 209 Nature Road, Lake Arthur, LA 70549 Texas Society for Ecological Restoration 337/774 5923 University of North Texas, 225D EESAT, Denton, TX 76203 Louisiana Native Plant Society, Beth Erwin, Secretary 940/565 4332 P.O. Box 126, Collinston, LA 71229 Texas Chapter - The Wildlife Society, Welder Wildlife Foundation 318/874 7777 P. 0. Box 1400, Sinton, TX 78387 U.S.G.S. National Wetlands Research Center Texas Chapter - Society for Range Management, Clifford W. Carter 700 Cajundome Boulevard, Lafayette, LA 70506 234 Lakeview Drive, Victoria, TX 77905 337/266 8500 361/578 9296 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 646 Cajundome Boulevard, Suite 400, Lafayette, LA 70506 17629 el Camino Real, Suite 211, Houston, TX 70058 337/291 3100 281/286 8282 Texas Organizations Books Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge A Cajun Prairie Restoration Journal:1988-1995. M. F. Vidrine, P.O. Box 278, Anahuac, TX 77514 C. M. Allen and W. R. Fontenot 409/267 3337 Butterflies of Houston & Southeast Texas, 1996. John & Gloria Tveten. Aransas National Wildlife Refuge P.O. Box 100, Austwell, TX 77950 Grasses of Louisiana, 1992. Charles Allen. 512/286 3559 Grasses of the Texas Gulf Prairies and Marshes, 1999. Armond Bayou Nature Center, c/o Mark Kramer, Stewardship Stephan L. Hatch, Joseph L. Schuster, and D. Lynn Drawe. Coordinator, 8500 Bay Area Blvd., P.O. Box 58828, Houston, TX 77258 Restoring Tallgrass Prairie: an illustrated manual for Iowa and the 713/474 2551 upper midwest, 1994. Shirley Shirley. Attwater Prairie Chicken National Wildlife Refuge The Tallgrass Restoration Handbook for prairies, savannas,and P.O. Box 519, Eagle Lake, TX 77434 woodlands, 1997. Stephen Packard and Cornelia F. Mutel. 409/234 3021 Wildflowers of Houston, 1993. John & Gloria Tveten. Brazoria National Wildlife Refuge 1212 North Velasco, Angleton, TX 77515 Wildflowers of Texas, 1994. Geyata Ajilvsgi 409/849 7771 Internet Coastal Prairie Conservation Initiative Web sites Sam Houston RC&D Area, c/o John Campbell, Coordinator www.fws.gov (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) 1410 South Gordon, Alvin, TX 77511 281/388 1734 www.nwrc.usgs.gov/coastalprairie (National Wetlands Research Center) Environmental Institute, University of Houston, c/o Dr. Jim Lester, www.cajunprairie.org (Cajun Prairie Habitat Preservation Society) Director, 2700 Bay Area Boulevard, Houston, TX 77058 www.fws.gov/r4lcs/lcsframe.htm (Lacassine NWR) 281/283 3950 E-mail Houston Audubon Society 440 Wilchester Boulevard, Houston, TX 77079-7329 fw4 es [email protected] (Lafayette office of USFWS) 713/932 1639 fw2 es [email protected] (Houston office of USFWS) Katy Prairie Conservancy fw4 rw [email protected] (Lacassine NWR) 3015 Richmond Avenue, Suite 230, Houston, TX 77098-3114 [email protected] (Malcolm Vidrine, L.S.U. at Eunice) 713/523 6135 [email protected] (Larry Allain, N.W.R.C.) Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center 4801 Lacrosse Avenue, Austin, TX 78739 [email protected] (Charles Allen, U. of L. at Monroe) 512/292 4200 Native Plant Society of Texas P.O. Box 891, Georgetown, TX 78627 512/238 0695 34 35 Plant species photographs Plant species photographs common name scientific name common name scientific name
American aloe ...... Manfreda virginica Gulf coast muhly ...... Muhlenbergia capillaris American germander ...... Teucrium canadense Hairy golden aster ...... Chrysopsis pilosa American snowball ...... Styrax Americana Hairy spiderwort ...... Tradescantia hirsutiflora Annual sunflower ...... Helianthus annuus Hairy ticktrefoil ...... Desmodium ciliare Arrowleaf rattlebox ...... Crotalaria sagittalis Heath aster ...... Aster ericoides Arrow-leaf violet ...... Viola sagittata Hooker’s eryngo ...... Eryngium hookeri Ashy sunflower ...... Helianthus mollis Huisache ...... Acacia farnesiana Bearded grass-pink ...... Calopogon oklahomensis Illinois bundleflower ...... Desmanthus illinoensis Betonyleaf noseburn ...... Tragia betonicifolia Indiangrass ...... Sorghastrum nutans Big bluestem ...... Andropogon gerardii Indian plantain ...... Arnoglossum ovatum Black-eyed susan ...... Rudbeckia hirta Ivyleaf boneset ...... Eupatorium ivifolium Blueflower eryngo ...... Eryngium integrifolium Kansas gayfeather ...... Liatris pycnostachya Blue jasmine ...... Clematis crispa Lanceleaf loosestrife ...... Lythrum alatum var.lanceolatum Blue sage...... Salvia azurea Lanceleaf tickseed ...... Coreopsis lanceolata Blue waterleaf ...... Hydrolea ovata Large-flowered beeblossom ...... Gaura lindheimeri Blue-mist flower ...... Eupatorium coelestinum Late purple aster...... Aster patens Bushy bluestem ...... Andropoogon glomeratus Lemon beebalm ...... Monarda citriodora Butterfly-weed ...... Asclepias tuberosa Lindheimer’s beebalm ...... Monarda lindheimeri Brown-seed Pasaplum ...... Paspalum plicatulum Little bluestem ...... Schizachyrium scoparium Button snakeroot ...... Eryngium yuccifolium Longspike tridens ...... Tridens strictus Canada lousewort ...... Pedicularis canadensis Long-leaf milkweed ...... Asclepias longifolia Canadian goldenrod ...... Solidago canadensis Louisiana vetch ...... Vicia ludoviciana Candyroot ...... Polygala nana Marsh fleabane ...... Pluchea foetida Carolina larkspur ...... Delphinium carolinianum Maryland golden-aster ...... Chrysopsis mariana Centuary ...... Centaurium breviflorum Maryland meadow beauty ...... Rhexia mariana Climbing hemp vine ...... Mikania scandens Maryland milkwort ...... Polygala mariana Cluster bushmint ...... Hyptis alata Maypop...... Passiflora incarnata Clustered mountain-mint ...... Pycnanthemum muticum Maximilian sunflower ...... Helianthus maximiliani Common evening primrose ...... Oenothera biennis Meadow garlic ...... Allium canadense var. mobilense Compass plant ...... Silphium laciniatum Multibloom-hoarypea ...... Tephrosia onobrychoides Coralbean ...... Erythrina herbacea Muskogee beardtongue ...... Penstemon laxiflorus Doll’s daisy ...... Boltonia diffusa Narrowleaf boneset ...... Eupatorium hyssopifolium Downy lobelia ...... Lobelia puberula Narrowleaf sandvine ...... Cynanchum angustifolium Downy milkpea ...... Galactia volubilis Narrowleaf seedbox ...... Ludwigia linearis Drumheads ...... Polygala cruciata Narrowleaf sunflower ...... Helianthus angustifolius Drummond rain lily ...... Cooperia drummondii New Jersey tea ...... Ceanothus americanus Eastern blue-eyed-grass ...... Sisyrinchium atlanticum Nits and lice ...... Hypericum drummondii Eastern blue-star ...... Amsonia tabernaemontana Nodding wild-indigo ...... Baptisia bracteata var. leucophaea Eastern gamagrass ...... Tripsacum dactyloides Old field toadflax ...... Linaria canadensis Eastern yellow stargrass ...... Hypoxis hirsuta Pale coneflower ...... Echinacea pallida Falling beakrush ...... Rhynchospora caduca Pale lobelia ...... Lobelia appendiculata False dandelion ...... Pyrrhopappus carolinianus Partridge pea ...... Chamaecrista fasciculata False foxglove ...... Agalinis sp. Pennywort...... Hydrocotyle sp. False garlic ...... Nothoscardum bivalve Pineland milkweed ...... Asclepias obovata Flat-topped goldenrod...... Euthamia tenuifolia Pinewoods dropseed ...... Sporobolus junceus Florida bluehearts...... Buchnera floridana Pink milkwort ...... Polygala incarnata Florida paspalum ...... Paspalum floridanum Pink wildbean ...... Strophostyles umbellata Flowering spurge ...... Euphorbia corollata Plains coreopsis ...... Coreopsis tinctoria Fringed sneezeweed...... Helenium drummondii Poorjoe ...... Diodia virginiana Gaping panicum ...... Panicum hians Prairie bluets ...... Hedyotis nigricans Golden colic-root ...... Aletris aurea Prairie buttercup ...... Ranunculus fascicularis Grassland prickly pear ...... Opuntia macrorhiza Prairie clover ...... Dalea candida Green milkweed ...... Asclepias viridiflora Prairie coneflower ...... Ratibida pinnata Gulf cordgrass ...... Spartina spartinae Prairie parsley ...... Polytaenia nuttallii 36 37 Plant species photographs Plant species photographs common name scientific name common name scientific name
Prairie petunia ...... Ruellia humilis Tall tickseed ...... Coreopsis tripteris Prairie phlox ...... Phlox pilosa Tansy dogshade ...... Limnoscaiadium pinnatum Prairie rose-gentian ...... Sabatia campestris Ten-petal anemone ...... Anemone berlandieri Prairienymph ...... Herbertia lahue ssp. caerula Texas coneflower ...... Rudbeckia texana Purple-head sneezeweed ...... Helenium flexuosum Texas ironweed ...... Vernonia texana Purple silky scale ...... Anthaenantia rufa Texas paintbrush ...... Castilleja indivisa Rabbit tabacco ...... Pseudognaphalium obtusifolium Texas prickly pear ...... Opuntia lindheimeri Rayless goldenrod ...... Bigelowia virgata Texas star hibiscus ...... Hibiscus coccineus Red iris ...... Iris fulva Texas thistle ...... Cirsium texanum Red milkweed ...... Asclepias lanceolata Texas vervain ...... Verbena halei Rosinweed ...... Silphium gracile Texas wintergrass ...... Nassella leucotricha Rough skullcap ...... Scutellaria integrifolia Thin paspalum ...... Paspalum setaceum Round-head bushclover ...... Lespedeza capitata Three seeded mercury ...... Acalypha gracilens Roundleaf boneset ...... Eupatorium rotundifolium Toothache grass ...... Ctenium aromaticum Roundpod St. John’s Wort ...... Hypericum cistifolium Turks’ cap ...... Malvaviscus arboreus Saltmarsh morning-glory ...... Ipomoea sagittata Venus’ looking glass ...... Tridanis perfoliata Sandbur ...... Krameria lanceolata Virginia dayflower ...... Commelina virginica Sampson’s snakeroot ...... Orbexilum pedunculatum Water hemlock ...... Cicuta maculata Scaly gayfeather ...... Liatris squarrosa Water southern morning-glory ...... Stylisma aquatica Seaside goldenrod ...... Solidago sempervirens Western horsenettle ...... Solanum dimidiatum Sensitive briar ...... Schrankia microphylla Western silver aster ...... Aster sericeus Sessile-leaf ticktrefoil ...... Desmodium sessilifolium White bract blazingstar...... Liatris elegans Swamplily ...... Crinium americanum White colic-root ...... Aletris farinosa Sharpsepal beardtongue ...... Penstemon tenuis White mountainmint ...... Pycnanthemum albescens Shiny goldenrod...... Solidago nitida White prairieclover ...... Dalea candida Showy evening-primrose ...... Oenothera speciosa White-top sedge ...... Rhynchospora colorata Sidebeak pencil-flower ...... Stylosanthes biflora White wild-indigo ...... Baptisia alba Silkgrass ...... Pityopsis graminifolia Whorled milkweed ...... Asclepias verticillata Silky evolvulus ...... Evolvulus sericeus Wild coco ...... Pteroglassaspis ecristata Silver bluestem ...... Bothriochloa laguroides Willowleaf aster ...... Aster praealtus Silverleaf nightshade ...... Solanum elaeagnifolium Winecups ...... Callirhoe papaver Single-stem scurfpea ...... Orbexilum simplex Woolly croton ...... Croton capitatus Slender false dragonhead ...... Physostegia intermedia Woolly groundsel ...... Senecio tomentosus Slender gayfeather ...... Liatris acidota Wooly rose-mallow ...... Hibiscus lasiocarpus Slender mountain-mint ...... Pycnanthemum tenuifolium Wrinkled-leaf goldenrod ...... Solidago rugosa Small skullcap ...... Scutellaria parvula Yarrow ...... Achillea millefolium Snow-on-the-prairie ...... Euphorbia bicolor Yellow-eyed-grass...... Xyris laxiflora Snowy orchid ...... Habenaria nivea Yellow Indian-blanket...... Gaillardia aestivalis Southern blueflag ...... Iris virginica Yellow meadowbeauty...... Rhexia lutea Split-beard bluestem ...... Andropogon ternarius Yellow wild indigo ...... Baptisia sphaerocarpa Spot flower ...... Acmella oppositifolia Yellowpuff ...... Neptunia lutea Spotted beebalm ...... Monarda punctata Spider lily ...... Hymenocallis caroliniana Project Coordinator: Vicki Grafe Springbeauty ...... Claytonia virginica Spring ladies’-tresses ...... Spiranthes vernalis Coastal Prairie brochure text by: Spurred butterfly pea...... Centrosema virginianum Stiff yellow flax ...... Linum medium Larry Allain, Malcolm Vidrine, Vicki Grafe, St. Peter’s-wort ...... Hypericum stans Charles Allen, Steve Johnson Swamp lily ...... Crinum americanum Swamp milkwort ...... Polygala leptocaulis Photos provided by: Sweet goldenrod ...... Solidago odora Larry Allain, Malcolm Vidrine, Steve Johnson, Switchgrass ...... Panicum virgatum Dave Patton, Robert E. Stewart, Sr., Nick Milam Tall coneflower ...... Rudbeckia grandiflora Tall ironweed ...... Vernonia gigantea 38 39 U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service 1 800/344 WILD http://www.fws.gov/r4eao
October 1999
40