Erigenia Number 11, March 1991 Editor-in-Chief: Lawrence R. Stritch, U.S.D.A. Forest Service, Shawnee National Forest, 901 S. Commercial St., Harrisburg, IL 62946 Managing and Layout Editor: Elizabeth L. Shimp, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL 60532 Copy Editor Floyd A. Swink, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL 60532 Publications Committee: John E. Ebinger, Botany Department, Eastern Illinois University, Charleston, IL 61920 Ken Konsis, Forest Glen Preserve, R.R. 1 Box 495A, Westville, IL 61883 Kenneth R. Robertson, Illinois Natural History Survey, 607 E. Peabody Dr., Champaign, IL 61820 Cover Design: Christopher J. Whelan, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL 60532 Cover Illustration: Nancy Hart Stieber, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL 60532 Executive Committee of the Society President: Lawrence R. Stritch, U.S.D.A. Forest Service, Shawnee National Forest, 901 S. Commercial St., Harrisburg, IL 62946 President-Elect: Jon J. Duerr, Kane County Forest Preserve District, 719 Batavia Ave., Geneva, IL 60134 Treasuren Mary Susan Moulder, 918 W. Woodlawn, Danville, IL 61832 Recording Secretary: Raymond Smith, Rt. 8, Box 174 #70, Carbondale, IL 62901 Corresponding Secretary: John E. Schwegman, Illinois Department of Conservation, Springfield, IL 62701 Governing Board Jeffrey O. Dawson, Forest Biology, University of Illinois, Champaign, IL 61820 John E. Ebinger, Botany Department, Eastern Illinois University, Charleston, IL 61920 J. William Hammel, Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, Springfield, IL 62701 Kenneth R. Robertson, Illinois Natural History Survey, University of Illinois, Champaign, IL 61820 Elizabeth L. Shimp, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL 60532 W. Stan Tyson, Rivendell Botanic Garden, P.O. Box 17, Beardstown, IL 62618 Cheryl Vergin, 26 Westwood Place, Danville, IL 61832 Chapter Presidents Central (Springfield): Floyd Catchpole East-Central (Urbana): Eric Ulaszek Forest Glen (Westville): Ken Konsis Irene Cull (Peoria): Gary Kuzniar Northeastern (Lisle): Dick Young Southern (Carbondale): David Carter For Society membership information, write to: E.L. Shimp, U.S.D.A. Forest Service, Shawnee National Forest, 901 S. Commercial Street, Harrisburg, IL 62946 The Illinois Native Plant Society is dedicated to the preservation, conservation and study of the native plants and vegetation of Illinois. (ISSN 8755-2000) Copyright • 1991 by The Illinois Native Plant Society Coven Asckpias meadii Torrey (Mead's milkweed), a federally threatened plant, occurs in only four locations in Illinois. Erigenia 11 (March 1991) The Vascular Flora of Langham Island, Kankakee County, Illinois^ John E. Schwegman Illinois Department of Conservation Springfield, Illinois 62701-1787 Langham Island is located in the Kankakee River at Laughton ever controlled the island. The Indians the village of Altorf, five miles northwest of were forced to cede their lands and move to Iowa in Kankakee, Illinois. This 10-hectare island has long 1836 (Beckwith 1884). been noted for the variety of rare plants inhabiting it. Chief among these is the Kankakee Mallow Land near Langham Island was settled rapidly {Iliamna remota), which is native only to this island. following the departure of the Indians. A dam was Early herbarium sheets indicate that the island was built between the island and the north shore in 1858 visited by botanists as early as 1872, however no to provide water power for a mill that was complete vascular flora list has been compiled for constructed on the shore. The village of Altorf was the area. This paper presents such a list. settled at this time. The mill deteriorated before 1890, but the end of the dam and an apparent The first written record I have found of the island borrow area are still evident on the island. was made by a government land surveyor on April 7, 1834. He described it as a "beautiful timbered island E. J. Hill began visiting the island and collecting the that does not overflow" and called it Langham's unusual plants he found there in 1872. He does not Island (Page 98, volume 356, Public Land Survey describe the conditions on the island at that time, field notes). At this time the south shore of the but refers to some of his visits in his letters found in river was "high level rich prairie" and the north Kibbe (1953). His herbarium labels describe the shore was timbered. Tree species listed for the area habitat for most of his collections as "gravelly island", are "burr oak, white oak and hickory". "dry banks", and "gravelly bank of island". By 1912, and continuing at least until 1916, Sherff (1946) In 1834 the north shore of the river, to which the noted that the more elevated flat portion of the island is closest, was part of a large timbered grove island was cleared and cultivated as a cornfield. He which contained a major Potawotomie Indian village. described the remaining woodland as "open woods" Several tracts in this grove (Rock Grove) were and "rocky grassy slopes". When Sherff returned in deeded to the Indians by the Treaty of Tippecanoe. 1945, the field had been abandoned. Since that time A large tract just east of the island was granted to an the island has remained undisturbed and (he field Indian named Joseph Laughton, son of has succeeded to a brush and small-tree stage. Wais-Ke-Shaw. Since histories of the county list no Langhams among the earliest settlers, the island may Langham Island became part of Kankakee River have been named for Joseph Laughton and the State Park in the early 1940s, and was dedicated as surveyor and the authors of the treaty spelled his an Illinois Nature Preserve in 1966. Management of name differently. However, it is also possible that the island to benefit the Kankakee Mallow, under a the surveyor named the island for a Mr. Langham recovery plan for that species (Schwegman 1984), who was Surveyor General of Illinois at the time. In began in 1983. Management has included prescribed any event, there is no evidence that Joseph fire and chemical control of exotic shrubs. 'Editor's Note: Due to editorial errors, this article, which previously appeared in Erigenia 10, is being reprinted in its entirety. Further citations of Mr. Schwegman's article should cite Erigenia 11. Erigenia 11 (March 1991) Langham Island consisted only of a flat-topped 5.4- {Quercus rubra), with an understory of Bladdernut hectare bedrock upland when first surveyed and {Slaphylea trifolia). The drier forests of the south platted in 1868. Since that time, a 4.6-hcctare low slope are of Burr Oak {Quercus macrocarpa) and alluvial area has accreted to the southeastern Blue Ash {Fraxinus quadrangulata), with a shrub (upstream) end. The island is located at the layer of Poison Ivy {Toxicodendron radicans). Amur upstream end of the "gorge" of the Kankakee River Honeysuckle and many other shrub and tree species at a point where the river is swift, shallow and rocky. are also common here. The lowland forests are of It is nearest the northern shore. Green Ash {Fraxinus pennsylvanica), Hackberry {Celtis occidentalis) and American Elm {Ulmus The present study area consists of this entire 10- americana). Cottonwood {Populus deltoides) is a hectare island and the aquatic habitats immediately common tree along the north shore. Swift water bordering it. The natural communities present in areas support Sago Pondweed {Potamogelon the study area include dry upland forest on the pecrinatus) and Eelgrass {Vallisneria americana), southwest slopes, mesic upland forest on the while quiet waters are usually dominated by Water northeast slopes, floodplain forest, late successional Weed {Elodea canadensis) and Curly Pondweed old field, bedrock outcrops, river banks, swift river {Potamogeton crispus). Common shoreline herbs are and quiet river. The river-bank community is Water Willow {Justicia americana) and Rose Mallow impacted frequently by ice-floe scouring as well as {Hibiscus laevis). flooding. Among the more notable plants known from The island is 700 meters long and a maximum of 195 Langham Island is the Kankakee Mallow, which was meters wide. Its linear dimension tends southeast to first collected there by E. J. Hill on June 29, 1872. northwest. The river elevation is approximately 170 It remains abundant there today, and so far as is meters above sea level, while the old field interior of known, is native only to this island. The Com the island is at an elevation of 177 meters. The Salads {Valerianella intermedia and V. umbilicata) are highest elevation is 581 feet. The northeast side of annuals occupying the banks and interior fields. the island has more gentle 4 to 7 percent slopes than While the latter species was abundant during this the 18 to 30 percent slopes of the southwest side. study, the former was last collected by Swink on July 2, 1966 (SIU). The Leafy Prairie Clover {Dalea soil The of the flat upland is Rockton Loam, which foliosa) was first discovered on the island on August is developed in 50 to 60 centimeters of stratified 27, 1872 by E. J. Hill. He found it growing on sands and silts over dolomite bedrock. The "gravelly banks". Realizing he had discovered a little northeast slopes are Ritchey Loam, which is 25 to 60 known species, he returned July 28, 1873 to collect centimeters thick on bedrock, while the steeper more. In a letter to Harry Patterson dated southwest slopes contain Sogn Loam. Sogn has less November 29, 1873, Hill, referring to the leafy than 25 centemeters of loamy material over bedrock. prairie clover, writes: "In fact I found but five plants This soil is gravelly with some very large cobbles in after thorough search. Four of these I dug up, some areas. Two areas of bedrock outcrop also sending two of the roots to Dr. (Asa) Gray, to occur on the southwest slopes. lower southeast The cultivate, fearing I might exterminate; the other was of island end the has medium-textured alluvium on left".