North Carolina Ferns and “Fern Allies”: a survey Ferns of North Carolina
• 122 species, in 46 genera, in 22 families • from sea level to tops of Mount Mitchell • in nearly all habitats (under water and dry sands and rocks) Lycopodiaceae
• 14 species Selaginellaceae
• 6 species (2 aliens) Isoetaceae
• 9 species – more on the way Psilotaceae
• 1 species (alien?, new to NC) Equisetaceae
• 3 species (1 alien, newly documented for NC) Azollaceae
• 1 species Salviniaceae
• 1 species (alien) Marsileaceae
• 1 species (alien) Hymenophyllaceae
• Filmy ferns (Trichomanes petersii)
Ophioglossaceae
• 16 species New Yorker cartoon by Charles Saxon, Sept. 12, 1983 Osmundaceae
• 3 species Dennstaedtiaceae
• 3 species Pteridaceae
• 8 species Aspleniaceae
• 12 species Dryopteridaceae
• 24 species (1 alien) Thelypteridaceae
• 6 species Blechnaceae
• 2 species Polypodiaceae
• 3 species Schizaeaceae
• 1 species Lygodiaceae
• 2 species (1 alien) Grammitidaceae
• 1 species Vittariaceae
• 1 species Changes -- 1
• New systematics – monographs, revisions, studies using traditional approaches – cladistic approaches – molecular systematics • New nomenclature – continued “nontaxonomic” changes in nomenclature Changes -- 2
• New discoveries – new natives are found to be (and to have been) in the Carolinas – new aliens become established in the Carolinas • differing criteria for inclusion in floras Changes -- 4
• Additions to the flora – by description (new circumscription) [+250] – re-elevation from synonymy [net +250] • New discoveries and new arrivals – “finds” (natives new to the flora area) [+250] – naturalization [+250] • Rearrangements of lower taxa [plenty] • New nomenclature [plenty] New species and infrataxa
• Gymnocarpium appalachianum Pryer & Haufler • Huperzia appalachiana Beitel & Mickel • Hymenophyllum tayloriae Farrar & Raine • Isoetes appalachiana Brunton & Britton • Isoetes hyemalis Brunton • Lycopodium hickeyi W.H. Wagner, Beitel, & R.C. Moran • Polypodium appalachianum Haufler & Windham • Trichomanes intricatum Farrar • Vittaria appalachiana Farrar & Mickel • Additional Isoetes in the works New taxonomic concepts -- species • Isoetes
New natives to the Carolinas
• Bog Fern (Thelypteris simulata) • Fragile Fern (Cystopteris fragilis) • Northern Bog Clubmoss (Lycopodiella inundata) • Leather Grapefern (Sceptridium multifidum) • Daisyleaf Moonwort (Botrychium matricariifolium) • Least Moonwort (Botrychium simplex) • Lanceleaf Moonwort (Botrychium lanceolatum var. angustisegmentum) •etc…
New aliens to the Carolinas
•Holly Fern(Cyrtomium falcatum) •Holly Fern(Cyrtomium fortunei) • Giant Water Spangles (Salvinia molesta) • Curly-grass Fern (Schizaea pusilla) • European Water-clover (Marsilea quadrifolia)
Out of synonymy
• Appalachian Woodsia (Woodsia appalachiana from W. scopulina) • Tree Ground-pine (Dendrolycopodium dendroideum from Dendrolycopodium obscurum) Generic splits
• Lycopodium Æ Lycopodium, Diphasiastrum, Huperzia, Lycopodiella, Palhinhaea, Pseudolycopodiella • Grammitis Æ Micropolypodium • Athyrium Æ Athyrium, Deparia, Diplazium • Botrychium Æ Botrychium, Botrypus, Sceptridium • Thelypteris Æ Macrothelypteris, Thelypteris, Phegoteris Generic splits – future “attractions”? • Thelypteris Æ Parathelypteris, Christella, Thelypteris, Cyclosorus, Stegnogramma • Selaginella Æ Bryodesma, Lycopodioides Phylogenetic families
• Traditional morphological, cytological, anatomical criteria • Cladistic analyses • Molecular data “Lycopodium”
Diphasiastrum digitatum (=Lycopodium digitatum, Lycopodium flabelliforme, Lycopodium complanatum var. flabelliforme) Running-cedar Ground-pine Ground Cedar Running Clubmoss Hag’s-bed Southern Running Pine Fan clubmoss Crowfoot club-moss Southern ground-cedar Trailing ground-pine Lycopode en évantail Lycopode aplati
Lycopodiaceae of the Carolinas
Radford, Ahles, & Bell (1968) Now change Lycopodium selago ---- new species named, this species not in Carolinas ---- Huperzia appressa new species (replacing former “selago”) Lycopodium lucidulum Huperzia lucidula generic split Lycopodium porophilum Huperzia porophila generic split Lycopodium flabelliforme Diphasiastrum digitatum new nomenclature + generic split Lycopodium tristachyum Diphasiastrum tristachyum generic split Lycopodium clavatum Lycopodium clavatum NO CHANGE!! Lycopodium obscurum Dendrolycopodium obscurum narrower concept + new genus " Dendrolycopodium dendroideum resplit species + new genus " Dendrolycopodium hickeyi new species + new genus Lycopodium carolinianum Pseudolycopodiella carolinianum generic split Lycopodium alopecuroides Lycopodiella alopecuroides resplit species + generic split " Lycopodiella prostrata resplit species + generic split Lycopodium appressum Lycopodiella appressa generic split --- Lycopodiella inundata native species newly discovered in Carolinas --- Palhinhaea cernua non-native species newly discovered in Carolinas Regional diversity
Main fern habitats
• moist forests -- 53 • rock outcrops -- 41 • aquatic situations -- 8 • bogs -- 6 • dry forests -- 5 • savannas -- 4 • other wetlands -- 4 • sandhills -- 1