Southern Ontario Vascular Plant Species List
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Southern Ontario Vascular Plant Species List (Sorted by Scientific Name) Based on the Ontario Plant List (Newmaster et al. 1998) David J. Bradley Southern Science & Information Section Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources Peterborough, Ontario Revised Edition, 2007 Southern Ontario Vascular Plant Species List This species checklist has been compiled in order to assist field biologists who are sampling vegetative plots in Southern Ontario. It is not intended to be a complete species list for the region. The intended range for this vascular plant list is Ecoregions (Site Regions) 5E, 6E and 7E. i Nomenclature The nomenclature used for this listing of 2,532 plant species, subspecies and varieties, is in accordance with the Ontario Plant List (OPL), 1998 [see Further Reading for full citation]. This is the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resource’s publication which has been selected as the corporate standard for plant nomenclature. There have been many nomenclatural innovations in the past several years since the publication of the Ontario Plant List that are not reflected in this listing. However, the OPL has a listing of many of the synonyms that have been used recently in the botanical literature. For a more up to date listing of scientific plant names visit either of the following web sites: Flora of North America - http://www.efloras.org/flora_page.aspx?flora_id=1 NatureServe - http://www.natureserve.org/explorer/servlet/NatureServe?init=Species People who are familiar with the Natural Heritage Information Centre (NHIC) plant species list for Ontario, will notice some changes in the nomenclature. For example, most of the Aster species have now been put into the genus Symphyotrichum, with a few into the genus Eurybia. Flat- topped White Aster is now called Doellingeria umbellata. The genus Scirpus has also been split into different genera, with just a few remaining species being retained in the original genus. Most of these species are now in the genus Schoenoplectus, Trichophorum or Bolboschoenus. With the use of DNA and other chemical analysis, botanical researchers will probably rearrange many more species in the near future. Species Code For data entered into handheld palm pilots, the use of abbreviated codes is often required. Most units do not have a memory capacity to hold pull down menus for all 2,532 species. Therefore an abbreviated code has been developed that is unique for each species, subspecies and variety. The seven digit code is constructed by using the first four characters of the genus name followed by the first 3 characters of the species name. Therefore, White Trillium (Trillium grandiflorum) has the 7 digit code of TRILGRA. If there is a subspecies or variety ranking for a species, then the first two characters are used from the species name, and the third character is the first letter of the subspecies or varietal epithet. Enchanter’s Nightshade (Circaea lutetiana ssp. canadensis) has the code CIRCLUC. In situations where the 7 digit codes for two separate species are the same, then another character is used for the seventh digit in the code. For example, Water Arum (Calla palustris) and Common Water Starwort (Callitriche palustris) would both produce the same seven character code. In this case the code CALLPLS is used for Water Arum, and CALLPLU is used for the Common Water Starwort. Below are some additional examples; Red Oak Quercus rubra QUERRUB Black Maple Acer saccharum ssp. nigrum ACERSAN Sugar Maple Acer saccharum ssp. saccharum ACERSAS Northern Lady Fern Athyrium filix-femina var. angustum ATHYFIA Plantain-leaved Sedge Carex plantaginea CAREPLA Broad-leaved Wood Sedge Carex platyphylla CAREPLT Slender Wood Sedge Carex gracilescens CAREGRA Graceful Sedge Carex gracillima CAREGRM ii SRank The Natural Heritage Information Centre uses a ranking system that considers the provincial rank of an element as a tool to prioritize protection efforts. The provincial (Sub-national) rank is known as the SRANK. These ranks have been assigned using the best available scientific information, and follow a systematic ranking procedure developed by The Nature Conservancy (U.S.). The ranks are based on three factors: estimated number of occurrences, estimated community extent, and estimated range of the community within the province. The provincial ranks are summarized below. S1 - Extremely rare in Ontario; usually 5 or fewer occurrences in the province, or very few remaining hectares S2 - Very rare in Ontario; usually between 5 and 20 occurrences in the province, or few remaining hectares S3 - Rare to uncommon in Ontario; usually between 20 and 100 occurrences in the province; may have fewer occurrences, but with some extensive examples remaining S4 - Considered to be common in Ontario. It denotes that a species is apparently secure, with over 100 occurrences in the province S5 - Indicates that a species is widespread in Ontario, it is demonstrably secure in the province These provincial ranks may further be modified. S2S3 - Indicates that an element is rare, but insufficient information exists to accurately assign a single rank SE - Indicates exotic introductions to the flora SH - Indicates that an element is known historically for the province, but it hasn't been seen in the past 20 years. It is not known conclusively to be extirpated in Ontario SHB - Indicates that the species is of a hybrid origin SX - Indicates that an element is extirpated from the province SU - Indicates that the status is uncertain due to insufficient information SRF - Is a species that was recorded falsely for the province Form Code This column describes the general form of the plant species. Is it a forb, shrub or tree? Non vascular plants such as Mosses, Liverworts, Hornworts, Algae and Lichens have general placeholder codes which have been included in this listing. Some of the more open communities have a significant amount of covers of non vascular plants, so it is necessary to record these entities within a sample plot or polygon. AL Algae filamentous algal species found in aquatic habitats FE Fern non-flowering, vascular plant, reproducing by spores iii FO Forb herbaceous broad-leaved plant GR Grass graminoid plants that have stems with nodes (Poaceae) HR Hornwort members of the Anthocerotophyta division of plants LC Lichen crustose, foliose and fruticose lichen species LV Liverwort members of the Hepaticophyta division of plants MO Moss members of the Bryophyta division of plants RU Rush graminoid plants with round stems (Juncaceae) SE Sedge graminoid plants with angular stems (Cyperaceae) SH Shrub plants with erect, reclining or prostrate woody stems (usually with more than one stem) TR Tree woody perennial plant having a single (1- 3), usually elongate main stem VI Vine herbaceous plant that trails, clings, or twines, and requires support to grow vertically VW Woody Vine a vine with a perennial woody stem Further Reading and Resources: Flora of North America north of Mexico: online website. 2007 Flora of North America Editorial Committee Missouri Botanical Garden, Missouri http://www.efloras.org/flora_page.aspx?flora_id=1 Flora Ontario: online website. 2007 Flora Ontario – Integrated Botanical Information System (FOIBIS), Phase 1, 2005 University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario http://uoguelph.ca/foibis/ Natural Heritage Information Centre: online website. 2007 Vascular Plant Species List Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Science & Information Branch Peterborough, Ontario http://nhic.mnr.gov.on.ca/nhic_.cfm Nature Conservancy Canada: online website. 2007 R.R. #5, 5420 Highway 6 North, Guelph, Ontario http://www.natureconservancy.ca/site/PageServer?pagename=ncc_main NatureServe Explorer: online website. 2007 National Biological Information Infrastructure, U. S. Geological Survey Arlington, Virginia http://www.natureserve.org/explorer/servlet/NatureServe?init=Species Newmaster, S. G., A. Lehela, Peter W. C. Uhlig, Sean McMurray and Michael J. Oldham. 1998 Ontario Plant List Forest Research Information Paper No. 123, Ontario Forest Research Institute Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario Oldham, Michael J. 1999 Natural Heritage Resources of Ontario: Rare Vascular Plants. 3rd edition Natural Heritage Information Centre Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Peterborough, Ontario iv Southern Ontario Vascular Plant List 2,532 records Scientific Name Common Name Code S Rank Form Abies balsamea Balsam Fir ABIEBAL S5 TR Abutilon theophrasti Velvetleaf ABUTTHE SE5 FO Acalypha virginica var. rhomboidea Three-seeded Mercury ACALVIR S5 FO Acer ginnala Amur Maple ACERGIN SE1 SH Acer negundo Manitoba Maple ACERNEG S5 TR Acer pensylvanicum Striped Maple ACERPEN S5 SH Acer platanoides Norway Maple ACERPLA SE5 TR Acer rubrum Red Maple ACERRUB S5 TR Acer saccharinum Silver Maple ACERSCR S5 TR Acer saccharum ssp. nigrum Black Maple ACERSAN S4? TR Acer saccharum ssp. saccharum Sugar Maple ACERSAS S5 TR Acer sp Maple Species ACER_SP TR Acer spicatum Mountain Maple ACERSPI S5 SH Acer X freemanii Freeman's Maple ACERFRE SHB4 TR Achillea millefolium ssp. lanulosa Woolly Yarrow ACHIMIL S5 FO Achillea millefolium ssp. millefolium Common Yarrow ACHIMIM SE FO Achillea ptarmica Sneezewort ACHIPTA SE2? FO Achillea sp Yarrow Species ACHI_SP FO Acinos arvensis Mother-of-thyme ACINARV SE5 FO Acorus americanus Sweetflag ACORAME S4 FO Acorus calamus Calamus ACORCAL SE1 FO Actaea pachypoda White Baneberry ACTAPAC S5 FO Actaea rubra Red Baneberry ACTARUB S5 FO Actaea sp Baneberry Species ACTA_SP FO Actaea X ludovici Hybrid Baneberry ACTALUD