Oklahoma Native Plant Record 49 Volume 15, December 2015 CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE FLORA OF CIMARRON COUNTY AND THE BLACK MESA AREA Amy K. Buthod Bruce W. Hoagland Oklahoma Biological Survey Oklahoma Biological Survey University of Oklahoma Department of Geography and Norman, OK 73019 Environmental Sustainablity [email protected] University of Oklahoma Norman, OK 73019 Keywords: flora, Cimarron County, Black Mesa, vascular plants, rare plants ABSTRACT This paper reports the results of recent collection activities in Cimarron County, including the Black Mesa area, in the state of Oklahoma. A total of 331 taxa in 60 families were collected. Two-hundred and six genera, 279 species and 52 infraspecific taxa were identified. The largest families were the Poaceae with 72 taxa and the Asteraceae with 63. Thirty-six exotic taxa were collected (10.9 % of the flora), including two species new to Oklahoma: Scorzonera laciniata and Ranunculus testiculatus. Forty-six taxa tracked by the Oklahoma Natural Heritage Inventory were found. INTRODUCTION County. The eastern-most extension of the Rocky Mountain foothill vegetation is Cimarron County has long been present in the area; Rogers (1953) found it recognized as a botanically significant region to be “an excellent example of the in Oklahoma. A total of 95 vascular plants intergradation of the flora of the great plains tracked by the Oklahoma Natural Heritage with that of the Rocky Mountain foothills”. Inventory (ONHI) occur in the county Our intent for this work was to relocate the (Oklahoma Natural Heritage Inventory rare taxa, update their ONHI ranks, and, 2013). Included among these is Asclepias hopefully, expand our knowledge of the uncialis Greene, which, prior to 1996, was area’s current flora. listed as a likely candidate for federal listing The earliest botanical collections from as threatened or endangered by the U.S. the Black Mesa region were made in 1820 Fish and Wildlife Service (United States by Edwin James, botanist for Major Stephen Department of the Interior 1993). Before Long’s expedition to the Rocky Mountains. this survey, nineteen of the tracked taxa had Eighty-four years later, Per Axel Rydberg, an ONHI ranking of SH, meaning that author of Flora of Colorado (1906) and Flora of reports of occurrences are older than twenty the Rocky Mountains and Adjacent Plains (1917), years (Oklahoma Natural Heritage botanized in the area. The first thorough Inventory 2013; NatureServe 2015). The botanical inventory of the Mesa de Maya number of taxa in Cimarron County that are was completed by Rogers (1953). From rare at the state level is due in part to the 1947 and 1949, he collected along the mesa presence of Black Mesa, an extension of the in Colorado, New Mexico and Oklahoma, Mesa de Maya, which extends for 72 km as well as from some of the secondary from east of Raton, New Mexico, though mesas in the area (Rogers 1953). According Colorado and into northwestern Cimarron Amy K. Buthod and Bruce W. Hoagland https://doi.org/10.22488/okstate.17.100114 50 Oklahoma Native Plant Record Volume 15, December 2015 to a list published in 1953, Rogers collected remnant of a Tertiary-era lava flow, is 267 taxa from 51 families in Oklahoma, but located in this area (Curtis et al. 2008). The in a later work (1954) he notes that highest point in Oklahoma, at 1515 m, is on “approximately five-hundred were found, or the mesa. Rolling, low hills and canyons could be found”. U. T. Waterfall collected at surround the mesa. Black Mesa and in Cimarron County within Four soil associations occur within the same time period, adding approximately Cimarron County. Travessilla-Kim soils are 30 taxa to the state’s flora (Waterfall 1949, only found in the northeastern corner of the 1950a, b). James K. McPherson completed county. They consist of “loam, calcareous, an inventory with the sole focus of Black and humus-poor soils on steep slopes” Mesa in the early 1990s, reporting 236 taxa (Carter and Gregory 2008). Dalhart-Vona from 58 families (2003a, b). His collecting soils are found primarily in the southern half activities were confined to the areas of the of the county; these are “very deep loamy mesa on the property belonging to the state soils on gentle slopes” (Carter and Gregory of Oklahoma (Township 6N, Range 1E, 2008). Sherm-Ulysses type soils dominate Sections 28–33 and Township 5N, Range the eastern half of the county. These soils 1E, Section 6). Patricia Folley (2003) are “very deep, silty and clayey, humus-rich supplemented the McPherson list with soils on gentle slopes” (Carter and Gregory collections made from 1994 through 2003. 2008). Conlen-Pastura-Plack soils are the Folley collected over a wider area than least common soil type in the county; they McPherson, surveying the state park around consist of “loamy and calcareous soils on Lake Etling, the roadsides leading to the moderately steep slopes” (Carter and park and mesa, and some private lands, Gregory 2008). Potential vegetation types in including Tesequite Canyon (Folley 2003). Cimarron County include shortgrass high She found an additional 49 taxa from 25 plains, sandsage grassland, piñon families. Other botanists have contributed pine/juniper mesa, and bottomland forest to the knowledge of the Black (Duck and Fletcher 1943; Hoagland 2008). Mesa/Cimarron County flora over the Cimarron County has a dry climate, years, including Delzie Demaree, who falling within Trewartha’s steppe or semi- worked in the area in the 1930s, George arid type (1968). Average annual Goodman (from the late 1930s through the precipitation ranges from 38–50 cm, with early 1970s), John and Connie Taylor (1960s most falling from May through August. and 1970s), and Larry Magrath in the 1980s Thunderstorms occur in the spring and (Oklahoma Vascular Plants Database 2015). summer. Average temperature is 13–14°C. The average high (in July) is 34°C, and the STUDY SITE average low (in January) is -7°C. South- southwesterly winds are dominant and Cimarron County falls within the High relative humidity ranges from 29–84%. Plains and the Cimarron River Valley Over 70% of days are sunny (Oklahoma geomorphic provinces (Curtis et al. 2008). Climatological Survey 2015). The High Plains province consists of flat uplands over Tertiary-era Dakota METHODS sandstones and is found throughout most of the county (Rogers 1953). The Cimarron Plants were collected at 100 sites River Valley is found in the northeastern throughout Cimarron County (Fig. 1; part of the county and is distinguished by Table 1). Collection sites were chosen based dissected valleys of Mesozoic-era shale and on location information from the Oklahoma sandstone. The Black Mesa, the flat, eroded Natural Heritage Inventory Database and Amy K. Buthod and Bruce W. Hoagland Oklahoma Native Plant Record 51 Volume 15, December 2015 Figure 1 Cimarron County, Oklahoma. Dots indicate collection sites. Shaded areas indicate Black Mesa Nature Preserve lands. Map by Todd Fagin, Oklahoma Biological Survey. the Oklahoma Vascular Plants Database. identifications. Taxonomy follows the Additional collections were also made Integrated Taxonomic Information System opportunistically. Coordinates of each site (2015). Duration and nativity to Oklahoma were collected using a Garmin GPSmap were determined using the PLANTS 76Cx unit. Sites were located between Database (USDA-NRSC 2015); if the latitudes N36.98989 and N36.62313 and information from PLANTS was ambiguous, longitudes W102.67913 and W102.68063. Taylor and Taylor (1991) was consulted. Elevations ranged from 1118 m to 1513 m. Vegetation classifications were assigned Field work began in March of 2013, with based on Hoagland (2000). subsequent monthly trips until September. An additional trip was made in May of 2014. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION One example of each taxon encountered was collected and processed according to Three-hundred and thirty-one taxa in 60 standard herbarium protocols. Specimens families were collected in this study were deposited at the Robert Bebb (Appendix A). Two-hundred and six genera, Herbarium (OKL) at the University of 279 species, and 52 infraspecific taxa were Oklahoma. Manuals used to identify plants identified. Two-hundred thirty-one taxa included Great Plains Flora Association were perennials; there were 96 annuals and (1986), Tyrl et al. (2010) and Allred and Ivey four biennials. Thirty-six taxa were non- (2012); the collections of the Robert Bebb native to Oklahoma, including two species Herbarium were also used to verify new to the state (Scorzonera laciniata in the Asteraceae and Ranunculus testiculatus in the Amy K. Buthod and Bruce W. Hoagland 52 Oklahoma Native Plant Record Volume 15, December 2015 Ranunculaceae); non-native taxa accounted found in northwestern Cimarron County on for 10.9% of the total flora. The Poaceae slopes and uplands (Hoagland 2000). Plants had the greatest number of exotic taxa with found in this type included Cylindropuntia 11; the Brassicaceae had five. The largest imbricata, Melampodium leucanthum, and Zinnia families were the Poaceae with 72 taxa and grandiflora. the Asteraceae with 63. Forty-six taxa The Bouteloua gracilis-Hilaria jamesii tracked by the Oklahoma Natural Heritage herbaceous association intergrades with the inventory were found (Table 2). Asclepias fourth vegetation type, the Juniperus uncialis, the former candidate for federal monosperma woodland alliance. This alliance listing, was not located. includes the Juniperus monosperma/Bouteloua Vegetation classes encountered in this curtipendula woodland association and the study included the Artemisia Juniperus monosperma-Pinus edulis/Bouteloua filifolia/Sporobolus cryptandrus-Schizachyrium curtipendula woodland association and is scoparium shrubland association. It is found found in northwestern Cimarron County. on sandy soils and stabilized dunes in the Plants from this type included Bouteloua northwestern and central portions of the gracilis, Cercocarpus montanus, and Prunus study site. Associated taxa included virginiana (Hoagland 2000). Andropogon gerardii ssp. hallii, Abronia fragrans, Herbaceous wetland vegetation was and Eriogonum annuum (Duck and Fletcher found at only a few sites, including those 1943; Hoagland 2000).