-1- Volume 24, number 6, September, 2007 The Sabal www.nativeplantproject.org Flora of Edinburg Scenic Wetlands In contrast to the sparsely wooded field, banks and World Birding Center, Part I: of the lakes and connecting canal were lined Introduction and Plant List by Chris Hathcock I fondly remember summer evenings between 1997 and 2001 at the 50-acre site of Edinburg’s two wastewater treatment lakes. The area was largely ignored by visitors to the adjacent city park; so it was usually just me and a couple of fishermen. Between the lakes lay an old grassy field with scattered mesquite trees and baccharis bushes. To reach the interior of the field, I walked the haphazard dirt roads city maintenance crews drove to unload dirt or brush in this “throw-away” area. Above: Discover Pond, Once a good distance in, it was “off-road” in one of two at the search of greater roadrunners, curve-billed thrashers and verdin, birds favoring these dry, Visitor Center. Right: open lands. Every so often, my steps sent a Hackberry Emporor jackrabbit bounding over a dirt mound or a nectoring on Mex. cottontail scurrying into a brush pile. buttonbush. -2- with tall sugar hackberry, black willow, be implemented, and 3) identify areas retama, huisache, and popinac trees, and had a containing the more desirable plant species and dense understory of granjeno, coma, and communities so these areas can be conserved, lotebush. The woody growth made good cover expanded, and/or replicated to achieve desired for observing the green kingfisher perched on a restoration and habitat goals. narrow limb above the canal (a virtual guarantee) or croaking neotropic cormorants Plant List and motionless black-crowned night-herons The attached list is a fairly comprehensive along a lake shore. Evenings ended perfectly on compilation of the vascular plants currently the deck overlooking the northern lake, where I occurring at Edinburg Wetlands. rested from my jaunt while watching the antics Explanation of Symbols and of moorhens and grebes, seemingly giddy in Terminology–To aid in achieving interpretive anticipation of nightfall. Just overhead, swarms and conservation goals, symbols next to each of swallows and an occasional night-hawk species indicate 1) if it is exotic to the region swooped against the background of a pink and (with an asterisk), 2) whether it occurs inside purple-tainted sky. (L) and/or outside (O) the Visitor Center In 2003, this tract became Edinburg Scenic landscape, and 3) if occurring outside the Wetlands and World Birding Center (hereafter Visitor Center landscape, whether it is Edinburg Wetlands), part of a city, state, and naturally occurring (-n), has been planted (-p), federal collaborative project to promote nature and/or is an exotic invader (-e). The following tourism and conservation. True to its name, definitions apply: most of the tract is 26 acres of shallow (1-3 feet exotic/non-native: not native to Cameron, deep), permanently flooded wetlands. This Willacy, Hidalgo, or Starr County includes the 11- and 13-acre treatment lakes Visitor Center landscape: area delineated to (referred to as “North Lake” and “South Lake”, the south by the entrance road, to the east respectively) and the 450-foot-long by by the city park, to the north by the trail 45-foot-wide canal connecting them. running along North Lake, and to the west Seventeen acres are still either grassy with by the tree/shrub line on top of the eastern scattered trees and shrubs or a narrow strip of canal bank early-successional bank woodland. My main naturally occurring: likely indigenous to stomping grounds through the old field, the site however, are now occupied by the Visitor planted: known to be recently planted or Center and associated 4-acre irrigated apparently planted as part of a discrete landscape. The landscape features a diverse landscaped area assemblage of bird and butterfly-attracting exotic invader: a non-native species that plants, as well as 2 large and 5 small ponds. has been established in the more natural, Although I miss some aspects of its former non-landscaped areas of the site for condition (jackrabbits in particular), there is no several years; it is unknown whether it question the new plantings and water features was introduced to the site or dispersed greatly add to this small parcel’s value as to the site from surrounding areas wildlife habitat and a place for people to enjoy without the direct aid of humans nature. Summary–A total of 220 species were found The main purpose of this article is to provide throughout Edinburg Wetlands during an overview of the current flora at Edinburg June-August 2007, including 185 native and 35 Wetlands. Part I (this issue) features a site plant exotic species. Inside the Visitor Center list. Part II (next month’s issue) features landscape, 152 species (excluding 23 descriptions of general vegetation types found undesirable grass and forb species normally throughout the site. This information is removed as “weeds”) were found, of which 133 intended to 1) serve as a basis for interpretive are native and 19 are exotic. Outside the Visitor signage on plant identification, 2) document Center landscape, 142 species were found; the presence of undesirable exotic species, these include 97 naturally occurring, 36 particularly those most aggressive and planted, and 12 exotic-invasive species. pervasive, so appropriate control measures can -3- Plants of Edinburg Scenic Wetlands Passiflora foetida var. gossypifolia, (Surveyed Summer 2007) cotton-leaf passionflower: L Passiflora suberosa, corky-stem L = occurring in Visitor Center landscape, O passionflower: O-p = occurring outside Visitor Center Sarcostemma cynanchoides, climbing landscape (-n = naturally occurring; -p = milkweed: L,O-n planted; -e = an exotic invader)* = not Senecio confusus, Mexican flame vine*: L native to Cameron, Willacy, Hidalgo, or Urvillea ulmacea, apaac: O-n Starr County Vigna luteola, wild cowpea: O-n GRASSES: 16 species (10 native) UPLAND FORBS (cont.) Bothriochloa laguroides, silver bluestem: Non-viney: 72 species (62 native) O-n Abutilon fruticosum, pelotazo: O-n Cenchrus spinifex, common sandbur: L,O-n Aloe vera, Barbados aloe*: L Chasmanthium laxum, narrow-leaf Amaranthus palmeri, pigweed: L,O-n woodoats* O-p Ambrosia psilostachya, western ragweed: Chloris subdolichostachya, short-spike L,O-n windmill grass: L,O-n Asclepias curassavica, veintiunilla*: L Cynodon dactylon, Bermudagrass*: L,O-e Asclepias tuberosa, butterfly weed (yellow Dactyloctenium aegyptium, Durban variant)*: L crowfoot grass*: L,O-e Aster subulatus, hierba del marano: O-n Digitaria sp., crabgrass*: L,O-e Callisia micrantha, cherisse: L Eragrostis reptans, creeping lovegrass: O-n Calyptocarpus vialis, straggler daisy: L,O-n Eriochloa punctata, Louisiana cupgrass: Carlowrightia parviflora, carlowrightia: L O-n Chenopodium berlandieri, Berlandier Leptochloa nealleyi, Nealley sprangletop: goosefoot: L,O-n O-n Commelina elegans, widow’s tears: L,O-n Leptoloma cognatum, fall witchgrass: O-p Commelina erecta, widow’s tears: L Panicum maximum, Guineagrass*: L,O-e Conyza canadensis, horseweed: L,O-n Pennisetum ciliare, buffelgrass*: O-e Croton leucophyllus, white-leaf croton: L,O-n Setaria leucopila, plains bristlegrass: O-p Cyperus rotundus, nut-grass*: L,O-e Spartina spartinae, gulf cordgrass: O-p Desmanthus virgatus, bundleflower: L,O-n Sporobolus coromandelianus, whorled Dyschoriste crenulata, snake-herb: L dropseed: L,O-n Euphorbia cyathophora, wild poinsettia: UPLAND FORBS: 90 species (78 native) L,O-n Vines: 18 species (16 native) Euphorbia glyptosperma, ridgeseed Acleisanthes obtusa, vine four o’clock: euphorbia: L,O-n O-n,p Euphorbia prostrata, euphorbia: L,O-n Ampelopsis arborea, peppervine: L,O-n Fleishmannia incarnata, pink thoroughwort: Anredera sp., madeira vine: O-n L Florestina tripteris, florestina: L,O-n Cardiospermum halicacabum, common Gaura (2 spp.), gaura: O-p balloon vine: O-n Helianthus maximilliani, Maximillian Cissus incisa, marine ivy: L,O-n sunflower*: L Clematis drummondii, barbas de chivato: Helianthus praecox, Texas sunflower: L,O-n L,O-n Heliotropium angiospermum, heliotrope: Ipomoea alba, moon vine*: O-e L,O-n Ipomoea amnicola, morning glory: L,O-n Heliotropium curassavicum, seaside Ipomoea cordatotriloba var. torreyana, tie heliotrope: L,O-n vine: L,O-n Hibiscus cardiophyllus, tulipán del monte: L Ipomoea sinuata, alamo vine: L Jatropha dioica, leatherstem: O-pJusticia Maurandya antirrhiniflora, snapdragon vine: O-p Mikania scandens, climbing hempweed: L,O-n -4- Justicia pilosella, tube-tongue: L Cladium jamaicense, sawgrass: L,O-n Justicia runyonii, Runyon’s water-willow: O-p Cyperus (4 spp.), flatsedge: L,O-n Lepidium austrinum, peppergrass: L,O-n Echinodorus berteroi, burhead: L Lupinus subcarnosus, Texas bluebonnet: O-p Eclipta prostrata, yerba de tago: L Machaeranthera phyllocephala, camphor Eleocharis sp., spikerush: L,O-n daisy: O-n Eleocharis albida, white spikerush: L,O-n Malvastrum americanum, malva loca: L,O-n Eleocharis parvula, dwarf spikerush: O-n Malvastrum coromandelianum, three-lobe Eustoma exaltatum, bluebell gentian: L false mallow: L,O-n Hydrocotyle bonariensis, sombrerillo: L Manfreda variegata, huaco: L Kyllingia brevifolia, short-leaf flatsedge: O-n UPLAND FORBS (cont.) Ludwigia octovalvis, primrose willow: L,O-n,p Melampodium cinereum, blackfoot daisy: L Marsilea macropoda, water clover: L,O-n? Oenothera speciosa, pink evening primrose: Marsilea vestita, water clover: L L,O-n Pluchea purpurascens, salt marsh fleabane: Parthenium