1 RHODORA, No. Vol. 94, 878, 156-166, 1992 pp. THE FLORA OF LIMESINK DEPRESSIONS IN CAROLINA BEACH PARK STATE (NORTH CAROLINA) David and Karen Warr' Sieren R. J. ABSTRACT (Ne County, North Carolina) were surveyed One floristically in 1990. state record, 1 county and records, 28 species of special interest or concern are among the 108 vascular plant species collected or observed. Key Words: Vascular plants, limesink North depressions, distribution records, Carolina INTRODUCTION survey Carolina Beach (New State Park Hanover County, North Caro- limesink uary through December formed by the slumping (McDonald ^^^^^ w**v*^4*jiii5 i^ui, ^M. iiiii\^aiuin^ \^ivicj-^uiiaiu tL ai., * **c? and gart Dickerson, of 1980); those chosen exhibited a variety from very dry very to purposes were assigned the following names: Pond small, Sawgrass (a (1) II m m * Jf^^ K I _. .^_ _.. _._ Jib. d^k X -^ ^ .^K. ^ j population of sawgrass Pond shallow, in its center), Loblolly (a (2) m m dry depression 40 x ca. 56 with numerous small loblolly m pines scattered throughout), Pond pond 66 Lily large ca. (3) (a norm Pond Cypress numerous wooded (4) (a partially depression with pond cypresses. This depression of and west sections consists east which most in years are separated by and which often a dry ridge have standing water 1991, in their centers. In wet years such as m they can be one wide continuous pond; together they are 6 ca. 1 m X m 218 Dry more Pond long), and 25 x 84 m, (5) (ca. drier Gum shallow than the others, usually without standing water), (6) Pond m nearly round (a depression 48 partially diameter, ca. in Present New NC address: ' 5385-J Centre Dr., Wilmington, 28403 156 and Warr—Limesink Flora 157 Sieren 1992] and wooded numerous pond and black gums), with cypresses (7) m Grass Pond 41 x 109 m, dominated by grasses and other (ca. of limesinks surveyed are sur- herbaceous vegetation). All the oak communities, and they grade rounded by pine-scrub longleaf upward from moist or aquatic centers or low areas to sur- their zones rounding xeric sand ridges, often having distinct vegetation with increasing elevation. The limesinks were surveyed on 26 weekly trips, primarily known March during the active growing season, through October; and were recorded and unknowns were collected identi- species wnc; The 249 voucher specimens have been deposited in fied. and Kartesz In the nomenclature follows that of Kartesz (1980). synonyms from Radford (1968) are given in species Ust, et al. name brackets following those taxa with changes. SPECIES LIST Pteridophyta BLECHNACEAE Woodwardia Smith virginica (L.) LYCOPODIACEAE Lycopodium alopecuwides L. & Underwood Lycopodium (Chapman) Lloyd appressum Lycopodium carolinianum L. OSMUNDACEAE Gray Osmunda (Willd.) regalis L. var. spectabilis Gymnospermae MNACEAE Pinus taeda L. TAXODIACEAE Taxodium Brongn. ascendens 158 Rhodora [Vol. 94 ' Angiospermae ACERACEAE I L Acer rubrum ANACARDIACEAE Toxicodendron radicans Kuntze. [Rhus (L.) radicans L.] APIACEAE Centella Urban asiatica (L.) Oxypolis filiformis (Walt.) Britt AQUIFOLIACEAE Ilex cassine L. Gray Ilex glabra (L.) ASTERACEAE Coreopsis falcata Boynt. Erechtites DC. hieracifolia (L.) Raf. ex Eupatorium capillifolium (Lam.) Small Eupatorium DC. leptophyllum [Eupatorium capillifoli leptophyllum (DC.) Ahles] Eupatorium recurvans Small Euthamia tenuifolia (Pursh) Greene [Solidago micrc (Greene) Bush] Pluchea Godfrey rosea BROMELIACEAE Tillandsia usneoides (L.) L. BURMANNIACEAE Burmannia bijlora L. Burmannia capitata Mart (Walt.) CAMPANULACEAE & Lobelia Roemer nutallii Schultes and Warr—Limesink 159 Flora Sieren 1992] CLUSIACEAE [HYPERICACEAE] Hypericum Lam. cistifolium Adams Hypericum reductum P. CYPERACEAE Cladium jamaicense Crantz Fem Cyperus polystachyos Rottb. var texensis (Torrey) Eleocharis equisetoides Torr. (Ell.) melanocarpa Eleocharis Torr. Psilocarya scirpoides Torr. & Rhynchospora Fem. Gale chalarocephala M. Rhynchospora chapmanii A. Curtis Gray Rhynchospora (Lam.) corniculata Rhynchospora Gray filifolia Fem. Rhynchospora inundata (Oakes) Gale Rhynchospora (Kukenthal) pleiantha Rhynchospora plumosa Ell. Rhynchospora tracyi Britt. Rhynchospora wrighdana Boeckl. Scleria georgiana Core puhescens Scleria Michx. var. Britt. reticularis CYRILLACEAE L Cyril racemijlora la DROSERACEAE Drosera capillaris Poiret Drosera Hayne intermedia EBENACEAE Diospyros virginiana L. ERICACEAE Lyonia Koch (Lam.) K. lucida Don Lyonia mariana D. (L.) Por (Gray) atrococcum Vaccinium corymbosum Vaccinium L. [ ter] 160 Rhodora 94 [Vol. ERIOCAULACEAE compressum Lam. Koem beyrichianum Sporleder. ex 'on GENTIANACEAE Muhl (Michx.) Muhl verna (Michx.) I Druce difformis (L.) HALORAGIDACEAE Lam Proserpinaca pectinata HAMAMELIDACEAE Liquidambar styracijlua L. JUNCACEAE Juncus Chapman abortvus Juncus Lam. scirpoides LAURACEAE Persea borbonia Sprengel (L.) LENTIBULARIACEAE Pinguicula caerulea Wait. Utricularia juncea Vahl. Utricularia purpurea Walt Utricularia subulata L. LWACEAE Linum Jloridanum [Linum (Planch.) yar Jloridanum vir- Trel. ginianum L. var. Jloridanum Planch.l MAGNOLIACEAE Magnolia virginiana L. MELASTOMATACEAE Rhexia cubensis Griseb. Rhexia mariana L. mariana var. ' Wair— Rora and Limesink 161 Sieren 1992] MYRICACEAE L Myrica cerifera NYMPHAEACEAE Nymphaea odorata Ait. NYSSACEAE Nyssa Marsh (Walter) Sargent sylvatica var. biflora ONAGRACEAE Ludwigia Poir. linifolia Ludwigia Walt suffruticosa ORCHIDACEAE Pogonia ophioglossoides Juss (L.) POACEAE )ACEAE Andropogon Nash in part] virginicus L., capillipes [A. perangustatus Andropogon virginicus virginicus L. var. Kunth. Aristida (Schultes) affinis Aristida purpurascens Poir. Aristida virgata Trin. rugosa (Nutt.) Nash [Manisuris Coelorachis rugosa (Nutt.) Kuntze] & Gould Clark var. longi- Dichanthelium acuminatum (Sw.) & longiligulatum [Panicum Gould Clark ligulatum (Nash) Nash] (Baldw Gould ensifolium dichotomum var. (L.) ifoli (Muhl ?fracta trianthus Muhl. giganteus (Walt.) Spreng.l agrostoides Panicum [Panicum Nees rigidulum Bosc ex Panicum tenerum Bey. ex Trin. ^ Panicum Muh' l verrucosum ' Panicum virgatum L. Paspalum praecox Walt. Nash Sacciolepis striata (L.) Set magna aria Griseb. 162 Rhodora [Vol. 94 I POLYGALACEAE Nutt Walt. Polygala lutea L. POLYGONACEAE Small Michx. opelousanum t var. (Riddell ex Small) Polygonum persicaria L. i RUBIACEAE Diodia L virginiana SALICACEAE Salix Marsh nigra SAXIFRAGACEAE L Ilea virginica SCROPHULARIACEAE Agalinis fasciculata (Ell Agalinis linifolia (Nutt.^ Agalinis virgata Raf. SMILACACEAE Smilax L laurifolia VIOLACEAE Viola lanceolata L. XYRIDACEAE A>m ambigua Bey. ex A>rz5 caroliniana Walt Xyrisjupicai L. A>m smalliana Nash Warr— Rora and Limesink 163 Sieren 1992] DISCUSSION and Weakley Park Following Schafale (1990), limesinks in the can be Depression Pocosins, Small Depression classified as either Vernal dense shrub la] I limesinks surve gum rm may pond manently and have flooded the center scattered in and Pond an example a small cypresses black gums. Cypress ot is depression pond, although a portion of east section has char- its flooded acteristics of a vernal pool. Vernal Pools are seasonally may few depressions dominated by although there be a herbs, park, wetland In the trees or shrubs in the depression interior. and Sawgrass vernal pools include Grass, Dry, Lily, Loblolly, when many Ponds. In of limesinks difficult cases, classification is community two more of types. characteristics overlap or these Weakley seem community primary and water levels in different depressions." Seasonal fluctuation in among be an important factor in its variation years appears to have ponds determining Because the presence of plant species. The no wet years. surface they hold water well in exits, fairly dry may water; in deepest ponds have of standing several feet growing season may years they During the be completely dry. had depressions that most of the these limesinks were surveyed, some dried then gradually standing water from January to April, months, and remaining al- were without standing water for the The water table though remained moist. soils in the deepest parts was southeastern than usual in reported lower to be several inches DuMond, comm.); North M. pers. Carolina during year (D. that which as a some Eleocharis equisetoides result, species such as had likely been were not encountered. It is reported previously For would be apparent. that in a wet year additional species Walt comm summer observed Cypress Pond; the in the On many species rare ny. the other hand, 64 Rhodora 1 94 [Vol. ponds would not be apparent during a rainy season because they limesmks were observed September 1991 and most moist shallow water covering about one-half total area. its These limesinks are especially rich in species of special interest concern tation in parentheses) Andropogon is perangustatus {Sieren 4120), Gum which was found growing abundantly Pond moist of in parts and the east section of Cypress Pond. Hitchcock indicated (1951) and habitat range "Bogs and and its as moist pine woods, Florida New Mississippi." Hanover county records include Aristida affinis {Sieren 4095), A. purpurascens {Sieren 4127), A. virgata {Sieren 4136), Bartonia paniculata {Sieren 4094), Eragrostis refrada {Sieren Eupatorium Linum 4105), leptophyllum {Sieren 4097), Jloridanum var. floridanum Lycopodium {Sieren 4044), caroli- nianum {Sieren Paspalum Rhyn- 4057), praecox {Sieren 4049), chospora inundata {Sieren 4028), and juncea {Sieren Utricularia 4108). Fifteen on species are the Natural Heritage Program List of the Rare Plants of North Carolina (Weakley, 1990): Agalinis linifolia (occasional to locally abundant in seven ponds), A. virgata all Dry iffi Gum, press, Grass, and Sawgrass Ponds), Eleocharis equisetoides (previously observed and photographed Cypress Pond), E. mel- in anocarpa and (frequent abundant Eupatorium Loblolly Pond), in leptophyllum (scattered under pond Cypress Pond), cypresses in Lachnocaulon beyrichianum woods/pond eco- (frequent in the Dry linifolia suffrutii Psilocarya poides (abundant in Lily Pond), Rhexia cubensis (scattered t( numerous Gum in Dry, Rhynchos Cypress, Grass, and Ponds), pora pleiantha (abundant and Cypres: in patches in Dry, Grass, Ponds), R. tracyi (several plants in Cypress and Sawgrass Ponds) Dry Watch mcludes plant species that appear to be rare or otherwise threat- ened with on serious decline, but which have been placed not yet Wan— and Limesink Sieren Flora 165 1992] North These Carolina (Weakley, 1990). fasciculata dry of Dry, Cypress, Loblolly, and Sawgrass Ponds and also observed in a pocosin/savannah ecotone and in other scattered depressions in the park), Bartonia paniculata (scattered in Cypress, Grass, numerous Sawgrass Ponds), B. verna (frequent to and Burmannia Sawgrass Ponds), (severa biflora 1, Gum and numerous on Sawgrass Ponds), Ilex cassine (occasional to dry numerous Dry Cypress, in f observed two Docosins in in filifolia Gum abundant and in Cypress Ponds), R. inundc mid-summer Lily Pond, the dominant herb in Gocally abundant and Sawgrass Po Loblolly in smalliana (occasional Grass Pond). in greatest number Gum Dry and Sawgrass Pond with Grass Pond with 12, 15, with limesinks communi- than oak that of the surrounding longleaf pine-scrub assumed and ties. Mesic deoressions have the most diversity, it is amount many species tribution of limesink The presence of so rare species. combi- may unique in the be a depressions there suggests that data nation provided habitat of factors responsible. Beal (1977) many North Carolina, for marsh and aquatic vascular plants of An limesinks. including found the of in eight the rare species pH those eight analysis of of the habitats for Real's data for the were neutral species indicated most were growing in sites that that once in to alkaline. Three of the species were collected at least were two of those conditions which were acid (pH 4-4.9), but most content for also chloride collected in alkaline Similarly, sites. were those limits species was between 0-1 ppm, but in two cases A environmental exceeded. and other study of limesinks for these con- of conditions factors should understanding provide a greater trolling the of limesink species. distribution