South Carolina Highlights, Part 2

Although Day 1 of our trip was excellent, Day 2 was even better. We only visited two sites on the second day of our excursion, but the first site that day was so interesting that it was the highlight of our trip for me. This site is known as Forty Acre Rock and Flat Creek Heritage Preserve, and it is considered by some to be the most diverse protected area in the piedmont province. We spent most of our time in the granite flatrock area of the site, pictured below.


In the photograph above, you can see numerous colors and textures indicative of a diverse array of plant species. In a few spots, including on the left side of the photo, you can see a bit of red coloration, which is a result of one of many dense colonies of Diamorpha smallii on the site. Elf Orpine, as it is known, has fleshy red leaves, a red stem, and pinkish-red fruit, and it grows in dense colonies. This tiny plant (only growing up to four inches tall) is only known from six states in the southeastern United States, where it grows in gravelly and sandy vernal pools in granite and sandstone outcrops and sandy flats.


The very similar Sedum pusillum, pictured below, also grows at this site, in populations that are geographically in close proximity to Diamorpha smallii but that are ecologically quite different. Whereas Diamorpha smallii grows in vernal pools, Sedum pusillum can be found in slightly drier parts of granite flatrocks under shade, often in association with Juniperus virginiana. Puck's Orpine, as this species is known, is only found in North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, and Georgia, and is a Federal Species of Concern. It flowers a bit earlier than Diamorpha smallii, and as a result many of the plants of this species that we saw had already matured to fruit.


In my previous post, I discussed Minuartia glabra. At Forty Acre Rock, the similar Minuartia uniflora was found on granite flatrocks. This tiny member of the family Caryophyllaceae, known as Piedmont Sandwort, is only known from North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Alabama, where it grows in sandy or granite outcrops. As with nearly all of the other species growing on the outcrops at this site, Minuartia glabra is an annual.


Take a look at the shot below. What could Justin possibly be doing? Isn't he going to soil his Sunday best by tinkering on his tummy in that little puddle? Even if he did, it would be well worth it for the reward of the plant in the small vernal pool that is the object of his attention.


Probably the highlight plant of the trip for me was the tiny Pool Sprite that grows in these vernal pools at this preserve. Below is Amphianthus pusillus. It simply doesn't get much better than this, folks. The leaves of this plant are less than a half inch long, so you can get a feel for how small the flower is. This federally threatened species is endemic to the vernal pools in granite flatrocks in the piedmont of South Carolina, Georgia, and Alabama. Because these vernal pools are prone to rapid drying, this only member of the genus Amphianthus, an annual plant, conducts its entire life cycle in just three to four weeks. The other plant in the photograph below, by the way, is a quillwort, possibly (Isoetes melanospora).


After spending a good chunk of the day at this site, we drove to the coastal plain and botanized at Cartwheel Bay Heritage Preserve. Most of our time here was spent in the Longleaf Pine flatwoods, but we did venture into a couple of pocasins as well.


One of our highlights at this preserve was Carolina Ipecac, Euphorbia ipecacuanhae, shown below. This mat-forming euphorb is known primarily from the sandhills and coastal plain of several states along the east coast of the United States. The specific epithet gives you an idea of what would happen if you ate this plant... not only does it induce vomiting, but it also acts as a laxative. Don't try this at home... well, that may actually be the best place to try it, if you are so inclined.


Also at Cartwheel Bay, we saw the plant below.  We originally identified this as Iris tridentata, but thanks to the keen eye of one of our readers we've learned that this identification was incorrect. Instead, we now believe that this is likely Iris virginica.  However, there are two known varieties of this species present in South Carolina: I. virginica var. virginica and I. virginica var. shrevei.  The former is said to get up to 6 dm tall and to not be very branched, whereas the latter is said to get up to 1 m tall and to be more branched.  The plant that we saw with deep violet petals and sepals was at least 1m tall and was branched, indicating that it would be I. virginica var. shrevei.  However, that variety is not known from the coastal plain of South Carolina or from Horry County, where we found this specimen.


As it began to get dark, a Barred Owl called, signaling the end to day two of our short three day sprint through South Carolina. After such a great day two, what would day three bring?

South Carolina Highlights, Part 1

Many of you know that Justin Thomas and I went to South Carolina on our annual botany excursion this spring. I will try to do justice to some of our trip highlights in this and my next two posts. I will also be including additional photos at some point on Through Handlens and Binoculars.

On our first day in South Carolina we visited three sites in the Blue Ridge Mountain province of the state. The first stop on our trip was at Table Rock State Park. Our hike at this National Natural Landmark site took us through montane deciduous forest communities and along a spray cliff. Here we saw the interesting shrub Pyrularia pubera (Santalaceae), shown below. This hemiparasite, known as buffalo-nut or oil nut, should not be eaten as it contains toxic oils. It is known from mountainous regions of the eastern United States.


As we walked along we continued to see an odd Thalictrum with showy white sepals. Justin finally commented on this plant that I had been watching as well, so we looked it up and found that it was Thalictrum clavatum, shown below. Mountain Meadow Rue, as it is known, is found in mountainous regions of eight eastern states and grows in moist forests and near streams.


Our next stop was at Eva Russell Chandler Heritage Preserve. This site boasts quality cataract bogs and granite domes as its highlight plant communities.


Cataract bogs (shown above) are interesting communties that are not bogs in the true sense of the word but that instead receive water from seepages. These communities occur along the margins of small streams that sheet flow over smooth rock surfaces.


One of the seemingly early successional plant species on the granite domes at this preserve was Kinky-hair Spikemoss, Selaginella tortipila (below). This primitive spore-bearing plant forms carpets on granite domes, cliffs, and ledges, and is endemic to Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia.


Another common plant on the granite domes was Minuartia glabra, shown below. Appalachian Sandwort, as it is commonly known, grows on rock outcrops including granite domes.


The third site that we botanized on our first day was recommended to us by a member of the South Carolina Native Plant Society who we bumped into at Table Rock State Park. This preserve, known as Ashmore Heritage Preserve, has a dammed reservoir but also contains natural bog communities.


Our target at this site was not difficult to find and can be seen in the photograph above as well as that below. This is Sarracenia jonesii, Mountain Sweet Pitcher Plant. This extremely rare pitcher plant is known only from 10 populations in five counties in mountain seepage bogs in North and South Carolina. As a result of its population numbers and distribution, Mountain Sweet Pitcher Plant is Federally Endangered. This beautiful carnivorous species was named in honor of the man who studied insect associates of pitcher plants, Dr. F. M. Jones.


An unexpected bonus at Ashmore Heritage Preserve was Calopogon tuberosus, a species of eastern North America. It is a rare occasion when the flamboyant Tuberous Grasspink, as this orchid is known, is overshadowed and nearly ignored, but such was the case at this site with the occurrence of an exceedingly rare carnivorous plant in great abundance.


This ended our first day, as dusk approached while we continued to photograph orchids, pitcher plants, sundews, bladderworts, ferns, and sedges. We saw many, many more great plants on this first day, but there are not enough hours in the day to go through each of these here. Hopefully this brief summary excites you enough to stay tuned for part 2.