United States 

De~artrnent of 

~Giculture 

Forest Service rence Plant Collect 

of the Co 

Southeastern Forest 

Experiment Station 

General Techn~cal 

Hydrologic Labora 

Report SE-2 9 

J. Dan Pittillo 

Martha Lee 
September 1984 

Southeastern Forest Experiment Station 

200 Weaver Blvd. 

Asheville, North Carolina 28804 
Reference Plant Collection of the 

Ciswec ta 2-ydrclo:;ie LeSoratory , North Cari>Lica 

and 

Martha Lee 

Craduate Assistant 

Introduction 

Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory, an outdoor research facility, is situated on 

the eastern flanks of the Nantahala Mountains of the Southern Blue Ridge Province 

between the Blue Ridge escarpment 30 km (18-5 mi) to the southeast and the western 

Blue Ridge escarpment 75 km (36 mi) to the northwest. Its intercepted waters 

descend from the Nantahala crest that peaks at 1,575 m (5,200 ft) elevation to the 

valley floor of Coweeta Creek at 670 m (2,200 ft) over a distance of only 4.4 km 

(2.7 mi), and continue eastward into the Little Tennessee River Valley. 

The Laboratory is comprised of three major tributaries. Shope Fork and.fall 

Creek come together to form what is called the Coweeta Creek Basin, The Basin 

totals 1,626 ha (4,016 acres) and is compartmentalized into over 40 watershed 

units that have been experimentally treated (or left intact in the case of control 

watersheds) since establishment of hydrological research here the early 1930's. A 

third basin, drained by Dryman Fork Creek, is situated to the south of the 0thtwo basins, and is separated by a major dividing ridge, Dryman Fork Basin contains 

about 558 ha (1,379 acres) and has not been treated since its acquisition in the 

1920's (Dils 1957; Hewlett and Douglass 1968). 

Since 1968 Coweeta has served as a site for a variety of ecological studies 

and is currently designated a site for Long Tern Ecological Research (LTER), a 

program of the National Science Foundation, This cofLectioa project is a part of 

that effort, Coweeta was also designated a Biosphere Reserve under the Man and 

Biosphere Program of the United Nations in 1976 (UNESCO 1981). It is paired with 

the Great Smoky Mountains National Park as the main treatment unit for ecosystem 

studies. While Coweeta has a long history and a series of publications dealing 

with various watershed function and management studies (Douglass 1972; Crossley 

and Swank 19831, it did not have a comprehensive list and documentated vascular 

flora until this project, The Great Smoky Mountains, on the other hand, had flora 

lists with herbarium documentation of the flora dating from the Bate 1920"s and 

early 1930'~~ with documentation in herbaria at the University of Tennessee (and 

to a lesser extent other herbaria) and the Park Headquarters (mite 9382)* The 

core of the flora listing was first completed by Jennison in 1937 and published in 

1939. Peter White reviewed and documented 1,492 taxa, including 288 he judged to 

be exotics, in his annotated checklist (mite 19821, CoweetaPs flora listing is 

practically nonexistent except for partial lists in publications or theses (e*g., 

Williams 1954). No documentation in the form of herbarium specimens is known for 

the cited plant materials, As ecosystem studies become more detailed with 

reference to vascular plants, documentation becomes much more important, 

Methods 

Since ecosystem studies often deal with various life stages of plants, 

collection of as many representatives of life stages of the Goweeta flora as 

possible was a major objective, To accomplish this, a pattern of search was 

established to cover as much of the varied habitats of the basin as practical. 

Roads, paths, disturbed areas, mature foreats, woodland seeps, rock outcrops, 

cliffs, etc,, were included in a cdlecting plan for a 2-day period to achieve 

this aim, Collections were made at about 2-week intervals over the growing season 

for the 2-year collecting period, Specimens were normally collected in duplicate 

(some in triplicate); rare, threatened, or endangered species were collected only 

if there were three or more specimens present at the collection site. In some 

cases, only pieces of a species were collected. The best clue for the 

identification of early life stage of a given species was observation of the 
life-stage sequences in the field population. Venation patterns, pubescence, and 

other physical characteristics also helped with identifications. Field notebooks 

organized by families with charts of life stages were found to be very helpful in 

record keeping. The Coweeta topographic map (scale 1:144,000) with grid lines was 

used to coordinate the collection locations, and these coordinates were indicated 

on each label, The entire label data set was filed on four flexible computer 

disks using a pfs-FILE (personalized filing system for Apple I1 by Software Publ. 

Gorp.) program, which should prove useful for future data manipulation. To our 

knowledge, this was the first time an attempt was designed to cover an area as 

large as Coweeta with collections of all available life stages. 

Results and Discussion 

The collection consists of 604 taxa represented by 327 genera of 97 families. 

Seldom was it possible to collect all the life forms for a given species (32 of 

the 60% taxa have complete life-cycle sets). We did not expect to collect 

complete sets of most plants since germination of seeds or spores is of short 

duration and infrequent for many species. Additionally, some species flower and 

fruit infrequently and thus were not found during the study. The main collection 

is deposited in the herbarium at Coweeta Laboratory. The duplicate collection is 

depssited at Western Carolina University Herbarium (WCUH) in Cullowhee. 

Management of the collections is an important task. With about 2,400 

specimens that were processed by about 12 student workers over a period of 2 

years, careful management was required. In addition to the usual efforts of 

collecting and herbarium preparation, this project included attempts to fill 

life-stage gaps, accurate mapping of collection sites, collating multiple labels 

with several specimens that make up the sets, and composing several specimens on 

the herbarium sheet with a sense of proportion and attention to detail. This 

resulted in an effort of at least three times and perhaps six or seven times that 

involved with single-stage collections. 

Because of the care and attention given to the above efforts, the plant life 

sets will be very valuable for ecosystem biologists. Some general knowledge of 

plant identification may be required, such as recognition of general groupings, 

like plums, apples, oaks, etc., but once this is achieved, the local herbarium is 

small enough that these specimens could be quickly compared. For those interested 

in species biology, specimens with various life stages may save considerable time 

in searching for them in the field since the season and types of habitat will be 

given by the labels. 

Hopefully, this paper will be an encouragement to collectors to look for 

additional life stages during routine collecting. Often it is possible with a few 

extra small sampling bags to collect the seedlings or early juveniles of a given 

species at the same time that flowers or fruits are collected. We have observed 

that same species have all stages present at a given time, e.g., annuals such as 

speedwell ( dc-onic20 a~ivensis) or perennials such as grass of parnassus 

(Fa-ccssia ssa~~ifc;.)n ) . Closer observation will enable the collector to recognize 

the variation that a species may display at the different life stages. 

References Cited 

Bailey, L. H. 1949. Manual of cultivated plants. The Macmillan Co., New York. 

31116 pp. 
Crossley, Do A,, Jr, and W, T. Swank, P9B. Publications of the Coweeta Forest 

Ecosystem Project, USrtA Fsrest Senice, Southeastern Fsrest Expt, Sla,, 

Asheville, NC, 23 pp. 

Dils, R, E. 1957. A quide to Coveeta Hydrologic Laboratory, USDA Forest 

Service, Southeast Forest Experiment Station, ~sheville, NC. 40 pp. 

Douglass, J, E. 1972. Annotated bibliography of publications on watershed 

management by the Southeastern Forest Experiment Station, 1928-1970, USBA 

Forest Service Res, Paper SE-93 a 47 pp, 

Fernald, M. L, 19506 Gray"s manual sf botany, 8th ed, American Book Go,, Hew 

York* 1632 pp. 

Wewlett, J. D, and J, Ee Douglass, 1968, Blending forest uses, USDA Forest 

Service Res. Paper SE-37, Asheville, NC, P 5 pg, 

Jennison, H. M. 1937. Preliminary checklist of ferns and seed plants of the 

Great Smoky Mountains National Park, 54 pp (unpublished typescript available 

from Great Smoky Mountains Hat, Park, Gatlinburg, IX), 

Jennison, H. M, 1939, Flora of the Great Saakies, J, "%"enn, Acad, Sci, 14:: 

266-298, 

Lawrenee, Ge We Me 1951, Taxonomy of vascular plants, me Macrnillan CG,, New 

York. 823 pp, 

Radford, A. E., W. E, Ahles, and 6, R, Bell, 1968, HeanuaB of the vascular flora 

of the Carolinas, Univ, of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill, 1183 pp. 

UNESCO. 1981. Biosphere reserves, compilation 2, July 1981 UNESCO, Paris, 313 

PP, 

White, P, S, 1982. me flora of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park: an 

annotated checklist of the vascular plants and a review of previous floristic 

work. ~es,/~esour. Man. Rept. SER-55, National Bark Service, Southeast Reg* 

Off., Atlanta. 219 pp, 

Williams, J. 6. 1954, A study of the effect of grazing upon changes in 

vegetation on a watershed in the southern Appalachian Mountains, Pk,D, 

dissertation, Michigan State University, East Lansing* 140 pp, 

We express our gratitude to Dr, Wayne Swank for his encouragement and 

suggestion that we assist in this LT;ER project, Project leader, Dr, Dm A, 

Crossley, Jr,, has been most helpful in acquiring project funding and advice* The 

several colleagues who have helped by advising in collection routes we also 

appreciate, Dr. Lindsay Boring has helped in adding about 108 specimens to the 

collection and is responsible for several Listed species, We also appreciate the 

helpful manuscript comments of Brs, J, B, Norton and Wayne Swank, 

This project was funded as a subeontract to Western Carolina 'BTfniversity by 

the University of Georgia (subcontract No. ~~271-124) from the NSF-LTER grant 

!DEB-8012093). 
The Collection 

me following charts are organized into four major groups. On the assumption 

that most users would be familiar with the differences between ferns and fern 

allies, gymnosperms, monocots, and dicots, these four groups were organized by 

families, genera, and species alphabetically. Scientific names are followed by 

common names. Scientific and most common names are the same as those used by 

Radford, Ahles, and Bell (1968) or Bailey (1949) for cultivated species, with some 

common names after Fernald (1950) or from local usage. 

Definition of symbols used below are: 

S = seedlings (specimens with cotyledons or seed coverings attached). 

3 = juvenile (a stage in which cotyledons have fallen off the plant [annuals] or 

the specimen is 2 to several years old [perennials including ferns]). 

F1 = flowers (or cones of gymnosperms) (reproductive stage at anthesis). 

Fr = fruit (mature sporangia of ferns and fern allies, cones of gymnosperms, or 

matured ovularies of angiosperms). 

Rs = rosettes (plants with more than two leaves disposed around the crown or stem 

at ground level). 

Other = additional specimens, or if in parentheses, an indication of the character 

state of the specified stage. 

** = specimen of the given type deposited at Coweeta and WCUH herbaria. 

* = specimen at Coweeta herbarium only. 

S = seedling J = juvenile F1 = flower Fr = f mitfcone/spor,ulgh Rs = rosette 


JIITGCACUE COhT, 

~UZC&@ si/bcm&t+& (Englem.) Coville 61 Blake 

&ILIACUE (Lily family) 

AZeerzs farinosa L, 

(Stargrass, Colicroo t) 

All%%% t~icocem Aiton 

(Field garlic) 

Arnianthim mz*smtoxicm (Walter) Gray Early shoots 

(Fl y-poison) 

CZintonk 3mbeZZata (Michaux) Morong Young shoots 

(Speckled wood lily) 

~ispo~~~ tanugsnosm (Michaux) Nicholson 

(Ye llow mandarin) 

Z~ythronim m~rfcaizm Qr. 

(Dog-tooth violet, Trout lily, Fawn lily) 

Bemerocall<s L. 

(Turk's cap lily, Carolina lily) 

L. e~perbuni L, 

('Turk's cap lily) 

MedeoZa virginiana L. 

(Cucumber root) 

Me hathim hyb~Z&vl~n Walter 

(Bun ch-f lowe r) 

Polygonatm biflopfl (Walter) Ell. 

(Solomon's seal) 

pd@sc@ns (Willd.) Pursh 

(Solomon's seal) 

Smi Lacina racemosa (L. ) ksf. 

(False Solomon 's-se aL) 

S~~ZGT yalauca Walter 

(Catbrier, Greenbriar, Smilax) 

Se herbacea L, var, herbacea 

(Carrion flower) 

S, ro&w~d~fo~~a L, Twigs, rootstock 

(Greenbrier, Catbrier, Smilax) 

S&~@p&~pus PQSeuS Michaux 

(Twisted stalk) 

ORCHI'DACUE CONT . Spfrmths gmci7,is (Bigelow) Beck var . gracilis (Slender ladies' tresses) 

Tipu kria discoZor (Pursh) ?iut tall 

(Crane fly orchid) 

T~ipkorc; triarztizophoutz (Swartz) Rydberg 

(Three birds orchid) 

POACEAE (Grass family) 

Agms3zk eZ&t*kna Schultes 

(Bent grass) 

A. pemnnans ( Wal te r) Tucke rman 

(Bent grass) 

A. s$o Zonifera L . (Redtop) 

A. ~QHG~S Sibthorp 

(Bent grass) Andropogon gerardii Vitman Old shoots 

(Blues tern, Turkeyf oot) 

A. scopar?:~ Michaux Old shoots 

(Little bluestem) 

A, ternarizrs Michaux 

(Broom-straw, Beard grass) 

A. wi.rginicus L, Old shoots 

(Broom sedge) 

Anthoxanthm 0dorat.m L. 

(Sweet vernal grass) 

ArundinaKa gigmtea (Walter) Xuhl. Current 6 over- 

(Cane) winter shoots 

BrachgeZytrm erectm (Scbreber) Beauvois 

(Brachyelytrum) 

&omus purgans L, 

(Broom grass) 

L"cx Zmrxgros $is einnoides (Huh 1. ) Barton 

(Reed grass) 

Bnthonia compwssa Aus tin 

(Oat grass) 

D. serieea Nuttall. var. services 

(Wild oatgrass) 

D. spfcata (L.) Beauvois 

(Oat grass) 

Deschmpsia fzexuosa (L . ) Tr ini s 

(Hair grass) 

(Crab grass) 

EZymus viq;nicus L. 

(Wild rye grass) 

Eragrostis hirsuta (tfichaux) Nees 

(Love grass) 



ASTERClCErlE (Aster family) 

AchiZiza mil le;^gZiuv L . (Milfoil, yarrow) 

AnibwsZa arten<s iifo 14k L. 

A. so Zit.ar.ia Rydb e rg 

(Pussy-toes) 

Aster cordrd$ fo Zius La 

(Heart-leave d as te r) 

A. ewtisii T. & G. 

A, dZvmica-tzls L. var. ehZumZeps-k (~urgess) 

Ahles (Heart-leave d aster) 

A. divarigatus L. var. divaricatus 

(Heart-leaved as ter) 

A. dwnosus L. 

(Blue aster) 

A. inf;~mis Mi chaux 

(Starved aster) 

A. patens Ai t on (Fr . immature) 

('White topped aster) 

A. pilosus Willd. Dwarf s pe cimen 

(Frost aster) 

(Blue aster) 

A, wn5eZktus Miller var. mbelZatus 

A. unduhtus L. 

Biciens bipimata Lo 

(Beggars tic7ks) 

Caca Ii-a atrip Zicifo Zia L . (Pale Indian-plantain) 

C. mhZenbepa~i (Sch . -Bip . ) Fernald 

(Great ~ndian-plantain) 

cm&dug &scoior (~uhl. ex. ldilld.) Nuttall 

C. 7,cxncc?ohkus L. 

(Bull thistle) 






S = seedling J = juvenile F1 = flower Fr = fruit/cone/sporangium Rs = rosette 



LOmTmCEAE (His tletoe family) 

~hordezS!fio;i: fZauescens (Raf . ) ?I. C . Jo'izfzs ton 

PIAGEOLTACUE (Magnol ia family ) 

~i~iod~z&on tuLip<fera L. Twigs, stump 

(Tulip poplar) 

fdagnoZdk acminota L. Stump sprouts 

(Cucumber tree, Umbrella tree) 

M. f~a~e~ Walter 

(Umbrella tree) 

P1ELASTOWTACU.E (Me las tona f arnily ) 

iiher%a uirginica L . var. vi~giizica 

(Meadow beauty) 

Stump sprouts 

OLEACEAE (Olive family) 

Chionanthw virginicsls L . (Fringe-t ree) 

Forsykhia u<r&%ssirfla Lindl. 

(Forsythia, Yellow-bells) 

F~&nus amrkana L. Twigs, (FL, m -I- 

(American ash, White ash) f .)young shoots 

F. -meriwna L. var. bil~mo~~ana (Beadle) Twigs, leafy 

J. Wright ex Fernald- (American or White ash) 

Ligmtm sinense L. 

Ofu'AGPACUE (Evening primrose family) 

Circaea lute tiana ssp. canadensis (L . ) Nagnus 

Ascherson- (Enchanter's nightshade) 

@; lZobiam CQ Z0Patu;n Biehler 

L. p~kB&26s (L.) Ell. Young shoots 

(Water purslane) 

Oenothera bie-mis L. 

(Evening p rimro se) 

0ROBilt.YCHACEAE (Broorn-rape family) 

ConophoZis cvnericafia (L.) Wallroth 

(Squawroo t , Cancer-roo t) 



S = seedling J = juvenile FL = flower Fr = fmit/cone/sporangium Rs = rosette 




. rl a 

GOO k 

aJ 

0 i4 

A n 

a, l-l 
The Forest Sexvice, U.S. Department of Agriculture, is 

dedicated to the principle of 

multiple use management of 

the Nation's forest resources 

for sustained yields of wood, 

water, forage, wildlife, and 

recreation. Through forestry 

research, cooperation with the 

States and private forest 

owners, and management of 

the National Forests and 

National Grasslands, it strives 

-as directed by Congress-to 

provide increasingly greater 

service to a growing Nation. 

USDA policy doer not permit discrimination because 

of race, color, national origin, sex or religion. Any 

person who believes he or she has been discriminated against in any USDA-related activity should 

write immediately to the Secretary of Agriculture, 

Washington, D.C. 20250.