Journal of the Botanical Research Institute of Texas

Herbarium specimens reveal a significantly earlier flowering trend for Cypripedium acaule (Orchidaceae) in North Carolina (U.S.A.)

2025-08-31T20:00:04+00:00

Cypripedium acaule, the pink lady’s slipper, is an orchid native to eastern North America, ranging from central and eastern Canada to the southeastern United States. It is a rather common and striking spring wildflower in North Carolina (NC), extending from the mountains to the coastal plain region. A preliminary survey of herbarium specimens at Duke University (DUKE) suggested that flowering times for C. acaule collected in NC in recent years were notably earlier than for those from the last century. Here we set out to investigate this phenological hypothesis by accessing the Southeast Regional Network of Expertise and Collections (SERNEC) portal to extract the metadata from 57 herbaria for 502 herbarium records of C. acaule from NC. Of these, only 193 herbarium specimens from 55 counties, spanning the years 1886–2022, had been collected when the plant was in flower. Each of these “time-stamped” records was manually georeferenced to include latitude, longitude, and elevation coordinates, using tools in Google Earth Pro. Because NC varies by over 2037m in elevation, nearly 3° in latitude, and 10° in longitude, the flowering times recorded for C. acaule spanned 83 spring days. To control for the effect of location on flowering time, we implemented Hopkins’ Bioclimatic Law to normalize flowering times across the state. A linear regression of the 193 normalized flowering dates suggests an overall shift in blooming that has advanced by 21 days since 1886. A mixed-effects regression was performed to determine the relationship of elevation, latitude, average winter temperature, total winter precipitation, and the total number of winter frost days from the year and location of collection (as fixed variables) on the effect of flowering day of year (DOY). The most significant effect on the flowering DOY was from average winter temperature: for each increase in 1° C, the flowering DOY was 3.23 days earlier. If this trend continues, the flowering time of C. acaule could become decoupled from the peak activity of its pollinators, increasing the risk of reproductive failure. This study highlights the vital role of herbarium specimens in understanding the effects of climate change on shifts in phenological patterns.

Floral response of eight forb species to prescribed fire in the southern Great Plains (U.S.A.)

2025-08-31T20:37:46+00:00

Prescribed fire is commonly used to restore and maintain grasslands, often mediating the balance between grasses, woody species, and forbs. Forbs provide the majority of plant diversity in grasslands, and the responses of forbs to fire are important to understanding and predicting the effects of fire on pollinators and on plant communities. However, much of the past research on prescribed fire effects in grasslands has focused on woody plant species and grasses, not forbs, despite the importance of their flowering dynamics to pollinators. Thus, we need to know more about the mechanisms underlying the responses of forbs to fire, especially in the understudied southern Great Plains. In this study, we asked whether the floral displays of eight native forb species in this region differed between burned and unburned plots, and, if so, whether the differences were due to plant density (plants/m²), plant size (grams dry above-ground biomass), resource allocation to flowers (flowers/gram plant biomass), or a combination of these factors. We found that fire responses were highly species-specific. Prescribed fire increased floral display (flowers/m²) of five of the eight species. Floral display was proportional to plant size and plant density (plants/m²). In some species both size and density were larger in their burned plot; while other species show opposite or no patterns. The species-specific responses of forbs in this study reinforces the need to better understand and manage for increased forb diversity and overall heterogeneity to recreate or restore ecosystems that can support a wider variety of organisms and conserve biodiversity.

Vegetation and environmental factors of inland saline wetlands in the upper St. Johns River Basin, Florida, U.S.A.

2025-08-31T20:55:37+00:00

Inland saline wetlands are a global ecosystem that rarely occur in humid climates. Along the upper St. Johns River Basin in the southeast coastal plain inland saline wetlands occur, formed by fossil saline groundwater. The goal of this study was to describe and evaluate the distribution of species along environmental gradients in the inland saline wetlands of the upper St. Johns River Basin. In June 2022, species composition and cover were assessed at 82, one square meter plots at the Buck Lake Conservation Area (BLCA) in Volusia County, Florida. Soil samples were collected from each plot and electric conductivity, pH, total carbon, total nitrogen, soil color, and soil type were analyzed. Elevation was estimated at each plot from a digital elevation model. Hierarchical agglomerative clustering and the silhouette method determined 9 optimum vegetation assemblages. The constrained correspondence analysis accounted for 22.5% of the variation in site by species distribution and CCA model permutation found that electric conductivity, elevation, soil color, soil type, and canopy closure were significant environmental variables.

New additions and noteworthy records for the flora of Indiana (U.S.A.) including a new North American record

2025-08-31T21:08:46+00:00

Recent collections by the authors and others have yielded a new North American record, 38 additional new vascular plant state records for Indiana, and an additional five collections deemed noteworthy due to being recent observations of species that were considered extirpated from Indiana when they were discovered. Voucher specimens for all new records reside at various herbaria.

The vascular flora of Estill County, Kentucky, U.S.A.

2025-08-31T21:24:34+00:00

The vascular flora of Estill County, Kentucky was investigated during four growing seasons in 1987, 1988, 1989, and 2022. This study documented a total of 963 vascular plant species (773 herbaceous, 190 woody), representing 479 genera and 134 families. Numbers of taxa by major plant groups were fern and fern allies (42), gymnosperms (6), basal angiosperms (1), magnoliidae (10), monocots (244), and eudicots (660). This Estill County flora represents 33.2% of the known vascular plants of Kentucky. Families with the largest numbers of taxa were Asteraceae (126), Poaceae (109), Cyperaceae (61), Fabaceae (49), Lamiaceae (36), Rosaceae (35), and Apiaceae (20). These seven families represent 45.2% of the total flora. The largest genus was Carex (40), followed by Solidago (17), Dichanthelium (15), Quercus (14), Symphyotrichum (13), and Viola (12). Quercus (14) was the largest woody genus. Non-native species (153) comprised 15.9% of the flora. Eighty-two are listed by the Kentucky Invasive Plant Council, with 27 categorized as a “Severe Threat.” Twenty-three plants are listed as Endangered (7), Threatened (6), Special Concern (10), or Commercially Exploited (1). Two state records and a third county record were documented. Ten significant locations are described on the basis of field observations and plant sampling. Habitats included mesophytic ravines, limestone outcrops, cliffs, and ridgetops, ruderal/disturbed areas, marshy areas, swamps, oak-hickory forests, shorelines of ponds, creeks, streams and rivers, roadsides, xeric ridgetops, pine forests, railroad tracks, sandstone ridgetops and cliffs, and dry shaly areas. The species richness of Estill County averages 1.5 species per ha. It has the third highest number of documented taxa for a single Kentucky county.

A first report of Xeranthemum annuum (Asteraceae: Cardueae) in Montana and North America (U.S.A.)

2025-08-31T21:52:23+00:00

We report the first North American naturalized occurrence of the genus Xeranthemum L., represented by the occurrence of X. annuum L. on an airstrip in Troy, Montana. We discuss the locality in detail, the number of plants found, include commonly accepted synonyms, and discuss the species’ use in the dried floral industry. An atypical character of the species is the relatively elongated inner phyllary bracts, which are suggestive of ray flowers. Scans of digitized herbarium specimens, including one from the University of Moscow, and one from our novel North American occurrence, are included to show variation in phyllary color.

First record of Arum italicum (Araceae) from the Oklahoma (U.S.A.) flora

2025-08-31T22:11:32+00:00

The first naturalized occurrence of Arum italicum (Araceae) in the Oklahoma flora is reported here from Le Flore County. In 2025, a naturalized population of A. italicum was discovered in semi-disturbed wooded habitat near the city of Spiro. Plants were sterile but establishing via tuberous offsets and possibly seeds, as some of the plants were separated by several meters. The origin of the naturalized plants is unknown and no direct evidence of prior cultivation was observed at the site. The potential for continued establishment of A. italicum, along with similar species in the Oklahoma flora, also are discussed.

Vascular plants of Benton County, Oregon, U.S.A.: A checklist

2025-08-31T22:27:32+00:00

The vascular flora of Benton County, Oregon, is reported based on the databases of the OregonFlora synonymized checklist and O.S.U. Herbarium databases and field collections. A total of 1213 terminal taxa were found representing 542 genera in 116 families. In Benton County can be found 25% of Oregon’s flora.

Townsendia raptora (Asteraceae: Astereae): A new narrow endemic species from Utah and Colorado (U.S.A.)

2025-08-27T17:31:52+00:00

A new species of Townsendia (Asteraceae: Astereae) is described from Grand County, Utah. Townsendia raptora L.M. Shultz, T.K. Lowrey, & Z.R. Coury, sp. nov. was first found in the vicinity of the Mill Canyon dinosaur tracksite and is named in honor of fossil tracks made by raptor-like dinosaurs at this location. Townsendia raptora was previously recognized as the variety T. strigosa var. prolixa. Townsendia raptora is distinct from T. strigosa Nutt. based on its long-lived perennial (not biennial) habit and differs from the co-occurring T. incana Nutt. in its larger heads, cuspidate leaf tips, and acaulescent habit. The species also occurs in adjacent Montrose County, Colorado.

A new species of Streptanthus (Brassicaceae) from the North Coast Range of California (U.S.A.)

2025-08-27T19:27:52+00:00

Streptanthus callizoi R. O’Donnell is a newly described annual endemic species growing in the serpentine soils on Snow Mountain (near Hopland) in Mendocino County, California. The type locality is a serpentine barren, southwest of Hopland along County Road 110 near the summit of Snow Mountain. Previous collections of this taxon at the type locality had been determined as Streptanthus barbiger Greene or S. batrachopus J.L. Morrison. The new species exhibits several character states that distinguish it from S. barbiger: basal rosette, auriculate and non-auriculate cauline leaf bases, small stature (usually < 30 cm), and low branching habit. Several character states distinguish it from S. batrachopus: basal rosette and possession of both auriculate and non-auriculate cauline leaf bases. This rare serpentine endemic merits recognition as a species of conservation concern.

Reassessment of the Atlantic Coastal Plain variant of Nabalus albus (Asteraceae)

2025-08-28T15:56:12+00:00

We applied morphological characters to assess the taxonomic status of the Atlantic Coastal Plain entity within Nabalus albus (L.) Hook. Because Prenanthes alba L. ssp. pallida Milstead was not validly published, we provided a replacement name: Nabalus albus (L.) Hook. var. stramineus Sorrie & LeBlond.

Una nueva especie de Virola (Viroleae, Myristicaceae), novedades corológicas en el género y lista anotada de las especies de la región Amazónica Colombiana

2025-08-31T19:16:22+00:00

Virola narcotica is described as a new species from the Amazon region of Colombia, in the departments of Amazonas, Caquetá, Guainía, and Vaupés. The first herbarium specimens were collected by Richard E. Schultes and Isidoro Cabrera, in the basin of the Apaporis River in 1951 and 1952. Subsequently, R.E. Schultes documented for the first time for non-Amerindians, that Virola is used to make a narcotic snuff, with exudate of the inner bark of the trunk. One of the species used to prepare this snuff, corresponds to Virola narcotica, which was confused with V. calophylloidea. We include a description, illustrations, and comparison with morphologically similar species, or those with which it could potentially be confused. The presence of Virola weberbaueri is recorded as new for Colombia and Ecuador. An appendix with an annotated list of Virola species known for the Colombian Amazon region is included.

Lectotypification of Arenaria howellii (Caryophyllaceae)

2025-08-31T19:32:47+00:00

The typification of Arenaria howellii (Caryophyllaceae) is discussed and a lectotype designated.

Erratum: What is Suksdorf’s hawthorn? Revision of the Western North American 20-stamen black-fruited hawthorns (Crataegus series Douglasianae, Rosaceae subtribe Malinae)

2025-08-31T19:47:30+00:00

Erratum: What is Suksdorf’s hawthorn? Revision of the Western North American 20-stamen black-fruited hawthorns (Crataegus series Douglasianae, Rosaceae subtribe Malinae)

Trees of Britain and Ireland

2025-09-10T13:58:43+00:00

This book (Trees of Britain and Ireland) is crammed with general and specific information on trees and shrubs that includes tree biology and ecology that will interest a broad spectrum of readers from the USA. It is more than a list of species with all color illustrations and, therefore, it will appeal to a broader readership.

INDEX to new names and new combinations in J. Bot. Res. Inst. Texas 19(3), 2025

2025-09-10T14:51:14+00:00

INDEX to new names and new combinations in J. Bot. Res. Inst. Texas 19(3), 2025

Puffballs, Earthstars, Stinkhorns, and Other Gasteroid Fungi of Eastern North America

2025-09-10T14:04:05+00:00

The first fully illustrated reference guide to gasteroid mushrooms in North America.

Annual Review of Plant Biology, Vol. 76

2025-09-10T14:09:51+00:00

Annual Review of Plant Biology, Volume 76. There are 24 articles.

A Conspectus of the North American Isoetaceae

2025-09-10T14:14:35+00:00

Inscrutable, complex, and important, quillworts (lycophyte genus Isoetes) have bedeviled and fascinated field botanists for over 150 years. An outwardly simple appearance belies the internal intricacies that distinguish individual species. North American species occur in a wide variety of wetland habitats, ranging from tidal flats to subalpine lakes. Over 30% of the continent’s known species are regional endemics and their sensitivity to environmental stresses has resulted in many being of regional or even global conservation concern.