Substrate-associated Plants: 3 Acid Sandstone Plants
Sourwood (Oxydendrum arboreum) – Sourwood is used for high-quality honey production by beekeepers. It was also used by Native Americans for medical purposes like treating digestive issues. Sourwood leaves are very bitter helping the species avoid browsing pressure from animals. The branches and trunks of sourwood trees are typically crooked and lead to an irregular canopy shape.
Deer Berry (Vaccinium stamineum) – This shrub is a member of the Ericaceae family and produces edible fruit. The fruits from a deer berry shrub are not as sweet as typical blueberries, however they are sometimes consumed. These shrubs are used as ornamental bushes due to the attractive flowers and its adaptability to dry, acidic soils. Many bird and mammal species consume deer berries. The large stamens and bell shaped flowers give this shrub a unique morphology.
Chestnut Oak (Quercus montana) – This is a member of the Fagaceae family and can thrive in rocky, dry soils because of its extensive root system. The wood from chestnut oak is very durable and is used in construction, flooring, fencing, and furniture. The tannin is extracted from the bark of chestnut oak and used for leather tanning. Wildlife species eat the acorns produced by these trees. This species is not considered threatened, but it does face challenges with fragmentation, loss of habitat, and diseases.
Ferns:
Polypody Fern (Polypodium virginiana) – The frond type is monomorphic and the frond dissection type is pinnatifid. Meaning that the sterile and fertile fronds look the same and the lobes extend towards the rachis but do not completely separate into distinct pinnae. Polypody ferns are often call “rock ferns” because of their preference to grow on rocky spots and in crevices.
Christmas Fern (Polystichum acrostichoides) – The frond type is monomorphic meaning that the sterile and fertile fronds appear the same. The fertile fronds have sori on the upper part of the leaf and remains similar to the sterile fronds. The frond dissection type is pinnate meaning the leaflets are separate and attached to the central stem. Another identification method for christmas fern is that the leaflets look like a small little oven mitts.
Royal Fern (Osmunda regalis) – The frond type is holodimorphic meaning that the sterile and fertile fronds differ. The sterile frond are leafy and resemble typical fern fronds, and the fertile fronds have sporangia at the tips are distinguishable from the leafy portions. These ferns grow in wet and swampy environments.
Appalachian Gametophyte:
The Appalachian gametophyte is remarkable because of its life cycle. The long lived gametophyte never develops into a mature sporophyte. The species has made a remarkable adaptation where the fern does not develop sporophytes and it only survives as a gametophyte. The gemmae are larger than spores, this means that the gemmae are less capable of traveling long distance. Potential dispersal of Appalachian gametophyte are water, wind, and by animals. A 1995 publication by Kimmerer and Young gives evidence of slugs dispersing gemmae across the forest floor. The Appalachian region was connected to tropical areas where there was both gametophytes and sporophytes. When the region was restricted, the fern became isolated in a different climatic conditions. This happened millions of years ago. The long-distance dispersal is unlikely sustainable because the current populations of tropical sporophytes are not existent and the gemmae has a limited dispersal range.
Grr-Arghh Plants:
Japanese Stiltgrass (Microstegium vimineum) – This invasive species was introduced from tropical Asia, it is spreading across lands in the US and is most common in woodlands of the “piedmont and mountains of the southeast, less common in the coastal plains” (Neal). The ecological effects are majorly effects of outcompeting other native species. By outcompeting native species, there is a large impact on the wildlife, soil, and increased fire risk. Neal states, “long-term management programs should emphasize prevention of seedhead formation to deplete the seed reservoir”. Herbicides, hand pulling, and mowing can be effective if done properly.
(https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/japanese-stiltgrass-identification-and-management)
Trees in Trouble:
White Walnut (Juglans cinerea) – White walnut is affected by a fungal disease. It is known as butternut canker. The trees with this disease will most likely die because there is no cure. With these trees dying, there is a large ecological effect with the wildlife. As of right now, there is no cure.
(https://academic.oup.com/jof/article/119/2/196/6054335?login=false)