Table Of ContentRHODORA,
Vol. 98, No. 893, 94-98, 1996
pp.
NEW
ENGLAND
NOTE
A FLORA OF THE VASCULAR AND NON-VASCULAR
PLANTS OF NANTUCKET, TUCKERNUCK, AND
MUSKEGET
ISLANDS
PniER W. DUNWIDDIE
Audubon
Massachusetts Society, Lost Farm,
Hummock
Pond
Rd., Nantucket, Massachusetts 02554
The
Current Address: Nature Conservancy,
217
Pine Washington 98101
St., Suite 1100, Seattle,
Bruce
A. Sorrie
Massachusetts Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program,
MA
Westboro, 0158T
West
Current Address: 160 Rliode Island Ave., Southern Pines,
North 28387
Carolina
Nantucket has been recognized widely
as a botanical "hotspot''
with one of the greatest concentrations of species Massa-
rare
in
A
well-known
chusetts. host of 19th century botanists forayed on
Many
the island in search of unusual material. of their collec-
The
tions are intriguing. recorded plant specimen from
still first
Nantucket dates from 1827, when Thomas A. Greene of New Bed-
made
ford a collection of slender marsh-pink {Sahatia
ccmipanii-
Two
lata) from the island. years James W. Robbins Po-
later, (of
made
tcntilla rohhiiisiana fame) a second collection of the same
species from Greene's moist hollows
site ''in in Scjuam.'' Interest
known
species continues be keen Massachu-
in this to as
in
is
it
setts only from two sites on Cape Cod and Nantucket. was
to
It
be the first in a long line of notable records to come from Nan-
Another made
tucket. of the early collections on was
the island
seabeach amaranth
{Aniarcuithus puDiilus), collected by Ol-
S. T.
ney
1849. has not been seen again
in It in the state.
Owen
Maria
In 1888, published
a flora of the island that in-
cluded over 600 Her was by no means
species.
list definitive, but
was
one
of the floras published for any county Massa-
it first in
Eugene
chusetts. Bicknell produced most work
P. the definitive
on Nantucket
the flora with his *Terns and Flowering Plants of
Nantucket/' published in a series of installments between 1908
and 1919 Now,
in the Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club. nearly
we
eight decades have compiled comprehensive
later, a flora that
upon work
builds the of these and Dun-
earlier botanists (Sorrie
widdie Dunwiddie
and
1996; Sorrie
1996).
94
New
England Note 95
I996J
Our somewhat and
broader both geographically taxo-
ITora
is
Nan-
nomically than earlier works. In addition to the island of
we have included records from the other two vegetated
tucket,
Our
Nantucket County, Muskeget and Tuckernuck.
islands
in
work also includes lichens, mosses, and other bryophyte records.
common
The and names and
published flora includes scientific
synonymy for each species, as well as habitat and abundance in-
on
formation, state ranks for rare species, data origin (native ver-
sus introduced), and notations for potentially invasive species.
The flora also available in a computerized relational database.
is
above
This database contains of the information, addition
in
all
noting form shrub, graminoid, duration
to fields life (tree, etc.),
own
(annual, biennial, or perennial), records of our collections
and sightings, and notations indicating which previous authors
reported a Nantucket occurrence for a species.
ctlso
Our includes of 1265 vascular taxa, including spe-
flora a total
subspecies, and hybrids. Thirty-nine percent (489)
cies, varieties,
were introduced to the island. This compares to the total of 1136
Due
reported by Bicknell, 33 percent of which were non-native.
we
taxonomic revisions and re-annotations of specimens, cur-
to
The number
rently accept 982 of Bicknell's records in our flora.
of species high, with 23 endangered, 13 threatened, 15 spe-
rare
is
Mas-
cial concern, 46 watch and 7 historical, according to the
list,
sachusetts Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program
(1992). The non-vascular flora comprises 79 mosses, 19 liver-
hornwort, and 99
worts, lichens.
1
some by
Nantucket has received of the greatest scrutiny bota-
As
nists of any area of similar size (ca. 14,000 ha) in the state.
an example of one of the most completely inventoried regional
examine what
valuable deficiencies
therefore, to re-
floras,
is
it
main our knowledge of Nantucket species' occurrence and dis-
in
From may drawn
such an analysis, inferences be regard-
tribution.
many
ing the thoroughness of our understanding of the less
New
England.
intensively studied areas
in
Currency Three hundred and twenty-six species,
of records.
have been recorded over 60
over one-quarter of the flora, not in
many
years. This partially reflects the predilections of recent bota-
ourselves included, to scour natural habitats for unusual
nists,
weed
and back waste dumps, and
records, to ignore the yards,
lots of the island. Yet nearly half of this total (153) includes na-
many from
tive species, of which are not weedy. Their absence
96 Rhodora
98
[Vol.
may
recent not be due to inadequate searcliing appropri-
lists in
ate habitats.
Number Many
of species have been found only on
rarely
sites.
Nantucket. Bicknell noted that ahnost one-third of the flora (352
species: 182 native, 170 introduced) was recorded from only 1-3
A
comparable from
sites. statistic not available our database,
is
and will be the focus of future work. However, our impression
is
number
that this has not declined greatly. About two-thirds of the
we
326 species for which have no recent record (>60
years)
fall
many
known
group,
into this ^ind other currcnlly rare species are
only from same where
the sites earlier botanists reported them.
Lone may
occurrences of non-native taxa reflect chance introduc-
tions of plants become permanently and
that failed to established
may
no The
longer be present. abundance of native species with
few many may
records suggests have extremely
that limited
dis-
may
on
tributions Nantucket, and be
particularly susceptible
to
Examples
extirpation. include Gaultheria Schwxilbea
hispiclula,
americana, Botrychium and Cornus
simplex, anioniuNL
Completeness
of inventory. impossible determine
to
Ti is
whether every species occurring on an island the size of Nan-
tucket (ca. 30,000 acres) has been found. Furthermore, the
total
always changing new become
as species are introduced and
is
naturalized, and others disappear from One approach
the island.
to assessing the thoroughness of our inventory examine
to the
is
number new
of
species observations recent decades. Based on
in
M
work
from 1958
his to
new
reported about 50 taxa to the island, 9 of which were native.
Since beginning our work on names
the island in 1980, about 60
have been added Nantucket
to the vascular plant flora that previ-
were
ously not recorded; half of these were While some
native.
of these native species represented taxonomic changes had
that
when
not been recognized
compilations Nantucket
earlier of the
were
flora prepared, others were undoubtedly species simply
that
had been overlooked by
previous on
botanists the island.
Examples
include Scleria pauciflora caroUniana, Amphi-
var.
carpiim purshii. Aster acuniinatus, Polysdchuni
acrostichoides,
and Aniekinchier arhorea.
Our
results suggest that even within a relatively small and
many
heavily botanized area such as Nantucket, questions remain
unanswered
regarding the nature of the local flora. Several points
may
worth
are considering as they apply elsewhere.
New
England Note 97
1996]
Despite over a century and a half of extensive study, additional
1)
new
These
species continue to be found. include species to the
common
island that are elsewhere, as well as species that are
rare regionally.
A
number known from few
large of species are only a Ef-
2) sites.
made
forts should be to identify which of these are truly limited
distribution and not merely undercollected. Measures then can
in
be taken to protect sites of locally rare taxa to prevent their ex-
tirpation.
Our knowledge much may
of of the current flora be woefully
3)
dated. The preparation and maintenance of large, private herbaria
by serious amateurs as well as professionals was relatively wide-
spread the turn of the century. This practice virtually has disap-
at
As much
peared. a of our information on the presence and
result,
many many
distributions of species out of date by decades.
is
Recent work often conducted by professionals employed by
4) is
who
conservation organizations and agencies focus primarily on
rare native species. The tendency to overlook other components
of non-native leaves conspicuous
the flora, particularly taxa,
gaps our knowledge of local and regional plant geography.
in
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS AND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. The produc-
tion and publication of the Nantucket flora represent a coopera-
Audubon
by Massachusetts Massachusetts
tive effort the Society,
Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program, Nantucket
Maria Mitchell Association, and The Nature Conservancy. Ken-
much
dra Buresch and Carol Moffitt assisted with of the docu-
ment research, data input, and editorial portions of this project.
own
and
In addition to the support of our organizations the co-
who we
work
sponsors helped bring this together, are especially
Cox
grateful for the generosity of the Foundation, Inc. for fund-
and
ing this project. Copies of the flora are available to libraries
The com-
serious researchers free of charge while supplies
last.
on two
puter database also available 3.5 inch diskettes.
is
LITERATURE
C:'ITED
BiCKNELL, E. 1908-1919. Ferns and flowering plants of Nantucket. Bull. Torrey
P.
Bot. Club 35: 49-62, 181-201, 471^98; 36: 1-29, 441-456; 37: 51-72; 38:
69-80, 103-133, 447^60; 39: 415^28, 605-624; 41: 27^7, 71-87, 331-347,
423^40.
411-427; 42: 265-276, 549-570; 44: 365-369, 383-387; 46:
A
AND
DUNWIDDIE, W. B. A. SoRRiF. 1996. computerized database of vascular
P.
and non-vascular plants from Nantucket. Tuckernuck, and Muskeget Islands.
Massachusetts Audubon Society, Massachusetts Natural Heritage and Endan-
98 Rhodora
IVoL 98
gered Species Program, Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association, and The Nature
Conservancy.
MacKeevf.R,
C. 1968. Native and Naturalized Plants of Nantucket. University
F.
MA.
of Massachusetts Press. Anilierst.
MaSSACHUSFTTS N/VrURAL AND ENDANdi-RI-D ProCIRAM.
IlHRriAGl^ 1992.
vSl'IXlHS
Massachusetts of endangered, threatened, and special concern species. Bos-
list
MA.
ton,
A
OwFN, M. L. 188H, Catalogue of Plants Growing Without Cultivation in the
MA.
County of Nantucket, Massachusetts. Gazette Priming Co., Northampton,
AND
SoRRii-, R. A. W. DuNWiDoin. 1996, The Vascular and Non- Vascular Flora
P.
of Nantucket, Tuckernuck, and Muskcgel Islands. Massachusetts Audubon So-
Massachusetts Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program, Nan-
ciety,
tucket Maria Mitchell Association, and The Nature Conservancy. Nantucket.
MA.
