Name:
Rhododendron arborescens / Marshallia grandiflora - Triantha glutinosa - Platanthera flava var. herbiola Herbaceous Vegetation
Reference:
Description:
This herbaceous riverscour prairie occurs on temporarily flooded sand and cobbles in the Allegheny Mountains region of West Virginia, at elevations between 1060 and 1100 m. It is a small-patch type that occupies flat to gently sloping islands, cobble bars, and shorelines along high-gradient streams. Ice-scour and flood deposition/scour keep this community open and prevent accumulation of organic material in the substrate. Flooding can occur at any time of year. The community is characterized by a remarkable profusion of showy, flowering forbs, which share a tolerance for high-energy flooding and ice-scour. The shrub layer, kept at low stature and cover by frequent ice-scour, averages 12% cover and includes <i>Rhododendron arborescens, Hypericum densiflorum</i>, and <i>Alnus incana ssp. rugosa</i>. The herbaceous layer, averaging 60% cover, includes a large number of species with high constancy, including <i>Marshallia grandiflora, Euthamia graminifolia var. graminifolia, Carex stricta, Eleocharis tenuis, Sanguisorba canadensis, Triantha glutinosa, Hypericum ellipticum, Solidago rugosa, Calamagrostis canadensis var. canadensis, Trautvetteria caroliniensis var. caroliniensis, Juncus dudleyi, Potentilla simplex, Houstonia serpyllifolia, Phlox maculata, Deschampsia caespitosa, Lycopus uniflorus var. uniflorus</i>, and <i>Platanthera flava var. herbiola</i>. Exotic weeds washed in by the river typically include <i>Prunella vulgaris, Anthoxanthum odoratum ssp. odoratum</i>, and <i>Daucus carota</i>. Cover by nonvascular plants is insignificant. Indicator species that help to distinguish this community from others within the herbaceous physiognomy for high-elevation wetlands of the Allegheny Mountains region include <i>Marshallia grandiflora, Juncus dudleyi, Krigia biflora var. biflora, Lysimachia quadrifolia, Phlox maculata, Platanthera flava var. herbiola, Rhododendron arborescens, Sanguisorba canadensis, Triantha glutinosa</i>, and <i>Trautvetteria caroliniensis var. caroliniensis</i>. Mean species richness of vascular plants is 37 taxa per 400 square meters.
Accession Code:
VB.CC.37497.CEGL006598
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
8
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