Name:
Verbesina alternifolia - Elymus riparius - Solidago gigantea - (Teucrium canadense) Riverbar Wet Meadow
Reference:
NatureServe Biotics 2019
Description:
This tall herb-dominated association is known from the shores of rivers and large streams in the Piedmont and mountain regions of Maryland and West Virginia, as well as from the Green River of Kentucky. It occupies well-drained riverbanks and, less commonly, depositional bars or alluvial fans of medium-sized to large rivers that experience low rates of sediment erosion and turnover during small to moderate floods. Heavy annual deposits of alluvial sediments inhibit tree establishment. The type typically occurs as a narrow, linear strip along the outer edge of a floodplain forest. Occurrences have high solar exposure, though they may experience partial shading from adjacent (landward) forests. Vegetation is characterized by a dense growth of tall (1-3 m), light-demanding, native perennial herbs. The most characteristic species across the range are <i>Chasmanthium latifolium, Dichanthelium clandestinum, Verbesina alternifolia, Elymus</i> spp. (<i>Elymus riparius, Elymus canadensis, Elymus villosus, Elymus virginicus</i>), <i>Conoclinium coelestinum, Eutrochium fistulosum</i>, several species of <i>Eupatorium</i> (<i>Eupatorium perfoliatum, Eupatorium serotinum</i>), <i>Rudbeckia laciniata, Solidago gigantea, Calystegia sepium</i>, and <i>Verbena urticifolia</i>. Along the Potomac in the Great Valley of Virginia downstream to the fall line, <i>Teucrium canadense</i> and <i>Scrophularia marilandica</i> are also abundant; less abundant species include <i>Ageratina altissima, Helianthus decapetalus, Oenothera biennis, Phytolacca americana</i>, and <i>Monarda fistulosa</i>.. Along the New and Bluestone rivers in West Virginia, additional characteristic species include <i>Amphicarpaea bracteata, Apios americana, Helenium autumnale, Helianthus strumosus, Heliopsis helianthoides, Packera aurea, Phlox paniculata, Polygonum scandens, Polygonum virginianum, Senna hebecarpa, Solanum carolinense, Solidago canadensis, Symphyotrichum lanceolatum, Symphyotrichum lateriflorum, Tradescantia ohiensis, Tripsacum dactyloides, Verbesina occidentalis</i>, and <i>Vernonia noveboracensis</i>. Tall annual species characteristically dominant on less stabilized bars may be present but generally do not dominate. Woody vines are often common and include <i>Toxicodendron radicans, Vitis riparia</i>, and <i>Vitis vulpina</i>. Scattered shrubby or occasionally full-sized trees of flood-tolerant species may occur, with <i>Acer saccharinum, Platanus occidentalis, Fraxinus pennsylvanica, Betula nigra</i>, and <i>Acer negundo</i> the most frequent. <i>Lindera benzoin</i> may be present as a shrub. This type often has a number of invasive exotic weeds, including <i>Polygonum cuspidatum, Polygonum perfoliatum, Schedonorus arundinaceus, Phalaris arundinacea, Humulus japonicus, Glechoma hederacea, Microstegium vimineum</i>, and <i>Stellaria media</i>.
Accession Code:
urn:lsid:vegbank.org:commConcept:35118-{53A653CF-E180-49FF-9ED6-CE17E2EA40C4}
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
30
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