North Carolina Ferns and

“Fern Allies”: a survey

Ferns of North Carolina

• 122 species, in 46 genera, in 22 families• from sea level to tops of Mount Mitchell• in nearly all habitats (under water and dry

sands and rocks)

Lycopodiaceae

• 14 species

Selaginellaceae

• 6 species (2 aliens)

Isoetaceae

• 9 species – more on the way

Psilotaceae

• 1 species (alien?, new to NC)

Equisetaceae

• 3 species (1 alien, newly documented for NC)

Azollaceae

• 1 species

Salviniaceae

• 1 species (alien)

Marsileaceae

• 1 species (alien)

Hymenophyllaceae

• Filmy ferns (Trichomanes petersii)

Ophioglossaceae

• 16 species

New Yorker cartoon

by Charles Saxon,

Sept. 12, 1983

Osmundaceae

• 3 species

Dennstaedtiaceae

• 3 species

Pteridaceae

• 8 species

Aspleniaceae

• 12 species

Dryopteridaceae

• 24 species (1 alien)

Thelypteridaceae

• 6 species

Blechnaceae

• 2 species

Polypodiaceae

• 3 species

Schizaeaceae

• 1 species

Lygodiaceae

• 2 species (1 alien)

Grammitidaceae

• 1 species

Vittariaceae

• 1 species

Changes -- 1

• New systematics– monographs, revisions, studies using

traditional approaches– cladistic approaches– molecular systematics

• New nomenclature– continued “nontaxonomic” changes in

nomenclature

Changes -- 2

• New discoveries– new natives are found to be (and to have

been) in the Carolinas– new aliens become established in the

Carolinas• differing criteria for inclusion in floras

Changes -- 4

• Additions to the flora– by description (new circumscription) [+250]– re-elevation from synonymy [net +250]

• New discoveries and new arrivals– “finds” (natives new to the flora area)

[+250]– naturalization [+250]

• Rearrangements of lower taxa [plenty]• New nomenclature [plenty]

New species and infrataxa• Gymnocarpium appalachianum Pryer & Haufler• Huperzia appalachiana Beitel & Mickel • Hymenophyllum tayloriae Farrar & Raine• Isoetes appalachiana Brunton & Britton• Isoetes hyemalis Brunton• Lycopodium hickeyi W.H. Wagner, Beitel, & R.C.

Moran• Polypodium appalachianum Haufler & Windham• Trichomanes intricatum Farrar• Vittaria appalachiana Farrar & Mickel• Additional Isoetes in the works

New taxonomic concepts --species

• Isoetes

New natives to the Carolinas• Bog Fern (Thelypteris simulata)• Fragile Fern (Cystopteris fragilis)• Northern Bog Clubmoss (Lycopodiella inundata)• Leather Grapefern (Sceptridium multifidum)• Daisyleaf Moonwort (Botrychium matricariifolium)• Least Moonwort (Botrychium simplex)• Lanceleaf Moonwort (Botrychium lanceolatum var. angustisegmentum)• etc…

New aliens to the Carolinas• Holly Fern (Cyrtomium falcatum)• Holly Fern (Cyrtomium fortunei)• Giant Water Spangles (Salvinia molesta)• Curly-grass Fern (Schizaea pusilla)• European Water-clover (Marsilea quadrifolia)

Out of synonymy

• Appalachian Woodsia (Woodsia appalachiana from W. scopulina)

• Tree Ground-pine (Dendrolycopodium dendroideum from Dendrolycopodium obscurum)

Generic splits

• Lycopodium Lycopodium, Diphasiastrum, Huperzia, Lycopodiella, Palhinhaea, Pseudolycopodiella

• Grammitis Micropolypodium• Athyrium Athyrium, Deparia, Diplazium• Botrychium Botrychium, Botrypus,

Sceptridium• Thelypteris Macrothelypteris, Thelypteris,

Phegoteris

Generic splits –future “attractions”?

• Thelypteris Parathelypteris, Christella, Thelypteris, Cyclosorus, Stegnogramma

• Selaginella Bryodesma, Lycopodioides

Phylogenetic families

• Traditional morphological, cytological, anatomical criteria

• Cladistic analyses• Molecular data

“Lycopodium”Diphasiastrum digitatum

(=Lycopodium digitatum, Lycopodium flabelliforme, Lycopodium complanatum var. flabelliforme)Running-cedarGround-pineGround CedarRunning ClubmossHag’s-bedSouthern Running PineFan clubmossCrowfoot club-mossSouthern ground-cedarTrailing ground-pineLycopode en évantailLycopode aplati

Lycopodiaceae of the CarolinasRadford, Ahles, & Bell (1968) Now change

Lycopodium selago ---- new species named, this species not in Carolinas

---- Huperzia appressa new species (replacing former “selago”)

Lycopodium lucidulum Huperzia lucidula generic split

Lycopodium porophilum Huperzia porophila generic split

Lycopodium flabelliforme Diphasiastrum digitatum new nomenclature + generic split

Lycopodium tristachyum Diphasiastrum tristachyum generic split

Lycopodium clavatum Lycopodium clavatum NO CHANGE!!

Lycopodium obscurum Dendrolycopodium obscurum narrower concept + new genus

" Dendrolycopodium dendroideum resplit species + new genus

" Dendrolycopodium hickeyi new species + new genus

Lycopodium carolinianum Pseudolycopodiella carolinianum generic split

Lycopodium alopecuroides Lycopodiella alopecuroides resplit species + generic split

" Lycopodiella prostrata resplit species + generic split

Lycopodium appressum Lycopodiella appressa generic split

--- Lycopodiella inundata native species newly discovered in Carolinas

--- Palhinhaea cernua non-native species newly discovered in Carolinas

Regional diversity

Main fern habitats

• moist forests -- 53• rock outcrops -- 41• aquatic situations -- 8• bogs -- 6• dry forests -- 5• savannas -- 4• other wetlands -- 4• sandhills -- 1