Floristic Survey of the
Vascular and Non-vascular
Plants of Rough Canyon
(Phase I The Winter Flora)

Cora Hutson
McLoud High School
McLoud, Oklahoma 74851

ABSTRACT

Robber's Cave State Park is located five miles north of Wilburton on Highway 2. It is an annual recreational facility. The survey took place in a small area of the park known as Rough Canyon. While surveying we stayed along the banks of the creek (Canyon Creek) that feeds into Lake Wayne Wallace. The purpose of this study was to inventory the vascular (ferns and fern allies) and non-vascular plants for the park's naturalist. Ferns, mosses, and liverworts were collected on two occasions, December 30, 1997 and January 31, 1998. They yielded seventeen species representing fourteen genera and thirteen families. Families that contained the majority of species were Aspleniaceae 4 and Dryopteridaceae 2.

INTRODUCTION

Robber's Cave State Park is located in the San Bois Mountains. Established in 1935 the 1458-ha park is one of the seven original state parks. The main attraction, Robber's Cave, was the legendary hide-out for notorius outlaws such as the Youngers and Jesse & Frank James. Belle Starr, who was known to shelter bandits, had a cabin located twenty miles north of the cave. Approximately one mile west of the actual cave itself lies Rough Canyon. Rough Canyon runs parallel to Canyon Creek that feeds into Lake Wayne Wallace on the south. Prior to this study, our knowledge of the vascular and non-vascular plant species was scarce. No known floristic study has been conducted in the area according to Mitch Arteberry, park naturalist. Thus, the objective of Phase I was to inventory the: 1. Ferns and the fern allies and 2. Mosses and liverworts.

STUDY AREA

Rough Canyon is in northwest Latimer county (T6N, R18E, in Sec. 12) and situated in the San Bois Mountains on the western edge of the Ouachita Mountains. (1) The topography (Figure 1) consists of a deep canyon 18-20 m. below the ridge tops. The elevation ranges from 250-262 m. above sea level. Rough Canyon runs northeast at approximately 37 - 45 degrees, 1.2 km. along Canyon Creek. The overstory of ridgetop overlooking the the canyon is dominated by Pinus echinata, Quercus spp., and Carya spp. Common understory species include Cornus florida and Cornus drummondii. The canyon is lined with large, sandstone boulders. Soil associations of Rough Canyon are Carnasaw - Clebit - Denman steep, stony, well drained loamy soils. (1) The climate of the region is warm temperate. Summers are hot with high humidity levels. The growing season averages approximatley 176 days and generally extends from April to October. (1) The mean annual temperature 16.4 degrees Celsius, July and August are typically the warmest months averaging 27.3 degrees Celsius, and December and January are the coldest averaging 5.4degrees Celsius. (1) The average precipitation is 116.8 cm per year. (1)

INVENTORY OF THE FLORA

A systematic collection of the canyon was conducted in December (1997) and January (1998). The area was traversed on foot by 2-6 individuals on two occasions. Future collecting in the spring and summer months ( Phase II ) will focus on the seed plants for the impending interest of the park's naturalist. Standard taxonomic methods were used to identify each plant species or variety, and each plant was inventoried. In collecting the specimens we made sure they were in fertile condition.

Naming taxa follows Flora of North America for the pteridophytes (ferns) and Conrad and Redfearn (How to know the Mosses and Liverworts) for the bryophytes. Common names for the ferns were found in the Taylor and Taylor. (7) Vouchers are deposited in the McLoud High School Herbarium (OK.).

FLORA OF ROUGH CANYON

Based on the seventeen collections made during this study, the known vascular (ferns) and non - vascular flora of the Rough Canyon study area consist of seventeen species in fourteen genera, and thirteen families were included in this inventory (Table 1). Species designated rare by the Oklahoma Natural Heritage Inventory and present were: Asplenium bradleyi (S1), and Asplenium pinnatifidum (S1). (3)

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION

The purpose of this study (Phase I) was to conduct an inventory of the pteridophytes and bryophytes of Rough Canyon for the park's naturalist. To find such a variety of bryophytes and pteridophytes, including two rare ferns proves that even a small area of our state's great outdoors can have major influence on the region's ecosystem. I am very eager to begin Phase II ( the flora of spring and summer months-seed plants ). Without studies such as mine we may never have known the hidden secrets of Rough Canyon or other areas left unsurveyed. It is left up to present generations whether or not the Bradley's Spleenwort fern or other rare plants will be around for future generations.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

A special thanks to Dr. Sue McAlister for helping me with the identification of the bryophytes and Mitch Arteberry, Robber's Cave State Park naturalist for all of his interest and cooperation. I would like to thank my parents for bringing me up to believe I can do anything I set my mind to, and for being so patient and supportive. I would also like to thank my closest friends for helping me keep my sanity over long, tedious hours. Last but definitely not least, I want to thank Dr. Bruce Smith who was not only an excellent teacher but a friend. Thank you!

BIBLIOGRAPHY

  1. Soil Survey of Latimer County Oklahoma, United States Department of Agriculture, Soil Conservation Service in cooperation with Oklahoma Agricultural Experiment Station (1979) Issued 1981.
  2. How to Know the Mosses and Liverworts, Second Edition Henry S. Conrad, Paul L. Redfearn, Jr. Copyright 1979 By Wm. C. Brown Company Publishers.
  3. Oklahoma Natural Heritage Inventory. Short Working List Of Rare Plants., Version of 22 January 1997. Distributed by Oklahoma Biological Survey. Norman, Ok. (1997)
  4. Flora Of North America Editorial Commitee, Flora of North America, Vol.2, Pteridophytes and Gymnosperms. Oxford university Press, New York (1993) 475 pp.
  5. Waterfall, U.T., Keys to the Flora of Oklahoma, 4th edition. Published by author, Stillwater, Ok. (1969) 246 pp.
  6. Correll, D.S. and Johnston, M.C., Manual of the Vascular Plants of Texas, 2nd printing. University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX (1979) 1881 pp.
  7. Taylor, R.J., and Taylor, C.E.S., An Annotated List of the Ferns, and Fern Allies, Gymnosperms, and Flowering plants of Oklahoma, 3rd edition. Published by the authors, Durant, OK (1994) 133 pp.

APPENDIX

Figure 1

Topographic Map of Robber's Cave area

Taxa Constituting Flora of Rough Canyon

Table 1

Bryophytes
Species Name Family Name Common Name
Dicranum scopium Sapeh. Dicraniaceae n/a
Leucobryum albidium Lindb. Leucobryaceae n/a
Porella platyphylla Lindb. Porellaceae n/a
Sphagnum lescuri Sapeh. Sphagnaceae peat or bog moss
Thuidium delicatulum Hedw. Thuidiaceae n/a
Entodon seductrix C. Muell. Entodontaceae n/a
Polytrichum sp. Polytrichaceae n/a
* (2) reference

Table 2

Pteridophytes
Species Name Family Name Common Name
Asplenium bradleyi Eat. Aspleniaceae Bradley's Spleenwort
Asplenium pinnatifidum Nutt. Aspleniaceae Lobed Spleenwort
Asplenium platyneuron Oakes ex Eat. Aspleniaceae Ebony Spleenwort
Asplenium resiliens Kunze Aspleniaceae Blackstemmed Spleenwort
Cheilanthes lanosa (Michx.) Eat. Pteridaceae Hairy Lipfern
Osmunda regalis L. Osmundaceae Royal Fern
Pleopeltis polypodioides Watt. Polypodiaceae Ressurection Fern
Polystichum acrostichoides Schott. Dryopteridaceae Christmas Fern
Pteridium aquilinium Kuhn. Dennstaedtiaceae Bracken Fern
Woodsia obtusa Torre. Dryopteridaceae Blunt-lobed Cliff Fern
*(4); (5); (6) reference