My list of plants from the Kenilworth bioblitz is attached as a text delimited file. I don't know
whether the lists are now on a database or just being cross-checked by hand. I did not have a copy
of the composite list for Kenilworth until it was recently posted by Stan along with his and his
wife's sightings. I did not note those which I have vouchers for in the list. Most were sight
records. I have approximately 30 additional specimens not included on the list which are known
to be either escaped exotics (probably from the National Arboretum) or young late-season species
(Solidago, Aster, Eupatorium). A late summer (September) return trip would be useful to clarfiy
these identities.
I agree with Stan Shetler that a focussed 'survey' for Pumpkin Ash (Fraxinus profunda) would be
worthwhile activity. In my spare time (HA!) I have started to compile articles about the ashes
that would be useful to clarify the actual identities of Fraxinus at Kenilworth. Several months
ago I visited the National Herbarium looking for Fraxinus profunda specimens for the Piscataway
Park project that I just completed. Specimens in folders in both the main and Wash, DC
collections were mixed and some misidentified. Some remain so. Confusion occurs between
hairy varieties of F. pennsylvanica and F. americana and F. profunda(= F. tomentosa). Samara
shape and size and calyx length are useful to separate these species, but frequently during field
surveys mature fruits are not readily obtained because of season or difficulty in
collecting--particularly so for F. profunda which often is surrounded by standing water.
U.S. Department of the Interior
U.S. Geological Survey
Patuxent Wildlife Research Center
Laurel, MD, USA 20708-4038
<http://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/blitz>
Contact: Sam Dreoge
<sam_droege@usgs.gov>
USGS Privacy Statement