A Guide to the Wildflowers of South Carolina

A comprehensive and indispensable reference for identifying and appreciating native flora From its summits to its shores, South Carolina brims with life and unparalleled beauty thanks to its abundant array of native and naturalized flora, all carefully documented in this revised and expanded edition of A Guide to the Wildflowers of South Carolina . Dramatic advances in plant taxonomy and ecology have occurred since the guide's publication 20 years ago; new species have been discovered while others struggle to survive in the face of vanishing habitats and climate change. The authors, all experienced botanists, offer essays on carnivorous plants, native orchids, Carolina bays, the roles and effects of fire and agriculture on the landscape, and detailed descriptions of the plant communities throughout the state's major natural regions. This expanded edition catalogs nearly 1,000 species organized by habitat, with descriptions, color photographs, range maps, and comments on pharmacological uses, suitability for garden cultivation, origin of common and scientific names, and conservation status. Cover A Guide to the Wildflowers of South Carolina Title Copyright Dedication CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES PREFACE ACKNOWLEDGMENTS INTRODUCTION Purpose and Scope Our Shared and Threatened Natural Heritage Physiographic Regions of South Carolina Nature of the Flora What Are Wildflowers? Conservation of Native Wildflowers How To Use This Field Guide Origins of Plant Names Rarity of Vascular Plants Pronunciation Guide to Botanical Names PART 1: The Nature of South Carolina’s Wildflowers Selected Topics on Natural History and Ecology Carnivorous Plants Native Orchids Succession in Natural Communities Fire in the South Carolina Landscape Carolina Bays of the Coastal Plain Agriculture: Effects on South Carolina’s Physical Landscape Marshes, Swamps, Peatlands, Bogs, and Fens South Carolina’s Natural Wildflower Communities The Mountains Montane Rock Outcrop Communities Granitic domes, mafic rock outcrops, and shallow soil glades The Spray Cliffs and Humid Gorge Outcrops Spray cliffs Humid gorge outcrops The Seepage Communities Cataract fens Southern Appalachian fens Canebrakes The Rocky Streamside Community The Deciduous Forest Communities Rich cove forests Acidic cove forests Chestnut Oak forests Montane oak-hickory forests Forest margins Pine-oak heaths The Piedmont The Granitic Flatrocks Community The Rocky Shoals Community The Deciduous Forest Communities Basic-mesic forests Beech forests Oak-hickory forests The Early Successional Communities Piedmont prairie Oak savanna Piedmont xeric hardpan forests The Piedmont Springhead Seepage Forest Community The Bottomland Forest Communities Coastal Plain: The Fall-Line Sandhills The Xeric Communities Longleaf Pine-Scrub Oak sandhills Longleaf Pine-Turkey Oak sandhills The Sandhills Seepage Communities Streamhead pocosins Herbaceous seepage slopes Atlantic white-cedar forests Coastal Plain: The Inner and Outer Coastal Plain The Xeric Communities Longleaf Pine-Turkey Oak xeric ridges Sandy, dry, open woodlands The Mesic Pine Woodland Communities Longleaf Pine flatwoods Pine/Saw Palmetto flatwoods Longleaf Pine savannas The Depression Pond Communities Pond Cypress savannas Pond Cypress-Swamp Gum upland swamps Depression meadows The Peatland Community Pocosins The Calcareous Forest Communities Calcareous bluff forests Wet, flat, calcareous forests The Bottomland Forest Communities Bald Cypress-Tupelo Gum swamp forests Hardwood bottom forests Levee forests The Freshwater Marsh Communities Tidal freshwater marshes Inland freshwater marshes The Open Water Community Coastal Plain: The Maritime Strand The Maritime Communities Coastal beaches Coastal dunes and maritime grasslands Maritime forests Salt marshes Salt flats Maritime shell forests PART 2: Species Descriptions and Color Plates The Mountains The Piedmont Coastal Plain: The Fall-Line Sandhills Coastal Plain: The Inner and Outer Coastal Plain Coastal Plain: The Maritime Strand The Ruderal Communities GLOSSARY APPENDIX: ILLUSTRATIONS OF PLANT STRUCTURES GENERAL REFERENCES LITERATURE CITED INDEX PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS "Admired by plant enthusiasts, botanists, and nature lovers of all ages, wildflowers comprise one of the most beloved-and diverse-groupings of flora in South Carolina. Although relatively small in size, the Palmetto State hosts a remarkable variety of wildflower species, from the trillium and bloodroot that brighten its forests to heliotrope and common toadflax that dot the state's roadsides and fields. In A Guide to the Wildflowers of South Carolina, wildflowers are defined broadly to include the rich diversity of the plant life of South Carolina and neighboring states. Showy native annual and perennial herbs are emphasized, but shrubs, vines, and trees with showy flowers; showy introduced species; conspicuous grasses, rushes, and sedges; and species of ferns as well as pines, cedars, and bald-cypress are also included. Part 1 of the book includes short essays on topics including carnivorous plants, native orchids, Carolina bays, and the roles and effects of fire and agriculture on the landscape, followed by detailed descriptions of the various plant communities throughout the state's major natural regions from the Blue Ridge Mountains to the Piedmont to the coastal plain. Part 2 catalogs nearly 1,000 species, organized by habitat, with extensive descriptions, color photographs, and range maps of each. Entries also include comments on pharmacological uses, suitability for garden cultivation, origin of common and scientific names, and conservation status. A Guide to the Wildflowers of South Carolina offers a complete and indispensable reference for finding and appreciating these natural treasures"-- Provided by publisher.