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Plants of the Limestone Barrens. A Presentation by John Maunder Curator Emeritus of Natural History The Rooms Provincial Museum of Newfoundland and Labrador The Limestone Barrens Habitat Stewardship Program Conservation and Sustainable Ecotourism Conference Plum Point, Newfoundland
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Plants of the Limestone Barrens A Presentation by John Maunder Curator Emeritus of Natural History The Rooms Provincial Museum of Newfoundland and Labrador The Limestone Barrens Habitat Stewardship Program Conservation and Sustainable Ecotourism Conference Plum Point, Newfoundland October 12-13, 2006
Plants? … What plants? … Cape Norman
At first glance, there’s almost nothing there! Burnt Cape [photo: Pat Montegue]
But, when you begin to look more closely … Watt’s Point
… usually MUCH more closely…. Watt’s Point
Flowers Cove You’ll see an amazing garden of botanical treasures!
Redtipped Lousewort - Pedicularis flammea – Big Brook Some quite spectacular …
Glacier Sedge – Carex glacialis – Boat Harbour Others pretty dull …
But, what’s all the fuss about? Alpine Ragwort - Packera pauciflora – L’Anse aux Meadows
Dwarf Hawk’s Beard – Crepis nana – Burnt Cape What makes these plants so special?
Common Dandelion – Taraxacum officinale – Raleigh Well … some are …
Northern Anemone - Anemone parviflora – Burnt Cape But most aren’t …It’s all a bit complicated
Our limestone barrens species fall into about 5 special categories … … grouped by their general distribution near Eddies Cove West
1. Newfoundland Endemic “Limestone-Loving” Species Species found only in Newfoundland, in the whole world!
Fernald’s Braya – Braya fernaldii – Big Brook and Watt’s Point
Long’s Braya – Braya longii Sandy Cove and Yankee Point
… and, MAYBE? “Burnt Cape Cinquefoil” -Potentilla usticapensis … [orPotentilla pulchella var. pulchella] … There are varying taxonomic interpretations … so its endemic status is uncertain Burnt Cape
2. Gulf of St. Lawrence Endemic “Limestone-Loving” Species Species found only in the Gulf of St. Lawrence region (which includes the Newfoundland west coast and Strait of Belle Isle), in the whole world!
Newfoundland Pussytoes – Antennaria eucosma Cape St. George
3. Disjunct “Limestone-Loving” Species Species found both in some far-away place, AND in our area, with a BIG GAP in between.
Dwarf Hawk’s Beard – Crepis nana – Burnt Cape …. Disjunct to N tip of Labrador, and arctic and western North America
Newfoundland Orchid – Pseudorchis albida subsp. straminea Burnt Cape - Disjunct to Greenland and one locality in Hudson Bay
Woolly Arnica – Arnica angustifolia subsp. tomentosa – Point Riche Peninsula … Disjunct to mountains of northwestern North America [photo: Rene Charest]
Pendantpod Oxytrope - Oxytropis deflexa var. foliosa – disjunct [from S Labrador] to N tip of Labrador, Gaspe, Hudson Bay, and low arctic and western North America
Bodin’s Milkvetch – Astragalus bodinii – Cook’s Harbour … disjunct to western North America
Calypso Orchid - Calypso bulbosa var. americana – Burnt Cape
Yellow Ladyslipper – Cypripedium parviflorum var. pubescens – Port au Choix
Small Roundleaf Orchis - Amerorchis rotundifolia – Burnt Cape
Frog Orchid – Dactylorhiza viridis Killdevil Mountain [photo: M. Anions] and Burnt Cape
Purple Mountain Saxifrage – Saxifraga oppositifolia – Table Mountain
Alpine Chickweed – Cerastium alpinum subsp. lanatum – Lower Cove
White Mountain Avens – Dryas integrifolia Sandy Cove [photo: N. Djan-Chekar] and Flowers Cove [photo: Pat Montague]
Yellow Mountain Saxifrage – Saxifraga aizoides – Eddies Cove West
Newfoundland Oxytrope – Oxytropis campestris var. minor – Mount Parent, P.Q.
Elegant Milkvetch - Astragalus eucosmus – L’Anse aux Meadows
5. Widespread Species which are not “Limestone Loving” They’ll grow almost anywhere!
White Spruce – Picea glauca – Table Head [photo: Pat Montague]
How do the plants manage it? Trailing Juniper - Juniperus horizontalis – Port au Choix [photo: Pat Montague]
What conditions do they have to overcome? Alpine Pussytoes – Antennaria alpina subsp. canescens – Watt’s Point