This early winter trip drew twenty people, including a moss expert and several experts in fungi from the Philadelphia Mycology Club. After passing through weedy flora near the parking lot, we botanized lowland habitats along a chain of ponds. These habitats included sphagnum bogs bordering the ponds and a few white cedar swamps that were small but contained mature white cedars.
We saw classic New Jersey pine barrens flora, including Pinus rigida (pitch pine), Quercus mariana (blackjack oak), Quercus stellata (post oak), Clethra alnifolia (sweet pepperbush), Ilex glabra (inkberry), Anatherum glomeratum (syn. Andropogon glomeratus; bushy bluestem), and ericaceous shrubs (Chamaedaphne calyculata, Kalmia angustifolia, Kalmia latifolia, Lyonia ligustrina, Rhododendron viscosum, and Vaccinium spp.). Xerophyllum asphodeloides (turkey-beard) was abundant.
We also saw plants typical of the margins of the pine barrens, such as Quercus phellos (willow oak), Quercus alba (white oak), Quercus mariana (black oak), Acer rubrum (red maple), Diospyros virginiana (persimmon), and Aronia arbutifolia (red chokeberry).
Perhaps the most unusual plant was Elephantopus carolinianus (elephant’s foot), which grew in a good-sized patch at the edge of the trail. Our mycologically inclined participants noted numerous fungi, including several common (and commonly overlooked) rusts. The full species list is below. Individual observations during our trip can be found on iNaturalist at:
PBC/PMC iNaturalist observations Black Run Preserve
Black Run observations
Species Noted
Phenology: fr=fruit; fl=flowers
Name Phenology Notes
Vascular Plants:
Acer rubrum
Ageratina altissima
Alliaria petiolata
Anatherum glomeratum syn. Andropogon glomeratus
Anatherum virginicum syn. Andropogon virginicus
Apocynum sp.
Aronia arbutifolia
Artemisia vulgaris
Betula populifolia
Bidens trichospermum fr
Cephalanthus occidentalis
Chamaecyparis thyoides
Chamaedaphne calyculata
Chasmanthium laxum
Chimaphila maculata
Clethra alnifolia fr
Cuscuta sp.
Cyperus sp.
Decodon verticillaris
Deutzia crenata
Dichanthelium sp.
Diospyros virginiana
Elephantopus carolinianus fr
Elymus sp.
Eriophorum virginicum fr
Eubotrys racemosa
Euthamia caroliniana
Fagus grandifolia
Gaultheria procumbens
Glechoma hederacea
Glyceria obtusa
Helianthus angustifolius
Hypericum canadense fr
Hypericum stragulum fr
Hypericum virginicum fr syn. Triadenum virginicum
Ilex glabra
Ilex opaca
Juncus canadensis
Juncus sp. Juncus pylaei?
Juncus tenuis?
Juniperus virginiana
Kalmia angustifolia
Kalmia latifolia
Liquidambar styraciflua fr
Liriodendron tulipifera
Lobelia sp. fr
Lonicera japonica
Lonicera sp.
Ludwigia alternifolia fr
Lycopodiella alopecuroides
Lyonia ligustrina fr
Magnolia virginiana
Malus sp.
Mitchella repens
Morella sp.
Nyssa sylvatica
Oenothera sp. fr probably O. biennis
Osmundastrum cinnamomeum
Panicum virgatum fr
Persicaria perfoliata
Pinus rigida
Platanus occidentalis
Prunus serotina
Pteridium aquilinum
Quercus alba
Quercus mariana
Quercus montana
Quercus phellos
Quercus stellata
Rhexia virginica fr
Rhododendron viscosum
Rosa multiflora
Rubus sp.
Sassafras albidum
Sceptridium dissectum syn. Botrychium dissectum
Schizachyrium scoparium
Scirpus cyperinus
Smilax glauca
Smilax rotundifolia
Solidago canadensis or S. altissima
Solidago rugosa
Symphyotrichum sp. fr
Utricularia sp.
Vaccinium corymbosum s.l.
Vaccinium macrocarpon
Viola primulifolia
Xerophyllum asphodeloides
Xyris sp. fr
Mosses:
Atrichum angustatum
Aulacomnium palustre in wetter areas, intermixed with Sphagnum sp.
Brachythecium sp.
Bryum argenteum
Callicladium imponens formerly Hypnum
Ceratodon purpureus
Dicranum sp. Likely D. scoparium, D. fuscescens, and D. flagellare present
Fissidens sp.
Leucobryum glaucum
Orthotrichum sp.
Plagiomnium cuspidatum
Pogonatum urnigerum
Polytrichum sp. likely P. piliferum and P. juniperinum
Sphagnum cuspidatum Comment from Sophia BenJeddi: Lots of other Sphagnum species present here, but could not ID in the field.
Sphagnum palustre field ID
Ulota sp.
Liverworts:
Frullania dilatata Comment from Sophia BenJeddi: Purple ribbon-like liverwort on tree bark and rock. This is a great host for the bryophilous fungus Bryocentria (infects developing perianths).
Lichens:
Punctelia rudecta
Usnea sp.
Fungi:
Amphilogia gyrosa
Biscogniauxia atropunctata
Claviceps sp.
Cryptomycina pteridis on Pteridium aquilinum
Dacrymyces spp.
Exidia spp.
Fomitopsis betulina syn. Piptoporous betulina
Fuscoporia gilva
Ganoderma curtisii
Ganoderma lobatum
Hydnoporia olivacea
Irpex lacteus
Laccaria spp
Macroderma curtisii on Ilex opaca
Mycosphaerella sp.
Phaeocalicium polyporaeum on Trichaptum biforme
Phlebia tremellosa
Porodaedalea pini
Rhytisma punctatum on Quercus montana leaf
Rhytisma vaccinii on blueberry leaf
Trametes betulina
Tremella mesenterica
Trichaptum biforme
Tricholoma sp.
