Pinelands Flora

References

 http://www.georgian.edu/pinebarrens/ - Beautiful pictures of the plants of the PineBarrens

http://www.npsnj.org/ - New Jersey Native Plant Society

http://www.npsnj.org/photo_gallery.htm - The best photos of New Jersey Native plants

http://www.hoganphoto.com/ - Michael Hogan's pictures of the pinelands and plants

http://www.georgian.edu/pinebarrens/ - Georgain Court College's photos and information on native plants

Fields and Flowers

   

Common Mullein                                  Sneezeweed                                                                Wild Columbine               Japanese Honeysuckle

Woodlands

Early morning observer

Eastern Cottontail Rabbit

White- Tailed Deer

Grazing at dawn

Woodlands

Bracken Fern                                                                                       Cinnamon Fern                                        Common Blue Violet

Woodland Wanderer

Eastern Box Turtle

Open Spaces

Top- Oxeye Daisy and Cow Vetch( purple)

Bottom-Smooth Brome and Little Barley

and

Little Niches

Little niches

Wild Geranium - Geranium maculatum

Cherokee High School

Pinelands Plant Study

Objectives

Edge of field

Field

Woodland

Wetland or Bog

Pond or stream

Transitional area

Methodology

 

  1. Students are divided into cooperative groups for the collection of plants in the environment following the directions in the herbarium lab
  1. Students will then identify and classify the plants collected into group
  1. Students will identify each plant with its correct scientific nam
  1. Students will compare the plants found in the wetlands to the plants found in the fields
  1. Students will compare the plants found in the wetlands to the plants found in the woodland.

Data

  1. Data should be collected and placed into a summary table for the pinelands
  2. Pictures, specimens of plants in the herbarium, and lichens and mosses in Petri dishes should be preserved

Presentation

  1. The class should produce a record or PowerPoint explaining the results of their survey.
  2. A web page should be maintained reflecting field work

Identification of Endangered or rare native plants

  1. Were any endangered or rare native plants found in your field studies.  If so explain.
  2. If no rare or endangered plants were found through your field work, research at least one plant that is endangered in the pinelands of New Jersey.
  3. What characteristics of the plants vary between the field plants and the woodlands?  What are the adaptations for life in the fields versus life in a woodland?

 Summer Plant Distribution Summary

* - ethnobotanical reference

~ - historical reference

Fields - Common Names Scientific Names Observations
Cow Vetch Viccia cracca Purple flower at the edge of fields- clusters
Oxeye Daisy Leucanthamum vulgare Grows in fields - farmers do not want this weed in their fields if cows eat it gives milk a funny taste
Wild Aster( Bushy) Aster domosus Sandy and marshy areas
Common Mullein - *~ Verbascum thaspus Common along roadsides. Roman soldiers dipped the flower spikes into grease for use as torches, used by Native Americans to insulate their moccasins.  The leaves used as a tea to treat colds and the flowers and roots were employed to treat earaches and croup.  The leaves could be applied to the skin to soother sunburn
Little Barley Grass Hordeum pusilum Roadsides - prefers alkaline soil .  Also found in fields
Day Lily Hemerocallis fulva Roadsides, edges of streams, edges of fields.  Every part of this plant is edible as the deer in our area can testify- evidently the buds and flowers are a gourmet treat.
Buttercup Ranunculus acris Open areas and fields - somewhat poisonous plants to grazers
Clover Trifolium repens Open fields white or pinkish flowers
Thistle Cirsium arvense Fields and pastures
Queene Anne's Lace Daucus carota Common along roadsides and in fields
RagWeed Ambrosia artemisiifolia Fields and roadsides
GoldenRod Solidaga rigida hairy stems- yellow flowers- by roadsides
Rattlesnake Master( close relative) Eryngium yuccifolium Spiny leaves - once thought to have medicinal value
Lanced Leaved  Coreopsis Coreopsis lanceolata Fields and cultivated areas
Common daisy    
Daisy Fleabane Erigeron annus Fields
Sneezeweed Helenium autumnale Fields
Dandelion Taraxacum offininale Fields and the edges of forests
Wild Oat Grass Danthonica spicata Fields and open areas between trees
Wild rice Zizania aquatica Marsh areas
Woodlands    
Violets Viola sororia Violet leaves are high in vitamins A and C and can be used in salads or cooked as greens.  The flowers can be candied
Bracken Fern Pteridium aquilinum Widely distributed  and grows in arid and sandy soil which is why it is found in pinebarrens
Cinnamon Fern Osmunda cinnamonmea low, swampy, and shady locations
Curly fern Shizaea pusilla threatened or endangered- found in local refuge
Wild Geranium    
Japanese Honeysuckle Lonicera japnica Can choke our out compete many native species - this is an intruder from Asia
Morning Glory Vine Breweia pickeringii Rare- but other species are more common in the pinebarrens
Sweet pepper bush Clethra anifolia Sandy woods - wetter areas
Chokeberry    
Mountain Laurel Kalmia latifolia Woodlands- drier or higher areas
Wild Stawberries Fragaria virginiana Patches in fields
Wild Blueberry vaccinium corymbosum Woodlands- drier or higher areas
Prickly Pear Apuntia humifosa sandier soils ( CR), cactus with yellow flowers

 
     
Wetlands and Bogs    
Giant Reed    
Water Lily( Yellow) or Spatterdock Nuphur variegatum Slow stream and quiet ponds ( HR)
Cat Tail    
Sundews    
Jack in the Pulpit ~ Arisaema triphyllum Native Americans used the fleshy corms for food - it requires cooking to eliminate some bitterness
Duckweed    
Arrow Arum Peltandra virginica erect aquatic herb near banks of streams(CR)
     

 Lab Abstract-

     The collection of wild flowers was completed along the Western edge of the Pinebarrens of New Jersey.  This area between Jackson Road and Hopewell Road is an area of transition to the more isolated pinelands habitats.  It is rich in biodiversity of plants, invertebrates, birds, and animals of all types.  The study was conducted in a series of photographic walks and excursions.  One area traversed was in the Cedar Run Refuge.  This section is used again in the forest study.( It was also used in the fall health of the forest study)  Three areas were used for collection.  The first areas were along the forests and adjacent to the forests.  These areas were drier and displayed a great variety of plants and flowers.  The second area studied was the forest itself.  The final area evaluated was the marshy or bog area of the forest including slow streams and a pond.

One of the most interesting aspects of this collection process for me was the information on particular attributes of  the plants.  I am especially interested in ethnobotany.  The Common Mullein was used for insulation in the moccasins or foot wear of Native Americans.  It was also used by our pioneers and soldiers during the American Revolution.  The medicinal uses of this plant are incredible.  It would certainly be on my list for pharmaceutical companies to study.  It seems to have value as an anti-inflammatory to soothe the effects of sunburn.  It can also be used as a medicinal tea.  Extracts of its roots were employed to relieve symptoms of croup.  I also found that all of the parts of the lily are edible- a fact that the deer discovered long ago.  Leaves of violets can be used in salads.  Of course the wild strawberries and blueberries are great to eat.  The birds enjoy these treats.

I think that several projects could be assigned to analyze this data .  These might be assigned as research projects or group work.  These could also be a part of a research project for a science fair.  The following are some examples

pls 7-11