Home - Checklist of the Plants from the Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge

About This Website

This website was constructed by Daniel Nickrent after receiving a copy of the checklist of the Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge (CONWR) from John Van Dyk. This list was derived from the one reported in Appendix D of the CONWR Comprehensive Conservation Plan (CCP). The CCP relied heavily upon the first comprehensive floras for the CONWR by Ulaszek (1988). Not all of the plants listed in the CCP have been observed by JVD and some species not originally present in that list are reported here as new additions. As in the CCP, the relative frequency of occurrence for the species are as follows (with descriptors):

• A = Abundant: the plant occurs throughout the Refuge
• LA = Locally abundant: the plant is plentiful in certain areas or habitats
• C = Common: with some searching, the plant can be found throughout the Refuge
• LC = Locally common: the plant can be readily found in certain areas or habitats
• O = Uncommon: plants observed in fewer than five different locations
• R = Rare: plants observed only once in a single location. Note: in the CCP list rare means “undocumented.”

Plants were identified using Jones (2005), Mohlenbrock (2002, 2014), and Yatskievych (1999, 206, 2013). The nomenclature generally follows Mohlenbrock (2014) except in cases where more recent information provides compelling data to the contrary. Various treatments in Flora North America have also been consulted. Following the accepted scientific name, common names are given as well as selected synonyms.

The plants covered in this checklist are arranged in four groups: 1) Pteridophytes (ferns and allies), 2) Gymnosperms (mostly conifers and relatives), and Angiosperms (flowering plants), comprising 3) Monocots (grasses, sedges, lilies, orchids) and 4) Dicots.  Within these four groups the plants are listed in alphabetical order by family, genus and species. The following table summarizes the number of families, genera, and species for CONW:

Plant Group
 Families
 Genera
 Species
Pteridophytes (Ferns & Allies)
 15
 20
 27
Gymnosperms 3
 4
 9
Monocots 26
 111
 300
Dicots 96
 353
 645
Totals
 140
 488
 981

Literature Cited

Jones, R. L. 2005. Plant Life of Kentucky: An Illustrated Guide to Vascular Flora. Lexington, KY, The University Press of Kentucky.

Mohlenbrock, R. H. 2002. Vascular Flora of Illinois. Carbondale, Southern Illinois University Press, Carbondale, Illinois.

Mohlenbrock, R. H. 2014. Vascular flora of Illinois. Southern Illinois University Press, Carbondale, Illinois.

Ulaszek, E. 1988. The vascular flora of the Devil's Kitchen Lake area, Williamson and Union counties, Illinois. MS Thesis. Southern Illinois University, Carbondale.

Yatskievych, G. 1999. Steyermark’s Flora of Missouri, Vol. 1. Jefferson City, MO, Missouri Department of Conservation.

Yatskievych, G. 2006. Steyermark’s Flora of Missouri, Vol. 2. St. Louis, MO, Missouri Botanical Garden Press.

Yatskievych, G. 2013. Steyermark’s Flora of Missouri, Vol. 3. St. Louis, MO, Missouri Botanical Garden Press.