March 11, 1996
Dear SCAN members,
Our first SCAN fieldtrip of the year was delightful: tiny flowers of Cardamine, Veronica, and Lamium peeking out from the grass; gelatinous masses of frog’s eggs and bryozoons in the water; red maples and alders blooming overhead; kinglets, butterflies and tiger beetles flitting about in the warm sunshine. We walked two loops through sandy oak-pine uplands, deciduous woods, and lakeshore at Fort Jackson in Richland County, guided by SCAN members Bruce Cole and Ed McDowell, both of whom are employed as naturalists by the Fort. One Eastern Fence Lizard, found under a log, was so cold that he permitted gentle handling by several of us. Nest holes of red-cockaded woodpeckers in areas being managed for Longleaf Pine habitat were there, but none of the 6 pairs of endangered woodpeckers showed themselves. We are grateful to Regional Director Greg Mancini, Gary Sowell, Bruce and Ed for planning and conducting this trip.
Our next regular trip will be to the Flat Creek Dike are of the Forty-acre Rock preserve on March 23. Then we’ll have a President’s Special on April 13 to celebrate Andre Michaux’ discoveries. Details for both of these trips follow, so be sure to save your newsletter.
WARM: One of our members has established a non-profit foundation to support care of injured or abandoned birds and animals, and maintenance of those that are not adopted or that cannot be returned to the wild. The Waccamaw Animal Rescue Mission (WARM) in Conway is requesting help in the areas of Adoption and Sponsorship, Fundraising, and Repairs and construction. Cash donations are tax deductible. They also have a paid position open for a strong jack-of-all-trades who loves animals and doesn’t mind getting muddy and smelly. For full details and newsletter, contact Julie Finlayson, 3110 Barnfield Drive, Conway, SC 29526, or call Julie at 803-347-6583 or Sharon at 803-249-7637.
Hope to see you on the next SCAN outing.
Sincerely,
Jan Ciegler, President
Flat Creek Dike–Lancaster County
10:30 a.m. March 23, 1996Flat Creek Heritage Preserve, named for the creek that runs through it, includes a very diverse set of habitats. The most famous is Forty-Acre Rock, a laarge granite outcrop with vernal pools that house a large number of rare and endangered plants. The area known as Flat Creek Dike also house a unigue geology leading to an unusual diversity of plants. The diabase dike that underlies the area is considered the thickest in the Americas. Its presence has created a neutral to basic soil that has a very different flora upon it. Nodding trillium, creeping phlox, horse gentian, green violet and yellow chestnut oak are found here. Also in the preserve are floodplains, a beaver pond, hardwood coves, waterfalls, small caves, and the open granite rock areas. This trip will feature the beaver pond, the floodplains, and the area over the dike. If you have never visited the rock area you might want to plan to come very early, or stay late to do that part of the loop trail. The dark rock of the dike itself is exposed in the roadcut on US 601 as you descend the hill down to Flat Creek when approaching from the south as most of us will do. It is the dark rock, after some red rocks, as you descend.
We will gather in the parking lot of the preserve in time to start walking at 10:30 a.m. Plan to carry lunch, drink, and insect repellent. Flat Creek Heritage Preserve is located off U S highway 601 between Kershaw and Pageland in Lancaster County. Leaving Kershaw, go north 7 miles from the City Limit sign and turn left on Nature Reserve Road. You will have just descended the long cut through the dike and crossed Flat Creek before you reach this intersection. There is a ’40 Acre Rock’ sign at the turn as well. The parking lot is 0.3 mile on the left. From Pageland, travel south approximately 9 miles then turn right onto Nature Reserve Road. It is just under 4 miles after entering Lancaster County. There are no facilities at the preserve.
From the Columbia area, an easy to find route is I-20 to US 521 at Camden. Come straight north through Camden and you will be on 521-601 headed for Kershaw. From the upstate, SC 9 into Lancaster, stay on the by-pass to SC 903 east and join U S 601 about 1.5 miles south of Nature Reserve Road.
**PRESIDENT’S SPECIAL**
HUNTING FOR ANDRE MICHAUX
Gaston County, North Carolina
April 13, 1996Join us for a very special SCAN trip on April 13th. We will follow in the footsteps of the great botanist Andre Michaux (1746-1802) to the site of his last great collection in America, the Magnolia macrophylla. The giant leaves should be unfurling in the little ravines and hollows along the creek where Michaux walked almost exactly 200 years ago. The site of Michaux’s discovery was lost to science until last fall. SCAN has a chance to go over the site before the professional botanists get there in May. If Michaux’s Stewartia is still there maybe we can find it first!
Our rally point will be Hardee’s in the town of Stanley, with the botanical site 3 miles away on private property. Some carpooling from Hardee’s will be advisable, because we will park on a pipeline right of way near the site. Be prepared to take your lunch with you and be ready for wet and/or muddy conditions. We will be on a floodplain and the horses that use these trails don’t care about the puddles or our sticky Piedmont red clays. As usual be there in time to be ready to go at 10:30 a.m.
DIRECTIONS: From Columbia, take I-77 north to Charlotte. Exit at N C 27 and go northwest about 18 miles through Mt. Olive to Stanley. We will meet at the Hardee’s in Stanley at 10:30.
From Spartanburg, take I-85 north to Charlotte. Exit at N C 27 and go northwest about 16 miles through Mt. Olive to Stanley. This is the longer but easier to follow route.
Or, exit I-85 at Gastonia on US 321, go north 2 miles and turn right on
N C 275. Go through Dallas, then 6 more miles to Stanley. Cross the railroad tracks and turn right on N C 27. Hardee’s will be on the left in about 3/8 mile.
Fort Jackson
Richland County, SC
February 24, 1996
FLORA
Crustose Lichens:
Medusulina nitida
Bacidia schweinitzii
Pyrrhospora varians
Fruticose Lichens:
Baeomyces fungoides
Cladina subtenuis
Cladonia chlorophaea
Cladonia coniocraea
Cladonia cristatella
Cladonia leporina
Cladonia polycarpoides
Pycnothelia papillaria
Crustose Lichens:
Pertusaria paratuberculifera
Pertusaria texana
Maronea constans
Lecanora miculata
Lecanora cupressi
Lecanora varia
Lecanora hybocarpa
Foliose Lichens:
Bulbothrix goebelii
Bulbothrix goebelii f. minor
Candelaria concolor
Parmelina horrescens asidiata
Parmotrema haitiense
Parmotrema hypotropum
Parmotrema michauxianum
Parmotrema rampoddense
Flavoparmelia caperata
Canoparmelia caroliniana
Punctelia rudecta
Rimelia reticulata
Rimelia subisidiosa
Tuckermannopsis oakesiana
Fruticose Lichens:
Ramalina americana
Usnea strigosa
Crustose Lichens:
Buellia punctata
Buellia stillingiana
Buellia modesta
Foliose Lichens:
Physcia aipolia
Physcia millegrana
Heterodermia albicans
Heterodermia obscurata
Pyxine eschweileri
Phaeophyscia imbricata
Crustose Lichens:
Caloplaca flavorubescens
Ochrolechia africana
Squamulose Lichen
Psora sp.
Peat Moss
Sphagnum sp.
Haircap Moss
Polytrichum sp.
Slender Clubmoss
Lycopodium carolinianum
Bracken
Pteridium aquilinum
Long-leaf Pine
Pinus palustris
Loblolly Pine
Pinus taeda
Pond Pine
Pinus serotina
Short-leaf Pine
Pinus echinata
Cane; Switch Cane
Arundinaria gigantea
Bamboo
Phyllostachys aurea
Blue Grass
Poa annua*
Three Awn Grass
Aristida tuberculosa
Beard Grass
Erianthus sp.
Broom Sedge
Andropogon virginicus
Yellow-eyed Grass
Xyris sp.
Red-berried Greenbriar
Smilax walteri
Bamboo Smilax
Smilax laurifolia
Bear-Grass
Yucca filamentosa
Field Garlic
Allium vineale
Black Willow
Salix nigra
Wax Myrtle
Myrica cerifera
Bayberry
Myrica heterophylla
Tag Alder
Alnus serrulata
Turkey Oak
Quercus laevis
Black Jack Oak
Quercus marilandica
Mistletoe
Phoradendron serotinum
Mouse-ear Chickweed
Cerastium glomeratum
White Water Lily
Nymphaea odorata
Water Shield
Brasenia schreberi
Tulip Tree
Liriodendron tulipifera
Sweet Bay
Magnolia virginiana
Southern Magnolia
Magnolia grandiflora
Red Bay
Persea borbonia
Bitter Cress
Cardamine hirsuta
Sundew
Drosera capillaris
Sweet-Gum
Liquidambar styraciflua
American Sycamore
Platanus occidentalis
Alchemilla microcarpa*
Black Cherry
Prunus serotina
Chinese Wisteria
Wisteria sinensis
Winged Sumac
Rhus copallina
Titi
Cyrilla racemiflora
Yaupon
Ilex vomitoria
Inkberry
Ilex glabra
Sweet Gallberry
Ilex coriacea
Red Maple
Acer rubrum
St. Andrew’s Cross
Hypericum hypericoides
St. Peter’s-wort
Hypericum stans
Water-Milfoil
Myriophyllum pinnatum
Black Gum
Nyssa sylvatica
Flowering Dogwood
Cornus florida
Sweet Pepperbush
Clethra alnifolia
Fetter-Bush
Lyonia lucida
Sourwood
Oxydendrum arboreum
Trailing Arbutus
Epigaea repens
Persimmon
Diospyros virginiana
Yellow Jessamine
Gelsemium sempervirens
Henbit
Lamium amplexicaule
Shrubby Savory
Satureja georgiana
Woolly Mullein
Verbascum thapsus
Veronica sp.
Button Bush
Cephalanthus occidentalis
Bluet
Houstonia pusilla
Dog-Fennel
Eupatorium capillifolium
Rabbit Tobacco
Gnaphalium sp.
Sea-Myrtle; Groundsel Tree
Baccharis halimifolia
Black Knot
Apiosporina morbosa
FAUNA
Water Strider
Gerris sp.
Scarab Hunter Wasp*
Campsomeris sp.
Tiger Beetle
Cicindela tranquebarica
Click Beetle*
Lacon discoidea
Sleepy Orange
Eurema nicippe
Spring Azure
Celastrina ladon
Eastern Snout Butterfly
Libytheana bachmannii
Question Mark
Polygonia interrogationis
American Lady
Vanessa virginiensis
Cricket Frog
Acris sp.
Spring Peeper
Hyla crucifer
Southern Leopard Frog
Rana sphenocephala
Yellow-bellied Slider
Chrysemys scripta
Eastern Box Turtle
Terrapene carolina
Carolina Anole
Anolis carolinensis
Eastern Fence Lizard
Sceloporus undulatus
Banded Water Snake
Nerodia fasciata
Pied-billed Grebe
Podilymbus podiceps
Double-crested Cormorant
Phalacrocorax auritus
Great Blue Heron
Ardea herodias
Canada Goose
Branta canadensis
Mallard
Anas platyrhynchos
Wood Duck
Aix sponsa
Ring-billed Gull
Larus delawarensis
Turkey Vulture
Cathartes aura
Black Vulture
Coragyps atratus
Red-tailed Hawk
Buteo jamaicensis
Wild Turkey (tracks)
Meleagris gallopavo
Rock Dove; Pigeon
Columba livia
Mourning Dove
Zenaida macroura
Belted Kingfisher
Ceryle alcyon
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Melanerpes carolinus
Downy Woodpecker
Picoides pubescens
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Sphyrapicus varius
Pileated Woodpecker
Dryocopus pileatus
Eastern Phoebe
Sayornis phoebe
Blue Jay
Cyanocitta cristata
American Crow
Corvus brachyrhynchos
Tufted Titmouse
Parus bicolor
Carolina Chickadee
Parus carolinensis
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Sitta canadensis
Brown-headed Nuthatch
Sitta pusilla
Carolina Wren
Thryothorus ludovicianus
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Regulus satrapa
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Regulus calendula
Eastern Bluebird
Sialia sialis
Hermit Thrush
Catharus guttatus
Northern Mockingbird
Mimus polyglottos
Solitary Vireo
Vireo solitarius
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Dendroica coronata
Pine Warbler
Dendroica pinus
Northern Cardinal
Cardinalis cardinalis
Rufous-sided Towhee
Pipilo erythrophthalmus
Song Sparrow
Melospiza melodia
Dark-eyed Junco
Junco hyemalis
Swamp Sparrow
Melospiza georgiana
Common Grackle
Quiscalus quiscula
House Finch
Cardodacus mexicanus
Eastern Mole
Scalopus aquaticus
Gray Squirrel
Sciurus carolinensis
Eastern Fox Squirrel
Sciurus niger
Gray Fox (tracks)
Urocyon cinereoargenteus
Raccoon (tracks)
Procyon lotor
River Otter (tracks)
Lutra canadensis
Bobcat; Wildcat
Felis rufus
Wild Pig (tracks)
Sus scrofa
White-tailed Deer (tracks)
Odocoileus virginianus
*first time recorded