Bryan A. Connolly

Herbarium records are reliable sources of phenological change driven by climate and provide novel insights into species’ phenological cueing mechanisms

PREMISE OF THE STUDY Climate change has resulted in major changes in the phenology of some species but not others. Long-term field observational records provide the best assessment of these changes, but geographic and taxonomic biases limit their utility. Plant specimens in herbaria have been hypothesized to provide a wealth of additional data for studying phenological responses to climatic change. However, no study to our knowledge has comprehensively addressed whether herbarium data are accurate measures of phenological response and thus applicable to addressing such questions. METHODS We compared flowering phenology determined from field observations (years 1852-1858, 1875, 1878-1908, 2003-2006, 2011-2013) and herbarium records (1852-2013) of 20 species from New England, United States. KEY RESULTS Earliest flowering date estimated from herbarium records faithfully reflected field observations of first flowering date and substantially increased the sampling range across climatic conditions. Additionally, although most species demonstrated a response to interannual temperature variation, long-term temporal changes in phenological response were not detectable. CONCLUSIONS Our findings support the use of herbarium records for understanding plant phenological responses to changes in temperature, and also importantly establish a new use of herbarium collections: inferring primary phenological cueing mechanisms of individual species (e.g., temperature, winter chilling, photoperiod). These latter data are lacking from most investigations of phenological change, but are vital for understanding differential responses of individual species to ongoing climate change.

Occurrence and Fertility of Feral Hybrid Barberry Berberis × ottawensis (Berberidaceae) in Connecticut and Massachusetts

Abstract Berberis ×ottawensis is the hybrid of B. vulgaris (common barberry) and B. thunbergii (Japanese barberry). In the wild, this interspecific taxon appears to have been largely overlooked. Here, we report that this hybrid is relatively widespread in Connecticut and Massachusetts. Furthermore, we present evidence that the hybrid individuals are capable of producing some viable seed and pollen.

SIX NEW VASCULAR PLANT TAXA FOR CONNECTICUT

Ambrosia X helenae Rouleau (A. artemisiifolia X A. trifida) Hybridization is known to occur between species in the genus Ambrosia (Lee and Dickson 1980). This is the first record of A. X helenae in New England, though the hybrid has been reported from New York (USDA, NRCS 2007). Both parents are common weeds throughout eastern North America (Gleason and Cronquist 1991). Ambrosia artemisiifolia is generally found along roadsides and in waste places but can also be found in agricultural fields, the latter habit being preferred by A. trifida. However, the two species are morphologically very distinct. Ambrosia artemisiifolia is relatively short with a maximum height of 0.5 m, the plants are often highly branched, and its leaves are highly dissected. In contrast A. trifida can be over 2 m tall, individuals have few branches, and the leaves have three to seven lobes. Two individuals of this rare hybrid were found in a flower garden in Lebanon, Connecticut with both parental species. The plants were moved to an experimental garden and grown to full reproductive size; at flowering, the plants were intermediate in height between the two parental species. The leaf morphology of the hybrid resembled A. trifida but the leaf sinuses were deeper. Additionally Arthur Haines (New England Wild Flower Society, pers. comm.) noticed while examining one of these hybrid specimens that primary leaf lobes often had secondary lobes, leaves subtending the capitulescences were alternate, and

Climate Change, Managed Relocation, andthe Risk of Intra-Continental Plant Invasions: A Theoretical and Empirical Exploration Relative To the Flora of New England

abstract The high rate of anthropogenic climate change projected for coming decades and evidence of low migration ability for many species have led researchers to warn of a looming extinction crisis. This threat is expected to be most acute for small-ranged endemic species, which could see novel climatic conditions develop rapidly across the entirety of their limited geographic ranges. To avoid extinctions, some conservationists have proposed that climate-imperiled species might be candidates for “assisted colonization” or “managed relocation” to new regions, outside their historical ranges. One major concern related to managed relocation is the possibility that some relocated species could later become problematic invasives where they are introduced. In this review, we consider how these emerging conservation challenges might unfold for the flora of New England. A range of evidence suggests that most plant species native to New England might be resilient to immediate extinction risk from climate change, as these species typically have broad geographic ranges and have migrated long distances in response to past climate change. In contrast, regions to the south, particularly hotspots of plant endemism in the southeastern US, harbor numerous small-ranged species whose current climatic niches could rapidly shift beyond their native ranges, leaving them vulnerable to extinction unless they colonize new regions to the north. Consequently, debates surrounding managed relocation in New England are likely to be focused primarily on the ecological risks versus conservation benefits of accepting climate-threatened endemic plant species from the southeastern US, and to hinge on concerns about the invasive potential of these species. To provide an empirically-grounded estimate of invasion risk from the introduction of US native plant species to New England, we reviewed invasive species lists for New England and tallied those species that are native to other parts of the contiguous US (versus other regions and continents). Between four and ten “invasive” or “potentially invasive” plant species reported from New England are from other regions of the contiguous US, depending in part on how issues of native versus exotic genotypes within taxa are resolved. A review of current floristic data from New England shows that these 4–10 problematic species are drawn from a larger pool of ∼374 US native plant species reported as exotic in the region, suggesting that only 1.1–2.7% of species appearing spontaneously as adventives in the region are viewed as invasive. In light of this analysis, we suggest that managed relocation is not likely to spawn large numbers of new invasives, and might therefore be judiciously evaluated alongside other conservation options for climate-threatened plant species. We propose a collaborative effort among field botanists, land managers, conservationists, and academics in New England, partnering with botanists in the southeastern US, to initiate fundamental research to experimentally test the viability and ecological effects of climate-threatened endemic plant species from the southeastern US in the New England region.

A New Record of Invasive Mile-A-Minute Vine Persicaria perfoliata (Polygonaceae) In New Hampshire

Persicaria perfoliata (L.) H. Gross (previously Polygonum perfoliatum L.) is an annual herbaceous vine native to East Asia that was first established in the United States at Gable Nursery Stewartstown, PA in 1946 (Hill et al. 1981, Oliver and Coile 1994). Mile-a-minute vine is characterized by its triangular leaves; retorse spines on its stems, petioles, and main leaf veins; cup-shaped ocrea encircling its stems at the node; and small blue fruit arranged in terminal clusters (Oliver and Coile 1994, Kumar and DiTommaso 2005). Since its introduction, the species has been reported in NY, NJ, MA, CT, VA, KY, NC, WV, OH, MD, and OR (USDA 2017). Due to its rapid and aggressive growth (hence the moniker ‘‘mile-a-minute vine’’), P. perfoliata is capable of outcompeting native flora, and is therefore a threat to the diversity of its newly colonized habitats and can be considered invasive (Jianqing et al. 2000; Oliver and Coile 1994). Mile-a-minute has a history of being found at nursery sites, mostly likely because the species can be transported as seeds in nursery pots or soil associated with root balls. For example, at least two of the focal points for P. perfoliata in Massachusetts are areas in and around plant nurseries, or former nursery sites. The New Hampshire mile-a-minute population was discovered by nursery staff in 2012, where it was found among nursery stock, by 2015 if not earlier, the species had also spread to the natural wooded edge of the nursery. It was observed by D.C. in 2014, and then vouchered in 2015. Control efforts were implemented in 2014 to eradicate the population. As of June in 2017 no plants were observed but it is assumed some viable seeds remain in the soil. Altogether, the population has survived at the location for 4 years with

Occurrence of Knotweed Hybrid, Fallopia × bohemica (Polygonaceae) in New Hampshire

Fallopia3bohemica (Chrtek & Chrtková) J. P. Bailey, Polygonaceae, is an interspecific hybrid between Fallopia japonica (Houtt.) R. Decr. (Japanese knotweed) and Fallopia sachalinensis (F. S. Petrop ex Maxim) R. Decr. (Giant knotweed), following nomenclature in Haines 2011. Both parental species are typically found in anthropogenic or disturbed areas, although they may also be found near bodies of water and within ecotones (Haines 2011). Fallopia japonica and F. sachalinensis are native to eastern Asia (Japan, Korea and parts of China), and are now naturalized in many parts of the United States and Canada. Fallopia japonica has become a well-known invasive in the New England states (Haines 2011; Merhoff et al. 2003). Whereas Fallopia 3 bohemica is considered infrequent, it is possible that the nothospecies is under-documented. The leaves of the hybrid are intermediate in size between the 15 to 40 3 7 to 25cm leaves of F. sachalinensis and the 15 3 8-10cm leaves of F. japonica (Haines 2011; Bailey et al. 1996; Invasive Species Compendium 2016). In addition, F. 3 bohemica has relatively short, unicellular hairs on the abaxial surface of the leaves while F. sachalinensis has long (0.2-0.6 mm) multicellular abaxial hairs, and F. japonica has small projections, but lacks true hairs. (Freeman and Hinds 1993þþ, Zika and Jacobson 2003). Fallopia 3 bohemica, like its parent F. japonica, may have invasive tendencies; therefore monitoring its occurrence and distribution is warranted. The

An interspecific barberry hybrid enables genetic dissection of non-host resistance to the stem rust pathogen Puccinia graminis

This study demonstrates for the first time the feasibility of dissecting the genetic mechanism of non-host resistance to the stem rust pathogen in its ancestral host genus Berberis.

Big Leaf Magnolia: A New Addition to the Flora of New England

The big leaf magnolia,Magnolia macrophyllaMich., is a tree native to the alluvial woods and sheltered valleys of Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana,Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, and Virginia (Meyer 1997). The United States Department of Agriculture PLANTS Database also reports the species from New York, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Maryland, and South Carolina (USDANRCS 2015). Further observations of individuals at outlying locations in northeastern Illinois and extreme southern Ontario have also been reported (Greller et al. 2011), although the latter may have proved to be a planted specimen, as it could not be verified through the Natural Resources Canada website (http://www.nrcan.gc.ca). The tree is occasionally cultivated for its handsome large leaves that can be up to 110 cm in length (Dirr 2009; Meyer 1997). The species has likely escaped from cultivation and established as an adventive or naturalized species in many of the more northerly states reported above in the PLANTS Database. During the Connecticut BioBlitz on June 4, 2016, a population of Magnolia macrophylla was discovered by W.H.M., N.B., C.R.M., and Michael Margo at Matianuck Sand Dunes Natural Area Preserve in Windsor, Connecticut. This species had not been previously reported in the state or elsewhere in New England as escaped or naturalized (Dreyer et al. 2013; Haines 2011). The population consisted of three seedlings, about 25–50 cm tall, and one sapling, 2.5–3.0 m in height, occupying an

Cooperative Update of the Vascular Flora of Nantucket

It has been twenty years since the release of the most recent definitive flora covering Nantucket and its surrounding islands, ‘‘The Vascular and Non-Vascular Flora of Nantucket, Tuckernuck, and Muskeget Islands’’ (Sorrie and Dunwiddie 1996). A great deal of botanical work has occurred since 1996 by dedicated individuals and conservation organizations. In addition to physical changes in species abundance and plant community succession, there have been major taxonomic reassignments and nomenclatural revisions. The purpose of this article is to inform regional botanists of our effort and to obtain any additional floristic information that may contribute to the final manuscript, which will be made publicly available. Members of this collaborative effort, including Framingham State University, the Linda Loring Nature Foundation, the Nantucket Conservation Foundation and others, have been working to update the vascular plant portion of Sorrie and Dunwiddie (1996) for the main island of Nantucket. Informal updates have been on-going since the mid-2000s, but this new, formal endeavor began in 2014. We first updated the taxonomy and nomenclature to match Haines (2011) and to include new species listed in the Nantucket county list (Cullina et al. 2011). Second, we collated any new species records and distribution information that had been noted locally since Sorrie and Dunwiddie (1996) was published. Among the goals for the updated Nantucket Flora has been to prepare voucher specimens to document species additions, making targeted botanical excursions to relocate taxa listed

Hedge Maple Acer campestre (Sapindaceae): A Record of Establishment in Connecticut

Hedge maple, Acer campestre L., is a mid-successional tree native to Europe, Western Asia, and Northern Africa (Clark andWeckman 2008). It is commonly found between farm fields in hedgerows, hence the common name, and other anthropogenic habitats where it grows as a shrub or tree. Hedge maple is somewhat similar to Norway maple, A. plantanoides L., as both have a milky sap (Haines 2011). However, Hedge maple is significantly smaller in stature and has much smaller leaves with rounder lobes. Acer campestre has been introduced to North America and is established in Ontario, Canada and several US states including; CA, IN, MA, NJ, NY, OH, PA, and VT (Angelo and Boufford 2017; Haines 2011; USDA 2017). In addition to these confirmed occurrences, there is one unconfirmed report of A. campestre in Kentucky. On November 27, 2015 three weedy saplings of Acer campestre, about 0.5 m tall, were found on the University of Connecticut, Storrs campus. These individuals are still surviving as of 2017. It is likely that these spontaneous plants represent seedlings from cultivated individuals of A. campestre growing near the site. Although there is a specimen of A. campestre in the George Safford Torrey herbarium (CONN) collected on the University of Connecticut campus by J. Napier in 1973, it is unclear if this individual was cultivated or free living (Clark and Weckman 2008). The saplings that were found appeared to be the first unequivocal record of this species growing spontaneously in Connecticut (Angelo and Boufford 2017; Dreyer et al. 2013; Haines 2011; USDA 2017). The files of the George Safford Torrey Herbarium (CONN), Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, The University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, were searched for further information (http://bgbaseserver.eeb.uconn.edu/database.html; Accessed 9 February 2017).