Open AccessThe vascular flora of Choctaw County, Mississippi, U.S.A.
Author(s) -
Kevin D. Philley
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
journal of the botanical research institute of texas
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.316
H-Index - 22
eISSN - 2644-1608
pISSN - 1934-5259
DOI - 10.17348/jbrit.v13.i1.854
Subject(s) - flora (microbiology) , vascular plant , floristics , geography , subspecies , taxon , plateau (mathematics) , archaeology , ecology , drainage basin , physiographic province , plant community , ecological succession , species richness , biology , mathematical analysis , genetics , mathematics , cartography , bacteria , paleontology
The state of Mississippi is one of the least botanically explored areas in the eastern United States. A floristic survey of Choctaw County, Mississippi, was conducted from November 2009 through November 2017 in order to document the vascular flora and describe its plant communities. The county is located in the central portion of the state within the North Central Plateau physiographic region, an area dominated by dissected uplands with acidic to circumneutral sandy-clay soils. Three major river basins occur in the county, including the Big Black River, Noxubee River, and Pearl River. A total of 950 vascular plant species (958 taxa including varieties, subspecies, and recognized hybrids) was recorded. Three-hundred thirteen of these taxa were new county records. Twenty-eight species of special concern as designated by the Mississippi Natural Heritage Program were documented. Approximately 15 percent of the flora is considered non-native to the United States. Eight primary plant communities are also described.