New Pteridophyte Records in the Highlands Biological Station Area, Southern Appalachians

Revised distributional records are presented for the ten counties surrounding Highlands, N. C. and include 48 county records and 3 state records. The state records, all of which are very rare, included the species Botrychium matricariaefolium A. Br. and the two hybrids, Dryopteris X neo-wherryi Wagner and D. goldiana X intermedia. The two varieties of Pteridium aquilinum (L.) Kuhn, vars. latiusculum (Desv.) Underw. ex Heller and pseudocaudatum (Clute) Heller, occur intermingled on the same road shoulder yet remain morphologically distinct, providing an excellent opportunity for studies of their isolating mechanisms. Woodwardia virginica (L.) Smith was noted to occur as a single colony covering an area 45 m long and 26 m wide at the widest point. This colony remained sterile for five years until disturbed by a beaver colony and the proportion of the colony which was disturbed suddenly became fertile. These observations provide additional opportunity for field and associated laboratory studies of the biology of pteridophytes.