Studies of prairie barrens of northwestern Alabama

A total of 265 vascular taxa were found on five limestone prairie barrens in northwestern Alabama. Floristic element percentages were within expected ranges except the percentage of southern taxa was lower, and the percentage of western taxa was higher than expected. Eight barrens taxa (Comandra umbellata, Cypripedium candidum, Dalea gattingeri, Eriogonum longifolium var. harperi, Echinacea purpurea, Frasera carolinensis, Mirabilis albida, Schoenolirion croceum, Spiranthes magnicamporum) are on the Alabama Natural Heritage Program Species Inventory List. Barrens are the primary habitat in Alabama for Eriogonum longifolium var. harperi which was formerly a candidate species for listing by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. Other rarely collected species of the barrens were Aster pratensis and Thymelea passerina.