Vascular Flora from Five Plant Habitats of an Abandoned Limestone Quarry in Clark County, Kentucky

The vascular flora of an abandoned limestone quarry adjacent to the Kentucky River in Clark County, Kentucky, was studied from 1993 through 1999. A total of 260 species in 181 genera from 64 families were found in five diverse habitats. Fifty-seven (21.9%) were Clark County distributional records. Seventy-three (28.1%) were exotic species; 22 of these are Kentucky naturalized invasive pest plants. Taxa are classified into Equisetophyta (2), Polypodiophyta (2), Pinophyta (1), and Magnoliophyta (255). Largest families were Asteraceae (43), Poaceae (30), Fabaceae (15), Cyperaceae (13), and Rosaceae (10). Two state-listed species, Liparis loeselii and Spiranthes lucida, were present in the quarry.