Daniel and I are into our third year of collecting for the Central Park Flora project. We have collaborated with many people and that has truly been one of the best parts of the project. Together, we have found many species and shared good times. We have taught and we have learned. We still have a ways to go to finish this project and we are reaching out for some help.
The inspiration that led Daniel and me to embark on this project was the 2013 BioBlitz in Central Park and the paper* published in the Journal of the Torrey Botanical Society in 2007 that documents a previous floral inventory. Documenting the flora of an area every 10 years is good way to monitor what species are there and how their composition changes over time.
We are endeavoring to find each of the species on the 2007 list. Some may not be in the Park anymore, which is inevitable as all floras are dynamic. But we need to do our best to relocate as many species as possible from old lists.
This is where you all come in. Below is a table of species from the 2007 list that we have not yet documented. We included time of year and location seen, when that information was available from Bob's collection labels. We are asking if anyone sees these species in Central Park (or, in fact, any species you think might interest us!), to please contact us so we can document it. It is a botanical scavenger hunt!
| Family Name | Scientific Name | Common Name | Last Seen Location | Seen Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adoxaceae | Viburnum opulus | European Cranberrybush | 05/23/2007 | |
| Amaranthaceae | Dysphania botrys | Sticky Goosefoot | ||
| Asteraceae | Bidens connata | Purplestem Beggarticks | Harlem Meer, West Side | 08/09/2007 |
| Asteraceae | Hypochaeris radicata | Cat's ear | ||
| Asteraceae | Lactuca biennis | Tall Blue Lettuce | West Drive at 101st Street | 08/07/2007 |
| Asteraceae | Solidago juncea | Early Goldenrod | Reservior, southeast | 06/29/2007 |
| Asteraceae | Solidago sempervirens | Seaside Goldenrod | ||
| Asteraceae | Symphiotrichum lateriflorum | Calico Aster | ||
| Asteraceae | Symphiotrichum pilosus | Hairy Aster | 09/25/2007 | |
| Brassicaceae | Brassica rapa | Field Mustard | Pool, West Side | 05/24/2007 |
| Brassicaceae | Hesperis matronalis | Dame's Rocket | Delacorte, behind, Opposite Island | 05/17/2007 |
| Brassicaceae | Lepidium didymum | Lesser Swine-cress | West Drive | 06/14/2007 |
| Brassicaceae | Raphanus raphanistrum | Wild Radish | 06/19/2007 | |
| Brassicaceae | Sinapis arvensis | Wild Mustard | ||
| Campanulaceae | Lobelia inflata | Indian Tobacco | East Drive at 72nd Street | 07/03/2007 |
| Cannabaceae | Humulus lupulus | Common Hop | ||
| Caryophyllaceae | Stellaria graminea | Common Starwort | North Meadow, West Side | 06/15/2007 |
| Cyperaceae | Carex annectens | Yellowfruit Sedge | ||
| Cyperaceae | Carex radiata | Eastern star Sedge | ||
| Cyperaceae | Schoenoplectus americanus | Chairmaker's Bulrush | 05/31/2007 | |
| Equisetaceae | Equisetum arvense | Common Horsetail | ||
| Fabaceae | Medicago sativa | Alfalfa | Turtle Pond and NW of North Meadow ball fields | 06/15/2007 |
| Fabaceae | Vicia sativa | Common Vetch | Turtle Pond | 05/04/2007 |
| Fabaceae | Vicia tetrasperma | Smooth Vetch | Turtle Pond | 06/14/2007 |
| Geraniaceae | Geranium pusillum | Small-flowered Crane's-bill | 05/30/2007 | |
| Iridaceae | Sisyrinchium angustifolium | Narrow-leaf Blue-eyed Grass | Ramble | 06/29/2007 |
| Juglandaceae | Carya glabra | Pignut Hickory | ||
| Juncaceae | Juncus effusus | Soft Rush | ||
| Lamiaceae | Ajuga genevensis | Upright Bugle | Ramble | 04/18/2007 |
| Monotropaceae | Monotropa uniflora | Indian Pipe | ||
| Onagraceae | Oenothera glazioviana | Large-flowered Evening-primrose | ||
| Poaceae | Bromus sterilis | Poverty Brome | ||
| Poaceae | Digitaria ciliaris | Southern Crabgrass | Delacorte | 07/14/2007 |
| Poaceae | Holcus lanatus | Common Velvet Grass | North Meadow ball fields | 06/21/2007 |
| Polygonaceae | Fagopyrum esculentum | Buckwheat | Wagner Cove | 06/12/2007 |
| Primulaceae | Anagallis arvensis | Scarlet Pimpernel | Yard | 06/19/2007 |
| Ranunculaceae | Anemone virginiana | Tall Anemone | Belvedere Castle, foot of stairs | 07/10/2007 |
| Ranunculaceae | Ranunculus sceleratus | Celery-leaved Buttercup | Harlem Meer | 08/05/2007 |
| Rosaceae | Fragaria vesca | Woodland Strawberry | Turtle Pond, north side | 05/03/2007 |
| Rosaceae | Prunus x yedoensis | Yoshino Cherry | ||
| Scrophulariaceae | Penstemon hirsutus | Hairy Beard-tongue | ||
| Urticaceae | Urtica dioica | Stinging Nettle | Turtle Pond, North Side | 06/01/2007 |
*The Naturally Occurring Historical and Extant Flora of Central Park, New York City, New York 1857-2007
Vol. 134, No. 4 (Oct. - Dec., 2007), pp. 552-569The Naturally Occurring Historical and Extant Flora of Central Park, New York City, New York 1857-2007