Flowering Plants of Clay County, Missouri

Abstract

Clay County, Missouri, lies north of the Missouri River and east from Kansas City. The principal towns are North Kansas City, Liberty, and Excelsior Springs. Numerous small towns are scattered through the rural areas. It comprises an area of 400 square miles and was organized in 1822. It is made up of rolling hills with bluffs and limestone outcrops along the river. The soil is mainly loessal, having been deposited in early Wisconsin time, although some is covered with glacial deposits. Native flood plain forests are found along some of the streams. There are few areas of native grassland. Most of the arable land is in cultivation but probably most of the native plants have been preserved in limited numbers. William Jewell College campus, from which most of the collections were made, is located in Liberty, near the center of the county. The campus consists of 106 acres varying in altitude from 850 to 990 feet.