The Bryoflora of the Genesee Country, New York 2. Some Bryophytes of Northern Wayne County

Abstract

Ninety-one species of bryophytes are reported from northern Wayne County, north-central New York. Many of taxa are new to local flora and one moss is new to state. This paper is second in a series on bryophytes of counties of Genesee Country of central New York (Ehrle & Coleman 1963). The study began in 1960. Northern Wayne County is located at north-central edge of Ontario Plain, a u-shaped area opening to north, which ex- tends from Niagara Falls to Syracuse and south to Finger Lakes. During last glacial period plain was covered by Ontarian Lobe of continental ice sheet. It channeled ice into nar- row river valleys to south, present-day Finger Lakes, and supplied erosion material for the most remarkable group of drumlins in world (Fairchild 1929). In Wayne County sector of Ontario Plain bedrock - Lockport dolomite, soft Rochester shale, and Gates limestone (Gillette 1947) - is covered with a very compact, clayey ground moraine. To east moraine is interrupted by extensive swarms of elongate- oval drumlins and numerous lowland areas. The lowlands represent stages of progression from lakes to swamps, bogs, mucklands, and dry land. To west old Lake Iroquois lake bed, a flat, three- mile-wide, delta-like strip, extends along Lake Ontario shore. With exception of limestone and shale, found in a few stream-cut gullies, there is little exposed bedrock. The land surface is generally strewn with small rocks from glacial till. The Sphagnum species seem to separate rather sharply by habitat. Sphagnum fimbriatum and S. palustre were collected in swampy wooded areas. These species may be considered to be less acidophilic and normally occur in flat moors and other wet areas of ca pH 6. Sphagnum capillaceum v. tenellum, S. cuspidatum, and S. recurvum seem to be confined to open bogs. Sphagnum magellanicum occurs in bogs and immediately adjacent swamp woods. These species require a more acidic habitat, usually ca pH 4, and are found in transition and high moors (Ruttner 1953). We have made representative collections from each of major habitats; namely, swamps, bogs, dry wooded upland areas of drumlins, 1 We acknowledge assistance of late Dr. A. LeRoy Andrews for identification of Sphagnaceae and of Dr. E. H. Ketchledge for field identifications.