The Pteridophytes of Jackson County, Illinois

Abstract

This paper, the result of studies in the field and in the herbarium during the past few years, enumerates the Pteridophyta of Jackson County, Illinois, and gives ecological information concerning them. The distribution in the southern 16 counties of Illinois is given for the rarer species. Probably the first person to collect pteridophytes to any extent in southern Illinois, particularly Jackson County, was George Hazen French, during the period between 1870-1885, although Frederick Brendel in 1860 and George Vasey in 1862 had made some collections in Johnson, Union, and Jackson Counties. A. B. Seymour, in 1880 and 1881, collected in Jackson and Union Counties. It was he who discovered the only known station in southern Illinois for the New York Fern (Dryopteris noveboracensis). During the same period, F. S. Earle was making collections around Cobden (Union County). In 1919, E. J. Palmer botanized extensively in Gallatin, Pope, Alexander, and Hardin Counties, finding, for the first time in Illinois, Ophioglossum engelmannii Prantl. Following Palmer came southern Illinois' most ardent student of ferns, Miss Mary Steagall. Associated with Southern Illinois Normal University (now Southern Illinois University), Miss Steagall collected many specimens of ferns throughout the area, concentrating particularly on parts of Jackson and Pope Counties. It was in the latter county that she discovered the rare Filmy Fern (Trichomanes boschianum). During 1940 and 1941, John McCree collected a large number of specimens in southern Illinois, although the bulk of his collections was angiosperms. Between 1947 and 1951, a study of the vegetation of southern Illinois was undertaken by William M. Bailey and Julius R. 143