Lycophytes: Isoetales
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Isoetes melanopoda ssp. silvatica
FAMILY
Isoetaceae
Go to FSUS key
Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.
Learn more about Isoetes from the Vascular Plants of North Carolina.
INCLUDED WITHIN
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Isoetes melanopoda
FAMILY
Isoetaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Isoetes melanopoda ssp. silvatica
INCLUDED WITHIN Flora of North America
Isoetes melanopoda
INCLUDED WITHIN Georgia Quillworts (Musselman, 2001)
Isoetes melanopoda
INCLUDED WITHIN VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 005-01-001:
Isoetes melanopoda FAMILY Isoetaceae
INCLUDED WITHIN Britton & Brown Illus Flora of Northeast US & adjacent Canada (Gleason, 1952)
Isoetes melanopoda
COMMON NAME:
Eastern Blackfoot Quillwort
To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.
)
USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913 pnd_isme_001_lvd
)
Peter Schafran psc_silv1
April Rowan County NC
Eagle Point
)
Peter Schafran psc_silv1b
April Rowan County NC
Eagle Point
The presence of a shiny black leaf base is of limited diagnostic value, per Synopsis of Isoetes in the Southeastern United States (Boom, 1982).
)
Bruce A. Sorrie bas_isoetes_melanopoda1
May Union County NC
)
Bruce A. Sorrie bas_isoetes_melanopoda3
May Union County NC
)
Peter Schafran psc_silv2
June Dinwiddie County VA
Scanning electron micrograph of megaspore proximal surface at 100X
Megaspores of I. melanopoda are small, generally 300-400 micra in diameter, per Synopsis of Isoetes in the Southeastern United States (Boom, 1982).
)
Peter Schafran psc_silv3
June Dinwiddie County VA
Scanning electron micrograph of megaspore distal surface and girdle at 100X
)
Patrick D. McMillan pdmimelanopoda_far1
Month Unknown Lancaster County SC
Forty Acre Rock Heritage Preserve
Leaves of Isoetes are linear-subulate, dilated at base, subterete, hollow, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968).
)
Patrick D. McMillan pdmimelanopoda_far2
Month Unknown Lancaster County SC
Forty Acre Rock Heritage Preserve
In spite of their dark spores, Forty Acre Rock's plants are not I. melanospora.
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Isoetes melanopoda ssp. silvatica
FAMILY
Isoetaceae
INCLUDED WITHIN
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Isoetes melanopoda
FAMILY
Isoetaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Isoetes melanopoda ssp. silvatica
INCLUDED WITHIN
Flora of North America
Isoetes melanopoda
INCLUDED WITHIN
Georgia Quillworts (Musselman, 2001)
Isoetes melanopoda
INCLUDED WITHIN
VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 005-01-001:
Isoetes melanopoda
FAMILY
Isoetaceae
INCLUDED WITHIN
Britton & Brown Illus Flora of Northeast US & adjacent Canada (Gleason, 1952)
Isoetes melanopoda
2652
Fern/Fern ally
Perennial
Habitat: Clay soils in low woods, seeps on sandstone or granitic rocks, in NJ in clay-based depressions on Cape May, per Weakley's Flora
Native to the Carolinas & Georgia
Rare
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.
LEAVES:
Deciduous
Simple
Leaves whorled, at least at maturity
FRUIT:
Spring/Summer/Fall
TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!
- Field Guide to the Ferns and Other Pteridophytes of Georgia (Snyder & Bruce, 1986) p242?
- The Ferns and Lycophytes of Texas (Diggs & Lipscomb, 2014) p058
- Peterson Field Guide to Ferns of Northeastern and Central North America p368
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