Diario de trscavo

The yellow archangel (Lamium galeobdolon) is native to Europe and western Asia but it is widely introduced in Europe, New Zealand, Canada, and the United States, including New England. Lamium galeobdolon consists of four closely-related subspecies:

1. Lamium galeobdolon subsp. argentatum
2. Lamium galeobdolon subsp. flavidum
3. Lamium galeobdolon subsp. galeobdolon
4. Lamium galeobdolon subsp. montanum

Subspecies argentatum, the variegated yellow archangel, is highly invasive. In the states of Washington and Oregon, it is listed as a Class B Noxious Weed and therefore banned from sale by state law. Subspecies argentatum is present in New England. Other subspecies may also be naturalized in New England.

According to Flora Novae Angliae (2011), Lamium galeobdolon is confined to Maine and Massachusetts in New England. However, as of March 2024, there are hundreds of research-grade iNaturalist observations of Lamium galeobdolon subsp. argentatum spread across all New England states. According to New Flora of Vermont (2015), Lamium galeobdolon is said to be rare in Vermont (apparently based on a single specimen collected in Chittenden County in 2008), but as of March 2024, there are dozens of research-grade iNaturalist observations of Lamium galeobdolon subsp. argentatum scattered across ten counties in Vermont. These data suggest Lamium galeobdolon subsp. argentatum is now widespread (and increasing) throughout Vermont and all of New England. For links to observation pages and summaries of observations counts, see the following document:

• Lamium galeobdolon in New England (googledoc)

For more information, including numerous reliable sources, see the article on Lamium galeobdolon in wikipedia.

The Vermont Protected Lands Database is a public database of protected lands in Vermont. By definition, a protected land has "some level of protection against permanent conversion to developed land uses". The database includes both public lands (national forests, state parks, town forests, etc.) and privately-owned lands. Many (but not all) of the parcels in the Vermont Protected Lands Database are publicly-accessible lands. A protected land does not necessarily imply public access.

Getting Started

1. Click "View Map" (dismiss warning: "Too Many Records")
2. Click the magnifying glass in the top righthand corner
3. Search: Colchester, VT
4. Hover over a dark blue parcel to view its name
5. Click on a dark blue parcel to view its metadata

I use the Vermont Protected Lands Database to discover places to explore. More importantly, I routinely download parcel polygons from the database and build maps prior to field trips. In the field, I access these maps on my smartphone, which of course is GPS-enabled. In this way, I always know where I am.

Enjoy!

A revised taxonomy of Tiarella in eastern North America was proposed in July 2021. (Nesom 2021) The new taxonomy was subsequently accepted by Plants of the World Online (POWO), Flora of the southeastern United States (FSUS), VASCAN, and others. iNaturalist (which follows POWO) split Tiarella cordifolia into five species in November 2022.

In New England, the new taxonomy reduces to a name change, from Tiarella cordifolia to Tiarella stolonifera. New Flora of Vermont (2015) and Flora Novae Angliae (2011) accept Tiarella cordifolia and Tiarella cordifolia var. cordifolia, respectively. As of May 2024, Go Botany (an online version of Flora Novae Angliae) recognizes Tiarella cordifolia var. cordifolia as well.

Prior to the split, the taxonomy of Tiarella in the southeastern U.S. was sorely in need of change, so the new taxonomy was welcomed by some (e.g., FSUS). To others, the name change appears to be arbitrary. Indeed, a significant number of iNaturalist users have pushed back on the change.

At this point, it would be helpful if the authors of New Flora of Vermont and Flora Novae Angliae rendered an opinion on the matter.

REFERENCES

Primary source:

• Nesom, Guy L. (2021). "Taxonomy of Tiarella (Saxifragaceae) in the eastern USA" (PDF). Phytoneuron. 31: 1–61.

Related journal articles:

• Tiarella cordifolia has been split (November 20, 2022)
• Observing and identifying Foamflowers in eastern North America (December 3, 2022)

I recently visited the Salmon Hole in Burlington. Salmon Hole has a remarkably diverse assortment of plant species, including many non-native plant species and numerous invasive species.

Most spectacular invasive species. A massive invasion of lesser celandine (Ficaria verna) blanketed the steep slope from Riverside Avenue down to the Winooski River. This was the first time I had seen this species in Vermont. It was an impressive display.

Most spectacular native species. A mature population of red trillium (Trillium erectum) was also growing on the slope leading down to the river. Small groups of plants had variously-colored petals (not just typical red). There's a population in the southern Appalachians with pure white petals called Trillium erectum var. album, so the plants at Salmon Hole are technically called Trillium erectum var. erectum (according to the iNat taxonomy). The population here is very old, at least decades old, probably more.

Most surprising observation. I found a sunburst lichen (order Teloschistales) growing on a granite post along Riverside Avenue. There are similar posts used in multiple places along Riverside Ave…it would be interesting to see if this lichen is on other posts. I wonder what granite quarry the posts came from?

Life first. I observed nipplewort (Lapsana communis) for the first time at Salmon Hole. In the field, I had no idea what it was but the leaves had a distinctive shape so the plant's identity was easily guessed (and later confirmed by @tsn).

• All of my observations on the RiverWalk to Salmon Hole

The flowering plant known as false mermaid (Floerkea proserpinacoides), previously thought to be extirpated in Vermont, has been rediscovered. For a detailed account, see: vtdigger.org 2024-05-30

Quoting from New Flora of Vermont (2015):

Floerkea proserpinacoides Willd. False mermaid. Floodplain forests along low-gradient rivers; rare. No recent collections (1903) and perhaps extirpated. Chittenden Co.: Shelburne (Pringle). Rutland Co.: Castleton (Oakes, GH); Fair Haven (Oakes, GH). Of significant conservation concern, should it be rediscovered. This species has a large range in the West and extant populations occur in Quebec, New York, and Connecticut.

Other resources:

• Floerkea proserpinacoides (Wikipedia, iNaturalist)