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BOTANICAL EVALUATION OF THE GOAT ISLAND COMPLEX, NIAGARA FALLS, NEW YORK |
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THE DIARY OF DAVID DOUGLAS In his diary (Douglas, 1914), Douglas made note of American horticulture, its gardens, vineyards, orchards, what grew well of an indigenous nature, or by foreign importation. He also searched for new species, unusual habitats of species he did know and clarified problematical taxonomic problems, such as those of our North American Oaks. Douglas made the following account of Goat Island in his journal, Tuesday, September 30th, 1823: "It is partly covered with woods of large dimensions; the soil is variable, part rich and part sand and gravel. The sugar maple, Acer saccharinum, on the brink of the rocks grew very large; they had all been tapped or bled and still seemed uncommonly vigorous [Acer saccharinum in our present nomenclature refers to the Silver Maple, which does occur on Goat Island, but nowhere near as commonly as Acer saccharum, the true Sugar Maple; it is the Sugar Maple to which Douglas refers here]. There were a few pines of two species, but had no cones. Botrychium, two species in shady parts of the wood in decayed leaves; two species of Orobanche, in dry places also among leaves. Trillium seemed to be plentiful, but the leaves being decayed, I could not get as many as I would like. Arum triphyllum, Dracontium sp., and Pothos foetidus: I was not a little surprised to see Pothos in a dry place; they had perfected seeds. Rhus vernix in conjunction with some species of Smilax, and another species of Rhus clad the trunks of the large trees. On the south side of the island there is very good limestone and a good kind of gypsum." Again, reference is made to the unusual size of the trees, in this case the Sugar Maple, growing on the Island. The pines are no doubt the White Pine, Pinus strobus, which still may be seen there, and perhaps Tsuga canadensis, which at one time was more abundant than now. Day (1888) reported only one species of Botrychium (B. virginianum) and no one has reported or collected a second. The Orobanche, a genus of parasitic plants, may refer to Conopholis americana, Squaw Root, parasitic on Oak roots and, although not reported for Goat Island, colonies may be found at DeVeaux woods, several miles down river where Oak trees there reach a fine development today, and Epifagus virginiana, or Beech Drops, parasitic on Beech. Both species occur in the Orobanchaceae. Day did report this latter species from Goat Island when the Beech-tree element was, in Day's words, abundant. Monotropa hypopitys, Pinesap, which is parasitic on conifers was also reported on Goat Island by Day (1883). Arum (now Arisaema) triphyllum), Jack-in-the-Pulpit, a spring ephemeral, was probably more conspicuous in Douglas' time. At the time of year of his visit, he could have seen only its brilliant red seed-heads, since its large leaves would have long disappeared. The species of Dracontium was most likely Arisaema draconitum. No one has since reported seeing Pothos (now Symplocarpus) foetidus) Skunk Cabbage, from the Island, although the presence of seepage can be demonstrated in numerous areas, particularly on the northern margin of the island. In September, all that would have been left of the plant above ground would be its odd and conspicuous fruiting structure. Perhaps he found it in an uncharacteristically dry area because the drainage had been recently altered, otherwise I can think of no other species with which this one could be confused. Today, Skunk Cabbage populations are abundant in Niagara Falls, Ontario, in wet, wooded muck at Dufferin Islands and seepage at the base of the hill overlooking the Horseshoe Falls. No one has reported Smilax from the Island, but S. herbacea can be found at Scovell's Knoll where the Niagara River leaves the gorge of the Niagara River at Lewiston, New York, and in woods along the crest of the gorge in Ontario. The only climbing Rhus is Rhus radicans, or Poison Ivy. Douglas' reference to the south side of the Island indicated the shallowness of the soil cover there then, as now, relative to the north side. The riverbed is quite exposed in this area, as it is in the flats above the Horseshoe Falls, in the south, or Canadian, channel of the Niagara River. The gypsum perhaps refers to the bright white deposits one used to be able to see, interbedded with the dolomite rocks. According to George W. Clinton's diary kept during the Erie Canal Trip of 1826 (see section on collectors), mineral hunters enjoyed breaking away this material and taking it home. Gypsum may still be encountered in little-frequented areas on the Island, such as in the talus at the cliff base where tourists are now not ordinarily allowed to go. |