CHECKLIST OF VASCULAR  FLORA
 
 

EQUISETACEAE Field Horsetail  Common Scouring-rush  PINACEAE White Spruce*  CUPRESSACEAE Eastern White Cedar  TYPHACEAE Common Cattail  POTAMOGETONACEAE Richardson's Pondweed  ALISMATACEAE Common Arrowhead, Wapato, Duck-potato  HYDROCHARITACEAE Waterweed, Elodea  GRAMINEAE Redtop*  Orchard Grass*  Quack Grass*  Meadow Fescue*  Rice Cut Grass  Perennial Rye Grass*  Wire-stemmed Muhly Grass  Witch Grass  Fall Panic Grass*  Reed Canary Grass  Timothy*  Kentuckey Blue Grass  Green Foxtail*  CYPERACEAE Hop Sedge  Yellow Nut Sedge  Blunt Spike Rush  Black or Dark green Bulrush  Soft-stem Bulrush  LEMNACEAE Common Duckweed  JUNCACEAE Path Rush  LILIACEAE Field Garlic*  Garden Asparagus*  Orange Day Lily*  IRIDACEAE Little Blue-eyed-grass  SAURURACEAE Lizard's-tail  SALICACEAE Trembling Aspen  White Willow*  Sandbar Willow  Crack Willow*  Black Willow  Basket Willow*  JUGLANACEAE Black Walnut  BETULACEAE Yellow Birch  ULMACEAE American or White Elm  Siberian Elm*  URTICACEAE American Stinging Nettle  POLYGONACEAE Water Smartweed  Japanese Knotweed or "Mexican Bamboo"*  AMARANTHACEAE Common Pigweed  CARYOPHLLACEAE Bouncing Bet, Soapwort*  Common Chickweed*  CERATOPHYLLACEAE Common Coontail  NYMPHAEACEAE Fragrant Water-lily  RANUNCULACEAE Virgin's-bower  MENISPERMACEAE Moonseed  CRUCFERAE Garlic Mustard*  Wormseed Mustard*  Dame's Rocket*  Field Pepper-grass*  GROSSULARIACEAE Wild Black Current  ROSACEA English Hawthorn*  Wild Strawberry  Rough or Cut-leaved Avens  White Avens Wild Crab  Apple*  Ninebark .  Rough-fruited Cinquefoil*  Common Cinquefoil  Black Cherry  Pin or Fire Cherry  Choke Cherry  Pasture or Carolina Rose  Wild Red Raspberry  Black Raspberry  Garden or Salad Burnet*  LEGUMINOSAE Birdfoot trefoil*  White Sweet-clover*  Yellow Sweet-clover*  Black Locust*  Red Clover*  White Clover*  Tufted or Cow Vetch*  GERANIACEAE Herb Robert*  ANACARDIACEA  Staghorn Sumac  ACERACEAE Manitoba Maple  Black Maple  Red Maple  Silver Maple  Hard or Sugar Maple  HIPPOCASTANACEAE Horse-chestnut*  BALSAMINACEAE Jewelweed, Spotted Touch-me-not  Purple Touch-me-not*  Pale Touch-me-not  RHAMNACEAE Common or Glossy Buckthorn*  VITACEA Virginia Creeper  Riverbank Grape  TILIACEAE Basswood  MALVACEAE Musk Mallow*  GUTTIFERAE Common St. John's-wort*  VIOLACEAE Common blue Violet  LYTHRACEAE Purple Loosestrife*  ONAGRACEAE  Narrow-leaved Willow-herb  Hairy Yellow Evening-Primrose  HALORAGACEAE Water-milfoil  UMBELLLIFERAE  Angelica  Wild Carrot, Queen- Anne's-lace*  CORNACEAE Alternate-leaved Dogwood  Grey dogwood  Red-osier Dogwood  PRIMULACEAE   Whorled Loosestrife  OLEACEAE White Ash  Red/Green Ash  Common Lilac*  ASCLEPIADACEAE   Common Milkweed  Dog-strangling Vine or Black Swallow Wort*  CONVOLVULACEAE Hedge Bindweed, Wild Morning-glory  Field Bindweed*  BORAGINACEAE Viper's-bugloss*  VERBENACEAE Blue Vervain  White Vervain  LABIATAE Wild Basil  Motherwort*  Field or Wild Mint  Catnip*  Wild Marjoram*  Heal-all, Self-heal  Heal-all, self-heal*  SOLANACEAE  NIGHTSHADE FAMILY  Bittersweet, Climbing Nightshade*  SCROPHULARIACEAE  Butter-and-eggs, Toadflax*  Square-stemmed Monkeyflower  Common Mullein*  Thyme-leaved Speedwell*  PLANTAGINACEAE  English Plantain*  Common or Broad-leaved Plantain*  RUBIACEAE  Wild Madder  CAPRIFOLIACEAE Tartarian Honeysuckle*  Common Elder, Black Elderberry  Highbush-cranberry  DIPSACACEAE  Teasel*  CUCURBITACEAE Wild Cucumber  CAMPANULCEAE Creeping Bellflower*  COMPOSITAE Wooly Yarrow  Common Yarrow*  Common Ragweed  Giant or Great Ragweed  Common Burdock*  Heath Aster  Heart-leaved Aster  Panicled, Tall White, or Lance-leaved Aster  New England Aster  Nodding Bur Marigold or Nodding Beggarticks  Devil's  Beggarticks  Brown Knapweed*  Black Knapweed*  Chicory, Blue-sailors*  Field Thistle  Horseweed  Daisy or Annual Fleabane  Spotted Joe-pye-weed  Grass or Narrow- leaved Goldenrod  Orange Hawkweed, Devils Paintbrush*  Canada Hawkweed  Nipplewort*  Ox-eye Daisy*  Pineapple Weed*  Black-eyed Susan  Tall or Green-headed Coneflower  Canada Goldenrod  Tall or Late Goldenrod  Perennial or Field Sow Thistle*  Tansy, Golden-buttons*  Dandelion*  Goat's-beard*  Oyster-plant, Common Salsify*  Coltsfoot*

HORSETAIL FAMILY Equisetum arvense L.  Equisetum hyemale L  PINE FAMILY Picea glauca Voss  CYPRESS FAMILY Thuja occidentalis L.  CATTAIL FAMILY Typha latifolia L.  PONDWEED FAMILY Potamogeton richardsonii (A.Bennett) Rydb.  WATER-PLANTAIN FAMILY Sagittaria latifolia Willd.  FROG'S-BIT FAMILY Elodea canadensis Rich. ex Michaux  GRASS FAMILY Agrostis giagantea Roth  Dactylis glomerata L.  Elymus repens (L.) Gould  Festuca partensis Hudson  Leersia oryzoides   (L.) Swartz  Lolium perenne L.  Muhlenbergia frondosa (Poiret) Fern.  Panicum capillare L.  Panicum dichotomiflorum Michaux  Phalaris arundinacea L.  Phleum pratense L.  Poa pratensis L.  Setaria viridis L.  SEDGE FAMILY Carex lupulina Muhlenb. ex. Willd.  Cyperus esculentus L.  Eleocharis obtusa (Willd.)  Scirpus atrovirens Willd.  Scirpus validus Vahl.  DUCKWEED FAMILY Lemna minor  L.  RUSH FAMILY Juncus tenuis Willd.  LILY FAMILY Allium Vineale L.  Asparagus officinalis L.  Hemerocallis fluva L.  IRIS FAMILY Sisyrinchium montanum E. Greene  LIZARD'S-TAIL FAMILY Saururus cernuus L.  WILLOW FAMILY Populus tremulodies Michaux  Salix alba L.  Salix exuga Nutt.  Salix fragilis L.  Salix nigra Marshall  Salix purpurea L.  WALNUT FAMILY Juglans nigra L.  BIRCH FAMILY Betula alleghaniensis Brittton  ELM FAMILY Ulmus americana L.  Ulmus pumila L.  NETTLE FAMILY Urtica dioica L spp. Gracilis (Aiton) Selander  SMARTWEED FAMILY Polygonum amphibium L.  Polygonum cuspidatum Siebold & Zucc.  AMARANTH FAMILY Amaranthus retroflexus L.  PINK FAMILY Saponaria officinalis L.  Stellaria media (L.) Villars  HORNWORT FAMILY Ceratophyllum demersum L.  WATER-LILY FAMILY Nymphaea ordrata Dryander ex Ation  BUTTERCUP FAMILY Clematis virginiana L.  MOONSEED FAMILY Menispemum canadense L.  MUSTARD FAMILY Alliaria petiolata (M. Bieb.) Cavara & Grande  Erysimum cheiranthoides L. ssp cheiranthoides  Hesperis matronalis L.  Lepidium camperstre (L.) R. Br.  GOOSEBERRY FAMILY Ribes americanum Miller  ROSE FAMILY Crataegus monogyna Jacq.  Fragaria virginiana Miller  Geum laciniatum Murray  Geum canadense Jacq.  Malus coronaria (L.) Miller  Malus pumila Miller  Physocarpus opulifolius (L.) Maxim.  Potentilla recta L.  Potentilla simplex Michaux  Prunus serotina Ehrh.  Prunus pensylvanica L.  Prunus virginiana L. spp. Virginiana  Rosa carolina L.  Rubus idaeus L. ssp strigosus  (Michx.) Maxim  Rubus occidentalis L.  Sanguisorba minora Scop. Ssp. muricata Briq.  BEAN OR PEA FAMILY  Lotus corniculatus L  Melilotus alba Medicus  Melilotus officinalis (L.) Pallas  Robinia pseudo-acacia L.  Trifolium pratense L.  Trifolium repens L.  Vicia cracca L.  GERANIUM FAMILY Geranium robertianum L.  CASHEW FAMILY  Rhus typhina L.  MAPLE FAMILY  Acer negundo L  Acer nigrum Michaux f.  Acer rubrum L.  Acer saccharinum L.  Acer saccharum Marshall  BUCKEYE FAMILY  Aesculus hippocastanum L.  TOUCH-ME-NOT FAMILY  Impatiens capensis  Impatiens glandulifera Royal  Impatiens pallida Nutt.  BUCKTHORN FAMILY  Rhamnus cathartica L.  GRAPE OR VINE FAMILY  Parthenocissus inserta (A. Kerner) Fritsch  Vitis riparia Michaux  LINDEN FAMILY  Tilia americana L.  MALLOW FAMILY  Malva moschata L.  ST. JOHN'S- WORT FAMILY  Hypericulum perforatum L.  VIOLET FAMILY  Viola sororia Willd.  LOOSESTRIFE FAMILY  Lythrum salicaria L.  EVENING-PRIMROSE FAMILY  Epilobilum leptophyllum Raf.  Oenothera biennis L.  WATER-MILFOIL FAMILY  Myriophyllum heterophyllum Michaux.  CARROT OR PARSLEY FAMILY  Angelica atropurpurea L.  Daucus carota L.  DOGWOOD FAMILY  Cornus alternifolia L.f.  Cornus foemina Miller ssp. racemosa (lam.) J.S.Wilson  Cornus stolonifera Michaux  PRIMROSE FAMILY  Lysimachia quadrifolia L.  OLIVE FAMILY  Fraxinus americana L.  Fraxinus pennsylvanica Marshall  Syringa vulgaris L.  MILKWEED FAMILY  Asclepias syriaca L.  Cynanchum rossicum (keplov) Borh.  MORNING-GLORY FAMILY  Calystegia sepium (L.) R. Br.  Convolvulus arvensis L.  BORAGE FAMILY  Echium vulgare L.  VERVAIN FAMILY  Verbena hastata L.  Verbena urticifolia L.  MINT FAMILY  Clinopodium vulgare L.  Leonurus cardiaca L. ssp. Cardiaca  Mentha arvensis L. ssp. Borealis (Michaux) R.L.Taylor  Nepeta cataria L.  Origanum vulgare L.  Prunella vulgaris L. spp. lanceolata (Barton) Hulten  Prunella vulgaris L. ssp. vulgaris (Barton) Hulten  NIGHTSHADE FAMILY  Solanum dulcamara L.  FIGWORT FAMILY  Linaria vulgaris Miller  Mimulus ringens L.  Verbascum thapsus L.  Veronica serpyllifolia L. ssp serpyllifolia  PLANTAIN FAMILY Plantago lanceolata L.  Plantago majora L.  MADDER FAMILY  Galium mollugo L.  HONEYSUCKLE FAMILY  Lonicera tatarica L.  Sambucus canadensis L.  Viburnum trilobum Marshall  TEASEL FAMILY  Dipsacus fullonum L. spp. Sylvestris (Hudson) Clapham  GOURD FAMILY  Echinocystis lobata (Michaux) Torrey & A. Gray  BLUEBELL FAMILY  Campanula rapunculoides L.  ASTER FAMILY  Achillea millefolium L. lanulosa  Achillea millefolium L. spp. millefolium  Ambrosia artemisiifolia L.  Ambrosia trifida L.  Arctium minus (Hill) Bernh. Spp. Minus  Aster ericoides L.  Aster cordifolius L.  Aster lanceolatus Willd. ssp lanceolatus  Aster novae-angliae L  Bidens cernua L.  Bidens frondosa L.  Centaurea jacea L.  Centaurea nigra L.  Cicorium intubis L.  Cirsium discolor (Muhlenb. ex Willd.)  Sprengel  Conyza canadensis (L.) Cronq.  Erigeron annus (L.) Pers.  Eupatorium maculatum L.  Euthamia graminifolia (L.) Nutt.  Hieracium aurantiacum L.  Hieracium canadense Michaux  Lapsana communis L  Leucanthemum vulgare Lam.  Matricaria matricarioides (Less.) Porter  Rudbeckia hirta  Rudbeckia laciniata L.  Solidago canadensis L.  Solidago gigantea Aiton  Sonchus arvensis L.  Tanacetum vulgare L.  Taraxacum palustre (lyons) DC. sensu lato  Tragopogon dubius Scop.  Tragopogon porrifolius L.  Tussilago farfara L.

Statistical Analysis
 

Total Families	62
Total Species	177
Total Taxa	239	Percentage of Total Species
Native Species	103	58%
Non-Native Species	74	42%
Provincially Rare Species	0	0

Vegetation Communities

Figure 6 describes the location of digital images (Figures 7,8, 9, 10, 11, and 12) used within this report
to aid in the description of the various vegetation communities observed within the study area.

From just east of James Street North to the Junction Station an "old field" type vegetation community is 
present (Figure 7).  Species such as Orchard Grass (Dactylis glomerata), Timothy (Phleum pratense), Perennial Rye Grass (Lolium perenne), Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata), Carolina Rose (Rosa carolina), Rough-fruited Cinquefoil (Potentilla recta), Queen Anne's-lace (Daucus carota), Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) New England Aster (Aster novae-angliae)Brown Knapweed (Centaurea jacea), Black Knapweed (Centaurea nigra), Daisy Fleabane (Erigeron annus),  Narrow- leaved Goldenrod (Euthamia graminifolia), Canada Goldenrod (Solidago canadensis), and Tall Goldenrod
(Solidago gigantea) dominate the area.  Shrub and tree species such American Elm (Ulmus americana), Grey dogwood (Cornus foemina), and Red-osier Dogwood  (Cornus stolonifera) are beginning to invade this "old field" vegetation community.

Along most of the length of  the abandoned rail line and on both sides of the rail bed is a drainage ditch. This drainage ditch
provides habitat for a variety of wetland vegetation species such as Field Horsetail (Equisetum arvense), Common Scouring-
rush (Equisetum hyemale), Common Cattail (Typha latifolia), and Reed Canary Grass (Phalaris arundinacea).  This wetland area being quite small in size is not considered to be a major vegetation community for the Purpose of this study.
 

Deciduous forest edge community is the dominant vegetation community from James Street North to The Sarnia Bridge over the North Thames River (Figure 8). A small section of old field community occurs north of Peel Street North.  The deciduous forest edge vegetation community consists of tree species such as Black Walnut (Juglans nigra), American Elm (Ulmus americana), White Ash (Fraxinus americana) and Red/Green Ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica).  Shrub species such as Common Buckthorn (Rhamnus carartica), Grey dogwood (Cornus foemina), Red-osier Dogwood (Cornus stolonifera) and smaller young tree species  as mentioned above dominate the lower canopy.  Ground Covers as mentioned in the "old field" vegetation community dominate along the railway bed itself.  An invasion of the nonnative species Dog- strangling Vine (Cynanchum rossicum) has reached epidemic proportions in this area and threatens to take over much of the surrounding vegetation.

Two distinct shoreline vegetation communities were observed along the Thames River.  The first shoreline community is present within the study area under both sides of the Sarnia Bridge and along the eastern shoreline of the North Thames River to the dam north of the Queen Street bridge (Figure 9).  This riverine swamp type shoreline vegetation community is dominated by White Willow (Salix alba) and Manitoba Maple (Acer negundo) trees and shrubs.  Ground covers such as American Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica), Jewelweed (Impatiens capensis), Purple Touch-me-not (Impatiens glandulifera), Pale Touch-me-not (Impatiens pallida), and Reed Canary Grass (Phalaris arundinacea) and semi-aquatic and aquatic species such as Common Cattail (Typha latifolia), Common Arrowhead (Sagittaria latifolia), Lizard's-tail (Saururus cernuus),  Fragrant Water-lily (Nymphaea ordrata), Common Duckweed (Lemna minor), Common Coontail (Ceratophyllum demersum), Richardson's Pondweed (Potamogeton richardsonii), and Elodea (Elodea canadensis) predominate this vegetation community.  The Shoreline vegetation along the Kinsman Park has been heavily manipulated by man and thus the only natural vegetation occurs along a narrow band at the water's edge.

The second shoreline vegetation community could be described as a riverine limestone pavement flood plain.  This vegetation community is present along the North Thames River from the downstream side of the dam near Queen Street, to the end of the study area at the tennis court parking lot (Figure 10). Exposed Dolomite Limestone within the flood plain provides little habitat for the growth of vegetation.  However, where cracks in the limestone pavement are present, species such as  White Willow (Salix alba), Sandbar Willow (Salix exuga), Crack Willow (Salix fragilis), Black Willow (Salix nigra) Basket Willow (Salix purpurea), Blunt Spike Rush (Eleocharis obtusa), and Soft-stem Bulrush (Scirpus validus) cling to existence. Further up the banks of the North Thames River where the effects of flooding are less sever and soils are more stable the vegetation community is much the same as the riverine swamp type vegetation community described previously.   As with the deciduous forest edge vegetation community an infestation of Dog-strangling Vine (Cynanchum rossicum) is present along the banks of the limestone flats.