Typification of Dendrophthora buxifolia, a species of mistletoe from Cuba, is addressed here. A lectotype and epitype are designated. Also, a lectotype for Dendrophthora buxifolia var. rotundata, considered as a synonym, is designated.

Opuntia humifusa sensu lato, one of the most wide-ranging cactus species in North America, was first documented at The Sands in Seabrook, New Hampshire in 2011. More than 75 stems grow in a 1.5 m² area at the north end of The Sands on the upper slopes of a small dune. Although the Opuntia population in New Hampshire fits the physiological profile and broad habitat affinity of the species, it was initially unknown whether the population was native or naturalized. Determination of its nativity status is critical in evaluating the conservation status of this species in the state. The Natural Heritage network views naturally occurring populations as having inherently higher conservation value than either nonnative species or introduced populations of native species. After investigating the site history at The Sands and the natural history of O. humifusa, the New Hampshire Natural Heritage Bureau concluded that the population was very likely a recently naturalized exotic with low conservation status in the state.

Populations of Impatiens capensis can differentiate across a range of soil moisture conditions. Differences in the plasticity of drought response at both the physiological and morphological level have been documented in populations across the North American range of this species. Impatiens populations tend to utilize whichever drought response mechanism will be most helpful in ensuring their survival and persistence in their particular environment. Here, we examine whether populations from a range of moisture environments exhibit tolerance/avoidance strategies in early life-history and whether maternal effects are important to seedling stress responses. Populations from Pennsylvania across a range of three moisture conditions all responded to maternal drought by decreasing stomatal conductance in seedlings; this maternal drought response was ephemeral and only observed during the first few weeks of growth. Moreover, abscisic acid content covaried with this conductance plasticity for two of the three populations. For the population with the greatest amount of soil moisture, abscisic acid sensitivity seemed to be more important for maternal drought response.

Strong environmental gradients and varied land-use practices have generated a mosaic of habitats harboring distinct plant communities on islands on the coast of Maine. Botanical studies of Maine's islands, however, are generally limited in number and scope. Baseline studies of Maine's islands are necessary for assessing vegetation dynamics and changes in habitat conditions in relation to environmental impacts imposed by climate change, rising sea levels, invasive species, pests and pathogens, introduced herbivores, and human disturbance. We conducted a survey of the vascular plants and soils of forest, field, and ocean-side communities of Great Duck and Little Duck Islands, ME. These islands differ in environmental and land-use features, and in particular the presence of mammalian herbivores; Great Duck Island has had over a century of continuous mammalian herbivory while Little Duck Island has been largely free of mammalian herbivores over the last 100 years. We recorded 235 vascular plant species in 61 families on the Duck Islands, 106 of which were common to both islands. The composition, abundances, and diversity of plant species substantially differed within similar plant communities between the islands. These differences were particularly evident in the forest communities where Little Duck Island had significantly greater sapling regeneration and a more recent peak in tree recruitment. Soil properties also significantly differed between these islands, with a higher pH in all three communities and higher P, Ca, and K in field, forest, and ocean-side communities, respectively, on Little Duck Island, and higher soluble salts in forest and ocean-side communities of Great Duck Island. Together, our findings suggest that soil characteristics and the dominance and regeneration of vascular plant species can differ substantially even between adjacent islands with otherwise similar geologic characteristics and glacial history, and that mammalian herbivory along with other ecological factors may be important drivers of these differences.

The Monomoy Islands, Barnstable County, Massachusetts, were surveyed for vascular plants from September 2010 through September 2012. The islands' flora, 1954 to 2012, is comprised of 71 families, 181 genera, and 283 species, of which 227 species (80%) are native and 56 species (20%) are non-native. The most species-rich families are Asteraceae (40 spp.), Cyperaceae (32 spp.), and Poaceae (31 spp.). The largest genera are Carex (13 spp.), Juncus (11 spp.), and Eleocharis (6 spp.). Floristic studies of five earlier investigators are also discussed. During the past 60 years the islands' flora has continually changed partially in response to a dynamic landscape repeatedly impacted by hurricanes and other severe coastal storms. Seventy two species (26% of the flora) have been reported from the islands by only one author, thus reflecting a changing flora with many species being established for relatively short periods (less than a decade or two) before becoming extirpated.