Endangered Species Found in Scioto Brush Creek

During a plant survey of the ODNR Division of Natural Areas and Preserves’ Scioto Brush Creek Preserve near McDermott this June, staff and volunteers discovered a new endangered plant species – Appalachian quillwort (Isoetes engelmanni). This obscure group of primitive plants is rare in Ohio. Approximately 150 species of quillworts have been discovered worldwide, twenty-four are found in North America, and only two of those species are known to be in Ohio. Appalachian quillwort is the most wide ranging quillwort in eastern North America. A cluster of 51-100 plants were found on a couple of muddy pools on a gravel bar.

Their common name “quillwort,” refers to the quill-like shape of the leaves. Leaves of the plant resemble rush leaves, but close examination of the plant’s base reveals a strange cavity containing hundreds of small spores (about ½ a millimeter in size). Fossils of quillwort-like plants have been founding dating back 200 million years to the Triassic Period. They are believed to be related to plants of the coal-forming swamps of the Carboniferous Period which occurred 280-345 million years ago.

Always associated with water, Quillworts grow in either permanent or temporary aquatic environments. Although they are aquatic plants, they share an unusual adaptation with desert plants in that they both absorb carbon dioxide through their roots. Desert plants do this so they can absorb carbon dioxide at night, reducing water loss during photosynthesis. This process gives quillworts a slight advantage over other aquatic plants by allowing them to accumulate more carbon dioxide for photosynthesis.

Quillworts are found on all continents except Antarctica. Prior to the discovery on Scioto Brush Creek, Appalachian quillwort in Ohio had only been found north of the glacial boundary. It has been found in glacial lakes and ponds in west-central and northeast Ohio, but has disappeared from these sites due to water pollution. Currently, the Scioto Brush Creek Preserve and a site near Youngstown are the only locations where this plant species can be found in Ohio. Division of Natural Areas and Preserves crew plan to search the area for additional populations of this strange plant from a distant past.

Submitted by Rick Gardner - Rick is a professional botanist with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Natural Areas and Preserves and is a member of the Friends of Scioto Brush Creek.  www.friendsofsciotobrushcreek.org.