History Of Botanical Collectors At Grandfather Mountain, NC During The 19th Century And An Analysis Of The Flora Of The Boone Fork Headwaters Within Grandfather Mountain State Park, NC

The Southern Appalachian Mountains have been an active region of botanical exploration for over 250 years. From the middle of the 19th century, botanists have noted Grandfather Mountain’s unique vegetation and its similarity to the flora of the North Appalachian Mountains. The intent of this study was to identify the important botanists visiting Grandfather Mountain during the 19th century. Four collectors were selected for this analysis. These four scientists who played an important role in the history of taxonomic and botanical work on Grandfather Mountain, Asa Gray, Rev. Moses Ashley Curtis, John K. Small and Amos A. Heller, contributed to our knowledge of Grandfather Mountain and its unique flora. The second portion of my thesis work focused on the vascular flora, natural communities, and a preliminary list of epipetric mosses collected from dry boulders and rock outcrops within the Boone Fork headwaters of Grandfather Mountain State Park. Surveys revealed 262 vascular plant species, 19 epipetric mosses, and 18 distinct natural communities. Twenty-four vascular plant species found during field surveys were state listed or federally listed and three taxa represent new county records. The vascular flora was represented by 76 plant families, ten comprising 48% of the species within the BFH.