Print Report

A1458 Eleocharis bifida - Eleocharis compressa - Nothoscordum bivalve Alkaline Rocky Seep Alliance

Type Concept Sentence: This herbaceous alliance is a zonal component of limestone cedar glades dominated by some combination of Allium cernuum, Carex crawei, Dalea foliosa, Eleocharis bifida, Eleocharis compressa, Ludwigia microcarpa, Mecardonia acuminata, Mitreola petiolata, Rudbeckia triloba, and Schoenolirion croceum.

Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Glades Spikerush - Flat-stem Spikerush - Crow-poison Alkaline Rocky Seep Alliance

Colloquial Name: Cedar Glade Alkaline Rocky Seep

Hierarchy Level:  Alliance

Type Concept: This herbaceous alliance is a zonal component of limestone cedar glades in the Central Basin of Tennessee and the Moulton Valley of Alabama, as well as similar limestone glade vegetation in Kentucky, Georgia, and Arkansas. Examples are dominated by some combination of Allium cernuum, Carex crawei, Dalea foliosa, Eleocharis bifida, Eleocharis compressa, Ludwigia microcarpa, Mecardonia acuminata, Mitreola petiolata, Rudbeckia triloba, and Schoenolirion croceum. Other species present may include Isoetes butleri and Hypoxis hirsuta. Kentucky examples lack Schoenolirion croceum, but this species may be a late-April aspect dominant in Tennessee and Alabama examples. This alliance occurs in rocky washes and small areas along ephemeral streams or where seasonal seepage of unconfined aquifers emerges during the winter and spring, and supports a distinctive assemblage of mostly graminoid vegetation. Sites are seasonally saturated, becoming drier during the heat of summer.

Diagnostic Characteristics: Seepage herbaceous vegetation in cedar glades, which are wet in the winter and may dry out in the summer.

Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available

Classification Comments: Even though this is a seasonally wet or saturated habitat, it represents small-scale vegetation patches within the cedar glade ecosystem, and so is included here. Reviewer asked, "Should the associations be dispersed among the other alliances, as just wet ends of the glade. It seems unusual to pull this out separately as a wetland alliance within a glade type. Less satisfying is to move this alkaline seepage group, leaving it here. No firm recommendation, but needs to be reconsidered." These review comments were considered, but since there were no specific changes or improvements suggested, it is clarified that this alliance (A1458) is a specific calcareous seepage or rock wash environment and has floristic cohesion and distinctness from the other vegetation of the alkaline glades. A new Eleocharis taxon, Eleocharis bifida, was described in 1991. Most of the Eleocharis in the Tennessee Nashville Basin and the Alabama Moulton Valley that was formerly referred to as Eleocharis compressa is actually this new taxon (Smith 2001, R. McCoy pers. comm.).

Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: Graminoid- and forb-dominated herbaceous vegetation.

Floristics: Examples are dominated by some combination of Allium cernuum, Carex crawei, Dalea foliosa, Eleocharis bifida, Eleocharis compressa, Ludwigia microcarpa, Mecardonia acuminata, Mitreola petiolata, Rudbeckia triloba, and Schoenolirion croceum. Other species present may include Isoetes butleri and Hypoxis hirsuta. Kentucky examples lack Schoenolirion croceum, but this species may be a late-April aspect dominant in Tennessee and Alabama examples.

Dynamics:  Sites are seasonally saturated, becoming drier during the heat of summer.
Environmental Description:  This herbaceous alliance is a zonal component of limestone cedar glades in the Central Basin of Tennessee and the Moulton Valley of Alabama, as well as similar limestone glade vegetation in Kentucky, Georgia, and Arkansas. Examples are associated with lateral seepage or flow (particularly during spring) of mineral-rich, circumneutral waters from adjoining limestone strata. It occurs in small areas along ephemeral streams or where seasonal seepage of unconfined aquifers emerges during the winter and spring, and supports a distinctive assemblage of mostly graminoid vegetation. Sites are seasonally saturated, becoming drier during the heat of summer, when moisture primarily comes from rainstorm events, during which water will wash through these areas for a short time.
Geographic Range: This alliance is found in the Interior Low Plateau and Highlands from Arkansas to northern Alabama and Georgia, Kentucky and Tennessee.

Nations: US

States/Provinces:  AL, AR, GA, KY, TN


Confidence Level: Low

Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: GNR

Greasons: No Data Available
Type Name Database Code Classification Code
Class 2 Shrub & Herb Vegetation Class C02 2
Subclass 2.B Temperate & Boreal Grassland & Shrubland Subclass S18 2.B
Formation 2.B.2 Temperate Grassland & Shrubland Formation F012 2.B.2
Division 2.B.2.Nc Eastern North American Grassland & Shrubland Division D024 2.B.2.Nc
Macrogroup 2.B.2.Nc.3 Little Bluestem - Dropseed species Central Interior Calcareous Scrub & Grassland Macrogroup M508 2.B.2.Nc.3
Group 2.B.2.Nc.3.b Little Bluestem - Sideoats Grama - Diamond-flowers Central Glade & Barrens Group G179 2.B.2.Nc.3.b
Alliance A1458 Glades Spikerush - Flat-stem Spikerush - Crow-poison Alkaline Rocky Seep Alliance A1458 2.B.2.Nc.3.b
Association CEGL004169 (Glades Spikerush, Flat-stem Spikerush) - Yellow Sunnybell - Crawe''s Sedge - Nodding Onion Seep Grassland CEGL004169 2.B.2.Nc.3.b
Association CEGL004292 Leafy Prairie-clover - Axil-flower - Lax Hornpod Seep Grassland CEGL004292 2.B.2.Nc.3.b
Association CEGL004669 (Glades Spikerush, Flat-stem Spikerush) - Crow-poison Seep Grassland CEGL004669 2.B.2.Nc.3.b
Concept Lineage: Includes associations from A.1458, A.1686 and one from A.1919. (pasted in from A.1458 with edits)

Predecessors: No Data Available

Obsolete Names: No Data Available

Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: >< ID4f. Limestone Prairie (Allard 1990)
? IE10a. Interior Upland Limestone Barren (Allard 1990)
Concept Author(s): M. Pyne, in Faber-Langendoen et al. (2013)

Author of Description: C. Nordman

Acknowledgements: No Data Available

Version Date: 09-26-14
  • Allard, D. J. 1990. Southeastern United States ecological community classification. Interim report, Version 1.2. The Nature Conservancy, Southeast Regional Office, Chapel Hill, NC. 96 pp.
  • Carpenter, S. 1996. Limestone glade plant and butterfly survey. Unpublished final report to Ouachita National Forest, Tiak Ranger District. 4 pp. plus appendices.
  • DeSelm, H. R. 1988. The barrens of the western Highland Rim of Tennessee. Pages 199-219 in: D. H. Snyder, editor. Proceedings of the first annual symposium on the natural history of the lower Tennessee and Cumberland river valleys. Austin Peay St. University, Center for Field Biology, Clarksville, TN.
  • Faber-Langendoen, D., J. Drake, M. Hall, G. Kittel, S. Menard, C. Nordman, M. Pyne, M. Reid, M. Russo, K. Schulz, L. Sneddon, K. Snow, and J. Teague. 2013-2019b. Screening alliances for induction into the U.S. National Vegetation Classification: Part 1 - Alliance concept review. NatureServe, Arlington, VA.
  • Foti, T., compiler. 1994b. Natural vegetation classification system of Arkansas, draft five. Unpublished document. Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission, Little Rock. 8 pp.
  • Hoagland, B. W. 1998a. Classification of Oklahoma vegetation types. Working draft. University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma Natural Heritage Inventory, Norman. 43 pp.
  • Rollins, S. C. 1997. Calcareous glade communities in the Central Basin of Tennessee: The effects of scale on community classification. M.S. thesis, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. 142 pp.
  • Smith, S. G. 2001. Taxonomic innovations in North America Eleocharis (Cyperaceae). Novon 11:241-257.