Edwin L. Bridges

As part of ongoing work on the Flora of the Southeastern United States (Weakley & Southeastern Flora Team 2023) and related projects, as well as for general floristic, conservation, and scientific work in eastern North America, it is essential to document taxonomic and nomenclatural changes and significant distribution records. Here, we propose six...

Fire-adaptive traits in plants of tropical and subtropical grassy ecosystems have been the subject of considerable global research, but only recently studied in pyrogenic Florida subtropical grasslands. Plant growth forms, belowground organs, and post-fire recovery strategies were studied for 198 grassland specialists in peninsular Florida. Communi...

Large-scale genome-wide DNA sequence data are enabling reconstruction of much finer scale relationships among and within species, prompting renewed focus on analyzing species limits and the trajectories of recent evolutionary diversification. We utilized RADseq data as an additional line of evidence for species delimitation within the Florida unifo...

The importance and prevalence of recent ice‐age and post‐glacial speciation and species diversification during the Pleistocene across many organismal groups and physiographic settings are well established. However, the extent to which Pleistocene diversification can be attributed to climatic oscillations and their effects on distribution ranges and...

As part of ongoing work on the Flora of the Southeastern United States (Weakley & Southeastern Flora Team 2022a) and related projects, as well as for general floristic, conservation, and scientific work in eastern North America, it is essential to document taxonomic and nomenclatural changes and significant distribution records. Here we describe th...

Sporobolus osceolensis Bridges & Orzell, sp. nov. (Poaceae: Chloridoideae: Zoysieae: Sporobolinae), a cespitose, perennial grass with fire-stimulated flowering, is described from pine savannas in northeast and central peninsular Florida. It is a member of the Sporobolus floridanus clade and is distinguished from closely related species (S. curtissi...

As part of ongoing efforts to understand, document, and conserve the flora of southeastern North America, we propose a number of taxo-nomic changes, nomenclatural changes, interpretations of nativity, and distributional accounts. Regarding the Asaroideae (Aristolochiaceae), we support continued recognition of Hexastylis (and other segregates of a v...

Examination of the lectotype and isotype material of Physalis macrophysa Rydb. show its compatibility with P. longifolia, having nearly glabrous, ovate-lanceolate to broadly lanceolate leaves, and the presence of short, simple antrorse hairs on the petioles and pedicels. Other than its large inflated fruiting calyces (3.0–4.0 cm × 2.5–3.0 cm), it h...

A new species of Physalinae (Solanaceae) is described and illustrated that is endemic to the West Gulf Coastal Plain of the southeastern United States, a global biodiversity hotspot. Physalis macrosperma sp. nov. is distinguished by its large obpyramidal fruiting calyx (35-70 mm in length), its large seeds [3.2-4.2(4.8) mm in length and 2.5-3.5(3.9...

The Andropogon ternarius complex (section Leptopogon) has long been taxonomically troublesome, particularly within its center of diversity in Florida, and was not included in the last revision of this section. Two cryptic species, Andropogon cumulicola E.L. Bridges & Orzell, sp. nov., and Andropogon miamiensis E.L. Bridges & Orzell, sp. nov., are d...

An overview of subtropical grasslands in south-central Florida, description of semi-native grasslands in the region, and results of 10 year experiment on fire seasonality, nutritive addition, and grazing in semi-native grasslands of the region.

In the USA, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) has restored millions of acres of wetlands through its Wetland Reserve Easement (WRE) programs. However, few quantitative studies have explored whether WREs have enhanced wetland hydrology and wetland plant communities. Additionally, USDA Com...

Floristic quality in response to wetland restoration. A) Floristic Quality Index was measured as the mean coefficient of conservatism observed in each plot (left panel) and as weighted mean coefficient of conservatism accounting for specie cover in each plot (right panel). B) Proportion of generalist species (i.e. species with coefficient of conser...

Number of flooded days before and after wetland restoration in the South Marsh (a) and East Marsh (b) easements. Total cumulative rainfall for each year was plotted as a covariate. Cross indicates years for which we could not reliably assess number of flooded days to due to high numbers of missing data. SM1 and SM9 are located outside of the easeme...

Species richness (left panel) and species diversity (right panel) response to restoration in each community type and in each restoration easement. Species diversity was measured using the exponential of Shannon diversity index. (DOCX)

Average relative cover (±se) of obligate wetland species (left panel) obligate and facultative wetland species (middle panel) and facultative upland species (right panel) in each community type, prior and after restoration. (DOCX)

Results of linear mixed models testing the effect of removing grazing in each restored community type. We combined bahiagrass communities from the South Marsh and the East Marsh, and combined Shallow marsh communities from the South Marsh and the East Marsh. Wet prairie is not included because sample size was too small (n = 4). The average of each...

As part of ongoing efforts to understand and document the flora of the southeastern United States, a number of taxonomic changes at generic, specific, and infraspecific rank are made. We also discuss and clarify the recommended taxonomy for other taxa (not requiring nomenclatural acts) and present a point of view about the practical and philosophic...

As part of ongoing efforts to understand and document the flora of the southeastern United States, a number of taxonomic changes at generic , specific, and infraspecific rank are made. We also discuss and clarify the recommended taxonomy for other taxa (not requiring nomenclatural acts) and present a point of view about the practical and philosophi...

Species complexes and cryptic species pose inherent challenges to taxonomists, systematists, and conservationists; Spiranthes (Orchidaceae) is a traditionally systematically challenging genus in which species complexes and cryptic species are a common phenomenon. Using an integrated approach of molecular phylogenetic, morphometric, and phenological...

Published in Lundellia 3:19-25 (2000)

Juncus paludosus E. L. Bridges & Orzell is described and illustrated as a new species from peninsular Florida, U.S.A., occurring primarily in hardwood and cypress swamps and adjacent ditches and marshes. Although closest in diagnostic characters to J. megacephalus M. A. Curtis, it has been confused with J. polycephalus Michaux of section Iridifolii...

Fire-maintained, species-rich, seasonally wet subtropical grasslands dominated by muhly grass (Mu-hlenbergia sericea), here referred to as calcareous wet prairies, occur on mineral soils between pine-lands (or Florida dry prairies) and herbaceous wetlands. Southern Florida calcareous prairies/pinelands are described based upon species composition,...

Floristic composition of the Florida dry prairie landscape was compiled from 291 sites in nine south-central peninsular counties. Floristic lists were based upon field inventory and compilation from reliable sources to-taling 11,250 site and community type-specific observations and were analyzed by region (Kissimmee River, Desoto/Glades "Big Prairi...

Two new species of Xyris from peninsular Florida, in the southeastern United States, are described, illustrated, and discussed as to their ecological, geographical, and taxonomic relationships with other Xyris. Xyris calcicola is found primarily in central and southern Florida in calcareous habitats. Xyris correlliorum is endemic to southern Lake W...

Morphology, distribution, ecology and phenology for Carphephorus odoratissimus and C. odoratissimus var. subtropicanus are discussed and compared. Carphephorus odoratissimus var. subtropicanus is illustrated and evidence supporting varietal status is quantified. It occurs in a fire-maintained pine savanna-flatwoods/dry prairie landscape, where it i...

An ecogeographic survey was completed for two pairs of South American Solanum species: (1) S. juglandifolium and S. ochranthum , and (2) S. lycopersicoides and S. sitiens . The purpose of this survey was to characterize the distribution, ecology, and phenology of these species and to screen for factors that might constitute premating reproductive i...

Atlantic white-cedar (Chamaecyparis thyoides (L.) B.S.P.) is documented for five counties in the westem Georgia fall-line sandhills region and from Richmond County in the fall-line sandhills of eastern Georgia. The most extensive stands of Atlantic whitecedar in westem Georgia are in the Whitewater Creek watershed, along streams draining the sandhi...

The cedar glades of Middle Tennessee are a unique and threatened ecosystem within the State. Our study was conducted to provide preliminary quantitative data on community composition, seasonal floristic changes and edaphic distributions of cedar glade species and plant communities. We sampled 313 0.5 m2 permanent plots on ten cedqglades in the Cent...

Carex exilis Dewey (Cyperaceae) is reported as new to Alabama flora from Mobile and Baldwin counties. It's habitat in Alabama is discussed, and related to C. exilis habitat in adjacent Mississippi.

Carex exilis Dewey is reported new to Alabama from Mobile and Baldwin counties. Its habitat in Alabama is discussed, and related to Caret exilis habitats in adjacent southern Mississippi.

Xyris chapmanii is described as a new species restricted to deep muck seepage bogs in the Gulf Coastal Plain of the southern United States, in Texas, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida. A key is provided to distinguish it from the similar A', platylepts and A', scabrifolia. The microhabitat factors and ecological relationships to other Xyris species...

Astragalus bibullatus Barneby & Bridges, a relative ofA. crassicarpus Nutt. vicariant in cedar glades of central Tennessee, is described and illustrated, and its restricted habitat and associated species are discussed.

Eleocharis flavescens and Rhynchospora scirpoides are reported as new to Oklahoma. Xyris jupicai, which has been mentioned as occurring in Oklahoma, is documented in the state by citation of voucher specimens. The overall distribution of these species in the West Gulf Coastal Plain is discussed.