A Floristic and Ecological Study of Selected Mesic and Hydric Lowlands in Western Kansas

A study was conducted in selected hydric and mesic lowland sites in Western Kansas. The objective was to collect as many as possible of the plant species present and give an ecological description of the successional units. A total of 105 species were obtained from 10 collecting sites. The majority of the plants collected were Angiosperms. Cyperaceae and Gramineae were the largest families represented. In the annotated list families were arranged according to Gray and the Gramineae tribes according to Hitchcock. A qualitative description was made for each community occurring in the successional units. Three units were described (flood-plain sere, spring sere, and lake sere). Several divisions were made of each sere by the differences in physiography, lifeform, and location. The final distinct community was distinguishable by the presence and homogeneity of dominant plants.