( 



c: 



c 



Four species, recently suggested for the national list of 

 endangered and threatened plant species (Smithsonian 

 Institution 1975), occur in or around the margins of upland 

 natural ponds. They are; 



Litsea aestivalis 



Lindera melissaef olium 



Myriophyllum laxum 



Lacnocaulon beyrichianum 



Although these species are also known from other states, 

 they represent real rareness in North Carolina. These are 

 species known to be wholly or partially dependent upon one 

 kind of habitat, but the habitat has generally received very 

 little scientific attention. 



There is no biological way to describe a typical upland 

 natural pond. The habitat complexes vary in response to many 

 factors. Basically there are two major catagories of ponds, 

 those containing pond cypress ( Taxodium ascendens ) with 

 several other. tree and shrub species, and those which are open. 

 Fire and direct disturbance by man, particularly as a result 

 of off-the-road vehicular traffic and litter deposition, may 

 be primarily responsible for this variation. 



Left undisturbed, there may be a series of successional 

 changes that progress from ponds with sandy margins to ponds 

 containing pond cypress and shrubs such as titi ( Cyrilla 

 racemif lora ) . This, of course, is dependent upon the depth of 

 the pond, its seasonal water level fluctuations, steepness 



228 



