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Although the land now has a single owner, its history of diverse ownership resulted in a mosaic of habitat types of widely varying natural quality. About half of Site M is cropland, much of which has been leased to farmers. Another 20% is pastureland. Cattle have been removed from most of the Site M, but their impact is clear, not only on the former pastures but throughout the area, including the forests that cover another third of Site M. Still, there are patches of woods that, because of steep terrain, natural barriers like creeks, or the former owners' management, retain higher quality. These forests have a diversity of tree species and sizes, and a higher diversity of spring woodland wildflowers. Botanically the most significant vegetation type on Site M is hill prairie. Found on slopes that are too steep to cultivate, hill prairies require periodic burning to exclude trees and shrubs. The largest series at Site M is found in the Cox Creek Hill Prairie Natural Area, recognized as a Grade B Loess Hill Prairie by the Illinois Natural Areas Inventory. With restoration of adjacent pasturelands that were formerly prairie, this area has the potential to become the largest hill prairie complex in the state.
During 1994, we did extensive field work at Site M to determine the natural quality of the woodlands and hill prairies and to develop a list of vascular plants. We found a total of 593 taxa of vascular plants. All of these were vouchered by herbarium specimens, which are deposited in the herbarium of the Illinois Natural History Survey (ILLS). Of the 593 taxa, 468 are native, while 125 are introduced and include many agricultural weeds, which is to be expected with the extensive row crops and cattle grazing that has occurred at Site M. Undoubtedly there are other plant species present at Site M that we missed, given the large area of Site M. Considering the large number of plants reported for Cass County (1147 species, subspecies, varieties, and hybrids), we had anticipated finding a higher number of species at Site M. However, Site M lacks several plant communities found in other parts of Cass County, such as wet to dry sand prairies, sand ponds, savannas, and high quality wetlands. Further, the list of woodland herbaceous plants for Site M is particularly depauperate.
The following table gives a list of all vascular plants that were observed during field work conducted during 1994 at Site M in Cass County, Illinois.
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| Scientific Name | Native or Introduced | Habitat | Frequency of Occurrence | Endangered or Threatened | Cass County Record |
| Asclepias verticillata | native | hill prairies, pastures, hay fields | common | -- | -- |
| Abutilon theophrastii | introduced | agricultural fields | common | -- | -- |
| Acalypha deamii | native | above stream banks, on the channel bank, & in creek beds | common along Cox Creek and a tributary, also along Panther creek | threatened | new to Cass County |
| Acalypha rhomboidea | native | floodplains & stream banks | common | -- | -- |
| Acalypha virginica | native | ridge tops | infrequent | -- | -- |
| Acer negundo | native | floodplains | common | -- | -- |
| Acer nigrum | native | former home site | one tree seen | -- | new to Cass County |
| Acer saccharinum | native | floodplains | infrequent | -- | -- |
| Acer saccharum var. saccharum | native | woods | common | -- | -- |
| Achillea millefolium | introduced | pastures & hay fields | occasional | -- | -- |
| Acorus americanus | native | wet area | saw at two area | -- | -- |
| Actaea pachypoda | native | woods | occasional | -- | -- |
| Adiantum pedatum | native | woods | common | -- | -- |
| Aesculus glabra | native | woods | infrequent | -- | -- |
| Agalinis aspera | native | hill prairies | frequent on certain hill prairies | -- | -- |
| Agalinis skinneriana | native | hill prairies | frequent on hill prairies | threatened | new to Cass County |
| Agalinis tenuifolia | native | wet areas | infrequent | -- | -- |
| Agastache nepetoides | native | open intermitent streams | occasional | -- | -- |
| Agrimonia gryposepala | native | woods | infrequent | -- | -- |
| Agrimonia parviflora | native | moist areas in pastures | occasional | -- | -- |
| Agrimonia pubescens | native | woods | common | -- | -- |
| Agropyron repens | introduced | hay field | infrequent | -- | -- |
| Agrostis gigantea (A. alba) | introduced | along streams & hay fields | common | -- | -- |
| Agrostis perennans | native | creek bank | infrequent | -- | -- |
| Ailanthus altissima | introduced | pasture | only 1 tree seen | -- | -- |
| Alliaria petiolata | introduced | woods | common in southern part of area; occasional in northern part | -- | new to Cass County |
| Alopecurus carolinianus | native | hay fields | infrequent | -- | -- |
| Amaranthus graecizans | introduced | waste areas, roadsides | occasional | -- | -- |
| Amaranthus hybridus | native | edges of crops fields | frequent | -- | -- |
| Amaranthus retroflexus | native | edges of crop fields | frequent | -- | -- |
| Amaranthus rudis | native | wet areas, roadside ditches | occasional | -- | -- |
| Amaranthus spinosus | introduced | current & old pastures | occasional | -- | -- |
| Ambrosia artemisiifolia | native | barnlots & old feedlots | occasional | -- | -- |
| Ambrosia trifida var. trifida | native | edge of crop fields | common | -- | -- |
| Amorpha canescens | native | hill prairie | seen at 3 hill prairies | -- | -- |
| Ampelopsis cordata | native | woods near ridge tops | observed twice | -- | -- |
| Amphicarpa bracteata var. comosa | native | edge of crop fields & along streams | occasional | -- | -- |
| Anagallis arvensis | introduced | stream channels | infrequent | -- | -- |
| Andropogon gerardii | native | hill prairies | occasional | -- | -- |
| Anemone cylindrica | native | hill prairie | infrequent | -- | -- |
| Anemone virginiana | native | hill prairies & woods | occasional | -- | -- |
| Antennaria neglecta var. neglecta | native | degraded hill prairie | seen only once | -- | -- |
| Antennaria plantaginifolia var. ambigens | native | woods & hill prairies | occasional | -- | new to Cass County |
| Anthemis cotula | introduced | roadside | infrequent | -- | -- |
| Apios americana | native | along streams | occasional | -- | -- |
| Apocynum cannabinum | native | pastures, hill prairies | occasional | -- | -- |
| Apocynum sibiricum var. sibiricum | native | roadside at base of seep, wet areas | infrequent | -- | new to Cass County |
| Aquilegia canadensis | native | roadside | rare | -- | -- |
| Arabis glabra | native | old field | infrequent | -- | new to Cass County |
| Arctium minus | introduced | old home sites & barnlots | occasional | -- | -- |
| Arisaema dracontium | native | woods | infrequent | -- | -- |
| Arisaema triphyllum ssp. triphyllum | native | woods | infrequent | -- | -- |
| Aristida oligantha | native | old field | infrequent | -- | -- |
| Aristolochia serpentaria var. serpentaria | native | woods | infrequent | -- | new to Cass County |
| Aruncus dioicus | native | woods | seen only in and along the edges of one wood | -- | -- |
| Asarum canadense var. reflexum | native | woods | occasional | -- | -- |
| Asclepias amplexicaulis | native | hill prairie | infrequent | -- | -- |
| Asclepias incarnata | native | pasture along stream & edge of ponds | infrequent | -- | -- |
| Asclepias syriaca | native | roadsides, along creeks | occasional | -- | -- |
| Asclepias tuberosa ssp. interior | native | dirt road on dry hillside | infrequent | -- | -- |
| Asclepias viridiflora | native | hill prairies | rare, only seen at two locations | -- | -- |
| Asparagus officinalis | introduced | roadsides | occasional | -- | -- |
| Asplenium platyneuron | native | old fields | common | -- | -- |
| Aster azureus (A. oolentangiensis) | native | hill prairies | common | -- | -- |
| Aster drummondii | native | mesic N-facing wooded slope | infrequent | -- | -- |
| Aster ericoides var. ericoides | native | hill prairies | common | -- | -- |
| Aster ericoides var. prostratus | native | hill prairies | infrequent | -- | -- |
| Aster lateriflorus | native | floodplains | common | -- | -- |
| Aster novae-angliae | native | hill prairies & floodplains | common | -- | -- |
| Aster oblongifolius | native | hill prairies | infrequent | -- | -- |
| Aster ontarionis | native | floodplains | common | -- | -- |
| Aster pilosus | native | pastures | common | -- | -- |
| Aster sericeus | native | hill prairies | not common | -- | -- |
| Aster urophyullus | native | wooded tributary of creek | not common | -- | -- |
| Aster x amethystinus | native | base of hill prairie | only seen once | -- | new to Cass County |
| Astragalus canadensis | native | hill prairies | rare, only seen at two locations | -- | -- |
| Athyrium angustum | native | mesic woods | occasional | -- | -- |
| Barbarea vulgaris | introduced | hay field | occasional | -- | new to Cass County |
| Belamcanda chinensis | introduced | hill prairies, woods | occasional | -- | -- |
| Bidens bipinnata | native | wet areas | occasional | -- | -- |
| Bidens cernua | native | edges of ponds | common | -- | -- |
| Bidens tripartita | native | floodplains, edges of ponds | common | -- | -- |
| Blephilia ciliata | native | open woods & roadsides | occasional | -- | -- |
| Boehmeria cylindrica | native | floodplains, creek beds | common | -- | -- |
| Botrychium dissectum var. dissectum | native | young woods | infrequent | -- | -- |
| Botrychium dissectum var. obliquum | native | young woods | infrequent | -- | -- |
| Botrychium virginianum | native | woods | common | -- | -- |
| Bouteloua curtipendula | native | hill prairies | common | -- | -- |
| Brachyelytrum erectum | native | woods | infrequent | -- | -- |
| Brassica nigra | introduced | disturbed areas | infrequent | -- | -- |
| Brickellia eupatorioides | native | hill prairies | common | -- | -- |
| Bromus arvensis | introduced | hay fields & roadsides | common | -- | new to Cass County |
| Bromus commutatus | introduced | hay fields & roadsides | common | -- | -- |
| Bromus inermis | introduced | hay fields & roadsides | abundant | -- | -- |
| Bromus pubescens | native | woods | occasional | -- | new to Cass County |
| Bromus pungens | native | pastures | abundant | -- | -- |
| Bromus tectorum | introduced | hay fields & roadsides | common | -- | -- |
| Cacalia atriplicifolia | native | hill prairies, roadsides | infrequent | -- | -- |
| Calystegia sepium ssp. americana | native | along streams, wet areas | common | -- | -- |
| Campanula americana | native | inside & edges of woods | common | -- | -- |
| Campsis radicans | native | floodplain | infrequent | -- | -- |
| Cannabis sativa | introduced | roadsides, pastures | abundant | -- | -- |
| Capsella bursa-pastoris | introduced | disturbed areas | common | -- | -- |
| Carduus nutans | introduced | pastures & hay fields | common | -- | new to Cass County |
| Carex aggregata | native | hill prairie | occasional | -- | new to Cass County |
| Carex annectens var. annectens | native | along streams & wet areas | common | -- | -- |
| Carex bicknellii | native | old fields | infrequent | -- | -- |
| Carex blanda | native | woods | common | -- | -- |
| Carex brevior | native | hill prairies | occasional | -- | -- |
| Carex bushii | native | old fields & upland woods | common | -- | new to Cass County |
| Carex cephalophora | native | open woods & fields | occasional | -- | -- |
| Carex davisii | native | old fields & roadsides | occasional | -- | new to Cass County |
| Carex frankii | native | bottomlands, around ponds, edges of streams | common | -- | -- |
| Carex gracilescens | native | woods | occasional | -- | -- |
| Carex granularis | native | seep | occasional | -- | -- |
| Carex gravida var. gravida | native | floodplains | OCCASIONAL | -- | -- |
| Carex gravida var. lanelliana | native | hill prairie | infrequent | -- | new to Cass County |
| Carex grisea | native | woods | common | -- | -- |
| Carex hirsutella | native | old fields | OCCASIONAL | -- | new to Cass County |
| Carex hirtifolia | native | woods | common | -- | new to Cass County |
| Carex jamesii | native | along wooded streams | occasional | -- | -- |
| Carex lanuginosa | native | seep | infrequent | -- | -- |
| Carex lurida | native | intermittent streams | OCCASIONAL | -- | -- |
| Carex meadii | native | hill prairies | OCCASIONAL | -- | -- |
| Carex molesta | native | roadsides and wet areas | occasional | -- | new to Cass County |
| Carex muhlenbergii | native | old fields | infrequent | -- | -- |
| Carex normalis | native | hill prairies | common | -- | -- |
| Carex oligocarpa | native | mesic wooded slopes | OCCASIONAL | -- | new to Cass County |
| Carex pensylvanica var. pensylvanica | native | open woods | infrequent, saw only one site | -- | -- |
| Carex radiata | native | woods | occasional | -- | new to Cass County |
| Carex richardsonii | native | hill prairies | rare | -- | -- |
| Carex rosea | native | woods | occasional | -- | -- |
| Carex shortiana | native | seep | infrequent | -- | -- |
| Carex sparganioides | native | woods | occasional | -- | -- |
| Carex stipata | native | along streams & hay field | occasional | -- | -- |
| Carex tenera | native | floodplains | OCCASIONAL | -- | -- |
| Carex umbellata | native | hill prairies | occasional | -- | -- |
| Carex vulpinoidea | native | open wet area | occasional | -- | -- |
| Carya cordiformis | native | woods | common | -- | -- |
| Carya illinoensis | native | edge of woods | 2 trees seen | -- | -- |
| Carya ovata var. ovata | native | upland woods | infrequent | -- | -- |
| Carya tomentosa | native | upland woods | infrequent | -- | -- |
| Cassia fasciculata | native | old fields, roadsides | occasional | -- | -- |
| Cassia (Senna) hebecarpa | native | old field | only seen once | -- | new to Cass County |
| Castilleja coccinea | native | hill prairies, seep | infrequent, seen in 2 areas | -- | -- |
| Catalpa bignonioides | introduced | old fields | infrequent | -- | new to Cass County |
| Celastrus scandens | native | edges of woods & bases of hill prairies | common | -- | -- |
| Celtis occidentalis var. occidentalis | native | ridge tops | infequent | -- | -- |
| Cerastium nutans var. nutans | native | disturbed areas | occasional | -- | -- |
| Ceratophyllum demersum | native | pond | only seen once | -- | -- |
| Cercis canadensis | native | woods | common | -- | -- |
| Chaerophyllum procumbens | native | low woods & along streams | occasional | -- | -- |
| Chamaesyce maculata (C. nutans) | native | roadsides & hill prairies | occasional | -- | -- |
| Chenopodium ambrosioides var. ambrosoides | introduced | creek bank | occasional | -- | -- |
| Chenopodium berlandieri var. zschackei | native | open intermittent stream between cropfields | occasonal | -- | new to Cass County |
| Chenopodium gigantospermum | native | disturbed woods, along dirt road | infrequent | -- | -- |
| Cichorium intybus | introduced | roadsides | common | -- | -- |
| Cinna arundinacea | native | floodplains, creek bottoms | common | -- | -- |
| Circaea lutetiana ssp. canadensis | native | woods | common | -- | -- |
| Cirsium discolor | native | pastures | common | -- | -- |
| Cirsium hillii (C. pumilum) | native | hill prairies & former pastures | common, see special summary of this species | threatened | -- |
| Cirsium vulgare | introduced | waste area | infrequent | -- | -- |
| Claytonia virginica | native | woods | common | -- | -- |
| Clematis virginiana | native | floodplain | infrequent | -- | -- |
| Commandra umbellata | native | hill prairies | common | -- | -- |
| Commelina communis | introduced | disturbed areas | occasional | -- | -- |
| Conium maculatum | introduced | along streams | occasional | -- | -- |
| Convolulus arvensis | introduced | roadsides | infrequent | -- | -- |
| Conyza canadensis | native | pastures & edges of crop fields | common | -- | -- |
| Coreopsis palmata | native | hill prairies | infrequent | -- | -- |
| Coreopsis tripteris | native | hill prairies | infrequent | -- | -- |
| Cornus drummondii | native | hill prairies, woods, edges of streams & ponds | abundant | -- | -- |
| Coronilla varia | introduced | pastures | infrequent | -- | -- |
| Corylus americana | native | pastures, woods | occasional | -- | -- |
| Crataegus crus-galli | native | old pastures, edges of hill prairies | common | -- | -- |
| Crataegus mollis | native | old pastures, edges of hill prairies | common | -- | -- |
| Croton glandulosus var. septentrionalis | native | hill prairies & bare areas in pastures | occasional | -- | -- |
| Croton monanthogynus | native | hill prairies & bare areas in pastures | occasional | -- | -- |
| Cryptotaenia canadensis | native | low woods & ravines | common | -- | -- |
| Cuphea viscosissima | native | moist ravine bottoms | infrequent | -- | -- |
| Cuscuta compacta | native | floodplain | occasional | -- | new to Cass County |
| Cynanthum leave | native | crop fields | occasional | -- | -- |
| Cyperus ferruginescens | native | edge of pond | occasional | -- | -- |
| Cyperus lupulinus (C. filiculmis var. micilentus) | native | pastures & hay fields | occasional | -- | -- |
| Cyperus strigosus | native | roadside ditch | occasional | -- | -- |
| Cystopteris protrusa | native | woods | common | -- | -- |
| Dactylis glomerata | introduced | pastures & hay fields | common | -- | -- |
| Dalea candida | native | hill prairies | only seen on 1 hill prairie | -- | -- |
| Dalea purpurea | native | hill prairies | common on hill prairies | -- | -- |
| Datura stramonium | introduced | disturbed areas | infrequent | -- | -- |
| Daucus carota | introduced | roadsides, hay fields, pastures | abundant | -- | -- |
| Delphinium tricorne | native | woods | only seen once | -- | -- |
| Dentaria laciniata | native | woods | common | -- | -- |
| Descurainia pinnata ssp. brachycarpa | native | roadsides | occasional | -- | -- |
| Desmanthus illinoensis | native | pastured hill prairies | common | -- | -- |
| Desmodium canescens | native | bottomland degraded woods | infrequent | -- | -- |
| Desmodium cuspidatum var. longifolium | native | hill prairie | occasional | -- | -- |
| Desmodium glabellum | native | hill prairie | occasional | -- | new to Cass County |
| Desmodium glutinosum | native | dry woods | common | -- | -- |
| Desmodium illinoense | native | hill prairies & pastures | occasional | -- | -- |
| Desmodium sessilifolium | native | hill prairies | occasional | -- | -- |
| Dianthus armeria | introduced | hill prairies, pastures, old fields | occasional | -- | -- |
| Dicentra cucullaria | native | mesic woods | occasional | -- | -- |
| Digitaria ischaemum | introduced | fields | occasional | -- | -- |
| Digitaria sanguinalis | introduced | fields, disturbed areas | common | -- | -- |
| Diodia teres | native | bare areas in pastures | occasional | -- | -- |
| Dioscorea villosa | native | upland woods | occasional | -- | -- |
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