Chaenorrhinum minus: observations on occurrence in northern Michigan.

Abstract

The species Chaenorrhinum minus has found its way to Northern Michigan by the once-preferred means of many human colonizers of the region: by train. More than 100 years has passed since the European native plant's first recorded sighting in the United States in a rail yard. Still, C. minus occurs most often alongside the railways that lace the area, but the closure of many railroad lines may have led to plant's seeking other means for dispersal and germination. This report will examine the following topics: What conditions do the various sites where C. minus grows have in common? What associates favor the same site conditions? As train traffic diminishes and railways arae upended, what kind of sites might the future distribution of C. minus favor? What role does disturbance of substrate play in the recurrence of C. minus in sites of past germination, now that the opportunities for train dispersal are reduced? Also how does the general morphology, including pollination and dispersal mechanisms, compare with that described in the literature?