BYRAM RIVER GORGE PRESERVE
Fairfield County, Connecticut
Directions:
US 287 east to Hutchinson River Parkway north; get off at exit 30 for King Street; turn left at stop sign and for southern end:
proceed north on King Street past Sherwood Road; shortly afterwards turn right into the Greenwich Woods Health Care Center and turn right at their parking lot and park by the stone wall on the far right. Park. Walk over the stone wall and turn right. Entering fields, turn left and proceed along the edge back into the forest. It is easy to get lost here so it is best to get a map.
For northern end:
proceed north on King Street past Sherwood Road and then turn right onto Bedford Road; turn right onto Audubon Lane (a stony road) and proceed straight to its end (a little circle that allow you to turn around). Park and proceed into the park heading south. You reach a small creek. Pass over it and find the Byram River.
PLANT LIST:
Carol Levine and Torrey Botanical Society and Connecticut Botanical Society (plant list by Dr. William F. Standaert)
Trees:
Acer saccharum var. saccharum (sugar maple) common
Amelanchier arborea (shadbush)
Betula alleghaniensis (Yellow Birch) few
Betula lenta (black birch) common
Carya ovata (Shagbark Hickory) some
Castanea dentata (American Chestnut) 2
Fagus grandifolia (American Beech) some
Fraxinus americana (White Ash) some
Liriodendron tulipifera (Tulip-tree) common
Prunus sp. (serotina?) (Wild Black Cherry) 1 seedling
Quercus alba (White Oak) some
Quercus rubra (Red Oak) some
Robinia pseudoacacia (Black Locust) 1
Sassafras albidum (Sassafras) few
Tsuga canadensis (Eastern Hemlock) some
Ulmus americana (American Elm) 1
Ulmus rubra (slippery elm) listed with protest from Dr. Standaert
Shrubs:
Berberis thunbergii (Japanese Barberry) few
Chimaphila maculata (Spotted Wintergreen) some
Clethra alnifolia (Sweet Pepperbush) 8/05/00
Corylus cornuta (Beaked Hazel) some, 1 site
Euonymus alatus (Winged Euonymus) few
Hamamelis virginiana (Witch hazel) some
Kalmia latifolia (Mountain-laurel) some
Lindera benzoin var. benzoin (Spice-bush) common
Mitchella repens (Partridge-berry) some
Rhododendron periclymenoides (Pinxter-flower) 3
Rosa multiflora (Multiflora Rose) few
Rubus occidentalis (Black Raspberry) few
Vaccinium angustifolium (Low Sweet Blueberry) 2, one site
Viburnum acerifolium (Maple-leaved Viburnum) some
Viburnum prunifolium (Black-haw Viburnum) 3
Vines:
Ampelopsis brevipedunculata (Porcelain-berry) 1 large area
Celastrus orbiculatus (Oriental Bittersweet) few
Lonicera japonica (Japanese Honeysuckle) some
Parthenocissus quinquefolia (Virginia Creeper) some
Toxicodendron radicans var. radicans (Poison-ivy) common
Vitis labrusca (Fox Grape) 1 patch
Herbs:
Actaea sp. (alba?) (Doll's-eyes) 1
Agrimonia pubescens (Agrimony) 1 8/05/00
Alliaria petiolata (garlic mustard) common 8/05/00
Allium tricoccum var. tricoccum (Wild Leek) some 8/05/00
Aralia nudicaulis (Wild Sarsaparilla) common
Arctium minus (Common Burdock) 1
Arisaema triphyllum var. triphyllum (Jack-in-the-pulpit) some
Artemisia vulgaris (Mugwort) 2
Aster cordifolius (Aster) common
Aster sp. (divaricatus var.divaricatus?) (Aster) 2, several sites
Bidens sp. (Beggar-ticks) few, 1 site
Boehmeria cylindrica (False Nettle)
Callitriche palustris (Water-starwort)
Caulophyllum thalictroides var. thalictroides (Blue Cohosh) locally common
Chrysosplenium americanum (Golden-saxifrage) some, 1 site
Circaea lutetiana var. canadensis (Enchanter's-nightshade) few
Cypripedium acaule (Pink Lady's-slipper) 1
Duchesnea indica (Indian-strawberry) few, near parking area
Epifagus virginiana (Beech-drops) few
Eupatorium rugosum var. rugosum (White Snakeroot) 8/05/00
Galium triflorum (Sweet-scented Bedstraw) few, 1 site 8/05/00
Geranium maculatum (Wild Geranium) some
Geum canadense (White Avens) some 8/05/00
Goodyera pubescens (Downy Rattlesnake-plantain) few, 1 site 8/05/00
Heuchera americana (Alum-root) few
Impatiens capensis (Orange Jewel-weed) some 8/05/00
Laportea canadensis (Wood-nettle) some 8/05/00
Lapsana communis (Nipplewort) few 8/05/00
Maianthemum canadense (Canada Mayflower) common 8/05/00
Monotropa hypopithys (Pinesap) 1 8/05/00
Monotropa uniflora (Indian Pipe) some
Nuphar advena (Yellow Pond-lily) 8/05/00
Nymphaea odorata (Water-lily) 8/05/00
Oxalis sp. (stricta?) (Wood-sorrel) few along trail
Pilea pumila var. pumila (Clearweed) some
Polygonatum pubescens (Solomon's Seal) some
Polygonum arifolium (Halberd-leaved Tearthumb) some 8/05/00
Polygonum cespitosum var. longisetum (Smartweed) common 8/05/00
Polygonum virginianum (jumpseed) common 8/05/00
Prenanthes sp. (Gall-of-the-earth) 1
Ranunculus hispidus var. nitidus (Hispid Buttercup, Swamp B.) few, 1 site
Ranunculus recurvatus (hooked crowfoot) 2
Sanguinaria canadensis (Bloodroot) some
Scutellaria lateriflora (Maddog Skullcap) few 8/05/00
Solidago caesia var. caesia (Blue-stem Goldenrod) few
Solidago flexicaulis (Zigzag Goldenrod) some
Solidago sp. (ulmifolia var. ulmifolia?) Goldenrod few, 1 site
Symplocarpus foetidus (Skunk-cabbage) some
Thalictrum dioicum (Early Meadow-rue) few, 1 site
Thalictrum pubescens (Tall Meadow-rue) 2
Trientalis borealis (Star-flower) 2
Trillium erectum (Purple Trillium) some
Viola sp. (Violet) (Prostrate, rounded leaves) few, 1 site
Viola sp. (sororia?) (Dooryard Violet?) some
Sedges:
Carex laxiflora (Sedge) some
Grasses:
Glyceria striata var. striata (Fowl Mannagrass) few, 1 site
Leersia virginica (White Grass) some patches
Microstegium vimineum (Japanese Stilt Grass) some
Ferns and Fern Allies:
Adiantum pedatum ssp. pedatum (Northern Maidenhair Fern) 2, one site
Athyrium filix-femina var. michauxii (Northern Lady Fern) some
Athyrium thelypteroides (Silvery Glade Fern) almost common
Dennstaedtia punctilobula (Hay-scented Fern) 2
Dryopteris intermedia (Evergreen Wood Fern) 5
Dryopteris marginalis (Marginal Wood Fern) 2
Onoclea sensibilis (Sensitive Fern) some
Osmunda cinnamomea (Cinnamon Fern) few
Osmunda claytoniana (Interrupted Fern) few
Polystichum acrostichoides (Christmas Fern) some
Thelypteris hexagonoptera (Broad Beech Fern) few, several sites
Thelypteris noveboracensis (New York Fern) common