Thompson Park
Forsgate Drive, Middlesex County, NJ
Middlesex County Parks Department (732) 745-3800
675 acres

Thompson Park is the largest park in Middlesex County and is maintained by the County Parks Department.

Directions:

Garden State Parkway; take exit for Route 9; take exit for Route 9 South; turn off at Texas Road (Route 520 West); make a left onto Englishtown Road (Route 613 South); make a quick right onto Matchaponix Avenue (Route 612 West); this turns into Pergola Avenue; make a right at end of road (Buckelew Avenue); make first left onto Forsgate Drive; Park entrance is on the left.

History:

Colonial times  -- The cream colored Simon Van Wickle House stands next to the park entrance. This Federal Style structure is only one of two of the only architecturally surviving buildings in town to last from the 18th century. The Van Wickle family members were prominent early Dutch settlers in the area.

(A Walking Tour of Jamesburg; http://www.jamesburg.net/walkingtourtext.html)

Habitats:

30 acre Manalapan Lake; forest

Facilities:

Open to all County residents, its facilities include a 40 acre lake, baseball fields, soccer fields, picnic groves, a facility for horse shows, bicycling, hiking and more.

The South River begins at Duhernal Lake in Spotswood and flows to the Raritan River at Sayreville. The river is formed by the confluence of Manalapan and Matchaponix Brooks. Major impoundments are Duhernal Lake and  the 30 acre Lake Manalapan.

Trails:

A blue trail heads more or less north south through the park, while a red trail goes around the park perimeter. Then there is an inner loop trail along with a few short-cuts here and there.

PLANT LIST:
Bill Olson, with Philadelphia Botanical Club and Torrey Botanical Society, 8/31/02
* = plants found in bloom on 8/31/02

Trees:
Acer rubrum (red maple)
Acer saccharinum (silver maple)
Ailanthus altissima (tree-of-heaven)
Betula lenta (black birch)
Betula populifolia (gray birch)
Carya ovata (shagbark hickory)
Carya tomentosa (mockernut hickory)
Castanea dentata (American chestnut)
Catalpa sp. (catalpa)
Cornus florida (flowering dogwood)
Fagus grandifolia (American beech)
Fraxinus americana (white ash)
Gleditsia triacanthos (honey locust)
Juniperus virginiana (red cedar)
Liquidambar styraciflua (sweetgum)
Liriodendron tulipifera (tulip tree)
Morus alba (white mulberry)
Nyssa sylvatica (tupelo)
Paulownia tomentosa (empress tree)
Pinus strobus (white pine)
Platanus x hybrida (London plane)
Populus deltoides (cottonwood)
Populus grandidentata (big-toothed aspen)
Prunus serotina (black cherry)
Pyrus sp. (crab apple)
Quercus alba (white oak)
Quercus palustris (pin oak)
Quercus prinus (chestnut oak)
Quercus rubra (red oak)
Quercus velutina (black oak)
Robinia pseudoacacia (black locust)
Salix nigra (black willow)
Sassafras albidum (sassafras)
Tsuga canadensis (eastern hemlock)

Shrubs:
Aronia arbutifolia (red chokeberry)
Chimaphila maculata (striped wintergreen)
Clethra alnifolia (sweet pepperbush) *
Cornus amomum (swamp dogwood)
Elaeagnus umbellata (autumn olive)
Eubotrys racemosa (fetterbush)
Hibiscus syriacus (rose-of-Sharon) *
Ilex verticillata (winterberry holly)
Juniperus horizontalis (juniper)
Lindera benzoin (spicebush)
Myrica pensylvanica (bayberry)
Rhododendron viscosum (swamp azalea)
Rhus copallina (winged sumac)
Rosa multiflora (multiflora rose)
Rubus hispidus? (swamp dewberry)
Salix sp. (willow)
Spiraea alba var. latifolia (meadowsweet) *
Spiraea tomentosa (steeplebush) *
Toxicodendron vernix (poison sumac)
Vaccinium angustifolium (low bush blueberry)
Vaccinium corymbosum highbush blueberry)
Vaccinium macrocarpon (cranberry)
Viburnum acerifolium (maple-leaf viburnum)
Viburnum dentatum (arrowwood viburnum)

Vines:
Calystegia sepium (hedge bindweed)
Ipomoea hederacea (ivy-leaved morning glory) *
Lonicera japonica (Japanese honeysuckle)
Parthenocissus quinquefolia (Virginia creeper)
Smilax rotundifolia (round-leaved greenbrier)
Strophostyles helvula (trailing wild bean) *
Vinca minor (periwinkle)
Vitis labrusca (summer grape)

Herbs:
Achillea millefolium (common yarrow) *
Agalinis purpurea (purple agalinis) *
Ambrosia artemisiifolia (common ragweed) *
Apocynum cannabinum (Indian hemp dogbane)
Aralia nudicaulis (wild sarsaparilla)
Arctium sp. (burdock)
Artemisia vulgaris (common mugwort)
Aster lanceolatus? (panicled aster)
Aster racemosa (small-headed aster)
Baptisia tinctoria (yellow wild indigo)
Barbarea vulgaris (common wintercress)
Bartonia virginica (upright bartonia)
Bidens frondosa (devil's beggar ticks) *
Bidens polylepis (Ozark beggarticks) *
Centaurea maculosa (spotted knapweed) *
Chamaecrista fasciculata (partridge pea) *
Chamaecrista nictitans (wild sensitive plant) *
Chenopodium album (pigweed)
Cichorium intybus (chicory) *
Cirsium arvense (Canada thistle)
Conyza canadensis (horseweed) *
Coreopsis lanceolata (lance-leaved coreopsis) *
Daucus carota (Queen Anne's lace)
Desmodium canadensis (showy tick trefoil) *
Desmodium ciliare (little-leaf tick trefoil) *
Desmodium glabellum (Dillen's tick trefoil) *
Dianthus armeria (Deptford pink) *
Diodia teres (buttonweed) *
Echinacea sp. (purple coneflower) *
Epilobium coloratum (purple willowherb) *
Erechtites hieraciifolia (pilewort) *
Erigeron strigosus (strigose daisy fleabane) *
Eupatorium dubium (eastern Joe-Pye-weed) *
Eupatorium hysopifolium (hyssop-leaved boneset) *
Eupatorium perfoliatum (boneset) *
Eupatorium pilosum (rough boneset) *
Eupatorium serotinum (late-flowering boneset) *
Euphorbia maculata (spotted spurge)
Euphorbia nutans (eyebane spurge)
Euthamia graminifolia (grass-leaved goldenrod) *
Galium sp. (bedstraw)
Gaillardia pulchellus (Indian blanket) *
Gnaphalium obtusifolium (sweet everlasting) * ?
Helenium autumnale (common sneezeweed) *
Helenium flexuosum (southern sneezeweed) *
Hibiscus moescheutos (swamp rose mallow)
Hypericum canadense (Canada St. Johnswort) *
Hypericum gentianoides (orange grass) *
Hypericum mutilum (dwarf St. Johnswort)
Hypericum perforatum (common St. Johnswort)
Hypochaeris radicata (cat's ear) *
Impatiens capensis (orange jewelweed)
Lechea pulchella var. pulchella (Leggett's pinweed)
Lespedeza capitata (round-headed bushclover)
Lespedeza striata (Japanese bushclover) *
Lespedeza virginica (Virginia bushclover) *
Lotus corniculatus (birdfoot trefoil) *
Lycopus amplectans (clasping water horehound) *
Lysimachia alternifolia (seedbox)
Lysimachia quadrifolia (whorled loosestrife)
Medicago lupulina (black medick) *
Medicago sativa (alfalfa) *
Melampyrum lineare (cowwheat) *
Melilotus officinalis (yellow sweet clover) *
Oenothera biennis (common evening primrose) *
Oxalis dilenii (yellow wood sorrel) *
Penstemmon digitalis (beard's tongue)
Plantago lanceolata (English plantain)
Plantago major (common plantain)
Polygala nuttallii (Nuttall's milkwort) *
Polygonum confertifolia (smartweed) *
Polygonum cuspidatum (Japanese knotweed) *
Polygonum lapathifolium (nodding smartweed)
Polygonum pensylvanicum (Pennsylvania smartweed) *
Polygonum sagittatum (arrow-leaved tearthumb) *
Polygonum virginianum (jumpseed)
Potentilla argentea (silvery cinquefoil)
Potentilla simplex (common cinquefoil)
Prunella vulgaris (self-heal)
Ratibida columnifera (columnar coneflower) *
Rudbeckia hirta var. pulcherrima (black-eyed Susan) *
Rumex crispus (curled dock)
Solanum carolinense (horse nettle)
Solidago gigantea (late goldenrod)
Solidago juncea (early goldenrod) *
Solidago nemoralis (gray goldenrod) *
Solidago puberula (downy goldenrod) *
Solidago rugosa (rough-leaved goldenrod)
Spiranthes cernua (nodding ladies' tresses) extirpated?
Taraxacum officinale (common dandelion)
Thalictrum pubescens (tall meadowrue)
Trifolium arvense (rabbit foot clover)
Trifolium hybridum (alsike clover) *
Trifolium pratense (red clover) *
Typha latifolia (broad-leaved cattail)
Verbascum blattaria (moth mullein)
Verbascum thapsus (common mullein)
Verbena hastata (blue vervain) *
Verbena urticifolia (white vervain)
Verbesina alternifolia (wingstem)*
Vernonia noveboracensis (New York ironweed) *

Rushes:
Juncus canadensis (Canada rush)
Juncus effusus (soft rush)
Juncus marginatus (small grass-leaved rush)
Juncus scirpoides (scirpus-like rush)
Juncus tenuis (path rush)
Juncus tenuis var. dichotomum (forked rush)

Sedges:
Carex lurida (sallow sacksedge)
Carex scoparia (pointed broom sacksedge)?
Cyperus strigosus (straw-colored flatsedge)
Eleocharis tenuis (slender spikerush)
Rhynchospora capitellata (small-headed beakrush)
Scirpus cyperinus (woolly grass bulrush)

Grasses:
Agrostis hyemalis? (tickle grass)?
Agrostis sp. (bent grass)
Andropogon virginicus var. abbreviatus (Virginia bush beard grass)
Andropogon virginicus var. virginicus (Virginia broom beard grass)
Andropogon gerardi (turkey claw grass)
Eleocharis crusgalli (barnyard grass)
Eleusine indica (zipper grass)
Elymus virginicus (wild rye grass)
Eragrostis spectabilis (purple love grass)
Festuca elatior? (tall fescue grass)
Leersia oryzoides (rice cutgrass)
Leersia virginica (white grass)
Microstegium vimineum (Japanese stilt grass)
Panicum virgatum (switch grass)
Panicum clandestinum (deer-tongue grass)
Panicum dichotomiflorum (fall panicgrass)
Panicum verrucosum (warty panic grass)
Paspalum laeve (smooth bead grass)
Phleum pratense (timothy grass)
Phragmites australis (giant reed grass)
Schizachyrium scoparium (little bluestem grass)
Setaria faberi (nodding foxtail grass)
Sorghastrum nutans (Indian nut grass)
Tripsacum dactyloides (gamma grass)

Ferns and fern allies:
Lycopodium alopecuroides (foxtail clubmoss)
Lycopodium digitatum (southern ground cedar)
Athyrium filix-femina (lady fern)
Dennstaedtia punctilobula (hay-scented fern)
Onoclea sensibilis (sensitive fern)
Osmunda cinnamomea (cinnamon fern)
Thelypteris noveboracensis (New York fern)
Thelypteris palustris (marsh fern)
Woodwardia areolata (netted chain fern)
Woodwardia virginica (Virginia chain fern)

Others:
Atrichum sp.
Cladina sp. (lichen)
Cladonia cristatella (British soldiers)
(cup lichens)
Polytrichum commune
Polytrichum juniperinum
Sphagnum fallax
Sphagnum fimbriatum
Sphagnum papillosum

August 31, 2002. THOMPSON PARK, JAMESBURG, MIDDLESEX COUNTY, NJ.

On a day that was warm in the morning and overcast in the afternoon, a group of botanists and flora enthusiasts investigated a fen and a field created by the piled-up dredgings from Lake Manalpan. The group with the trip leader found a great many plants, especially considering the small area covered during the trip. In the morning the group toured the fen area just below the hill area of piled dredgings. The fen was extremely dry with no visible water at all. In fact, the water situation is so bad that the running spring where many people fill up their water bottles no longer runs. After lunch, the group toured the hill area along the margin of the woods.

There were a great many plants from genera such as Desmodium and Lespedeza, Eupatorium, Hypericum, Polygonum, and Solidago. There were also a number of species of rushes (Juncus spp.) and panic grasses (Panicum spp.). There were also quite a few roadside type escapees in bloom: Coreopsis lanceolata (lance-leaved coreopsis), Echinacea sp. (purple coneflower), Gaillardia pulchellus (Indian blanket), and Ratibida columnifera (columnar coneflower).

Total attendance was 19. The participants were Ruth Benedict, Glen and Aina Boyd, Rosemary and Patrick Cooney, Boel Denne-Hinnov, Lois Gebhardt, Lynn Hunt, Joyce Hyon, Linda Kelly, Augie Matzdorf, Marisa Melendez, Rich Mendelbaum, Roberta Morganstern, Sarah-David Rosenbaum, and Bill and Eleanor Standaert. The trip leader was Bill Olson.