THE VASCULAR FLORA OF HOPEWELL CULTURE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, ROSSCOUNTY, OHIO

Hopewell Culture National Historical Park, a unit of the United States National Park Service located in Ross County in south central Ohio, w as created to restore, protect, and interpret the legacy of the mound building Hopewell prehistoric peoples. The vascular flora of the park had been estimated to be only 20% known prior to the undertaking of th is project. During the spring, summer, and fall of 1995, almost 700 pl ant specimens were collected by three investigators from five units of the park. Totals of 438 species, 281 genera, and 93 families of vascu lar plants were discovered, representing 40% of the flora of Ross Coun ty, and 17% of the flora of Ohio. Introduced species constituted 32% o f the flora. Sixty-five species are new records for Ross County. Two s pecies of special concern, Spiranthes ovalis and Eleocharis ovata, are on the state's threatened and endangered species list. The Hopewell u nit had the highest plant diversity of the five units.