Catling, PM, Z Lucas & B Freedman. 2009. Plants and insects new to Sable Island, Nova Scotia. Canadian Field-Naturalist 123(2): 141-145.

Note: In late summer 2007 and 2008, two two-week field surveys for plants and invertebrates were conducted by Bill Freedman, Paul Catling, and Zoe Lucas. The project was organized by the Friends of the Green Horse Society with funding provided to the FGHS by ExxonMobil Canada, Ltd. The study found 8 vascular plants that are new additions to the inventory of Sable Island flora.

Additions to the flora are Speckled Alder (Alnus incana subsp. rugosa); Wrinkle-leaf Goldenrod (Solidago rugosa); Oysterleaf (Mertensia maritima); Smooth Black Sedge (Carex nigra); Spiny Spore Quillwort (Isoetes tuckermanii); Fall Panic Grass (Panicum dichotomiflorum); Glossy False Buckthorn (Frangula alnus); and Greater Butter-and-eggs (Linaria vulgaris).

The quillwort was particularly interesting because of the large number of individual plants occurring in a single location—a freshwater pond 1-2 m deep. In this one location it was abundant and dominant, and based on the size of this pond, it is possible that half a million plants were present. Some of the plants were unusually large with leaves 20-25 cm in length. Although abundant at this location, it is possible that this species could have been overlooked in previous vegetation surveys due to its inconspicuous occurrence in relatively deep water.