The vascular flora of Mettler's Woods, Somerset County, New Jersey

The objective of this study was to collect and identify the plant taxa at the 26 hectare Mettler's Woods during the 2010-2012 growing seasons. We identified 105 species, in 65 genera, and in 47 families. The largest families in the flora were the Poaceae (nine species), and the Cyperaceae (eight species). Carex was the largest genus in the flora with eight species. No rare taxa were observed at the study site. Non-native Microstegium vimineum now dominates the herbaceous understory. Additionally, the death of older trees has created gaps in the forest that has favored nonnative taxa such as Celastrus orbiculatus, Lonicera japonica, and Rosa multiflora.