Plants of the Credit
The list of the vascular plants of the Credit River Watershed is compiled from existing publications and from the records of local naturalists, botanists and CVC staff. The complete list includes 1,420 species of plants. This large number reflects the great diversity of habitats in our watershed, as well as the fact that our area includes northern species at the edges of their ranges.
Aquatic Plants
A non-woody, broad-leaved plant living or growing in water.
Example: Nymphaea odorata – white water lily.
Fern
A plant with leaf-like fronds that reproduces using spores.
Example: Polystichum acrostichoides - Christmas fern.
Fern Allies
A plant that reproduces using spores that do not have fronds, including clubmosses and horsetails.
Example: Lycopodiaceae family – club mosses.
Flowering Plants
A non-woody, broad-leaved plant or herb.
Example: Rudbeckia hirta – black-eyed Susan.
Grasses, Sedges, and other Gramminoids
Non-woody, narrow-leaved plants, including grasses, sedges and rushes.
Example: Carex species – sedge.
Herbaceous Vines
A non-woody plant with trailing stems.
Example: Echinocystis lobata – cucumber vine.
Shrubs
A multi-stemmed woody plant, usually shorter than a tree.
Trees
A woody plant usually with a single stem which can reach heights of several metres.
Example: Pinus strobus – white pine.
Woody Vines
A woody plant with trailing stems.
Example: Parthenocissus inserta – Virgina creeper.
