The Vascular Flora of Pilot Knob State Preserve

Pilot Knob State Preserve is a 365 acre (147 ha) area lying within the boundaries of Pilot Knob State Park. Located in north central Iowa near the northeast corner of Hancock County, this preserve resides on the eastern morainal system of the Des Moines Lobe left from the Wisconsinan glaciation. The vegetation of the preserve is primarily a deciduous woodland on rolling hills interspersed with wetland habitats in the hollows. Iowa\u27s only floating bog is present in one of these hollows and supports numerous vascular plants uncommon to the state. Two species, Carex cephalantha (Bailey) Bickn. and Drosera rotundifolia L., are currently known only from this site. The vascular flora of the preserve, studied from both field and herbarium collections, totals 422 species