Leader for today's Ramble, Linda Chafin
Today's emphasis: Seeking what we find in the Lower Shade Garden and the Dunson Garden.
Today's emphasis: Seeking what we find in the Lower Shade Garden and the Dunson Garden.
Don's Facebook Album contains all the photos he took on today's ramble. Unless otherwise credited, all the photos that appear here are courtesy of Don Hunter.
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.6000650206618161&type=3
21 Ramblers today
Show-and-Tell:
Richard brought the infructescence from a Musclewood tree, resembling that of a Hophornbeam, but more leaflike.
Richard also brought a number of fruits of an American Basswood. Each cluster of small fruits was suspended by a stalk attached to a leaf-like bract. The bract is shed from the tree and can, in a wind, carry the fruits a considerable distance away from the parent tree.
Bill brought a dead spider that had been infected with a Cordycep fungus. The fungus grows throughout the body of the spider, killing it. The fungus then sends out spore producing structures. The fungus causes the infected host to climb to a location like an exposed leaf before it dies. Such places are optimal for the dispersal of spores.
Show-and-Tell:
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| Musclewood fruit |
Richard brought the infructescence from a Musclewood tree, resembling that of a Hophornbeam, but more leaflike.
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| American Basswood fruits |
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| Richard drops in with American Basswood fruits. Gary looks on in amazement. |
Richard also brought a number of fruits of an American Basswood. Each cluster of small fruits was suspended by a stalk attached to a leaf-like bract. The bract is shed from the tree and can, in a wind, carry the fruits a considerable distance away from the parent tree.
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| Spider attacked by Cordydeps fungus |
Bill brought a dead spider that had been infected with a Cordycep fungus. The fungus grows throughout the body of the spider, killing it. The fungus then sends out spore producing structures. The fungus causes the infected host to climb to a location like an exposed leaf before it dies. Such places are optimal for the dispersal of spores.
Announcements:
- Emily announced a new run on the old style Nature Rambler's t-shirt (dragonfly design). She will provide details later.
- Dale announced that he has decided to step down as a Nature Ramble co-leader, handing the reins over to Linda. She has asked that other Ramblers volunteer to take every other Ramble, including being prepared with a reading. No requirements other than lead to a favorite area at the Garden, with the understanding that we will have no trouble finding things to look at and talk about. We will also hopefully have guest leaders pop in from time to time. There will be a party at a future date to honor Dale and celebrate his contributions to the Nature Ramble group.
.
Ng up in the Southern woods right now
How thoroughly invasive plants import
er the surrounding fields and forests.
sing in the branches of Bradford pear
on ivy vines that coil around them, too.
nness. I can hardly help greeting them
to understand what invasive species
ness. It's entirely possible to understa
n this moment of dread and grief and
peeking out from the dead leaves o
icker of happiness that somehow leaps
e very saddest funerals, we can hear
a stagger out of an appointment.
Today's Route: We left the Children's Garden pergola and headed directly down the right-side path into the Lower Shade Garden. We wound our way through the Shade Garden and eventually entered the Dunson Native Flora Garden on the mulched path beginning at the old commemorative Dunson Native Flora Garden sign. We walked all of the mulched paths containing ferns before heading4 back up to the Children's Garden, entering at the comfort station. How thoroughly invasive plants import
er the surrounding fields and forests.
sing in the branches of Bradford pear
on ivy vines that coil around them, too.
nness. I can hardly help greeting them
to understand what invasive species
ness. It's entirely possible to understa
n this moment of dread and grief and
peeking out from the dead leaves o
icker of happiness that somehow leaps
e very saddest funerals, we can hear
a stagger out of an appointment.
LIST OF OBSERVATIONS:
American South Section:
Flower Bridge:
Bottlebrush Buckeye is in full bloom. The flowers were visited by many insects, including bumble bees and butterflies.
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| Beebalm, Monarda didyma |
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| Bald Cypress cones |
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| Bald Cypress knees |
Flower Bridge:
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| Long-legged Fly, killer of mites |
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| Bottlebrush Buckeye in full bloom |
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| Bottlebrush Buckeye inflorescence closeup |
Bottlebrush Buckeye is in full bloom. The flowers were visited by many insects, including bumble bees and butterflies.
China and Asia Section:
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| Witch Hazel Spiny Gall |
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| Witch Hazel Spiny Gall opened to show the aphids inside. |
The Witch Hazel Spiny Gall aphid has a complex life cycle that involves two alternate host plants and numerous rounds of asexual reproduction on both hosts. Thrown in among this is the asexual production of winged forms that fly to the alternate hosts and reproduce sexually. If you are interested in the details you can find more information at this source.
https://influentialpoints.com/Gallery/Hamamelistes_spinosus_spiny_witchhazel_gall_aphid.htm
Purple Trail:
Deciduous Holly AKA Possumhaw Holly. All the hollies in the southease are dioecious (male and female flowers are on separate plants). Hollies also bear leaves on "short shoots." These are shoots that have extremely short internodes, resulting in clusters of leaves all jammed together.
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| Female (pistillate) Deciduous Holly showing the short shoots. |
Deciduous Holly AKA Possumhaw Holly. All the hollies in the southease are dioecious (male and female flowers are on separate plants). Hollies also bear leaves on "short shoots." These are shoots that have extremely short internodes, resulting in clusters of leaves all jammed together.
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| Leaf mine on Deciduous Holly |
Many insect leaf miners produce a snake-like path as they feed between the upper and lower epidermis of a leaf. This leaf mine lacks a roof and the brown edges suggest that its occupant has departed, leaving the :roof to fall away. The dark mass at the bottom is the accumulated bundle of frass (fecal material).
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| American Carrion Beetle |
Tom found an American Carrion Beetle on the upper surface of a bracket fungus. Carrion beetles are usually flound in the later stages of decay in vertebrates. They feed on the dried skin and flesh of road-killed mammals. This resource suggests that they may be attracted to mushrooms.
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| Two Witch's Brooms at the base of an American Hophornbeam |
We normally see Witch's Broom in the upper reaches of a tree. But maybe we don't always look for it down low. It's caused by bacterial or viral infection of the tree.
Conservatory Back Area:
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| Eastern Cottontail Rabbit |
SPECIES OBSERVED:
Scarlet Beebalm Monarda didyma
Mariana Island Lady Fern Macrothelypteris torresiana
Bald Cypress Taxodium distichum
Asian Long-legged Fly Condylostylus longicornis
Bottlebrush Buckeye Aesculus parviflora
Common Eastern Bumble bee Bombus impatiens
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Papilio glaucus
Red-femured Spotted Orbweaver Neoscona domiciliorum
Chinese Witch Hazel Hamamelis mollis
Spiny Witch Hazel Gall aphid Hamamelistes spinosus
Spined Stilt Bug Jalysus wickhami
Northern Red Oak Quercus rubra
Deciduous Holly AKA Possumhaw Holly (male and female) Ilex decidua
Holly leaf miner (no ID)
American Carrion Beetle Necrophila americana
American Hophornbeam Ostrya virginiana
Crossvine Bignonia capreolata
Eastern Gray Squirrel Sciurus carolinensis
Eastern Cottontail Rabbit Sylvilagus floridanus
Scarlet Beebalm Monarda didyma
Mariana Island Lady Fern Macrothelypteris torresiana
Bald Cypress Taxodium distichum
Asian Long-legged Fly Condylostylus longicornis
Bottlebrush Buckeye Aesculus parviflora
Common Eastern Bumble bee Bombus impatiens
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Papilio glaucus
Red-femured Spotted Orbweaver Neoscona domiciliorum
Chinese Witch Hazel Hamamelis mollis
Spiny Witch Hazel Gall aphid Hamamelistes spinosus
Spined Stilt Bug Jalysus wickhami
Northern Red Oak Quercus rubra
Deciduous Holly AKA Possumhaw Holly (male and female) Ilex decidua
Holly leaf miner (no ID)
American Carrion Beetle Necrophila americana
American Hophornbeam Ostrya virginiana
Crossvine Bignonia capreolata
Eastern Gray Squirrel Sciurus carolinensis
Eastern Cottontail Rabbit Sylvilagus floridanus
