Plant Identification from Natural History Society Meeting

This will be somewhat wonky and a repeat for some plants.  The discussion added some information not previously mentioned.  I will keep the notes short, more info on the net.

Shiso was brought in from the edge of Towson High.  This has been seen along the south roadside on Cloverlea,  up the bank.  We were imagining fifty dollars a pound at high end oriental restaurants.  Now the discussion was its invasive nature and precautions about forage from the edge of fields that may have been sprayed.  There was only a small sample so could not crush for the smell but naturalist simply rubbed the leaf between thumb and finger giving some scent. The pictures are from the net since have not seen it this year.  From a safe area could forage freely if it is invasive.

We looked at a limb from the fallen tree on Rolandvue.  It was not completely characteristic but identified as a white mulberry, Morus albus.  It has alternate,simple, serrated, heart-shaped leaves with palmate veins radiating from the base. The base is equal or balanced on each side, not offset. The upper surface is shiny,looks smooth but has a little sandpaper texture. New growth of leaves is only on this years stems.  The difficulty was not having the usual mixture of leaf outlines, variability with mitten shapes. It was noted that the large trees will do this, and some trees tend toward one leaf type under stress.  One lesson is to look at multiple leaves, one leaf of thirty on the branch did have a mitten shape.

The white mulberry is also an invasive, the fruit is sweet and safe.  No definite information on mulberry and danger of dropping large branches.  Each tree has to be checked individually looking at the roots, the ground around the trees, evidence of disease, and presence of multiple trunks.  It can be hard to distinguish from the red mulberry without the fruit, plus they hybridize easily.

Getting really Geeky you can take a razor and open the pith of a twig,it was solid and white,with no compartments.

There was a Paw Paw leaf from a local park.  Leaves are large,simple,alternate,ovate tapering to the base smooth surface with prominent veins.  Leaves "smell like motor oil".  There are some in Lake Roland where they are protected by fencing.  That will be interesting, fruit is difficult since they have to be fertilized by another plant.

I would only know a button bush by the round prickly fruit, there is one in the nature garden at Riderwood School, none that I know of here.

We went through an entire dichotomous key, too detailed to get into, but if interested they suggested contacting the University of Maryland bookstore, they have a detailed Trees of Maryland book they run off for the students every year and will do extras. There is a simpler key for common trees in Maryland online.

I brought in a sample of beechdrops from the Malvern end of Rolandvue.  Not much new, but noted that it pulls very easily despite living off the beech roots.  They thought it may be living on the microbes around the roots and not the physical root, thus more loosely connected. They are the dark brown thin plants at the base of the beech trees, no chlorophyll.

There were sassafras leaves, we have these in a group north side of Rolandvue.  The usual discussion of tea from roots, root beer, but also that the leaves are used in Gumbo, might try a small sample. They have the usual leaf variability, three fingers to oval, only a few plants that do that, somewhat similar to the mulberry.  They prefer disturbed areas as a roadside, and are less appetizing to deer.

Finally there was a small specimen of another invasive, Japanese barberry, small green leaves turning to red, alternate thorns, dense foliage which causes high humidity ideal for deer ticks.  Areas of barberry have more ticks, more of the mice that host the ticks and more of the Lyme disease.  There is an effort to get rid of the barberry. The mice may like the oval solid red pendant berries.

Ivory Silk Lilac Tree: Syringa reticula (Japanese Tree Lilac)

This tree is in the wooded margin north of Wagner Rd about 300 yards from the end of the road along the flat area.  You may have to walk in a little, it is near the previously described Cousa Dogwood. There is not a lot online about the tree.  It is small tree or large bush, in the Olive family, non-native deciduous, with an oval to round overall shape.

Our attention was drawn to this tree during the blossoming in early June, large fragrant white blossoms. It may have been the first year of heavy flowering since it was not as prominent previously.  It does not seemed to spread easily. It prefers full sun so that may reduce the bloom. There should be brown capsules following the flowers.  The term syrinx in the name indicates that the white pith in the twigs can be easily removed, leaving a hollow tube.

The photos show the leaves, top and bottom and the trunk.  It might be worth trying to grow from the pods in a full sun area.

Update: No visible pods here in July.  ID is always tentative but the leaves look accurate, there are the white lenticels on the multiple trunks.  Shade could be a factor.  In addition there are multiple suckers on the truck which may be a condition called witches broom.  The multiple thin branches indicate an infection which will eventually kill the plant.  We will watch for seeds later, and for other signs of disease.

trunk and leaves of the Ivory Silk Tree, multiple trunks

Top and bottom leaves, pointed tips,curved veins