Wavyleaf Basketgrass (Oplismenus undulatifolius)--Something to Watch

On the Friday morning walk at Lake Roland Ed pointed out the clumps of wavy leaf basket grass.  This is an Asian invasive first found in Maryland, some say first at Lake Roland.  There are long roots or stolons spreading for many feet just under ground. This was on the green trail,on higher ground.  I have not seen it on the east side of the lake but is almost inevitably present.

It should be flowering shortly, so spreads by the sticky awns or by the growing stolons.  The seeds stick to humans and animals.  The family is Poaceae with relatives found as lawn weeds.  The pictures show a single plant and a transillumination of a leaf.  The long parallel veins may have something to do with the undulations.  The stiff center vein remains flat.  I will try to add a picture of a large colony, easy to spot.

Wavyleaf basketgrass showing the undulations in the leaves, an Asian invasive nearby

transillumination of the leaf showing the long parallel veins possibly related to  waves

Bottlebrush Buckeye (Aesculus parviflora)

Overlooked on the list of plants along Wagner is the  bottlebrush buckeye near the first curve at the top of the hill, north side.  The overall view is typical widespread with height up to 12 feet.  It spreads by suckering, shoots growing from the base.  The leaves are typical of other buckeyes around the neighborhood, opposite, palmately compound, 5-7 leaflets.  It is a garden plant but is native to the USA, from a small area in Alabama.

The name comes from the erect panicles of flowers, which are now past their prime and beginning to mature into the horse chestnut fruit.  A picture of the flowers from the internet is added showing the peak in late June, early July.  Perhaps it was considered too much ornamental in the first map.  It can be considered a relative of the horse chestnuts that played a role in the origin of modern Israel, similar nuts.  And it is an illustration of the opposite leaf Madcap Horse (chestnut) mnemonic.

The opposite leaves, as in MADCAP Horse mnemonic 

older flower panicle

Palmately compound leaves like other buckeyes

peak flowering from the internet

Black Swallow-wort(Cynanchum louiseae) and Purple Flowered Raspberry (Rubus odoratus)... out of bounds

We were visiting Aurora, NY for a conference, on the shores of Cayuga Lake.  There was an aggressive vine along the walking paths, twining over itself.  There were attractive dark purple flowers.  It is invasive, originally from Europe, and although first seen in New York, it is widely recognized in Maryland.

It is a hazard due to crowding out native species.  It is a relative of milkweed and may attract Monarch butterflies as does milkweed.  The swallow-wort is less supportive to the butterfly or even toxic so a possible additional risk.  This was a couple of months ago and still have not seen swallow-wort in our area.  Look for the follicle fruit now in late summer and the wind borne seeds.

The purple flowered raspberry prefers shady conditions and is uncommon in Baltimore county.  It is also known as Virginia raspberry so is in the general area.  It has the unusual large maple-like leaves.  The internet gives them a downgrade for taste, but our host in NY raises them and finds them a favorite for cooking.  She also mentioned that the canes are smooth, without thorns or prickers but there are small thorns just beneath the berry. It is a native to the eastern United States and has little down side other than limited growth niche.

Two plants from NY but possible sightings locally?

The raspberry was seen on the south side of the path to Taughannock Falls.  Growers know the site.

Unusual leaves of the purple-flowered raspberry. No thorns on the canes.

Pawpaw Flower (From What's That Plant?) Asimina triloba.

This is at least so far,off site, the closest Pawpaw I know is Oregon Ridge and even there have not yet seen the flowers.  The trees there may be male (?).  The specimen was mid-May.

The flowers were in the yard on low bushes and not the trees usually depicted.  He did not mention fruit in the fall.  Apparently pollination can be in doubt for Pawpaws and the plants may need to be mature.

The  bloom was striking but already dried out, so the illustration is from the internet.  Unusual.  The second picture also from the internet is the fruit, as a reminder.  The largest native American fruit.  I have only tasted it a couple of times, despite being a Georgia native.  There may be some attempts to grow Pawpaws in Lake Roland, but the identity of the young wire enclosed plants are somewhat in doubt.
Check around the parking lot at Oregon Ridge next spring or look for the fruit there this fall.

An internet photo similar to one shown at Natural History Society. Pawpaw blossom.

Also internet photo of the large pawpaw fruit, plants were described as small bushes, not sure  of fruit

Flowers That Bloom on Tree Trunks --Cauliflory

This was not unfamiliar but I did not know there was a word for it.  Flowers can bloom from the trunks of trees, in this case the red bud.  It was short-lived, the photo is from May but you can still see the resulting fruits dangling from the trunk.

This is apparently more common in tropical plants and the redbud fits in a tropical category .  There may be a microscopic version of a twig under the flower.  It may be related to variations in pollination .   Check the redbuds along Rolandvue for the pods arising on large branches and the trunks.

Newer foraging books still note that the pods are barely edible but probably not worth the trouble, at least not toxic.

Flowers,and later fruit growing from trunk of redbud, cauliflory

Unknown Vine (To Be Announced)

A vine growing over the fence south of the post office at Joppa and Bellona

Close-up of the leaf, same vine, on the north or more shady side of the fence.

Close-up of the fruit, same vine, mid  December.

This is not very mysterious.  It is an ivy, I was just surprised that it is THE ivy.  This will not be a surprise to gardeners, and means I was dozing in some 101 plant talk. I thought it might be a slightly different species.  The mystery might be in the reason a plant would do this: have two forms of leaves depending on age and growing conditions. This is common or English ivy, just at a different stage.  Here is a comparison with the more standard English ivy, smaller more geometric leaves.  As far as age, the specimen below was taken from a bed that has been there for thirty years, perhaps not the same plants.  It was growing at about the same height. The latin is Hedera helix.

One clue from the internet may be the fruit.  The vast majority of illustrations are the common leaf unless there are fruit or berries, when you do see the larger heart shaped leaf.

The two leaf types together, smaller geometric leaf and the larger heart shaped leaf.

Common leaf pattern from old bed, about the same height, facing west, higher elevation.

What's that Plant? From Flower, Black Cohash, Beggar Tick

These are plants not common along Rolandvue but brought in to be analyzed from nearby areas.  They are probably here in low numbers.  There is a survey going on of Lake Roland plants taken along pre-planned transects.  I have skipped the grasses and sedges for the time being, since details are microscopic.

Tiarella cordifolia or foam flower is now more a garden plant but escapes here and there.  It is considered native to the east coast. It will be more obvious when flowering in May.  The photos show the plant in flower and a close up of the leaf.  A number of birds and insects make use of foam flower but it is not mentioned in the usual foraging texts.  It is a low plant, more of a ground cover, with variable markings on the leaves.

foam flowers, from Natural history society, to watch for in May,seen locally but not yet in neighborhood

The black cohosh or common black snakeroot will flower in June to early July.  The white spike of flowers may be six feet tall.  It is a source of patent medicines including Lydia Pinkham's compound. The photos show the basal leaves with five leaflets and the tall fairy candles. The burr like fruit can stick to fur or clothes.

black cohash blossom turning to seed. Locally seen not in neighborhood

Bidens frondosa was seen last month, similar to the bidens along Wagner shown earlier this year. The photos show the leaf pattern and a close-up of the beggar tick, the adherent fruit which gives the common name.

Biden like the one along Wagner last month, different flower.

Seeds have the double spike, which gives the name bidders