Cucumber vine: by its fruits you will know...

There is a green vine growing over the large unusual evergreen tree (Cunninghamia) on the north side of Rolandvue a little east of Cloverlea.  Our guide identified this as cucumber vine.  I didn't ask if it was from the nearby garden or the wild type.

Wild cucumber is a native vine tending to grow near water or ponds as in this case.  The leaves are alternate, somewhat Maple like.  The white flowers should be followed by a 2 inch fruit covered with spikes. It is a relative of the pumpkin and cultured cucumber.  I did not see the spiked fruits as yet.

The dynamic changes in the Cloverlea/ Wagner circle are impressive.  In this case probably active gardening.  The cucumber vine over the Cunninghamia has been removed.  We will not see the fruits unless there is a straggler.  The spiky pods on the internet looked interesting.  Maybe next year.

Update: A few weeks later the cucumber vine is back, the photos show  the leaves are a little maple-like, as in the internet picture at the bottom. The tendrils may be typical and have gotten some scientific interest.  How do they coil without twisting back on themselves like a hose?  It may have something to do with the small straight stretch near the bottom.  Here it has attached to a blade of grass.  Location was over the rocks on the north side of Rolandvue next to the Cunninghamia. Still no prickly fruit.

Mayapple, trick or treat?

There are at least two patches of mayapple, one on the south side of Rolandvue a few yards from Bellona, the second on the northeast side of Cloverlea before the lane goes off to the left.  They grow in colonies like this as they come from a single underground root or rhizome.
Mayapple has an interesting partnership with a fungus around its roots which assists with nutrient uptake.

Stems with one leaf will have no flowers or fruit, stems with two leaves can have both.  There may be a competition with forest animals getting to the somewhat edible fruit.  This is another situation in which research and long term familiarity with the plant is needed before thinking of consumption. All parts of the plant are poisonous other than the fruit, the green fruit is toxic, so the margin of safety may be narrow. In addition some authors eat neither the skin or the seeds.

I let this mayapple ripen and get yellow and soft but was not tempted. Maybe in a year or two after more evaluation.  The leaves are commonly subject to a rust.

More Small Stuff: Shiso

The closest plant to gold in economic value, well maybe copper, is the shiso patch on the southern side of Cloverlea Road.  It is about halfway up the hill, just before the lane branches off to the left.  Shiso is a commercial crop in Japan producing thousands of tons per year to be used along with sushi. It is oriental origin but widely naturalized in Maryland.

Shiso is in the mint family has the square stem, opposite leaves on short stems and a herbal smell when crushed.  The leaves are thought to have omega 3's along with minerals and vitamins.  There are numerous other chemicals not fully evaluated. I am in the chewing and spitting out stage with this.  Not absolutely confident. A slightly minty taste and smell,may vary with the size of leaf.

More little stuff: Ostrich Fern

There is a wall to the north, as Rolandvue goes over a small hill on the way west toward Bellona.  Behind the wall are some clumps of Ostrich Fern.  They grow in crown-like circles with the name due to a resemblance to ostrich feathers.  The ID is based on the clumping and the semi-tapered twice cut leave.

Our guide noted the central fiddlehead was small, that it would be, at least for some, edible with cooking, but not to assume that all fiddleheads are edible.

The ostrich fern is native to the east coast of North America, as well as other temperate areas.

Some of the smaller stuff: Chocolate vine or akebia quinata

I was just intrigued by the name.  We saw it along Wagner Road across from the Lalley's driveway, growing over the old wooden fence. The quinata denotes the five leaflets on the compound leaf. The chocolate name comes from the supposed smell of the flowers although this is variable.  Flowers bloom in May, varies with hardiness zone.

There is a sausage shaped pod with an edible pulp but this is also variable.  The fruit appears in late June (Pennsylvania).  It may require more than one vine to fruit. The pulp tastes like cardboard with a sugar coating according to one source.

The vine is used for baskets in Asia.

There is controversy about its invasiveness.  Some compare it to Kudzu, others find it attractive and controllable.  If there were pods already I missed them.

Two red foxes playing on Christmas morning 2013

we have better video of these two foxes playing in the yard over Christmas,but seems to be too much to upload, one is on my facebook page.  They seemed healthy, some concern they were out late in the morning like this.  Confirms the footprints seen in previous post.
Not sure if they are 2 males ,male/female,mother/offspring?  This the start of mating season.

Gopher Turtle at the Rolandvue Annex, Marco Island ,Florida

You can get images of this fellow online, but not with the photographer lying on ant hills in his bike clothes.  They have complex and deep burrows, common here in the"hills" of Marco. The elevation gives them some protection from flooding during hurricane season.  Like our gophers the burrows have second openings, the burrows are shared with other animals.

They are territorial, the males will fight each other.  They try to get leverage underneath each other's shell.  The fight ends when one is turned on his back.  They may be able to right themselves but after waiting a few minutes I usually help the loser out: a moral dilemma. Should nature be allowed to take its course?  He should learn to balance his aggression with some eusociality. Turtles could rule the world.