A Naturalist's Viewpoint

Bayberry -- © Dave Spier

Bayberry (genus Morella, syn. Myrica), tentatively Wax Myrtle (M. cerifera), but possibly Northern Bayberry (Morella pensylvanica, syn. Myrica pensylvanica), is an important component of coastal thickets. The northern species is found from Newfoundland to Virginia (and rarely in NC) where it tolerates a wide range of moisture conditions. Its leaves have wedged-shaped bases and widen toward the end where there are a few small teeth. The gray fruits have a bumpy surface, very evident in the photo. It takes 40 pounds of berries to make one pound of the fragrant wax for candles.

If the berries are left to nature, Yellow-rumped (Myrtle) Warblers will likely eat them during the winter. Tree Swallows eat them during fall migration.

The evergreen Southern Bayberry, or Wax Myrtle (M. cerifera) grows from southern NJ and the Delmarva to FL. A third species, Swamp Candleberry (M. heterophylla) also grows from NJ south. As a group, bayberry is adapted to acidic, nitrogen-poor soils because the roots develop a symbiosis (beneficial relationship) with bacteria that fix nitrogen (i.e., convert it to a form that plants can use to produce amino acids and then proteins).

This photo (from my archives) was taken along the Life of the Dunes Trail at Assateague Island National Seashore south of Ocean City, Maryland. It also appears in iNaturalist.org observations at http://www.inaturalist.org/observations/571894.

Photo filename: bayberry_Assateague,MD_©DaveSpier_D071323flickr (resolution reduced from 3456 pixels high to 864 pixels for faster web use; 8 mp original available by request)

Poison-ivy -- © Dave Spier

Beware the Poison-ivy vine.

Most people are allergic to its sap which contains the irritating fluid urushiol that causes itchy skin blisters on a majority of people. Even if you're lucky like Donna and don't react, that can change with age.

Note the brown, bushy tendrils on the heavy vine climbing the tree trunk. This is the typical form of Poison-ivy, but it can also send out branches resembling tree branches, and it can grow as a ground cover, sometimes reaching a height of one or two feet.

Raspberry leaves with three leaflets can resemble Poison-ivy, but the bramble leaflets have numerous, finer teeth and the arching canes are distinctive.

This species appears in iNaturalist observations at http://www.inaturalist.org/observations/558469. (iNaturalist has its official blog on Tumblr.) For more information on this plant to avoid, see http://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/58732-Toxicodendron-radicans.

Bladder Sedge -- © Dave Spier

Bladder Sedge (Carex intumescens), a member of the Sedge family (Cyperaceae), has long, leafy bracts. In the photo, the brownish, male flower cluster droops down to the left and extends below the bottom edge. The round, female flower cluster has inflated, shiny sacs resembling green-colored onions. The plants are somewhat related, and even though onions are actually in the Lily family, both groups of plants have leafs with long, parallel veins, a trait shared by all Monocots (Class Liliopsida). Sedges are more closely related to Grasses and both belong in the Order Poales.

This native, perennial sedge was growing in a wet ditch on the west side of Bova Road, next to an old Scotch Pine plantation, during the annual Allegany Nature Pilgrimage, held every spring on the first weekend after Memorial Day in Allegany State Park near Salamanca, New York. (photo ref. # D081136 -- © Dave Spier)

This photo and species can be found in iNaturalist.org observations. (iNaturalist has an official Tumblr blog.) The original photo is posted on National Geographic's Your Shot. Photos uploaded previously can be found on my Nat Geo profile page.

Yellow Pond Lilies -- © Dave Spier

These Yellow Pond Lilies (Nuphar sp.) are likely the Southern Pond Lily species (N. advena, syn. N. luteum) because the heart-shaped leaves are held above the water, per Newcomb's Wildflower Guide, p. 176. iNaturalist calls this plant Spatterdock, although that name is often reserved for Nuphar variegatum which has floating leaves. The yellow, ball-shaped flowers are formed from five or six sepals. Inside, numerous petals resemble stamens.

These plants were observed near the boat launch at the north-northwest corner of Red House Lake during the spring Allegany Nature Pilgrimage* held every year in Allegany State Park, NY, on the first weekend after Memorial Day. Photo ref. = PondLily,Yellow_ANP_©DaveSpier_D081188iN

This photo and species also appears in my iNaturalist.org observations. (iNaturalist has an official blog on Tumblr.) The original photo is posted on National Geographic's Your Shot . Photos uploaded previously can be found on my Nat Geo profile page.　

Corrections, comments and questions are always welcome at [email protected] or connect through my Facebook page and photo page. There's also a community-type page for The Northeast Naturalist. Other nature and geology topics can be found on the parallel blogs northeast naturalist, Adirondack Naturalist and Heading Out.