Maintained by Anantha Prasad (aprasad@fs.fed.us) Vegetation I found in and around the Lab (ongoing effort!!): There are some riverine forests/woods as Olentangy River flows very close by. Also, there are succession fields, maintained grassland, and some drier woodlots + a pond. Topography is generally flat to undulating to some steep slopes near the river. We are located in the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone - 6a (which means avg. minimum temperature is -5 deg F (-20 deg C). We are however geographically very close to Zone 5b (avg. min. temp is -10 deg F (-23 deg C)! The area is in the beech-maple forest region (glaciated Wisconsin Drift) of Central Ohio. The bedrock is non-calcareous Ohio shales maybe mixed with dolomites. **************************************** Trees: American Elm Ulmus_americana Ulmaceae (many planted for Dutch Elm disease research) Baldcypress Taxodium_distichum (Taxodiaceae) - Planted? near pond. Basswood Tilia americana (Tiliaceae) Black Cherry Prunus_serotina Rosaceae* Black Locust Robinia_psuedoacacia (Fabaceae)/Leguminosae * Black Oak (Quercus velutina) Fagaceae Black Walnut Juglans_nigra (Juglandaceae) Black Willow Salix_nigra (Salicaeae)(locally *) Boxelder Acer_negundo (Aceraceae)* Bur Oak Quercus_macrocarpa (Fagaceae) Chestnut Oak Quercus_prinus (Fagaceae)! Chinkapin Oak Quercus_muehlenbergii (Fagaceae) Common Hoptree (Ptelea trifoliata) NorthernMost member of Rutaceae!! Palmately compound 3 leaflets and waferlike-diskshaped wing enclosing seeds. Eastern Cottonwood Populus_deltoides (Salicaceae) # Gingko Ginkgo biloba (Planted) Gray Birch ! Betula_populifolia (Betulaceae) (Planted) Green Ash Fraxinus_pennsylvanica (Oleaceae) Honey Locust Gleditsia_triacanthos (Caesalpinaceae)/Leguminosae# Musclewood/AmericanHornbeam Carpinus_caroliniana (Betulaceae)! Paper Birch Betula_papyrifera (Betulaceae) (Planted) Red Maple Acer_rubrum (Aceraceae)# Red Mulberry Morus_rubra (Moraceae)* Red Oak (Quercus rubra) Fagaceae Shingle oak Quercus_imbricaria (Fagaceae) # Slippery Elm Ulmus_rubra (Ulmaceae) # Sugar Maple Acer_saccharum (Aceraceae)# Sweetgum Liquidambar_styraciflua (Hamamelidaceae) (planted) Tulip Tree Liriodendron_tulipifera ( Magnoliaceae)(planted for Ozone research) White Ash Fraxinus_americana (Oleaceae) White Mulberry Morus_alba (Moraceae)# White Oak (Quercus_alba) Fagaceae# ******************************** Conifers: (mostly planted) Red Pine Pinus_resinosa (Pinaceae) White Pine Pinus_strobus (Pinaceae) Juniperus sp.(Cupressaceae) Spruce sp. (Pinaceae) ********************************* Shrubby/Bushy Vegetation/Vines: Hawthorns Crataegus_sp. Rosaceae* Viburnums Viburnum sp. (Caprifoliaceae)* Russian Olive Elaeagnus_angustifolia (Elaeagnaceae)# Honey Suckles Lonicera_sp. Caprifoliaceae (Jasmine-like flowers with long tubular stalk) ! Wild Rose/Multiflora rose * (Rosaceae) Poison Ivy Rhus_radicans (Anacardiaceae) Virginia Creeper Parthenocissus_quinquefolia Riverbank Grape (Vitis riparia) Vitaceae /or Foxgrape? ********************************* Weeds/Wildflowers/Herbaceous Layer: Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) Asteraceae *** Ragwort (Senecio obovatus) Asteraceae * Garlic Mustard (Alliaria officinalis) Cruciferae ** Yellow flowered mustard * Bedstraw (Galium triflorum) Rubiaceae (sticks unto you if you throw...whorled leaves)! Mayapple (Podophyllum peltatum) Berberidaceae (Large palmate leaves)# -> vegetative reproduction. vetch # bluets * (Houstonia caerulea) Rubiaceae (local) (delicate/white blue small flowers - patchy) yarrow (Achillea millefolium) (Asteraceae) # (smells good!) hawkweed # (Hieracium pratense) Asteraceae lesser stichwort (chickweed)(stellaria graminea) Caryophyllaceae field bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis) (Pinkish white fused petal-creeper) (Convolvulaceae) Crown-vetch (Coronilla varia) (Leguminosae) (Umbell - pine+white clusters) - creeping stems - forms dense thickets. Moneywort (Lysimachia nummularia) (round, paired, shining leaves on the axils of which there is a slightly tubular yellow flower with 5 petals).. trailing... (Primulaceae) Winter Cress (Cruciferae) (Barbarea vulgaris) - clasping uppermost leaves and leaves have lowermost tiny lobes on either side - Raceme cluster of tiny yellow flowers...uppermost leaves clasping the stem. Common wood-sorrel (Oxalis stricta) Oxidalaceae Ox-eye daisy (Chrysanthemum leucathemum) (Asteraceae/Compositae) (eye depressed, leaves many lobed) Daisy Fleabane (Erigeron annuus) (Asteraceae/Compositate) -> numerous rays. Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) (Asclepidiaceae) - guava-like, soft leaves - the stem when broken, ooze milky sap. ) -> (Guava like leaves - soft - milky sap) Dogbane (Apocynum cannabinum) (Apocyanaceae) is similar but has pods- also, the stem cannot be broken easily like milkweed - and does not ooze milky sap like milkweed, the leaves when broken however yield a milky juice. Dame's Rocket (Hesperis matronalis) (Brassicaceae/Cruciferae) -> 4 petals, dark-violet with lance shaped stiff, bristle-tipped leaves. The leaves alternate and a stalk develops from it's axil. Blue-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium montanum/mucronatum) (Iridaceae) -> 6 petaled purple flower emerges from a grass-like leaf. Goldenrods Deptford pink (Dianthus armeria) (Caryophyllaceae) : stiff, darkgreen stems with needle like leaves at the end...dark pink 5-petaled flowers with white spots...new leaves develop from the axil of older leaves. Moth Mullein (Verbascum blattaria) Scrophulariaceae -> (white pink flowers with purple bearded middle with large yellow anthers) Wild Parsnip (Pastinaca sativa) Apiaceae/Umbelliferae -> Umbell like small yellow flowers) Pokeweed (Phytolacca americana) Phytolaccaceae -> (Reddish stem, very tall and small white spikes with large green globular middle - leaves are large with prominent closed veins) St. John's Wort (small leaflets..characteristic yellow flower with whiskers) (Hypericum perforatum) Hypericaceae Rough-fruited Cinequifoil (Potentilla recta) (Rosaceae) Common cinquefoil (Potentilla simplex) Rosaceae Mock/Indian Strawberry (Duchesnea indica) Rosaceae -> trifoliate strawberry like leaves with a smal red strawberry like fruit...more rounded than oval. Red Clover (Trifolium pratense) Leguminosae -> (pink cluster and double-colored leaf) Bittersweet nightshade -> purple-five petaled flower with a yellow bellshaped beak of stamens... however the leaves were uncharacteristic they did not have the basal projections - it was spiny.... Clearweed -> Pilea pumila Urticaceae -> characteristic veins on leaf ...light shiny green and clear watery stem. ... found in shaded area below the pines. self-heal/Heal-all -> Prunella vulgaris (Lamiaceae) -> violet flowers with a hood on dense, hairy spike...leaves lanceolate, opposite, stem square. Enchanter's Nightshade (Circaea quadrisulcata) (Onagraceae) -> extremely small 2 deeply clefted white petals that look like four - two green sepals, small bristle tipped nut - oblong/ovoid (purplish) ... opposite, deeply viened dark green, ovate leafs with irregular tooth and pointed.... shaded damp woods. Butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa) Asclepidiaceae -> Inverted small, pink flowers in terminal clusters Smooth false foxglove (Gerardia laevigata) Scrophularaceae - yellow small-funnel shaped flowers at axils of leaves (opposite)...the middle of the flower is kind of waxy. Boneset (Eupatorium perfoliata) Asteraceae -> veiny, wrinkly, lanced shaped leaves united at stem...white terminal clusters of flowers. Western ironweed (Vernonia fasciculata) Asteraceae -> clusters of dark tiny purple tuft of flowers from axil of alternate leaves... leaves dark green and rough. Wild lettuce (Lactuca canadensis) Asteraceae -> cut leaf, pale, small, dandelion like flowers. Nodding Onion (Allium cernuum) Liliaceae -> onion-like leaves from base, and an end cluster of light pink flowers from long stem. Cut stem smells like Onion. Whorled Rosinweed (Silphium trifoliatum) Asteraceae -> whorled trifoliate coarse, dark green leaves along the stem and yellow small flowers at the top. Wild Strawberry (Fragaria virginiana) Rosaceae -> Three leaves in a whorl, veined, light green with prominent tooth. Velvet leaf -> Abutilon theophrasti (Malvaceae) -> Velvety, heart shaped leaf - yellow hibiscus like flowers. Virginia knotweed (Tovara virginiana) Polygonaceae -> long spike with sparse white elongated buds ... the alternate leaves are large, with a tubed sheath enclosing its base... Indian tobacco (Lobelia inflata) Campanulaceae -> pale blue-violet flowers with three pointed petals/sepals below and a 2 spiked extension above that becomes inflated and baloon like fruit ... leaves alternate, light green and alternate-ovate, wavy toothed. stem hairy. White Snakeroot (Eupatorium rugosum) (Asteraceae) -> clusters of small white flowers from the axils of stalked, 3-veined leaves ... the flowers have protruding stamens. Very common flower in late August-Sept. ... fatal to cattle. Several kinds of Asters in Fall along with Goldenrods. ************************************ 1999 Spring April 8th: * Saw bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis - Papaveraceae) in bloom. * Lots of White Trout Lilies (Erythronium americanum - Lilaceae) (not blooming). * Lots of Garlic Mustard (Alliaria officinalis). * A big patch of bluebells (Mertensia virginica - Boraginaceae) in bloom. * A wild garlic (Allium canadense - Liliaceae) in bloom. * Geum canadense (Rosaceae) - not blooming. * Rue Anemone (Anemonella thalictroides) Ranunculaceae * One trillium (Trillium grandiflorum - Liliaceae). * Lots of Mayapples (Podophyllum peltatum) Berberidaceae April 20th: * Spring Beauty (Claytonia virginica) Portulacaceae (5 white petals with pink/magenta veins. Has two calyx which is brown in color which contrasts markedly with the petals). April 27th: * Common Blue Violet (Viola sororia) Violaceae: violet 5 petaled, the lower petal spurred. Leaves heart-shaped and curled. Leaves rich in Vitamin A & C. * Purple Dead-nettle (Lamium purpureum) (Lamiaceae): small purple flowers with corolla fused to form a long tube with a hooded upper lip and a flaring lowerlip. Mint-like leaves, square stem. * Butterweed (Senecio glabellus) Asteraceae Small yellow asterlike flowers - leaves are coarsely toothed with rounded lobes. May 3rd: * Wild blue phlox (Phlox divaricata) Polemoniaceae (5 petals fused to form a tube - 3 leaves (lance-like) whorled. * Wild Geranium (Geranium maculatum) (Geraniaceae) Rose-purple flowers, 5 petals. Leaves deeply cleft with 5 lobes (Rich moist woods, and flood plains). * Solomon's plume (Smilacina racemosa) Liliaceae (Characteristic leafs, zigzaging - with prominent veins 3 of which are prominent. Almost blooming. * Solomon's Seal (Polygonatum biflorum) Liliaceae (Leaf zigzaging similar to Solomon's plume, veiny but no prominent veins like s.plume. and bell like flowers. May 13th * Mouse ear chickweed (Cerastium vulgatum) small white flower, cleft petals and hairy leaves and stem (Caryophyllaceae) * Wintercress (Barbarea vulgaris) Brassicaceae yellow clusters. * Ground Ivy (Glechoma hederacum) (Lamiaceae) - forms mats - purple hooded flowers - small blunt-toothed heart-shaped leaves May 18th * Golden Alexanders (Zizia aurea) (Apiaceae) - Yellow umbells, 3-leaf compunds- edge serrated. * Cut-leaved toothwort (Cardamine concatenata) (Brassicaeae) Characteristic whorl of 3 leaves each divided into 3-5 nnarrow sharp-toothed leaflets - turns yellow in late May - white 4 petaled flowers in a loose terminal cluster - gets pinkish as they get older. Lot of Cinquefoils (Potentilla simplex) in bloom (Rosaceae) May 20th: * Yellow goatsbeard (Tragopogan pratensis) (Asteraceae) Yellow daisy like flower with the end of petals serrated (like Chicory). Long stem, leaf grass-like and clasps the stem. (Blooming period is June to August - but found it in bloom!! Climate warming??) July 20th: Culver's root (Veronicastrum virginicum) (Scrophulariaceae) - Long spikes with tiny, tubular white flowers - Leaf lanceolate, deeply veined and toothed. Opposite with the spikes forming from the axils. Only two species in this genus - the other one is in Asia. Garden Phlox (Phlox paniculata) (Polemoniaceae): Lavender colored, 5-petaled flowers forming a basal tube. Leaves opposite, lance-shaped.