Uconnladybug's Blog

Nature Oddities

April 25, 2024

Vernal Pools

Posted by uconnladybug under Amphibians, Animals, Environment, Nature, Nature Oddities, Wildlife | Tags: American toad, Amphibians, eft, eggs of amphibians, frogs, nature, polliwogs, red-spotted newt, salamanders, spotted salamander, spring, tadpoles, vernal pools, water insects, wildlife, wood frogs, woodland pools |
Leave a Comment 

It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see

–Henry David Thoreau

Vernal pools are unique wetlands that have a cycle of flooding and drying every year. They can occur in woodlands, open areas, swamps and even fields or other places where a depression allows water to collect over winter and spring and which will then dry out by late summer. Because we had record rainfall last year and, in the winter, many vernal pools retained water all year. Fish do not occupy these pools, but many creatures that are temporarily water dependent can be found in them.

Vernal pools are rich breeding areas for many amphibians which begin their lives in fresh water. Salamanders, wood frogs, American toads, newts, and to some extent, spring peepers need to complete at least the early stages of their life cycle in the pools before reaching adulthood or a terrestrial stage. The same applies to many insects which are dependent upon still water for nymph or larva to develop. Frogs and other creatures developing in vernal pools must develop from tadpoles or nymph stages with gills in time to reach their terrestrial stage before the pools dry up.

Most amphibians that spend their early life stages in vernal pools are generally found in the surrounding woodlands not more than 600 yards away in their terrestrial stage. Many adults return to the same pool to breed the next year. 

Wood frogs are among the first breeding animals to arrive at the vernal pool. Wood frogs lay eggs prolifically in vernal pools. The egg masses of wood frogs are usually attached to vegetation near the surface of the water and may almost cover the surface of the pool if wood frogs are in abundance. They can survive in pools that dry up by August as the tadpole stage typically is completed by mid- June to mid-July in Connecticut.

Salamanders can also be found in and near vernal pools. The spotted salamander develops from eggs masses that are within a clear or milky gelatinous cover. This helps to distinguish these eggs from those of any frog species. The aquatic form of this salamander can sometimes be mistaken for polliwogs by the casual observer. Their development into the terrestrial stage is faster the warmer the water is. After they move to land, they are seldom seen as they are of a nocturnal habit, dwelling in hardwood forests and swamps. This salamander depends upon vernal pools or wetlands where no fish are found that would feed on the eggs and larvae.

American toads lay their eggs in strings that float under the water. They are held together by a clear jelly- like material. Egg masses of the gray treefrog Hyla versicolor are loosely attached to vegetation at the water surface, and these masses do not have the gelatinous coating like those of the spotted salamander. Experience is needed to correctly identify amphibian eggs. Return trips to the vernal pools can help track the embryo development and to distinguish whether it is a tadpole or something else.

Eft forms of newts, such as the red- spotted newt, can spend their first spring in a vernal pool, then develop into a terrestrial stage where they will remain for several years. They then return to water as a gilled breeding newt. Red spotted newt efts may get discombobulated after a summer rain and end up in the lawn while hunting for arthropods.

Many insects also develop in vernal pools- caddisflies, dragonflies and damselflies, water striders, fairy shrimp, the notorious mosquitoes, predaceous diving beetles, water scavenger beetles, springtails, water boatmen. Midges, backswimmers, and many others. Caddisfly larvae will feed on salamander eggs. Damselfly and dragonfly nymphs eat lots of mosquito larvae and other arthropods.

Vernal pools are adversely affected by loss of trees or tree canopies around them, changes in water flow, and drought. Loss of trees that shade them results in increased evaporation of water as more sunlight can hit the water surface. Other naturally occurring changes in the water table and surface water flow can affect vernal pools, such as extended drought or even flooding.

Development that results in the filling of vernal pools is a very real threat. Sometimes they can be destroyed directly, or the land nearby can be altered which can affect the places where amphibians live when out of the water. Construction may take place late in summer where the pools have dried up and may not have been marked as a wetland to be careful of. With all that can go wrong, though, vernal pools can exist for decades in the same place if they and the land around them are undisturbed.

As the pools dry up there will still be a lot going on around them. Sifting among leaf litter and looking under logs near vernal pools can be a landmine for salamander and newt hunters. Be aware that snakes can often be found lurking near the water awaiting any prey that can be found near the water. Have a look and see, as John Muir has experienced-“ In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks.”

Pamm Cooper

 

January 16, 2024

A Glimpse of Some Connecticut Lichens

Posted by uconnladybug under Environment, Fungi, hiking, Lichen, Nature, Nature Oddities | Tags: British soldier lichens, Caloplaca, cinder lichen, Cladonia, Cladonia lichens, Eastern candlewax lichen, firedot lichen, foliose lichens, fruticose lichens, goldspeck lichen, goldspeck lichens, Lichen, lichen covered bird nest, lichen disks, lichen-ecology, Lichens, lichens on plastic fence, nature, Photography, pink earth lichen, pixie cup lichens, Reindeer lichens, rim lichens, rock lichens, rock tripe lichen, toadskin lichen |
Leave a Comment 

“There is a low mist in the woods—
It is a good day to study lichens.”
― Henry David Thoreau 

Most of the lichens in this blog will be those found on rocks and on the ground because right now they are the most interesting to me. Some are displaying interesting and colorful fruiting bodies now even though it is January, perhaps because of the warm weather an wet conditions.

Lichens are organisms whose general structure consists of layers of alga and a fungus. These symbiotic partners have different functions. The green alga (and sometimes a cyanobacteria as well) is the photosynthetic partner (photobiont) and is also the food factory of the lichen. The fungus provides an anchor to a substrate and provides reproductive capability through spore production. The composite body of the lichen is called the thallus.

Lichens have distinct color variations when wet or dry. The color when dry is the color of the particular fungal component of that lichen. When wet, the fungal cells become transparent and the color of the algae beneath them can be seen, usually in variations of green.

The three most common lichen types are fruticose, foliose and crustose. Each has a distinctive appearance and structure. Squamulose lichens combine both the foliose and crustose thallus forms.

Fruticose lichens have a lobed thallus and appear leaf-like. They have an upper and lower layer. They can look like small shrubs as they may have branching. Some have a podetial, which are stalks, and these will produce fruiting bodies on their tops. Examples of this type of lichen include the British soldier lichen, reindeer lichens and the pixie-cup lichen.

Foliose lichens have a three-dimensional thallus with upright structures or a pendulous habit. They often have a leafy appearance. Rock tripe is a good example of a foliose lichen.

Crustose lichens have a one- dimensional crust-like thallus. The lower surface adheres firmly to the substrate which is usually rocks or tree trunks and branches, so they are difficult to remove from whatever they are growing on. Some crustose lichens look like painted bands on tree trunks. 

Spores are produced  in a structure called an apotheciuim which may be a disk or cupped body with. asci on the exposed flat or concave surface. In pixie cup lichens, the apothecia appear on the edges of structures that look likelook like tiny goblets, Apothecia  of other lichens resemble tiny balls on stalks. The most common forms are disks.

Spores from a lichen need to connect with the same cyanobacteria/algal partner of the original organism. Some lichens can replicate through breakage where both the fungal element and the photobiont element remain together. In many cases, mat-forming ground lichens can reproduce through breakage easier than lichens found on trees and rocks.

Rim lichens, genus Lecanora are crusticose lichens named from two Greek words for small bowl and beauty.  They are found on rocks or trees and the body (thallus) is granular like sugar. Disks are variant in color. Before the disks open, they look like small blobs.

The best new lichen I found this January was the pink earth lichen Dibaeis baeomyces. They are found on disturbed soils like sand or clay with full sun, and can they cover the ground over time. The ones I found covered an area of 20 square feet on a power line right-of-way.

I also am enamored of the Cladonia pleurota red-fruited pixie cup lichens. They have splash cups that look like tiny goblets that will fill with rainwater to disperse the spores. The spore structures are red and arise along the edges of the cups. They occur on soils, bark, wood or rock in full sun to some shade. Often British soldier and wand lichens can be interspersed with pixie cups.

Reindeer lichens, Cladonia spp., resemble puffy, light green to gray foamy sage brushes. These prefer very sandy or thin soils or exposed bedrock, and they can easily be dislodged by foot traffic. In the right conditions, they can cover the ground with puffy mounds. A good consideration for a groundcover for areas with little to no traffic.

Common goldspeck, Candelariella vitellina, is found on granite( check old rock walls) in full sun. This lichen has a chemical called calycin that acts as a sunscreen which helps regulate sun intensity as needed by the algal layer.

Concentric boulder lichen, Porpidia crustulata, is a pale gray-green crustose lichen found on rocks in full sun or in the shade. The dark brown disks can appear black, and run in uneven concentric circles within the thallus edges.

While lichens may be found on tree trunks and branches, they do not harm plants. Thay have the ability to fix nitrogen from the air which benefits nearby plants. They are also a food source and sheltering site for animals, especially the foliose lichens. They are also a nest construction for many including blue-gray gnatcatchers, vireos and ruby-throated hummingbirds.

If you are inspired to discover the fascinating world of lichens, be sure to bring a good hand lens. The tiny reproductive disks of some lichens, especially the crustose ones found on rocks, can be easy to miss. Look up and down and all around for lichens- on the ground, trees, rocks and even  on fences…

Pamm Cooper

 

December 4, 2023

Weird Weather in 2023

Posted by uconnladybug under Conifers, Environment, Fungi, Gardening, hiking, Nature, Nature Oddities, trees, Weather | Tags: 2023 weather, Azalea galls, Canadian wildfire haze, cedar berries, cold, coral fungi, erathball fungi, Exobasidium galls, featured, february-2023-ice-storm, flooding crop flooding, fungi, hoar frost, ice, maple anthracnose, Phallus duplicata, Pine sap red, rime ice, slime molds, stinkhorn, sunset glow, weather, wolf's milk slime mold |
Leave a Comment 

Why pay weathermen when you can just look out a window?

Pamm Cooper

Looking back on the past year it was a singularly weird one as weather events go. It was kicked off by a wide-spread rime ice event. In mid- February 2023 we had warm weather that produced a winter fog which rolled in as temperatures dropped below freezing. Several regions of Connecticut had rime ice that lasted for as long as three days as cloudy, cold weather continued. Some tree buds, like red maples, already had swollen leaf buds and thick, clear ice covered them. Damage was moderate as the sun did not appear before the ice melted.

A week later there was a hoar frost which occurs during clear nights as temperatures drop. Hoar frost is more crystalline and feathery than rime ice and looks like sugar crystals on leaves and stems of plants. In May, hard frost in spring occurred when many fruit trees were flowering, and peaches, plums and other tree fruits had little fruit in some areas of the state.

A wet spring resulted in a high incidence of Exobasidium vaccinii galls on some rhododendrons and azaleas. These leaf galls are very heavy and as they age they develop a white coating of spores. Especially affected for some reason were many old rhododendrons.

During a hike, I came across a small pile of white pines that had recently been cut. The cui ends had a reddish pink tint to the sap, which was a new one to me. Our forestry expert said that I took the picture likely within hours or at most a day of the cut, and the tree was still photosynthesizing. Carbohydrate compounds produced by photosynthesis in the sap reacted with the air and oxidized or developed some fungal stain. This is why pines are not harvested for timber during the growing season.

Canadian wildfires affected our air quality, especially during early summer. Ash in the sky made for a hazy, almost fog-like appearance to our air, especially if you looked down into low areas. A lot of perennials grew exceptionally tall during this three-week period as they reached upward for light

.

It was also a very wet year, with almost weekly rains, cooler temperatures and sometimes very heavy downpours that occurred in short periods of time. Water made both gardens and lawns mushy as soil was slow to dry out. Flooding along the Connecticut River also destroyed some crops or rendered them unsafe for consumption. Native maples had brown shriveled leaves in late summer as a result of an anthracnose leaf disease brought on by extended humid conditions earlier in the year.

This year was a good one for fungi. Last year with the heat and drought there was a dearth of mushrooms, but this year there were plenty to be found. This year I found my first netted stinkhorns and several earthballs plus plenty of varieties of coral fungi that seemed to be everywhere in the moist woods.

Slime molds were also prevalent especially in lawns and in moist woods. Some look like puffballs, like the wolf’s milk slime mold. The fruiting bodies of this slime mold are pink and have a slimy pink interior where the spores are found. Many slime molds look like tiny dots on tree trunks and logs in woodland areas.

This year was a mast year for many trees including oaks, Eastern red cedar, Atlantic white cedar and white pines. The ground underneath pines and oaks were covered in acorns and cones in the fall.

Summarizing the year- plants either seemed to do well or were damaged by ice, late frost, wet soils, high humidity and wildfire haze among other things. Although it was nice to at least have some rain after last year’s drought, too much is not always a good thing. Next year will be a typical one for our area,, though, which means it should be totally unpredictable. Dr. Suess has a really good weather tip I will share with you-

“The storm starts, when the drops start dropping
When the drops stop dropping then the storm starts stopping.”
― Dr. Seuss

Pamm Cooper

 

October 31, 2023

Plant Galls Caused by Insects and Mites

Posted by uconnladybug under Environment, hiking, Insects and Pests, Nature, Nature Oddities, Plants, trees | Tags: acorn pip galls, cockscomb galls, eriophyid mite galls, gall forming aphids, gall forming mites, gall forming wasps, galls, goldenrod galls, leaf galls, maple eyespot galls, oak apple gall, petiole galls, spindle or finger galls, twig galls, willow cone galls, wool sower galls |
Leave a Comment 

Galls formed on a red maple leaf by the maple eyespot gall midge

“In all things of nature there is something of the marvelous.” Aristotle

Galls that occur on plants may be caused by insects or mites, nematodes, bacteria, fungi, or viruses. I think the more interesting ones are those formed by insects and mites. Plants that have rapid growth in spring are especially vulnerable to gall-forming insects, but often galls go unnoticed until later in the season. The chewing of the insects produces salivary secretions that cause an increase in growth hormone production in the plant tissue. This causes an increase in either cell size or cell number and results in abnormal plant tissue growth called a gall.

Inside developing galls, the immature mite or insect feeds where it has protection from most predators. In the case of stem galls produced on goldenrods, the fly larvae inside may be eaten by woodpeckers who are savvy to the protein morsel that lies within. Leaf galls are normally not a health issue for the plant as enough unaffected tissue can still effectively photosynthesize.

 Black cherry spindle galls are the most common of the galls caused by Eriophyid spp. of mite. As the name suggests, they are found only on native black cherry, Prunus serotina, and especially on young saplings. Small finger-like galls are formed on new leaves in early spring on the upper sides of leaves. They are green at first, and then turn a bright red, and often occur in large numbers that are tightly packed. Leaves produced later in the spring and throughout the rest of the growing season will not be affected, as there is only one generation of this mite per year.

Another unusual gall caused by an Eriophyid spp. of mite is the birch Erineum or velvet gall. This gall looks like pink fairy dust was sprinkled on the tops of the leaves and which then got very hard.  These galls can also be found on maple, linden and certain viburnums.

Grape tube gallmaker galls occur on wild and cultivated grapes. The Cedidomynia viticola midge lays eggs on the grape leaf, and the leaf then responds by producing pointed tube galls. This gall maker is not of economic importance.

Cockscomb galls on elm are caused by an aphid, Colopha ulmicola. Aphid nymphsemerge in spring from eggs laid on elm twigs and begin feeding on newly emerged leaves, producing a gall that grows around the nymph. Green at first, the gall turns red later in the summer. Winged adults emerge from the leaf galls and fly to nearby grasses where they produce offspring that feed on grass roots. As these nymphs become winged adults in the fall, they fly to elms and lay eggs, and the cycle begins anew.

Aspen petiole galls are formed by the Contarinia petioli midge and are found on cottonwoods and aspens. Each gall contains a single larva, which exits the gall in the autumn to pupate on the ground. This gall is formed at the leaf petiole and does not affect the leaf functions.

Oaks seem to have the greatest variety of galls, especially those caused by gall-forming wasps. There are wooly galls, nipple galls, jumping galls and oak apple galls to name a few. The banded bullet gall wasp Dryocosmus imbricariae produces rather attractive twig galls.

The wool sower gall is caused by the tiny Callirhytis seminator wasp, and appears only on oaks, especially white oaks. The wooly galls resemble a toasted marshmallow as it turns from white to brown over time. Inside the gall are small, hairy seed-like structures, each containing a single, developing wasp larva. These structures get darker during the year and by late summer the entire gall is brown.

Acorn pip galls, caused by the diminutive wasp Callirhytis quercusoperator, are located between the cap and the acorn. When the white gall pushes out, after the acorn has fallen prematurely, there is a tiny triangular hole left. These galls are generally found on red oaks. Ants sometimes chew the pip galls out of the acorn.

Colorful maple eyespot galls are caused by a midge, hickories are hosts for a large variety of gall forming insects, and willows have an interesting cone gall that occurs on new branch tips. There are also galls that form on herbaceous plants- the most identifiable ones being those on goldenrod stems caused by a stem gall fly. Downy woodpeckers go after the larva inside the gall.

The next time you come across some interesting galls, see if you can break one open and find out if an insect is inside. The mystery will be solved, if so. It could be a nymph, a pupa or, rarely, an adult getting ready to chew its way out. Oak apple galls are the most interesting, especially if you find a female wasp that has just emerged from its pupal case.

Pamm Cooper

 

September 14, 2023

Mushrooms, Wildflowers and Other Jewels of September

Posted by uconnladybug under Gardening, Insects and Pests, Moths, Nature, Nature Oddities, Weather, Wildflowers, Wildlife | Tags: baneberry, bottle gentian, cardinal flowr, chicken of the woods, common buckeye, fawn, Gray tree frog, leaf-footed bug, pinesap, Puffball, saddleback caterpillar, September, sunrise, turkey oak acorn, turtlehead, wood hedgehog fungi |
Leave a Comment 

“Happily we bask in this warm September sun, which illuminates all creatures.” -Henry David Thoreau

There are so many interesting things going on in the landscape at this time of year. In residential settings there may be migrating birds and butterflies if there is a good food supply. Animals may be helping themselves to fruits and seeds near homes as well. Most creatures are benign, not harmful to people, animals, garden plants and crops. They are just going about their daily routine for survival. The few that are pests can give the whole of their kind a bad rap.

One that comes to mind is the saddleback slug moth caterpillar, an interesting creature which has no legs and instead creeps along like a bulldozer on medial suckers. Spines cover the tiny body which release a chemical that causes painful stings to the skin when brushed against. The markings on this caterpillar are singular and allow it to blend in with leavers having brown areas late in the season. If not touched, it is just a point of interest and is not a pest or otherwise harmful to the host plant.

This year has been a wet one and wild mushrooms are more abundant than last year, as a walk in the woods will make plain. Laetiporus sulphureus- chicken of the woods- is a spectacular find as far as wild fungi go. It is orange or yellow and cream on the upper surfaces and is normally found in groups. The one I came across was on a fallen tree in the deep woods.

Finding puffballs ready to burst provides a good opportunity to help them along a little bit. I like to give them a good squeeze and watch the action. The wood hedgehog mushroom has tooth-like hymenophores, not gills, and the common name is a direct reference to how the cap looks turned upside-down.

Pinesap and Indian pipe seem to be popping up everywhere from leaf litter in hardwood forests. These Monotropa spp. are saprophytes and must tap into nutrients from trees via mycorrhizal fungi under the soil. Neither plant has chlorophyll, so shade is no obstacle for their well-being.

Goldenrods and asters color the roadsides and road trips may pass by tobacco barns with the laths of leaves hanging to dry. White baneberry berries are easy to spot- they look like white doll’s eyes on a stick. Other fruits from pokeberries to the blue fruit of Virginia creeper also add some color to the landscape.

Late blooming wetland wildflowers like closed gentians, cardinal flower and turtlehead are in bloom now. I recently came across an unusual two-storied closed gentian along the edge of a bog. This was an unexpected side dish on a search for caterpillars near this area.

Lately there have been a lot of small gray trees frogs on plants, screens, in window boxes and other places where they hang out during the day. These little frogs can change color to match their surroundings, so they can be hard to spot when they are resting on green plants when they are green themselves.

Fawns still have their spots and remain near their mothers. I had a close encounter with a pair and their mother while walking through a pasture on Horsebarn Hill here on the UConn campus. They were more curious about me than skittish, so I was able to draw a lot closer to them than is normally the case.

September often is the last hurrah for pleasant days, the last flowers of the season and a green landscape. Insects are still around as long as plants will provide food, and sunsets are getting very colorful. Fruits are adding color to trees and shrubs and lawns are their best green of the year. It is also a good time to learn about the different species of oaks by not only their leaves, but by their acorns.

“Every oak tree started out as a couple of nuts who stood their ground.”

Henry David Thoreau

Pamm Cooper

 

August 2, 2023

Nature Finds and Happenings in the Summer of 2023

Posted by uconnladybug under Birds, Butterflies, Environment, Insects and Pests, Moths, Native shrubs, Nature, Nature Oddities, Plants, Weather, Wildflowers | Tags: aphid giving birth, Aphids, arrow spider, cacada killer, Connecticut flooding 2023, Crocosmia, fringed orchis, groundnut, katydid, microbursts, nature, orange fringed bog-orchid, Orange fringed orchid, outdoors, purple martin, snowberry clearwing, staghorn sumac, tobacco barn, tobacco groing, tornado damage, walking stick, weather |
1 Comment 

How strange that nature does not knock, and yet does not intrude!

–Emily Dickinson

This year, 2023, has been one for the record books. We have had smoky hazes from Canadian wildfires, rain events we could have used last year, and several microbursts just this week in late July in Connecticut. Plants have bloomed way early, achieved higher than normal heights in gardens and lots of butterflies have been noticeably absent, or have been very few until recently. That said, there are treasures to be found in our tiny dot on the globe.

I was made aware by a fellow nature enthusiast that there was a spectacular native plant that I have never seen before blooming now in her neck of the woods. I checked it out, and I was not disappointed by her generous clue as to where to find these gems. The plant is the fringed yellow orchis, Platanthera ciliaris, also known as the orange-fringed bog- orchid.  It is listed as extremely rare in Connecticut on the GoBotany website. Found in grassy bogs, this plant features racemes of yellow to orange flowers that have a showy fringed lip and a very long, slender spur. They are pollinated by butterflies, especially swallowtails.

Cicada killers are making their presence known. These large wasps with amber colored wings dig nesting chambers deep in the soil, usually sandy or dry soils, and they can make a mess while doing so as sand is piled up in the lawn or garden. Females drag paralyzed cicadas into the chamber, lay an egg on the body and are done with that chamber. While females can sting, they are not aggressive, and they are only active in the digging phase for a couple of weeks.

On a recent visit to a nature center, I found a fabulous (for a spider) arrow spider Micrathena sagittata. They are small orb weavers, and they resemble a Gibson Flying V electric guitar.

Nearby was a snowberry clearwing moth, one of two clearwing sphinx moths that hover near flowers like a hummingbird. The caterpillar of the snowberry clearwing uses any honeysuckle as a host plant.

At the same place were a number of walking sticks, a well-turned-out orange leaf footed bug nymph, and a female aphid giving birth to live young. She can have a family of a hundred in a few days, so that explains why aphids are hard to control.

In a butterfly- pollinator garden in a nearby town, the Crocosmia is blooming. The flowers of this variety were brilliant red, so they are likely the ‘Lucifer’ variety, around since 1966. Hummingbirds love this flower, as do many people. There was also a native vine called the groundnut, Apis americana, twining across goldenrods and Joe-pye in a field.

The Connecticut tobacco crop seems on schedule, some plants flowering now as would be expected. I have no idea if diseases or insects are worse than usual for this historical crop of the Connecticut River Valley. To my eye, as I zip by the tobacco fields in my car, it all looks green and healthy.

With all the heavy rains of late, the field of crops along the Connecticut River were lucky to stay above the floodwaters. The Glastonbury ferry was closed due to strong currents and high water. Some towns had microbursts or tornadoes this week, causing some damage to trees and property. In my town, a rural development area had damage from some wind event that went down a few blocks, clipping off the tops of mature white pines and downing trees.

Native wild plants lie Clethra, Joe-pye weed and buttonbush bloomed much earlier this year. I guess the weather has discombobulated a lot of plants. Haze from wildfires lasted a couple of weeks and caused some plants to grow taller than normal as they reached upward for the sun. Fluctuations in temperatures and decreased sunlight has fooled some woody plants into early leaf color change, but they are not dropping these leaves yet.

With all the wind and rainstorms, wildfire smoke effects and temperatures that have gone up and down like Duncan yo-yos, I am wondering what normal is and so are my plants. At least the insects are not so confused, and neither are the birds. I guess that is something at least the birds can crow about…

Pamm Cooper

.

 

March 18, 2023

The most powerful plant – the real-life “pea shooter”

Posted by uconnladybug under Crop Varieties, Gardening, Invasive plants, Nature, Nature Oddities, Plants, Weeds
Comments Off on The most powerful plant – the real-life “pea shooter” 

Have you ever heard of the squirting cucumber? It’s a fascinating plant that is known for its explosive fruit and its resemblance to a “pea shooter”. The squirting cucumber, also known as Ecballium elaterium, is a member of the cucumber family. It is native to the Mediterranean region, but it can now be found in many other parts of the world. This plant can grow up to two feet tall and has a distinctive yellow flower. The most interesting feature of the squirting cucumber is its fruit. The fruit of the plant is a small, green ball that is about the size of a walnut. When the fruit is ripe, it becomes highly pressurized, and even the slightest touch can cause it to explode. The force of the explosion can propel the seeds up to 20 feet away from the plant.

Ecballium elaterium. Els Poblets, Alicante, Spain. Katja Schulz from Washington, D. C., USA – Squirting Cucumber

But why does the squirting cucumber have this explosive property? It’s actually a survival and reproduction mechanism. When the fruit explodes, it scatters the seeds over a wide area, increasing the chances that they will find a suitable place to grow. This is especially important for a plant that grows in a dry, arid environment like the Mediterranean region. Unfortunately, this has allowed the squirting cucumber to become invasive in some places where it has been introduced.

By spreading its seeds over a wide area, the squirting cucumber increases its chances of survival. The squirting cucumber is not only interesting because of its explosive fruit, but also for its reported medicinal properties. The plant has been used in traditional medicine for centuries to treat a variety of ailments. The juice of the fruit has been used to treat headaches, earaches, and even as a diuretic. The leaves of the plant have been used to treat skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis.

However, it’s important to note that the squirting cucumber can be toxic if ingested in large quantities. The juice of the plant can cause skin irritation and blistering, and ingestion can cause vomiting and diarrhea. So while it may be interesting to observe and learn about the squirting cucumber, it’s important to handle the plant with care. The squirting cucumber is just one example of the incredible diversity of plants that can be found in our world, and it reminds us of the importance of preserving and protecting these natural wonders.

Check out the video in the link below to learn more!

– Lou Chenghao

YouTube. (2021, July 2). Squirting cucumber: The plant that explodes. YouTube.
Retrieved March 2, 2023, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLBg0In8Dtw

 

February 1, 2023

Observations in the Winter Landscape

Posted by uconnladybug under Animals, Birds, Environment, Nature, Nature Oddities, Owl, Plants, trees, Weather, Wildlife | Tags: American kestrel, barred owl, bittersweet, elephant ear, Higan cherry, horned lark, horned larks, ice patterns, tree forms in winter, winter, winter orange glow, winter skies, winter sunsets |
[2] Comments 

I please myself with the graces of the winter scenery, and believe that we are as much touched by it as by the genial influences of summer.

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

Winter can be a wearisome time for people who really enjoy the sights and sounds of the outdoors. That said, you never know what you may stumble upon on that may be interesting on any given day as you wander around. During this time of year, some things may actually be more interesting. Trees are interesting in a different way as they are bereft of their leafy canopies which normally hide branches, trunks and growth forms. Bird and wasp nests are visible, and so are growth anomalies caused by outside forces such as entwining bittersweet vines. It is a good time to learn tree identification using features such as leaf bud forms, branching patterns and bark on branches or trunks.

Skies get very interesting color-wise at dawn and dusk, or even during the day. Atmospheric temperatures are colder and less polluted than in the summer, and the angle of the sun’s rays are different now and make for brilliant reds and oranges just before dawn and sunset. When gray skies are to the east, just before sunset there can be an ethereal orange glow that lights up the landscape.

On Horsebarn Hill on the Storrs UConn campus, there are vast open pastures and fields that are home to northern harriers, bluebirds, kestrels and stopping grounds for migrating horned larks. Recently my colleague and I saw a large flock of these larks as well as a male kestrel. Kestrels are small robin-sized falcon and they are a species of concern in Connecticut due to the loss of their habit, which is large open farmland. Look for these birds perching on telephone wires along roadsides where they have access to prey on acres of open fields.  

Barred owls can be active both at night or during the day in the winter. They often rest close to the trunk of trees on lower tree branches where they blend in.  They will go after fish if streams remain open in the winter, but their main diet is rodents, small animals and other birds. Often the larger owl species are mobbed by screaming crows, so if you hear that, head for the ruckus. They might be after a great horned or a barred owl.

Mushrooms have mostly come and gone, but the cinnabar polypore will stand out against the rather monochromatic winter scenery. This shelf fungus can be found on fallen dead tree branches. Against the snow, their brilliant deep orange caps and spores are a standout.

Earlier this month temperatures were higher than normal before dropping well below freezing for a couple of days. Thin ice formed on algae colored water and then partially cracked, which made an interesting, angular, tessellated pattern. That day temperatures went well above the 40’s and by the next day, these patterns were gone. What a difference a day makes!

Besides birds, some fungi, morning and evening skies, and maybe a visit to a greenhouse, there can be other means to escape the winter doldrums. Sometimes the best winter color comes from the sun shining through a window in your own home…

Pamm Cooper

 

November 9, 2022

Outdoors in November

Posted by uconnladybug under building, Environment, Fungi, Gardening, Nature, Nature Oddities, trees, trials, Water Quality | Tags: autumn, Autumn leaves, barn, barn swallow, beaver, Bull's Bridge, Cornwall covered bridge, Coventry library, Diana's Pool, fall, gingko, gingko fall color, Kent Falls, lawn ornamnets, oaks, old train engine, pumpkin field, spicebush swallowtail caterpillar, stacked tooth fungus, tree sculptures, weathervane |
[3] Comments 

“The leaves fall, the wind blows, and the farm country slowly changes from the summer cotton into its winter wools” 

– Henry Beston

Travelling around the Connecticut landscape in the fall is full of colors, interesting buildings, signs that the growing season is coming to a close and, quite often, little surprises that can make crabapples smile. For instance, driving along country roads, you may see example of a whimsical trend where dead branches and tree trunks are used as “sculptures”.  One is even incorporated into use as a mailbox holder.

Leaves are turning and oaks are just about the only trees with leaves now. While perhaps not as colorful as maples, aspens, birch and other tree leaves, oak leaves offer a last look at autumn leaf color. Gingko trees also hold their bright yellow, fan-shaped leaves into November.

A local sand and gravel company is the home to bank swallows, who excavate holes in the exposed sand banks to use as nesting chambers. Every year the bank is dug into by machinery, leaving a fresh canvas for these birds. Holes resemble New Mexican pueblo structures, in a way.

Fields are mostly harvested by now, with some winter squash and pumpkins left behind until needed. As long as the stems are left intact, they can last a while longer in the cold before they rot or become deer chow.

This summer was one of drought and heat conditions that extended into early September. In late October parts of the state had heavy rainfalls of 3-5 inches, though, so some relief came. Two days after those rains, the Housatonic River was raging, as were the waterfalls at Kent Falls, and the waters shooting through the gorge near Bull’s Bridge. Both of these places are along Route 7 in Kent.

Beavers are active all year, and my sister and I recently found a lot of small river and sweet birch felled by one of theses animals along the Scantic River. Birch and aspen are favorites of beavers because they can easily gnaw off the thin bark on saplings and young trees and eat it.

A visit to Diana’s Pool in Chaplin was a first for me, and, like General MacArthur,  I will return. The trail along the Natchaug River is not hard to hike, and the pool formed by large boulders that trap the water is quite large. There are two sets of waterfalls along the trail.

A large, stacked tooth fungus has interested me enough to revisit the old sugar maple where this large parasitic fungus has made its home in recent years. It takes a full season for it to reach its mature size, pushing its fruiting bodies outside the cavity where the fungal body makes its living. By fall, the teeth of this fungus are ready to release their spores.

Around East Windsor, Broad Brook and Enfield there are many farms, tobacco barns, old tree nurseries and horse stables. There is a place where old trains seem to be collected and left right on old tracks in a boneyard of sorts near a small grain elevator that still receives deliveries from newer trains. An old, retired engine has a spiffy rounded roof over the cab.

Autumn will gradually fade away into the sunset and winter will arrive with all that cold and snow that defines its season. Until then, I am looking forward to getting the most out of my November ramblings. I am of the same mind as whoever said this (credited to Unknown, so it could be any of us!)

“A September to remember. An October full of splendor. A November to treasure”

 

Pamm Cooper

 

September 22, 2022

Things to See Outdoors in Late September

Posted by uconnladybug under Agriculture, Animals, Birds, Coastal planti, Fruit, Fungi, Nature, Nature Oddities, Salt tolerant plants, trees, Wildflowers, Wildlife | Tags: autumn, Bears head tooth fungi, bolete, Chester ferry, dragonfly, fall, full moon maple, Guillette castle, Harkness memorial State Park, Hricium fungi, monarch chrysalis, nature, peanut pumpkin, purple marting houses, salt marsh fleabane, September, stinkhorn fungi, tobacco barns, Virginia creeper, yellow crowned night heron |
1 Comment 

“I cannot endure to waste anything so precious as autumnal sunshine by staying in the house.” – Nathaniel Hawthorne

The end of September is here- today marks the autumnal equinox- so we are past the point of no return as far as summer goes. To be sure, this summer was excessively hot and dry, and I am not going to miss it too much, but I do love the colors of flowers, foliage textures and bird and animal activity that make summer an especially lively time. A favorite place to visit for me is Harkness Memorial State Park- shoreline, marshes, gardens and interesting buildings and plants can be found here.

Recent rains have brought on the appearance of wild mushrooms and other fungi. On a recent hike in the deep woods, may sister and I came across several trees that had their trunks covered with icicle-like new fruiting bodies of some sort of toothed fungi. Perhaps they are the bear’s head tooth fungus Hericium americanum or the Hericium coralloides, also known as comb tooth or coral tooth fungus. Time will tell which ones they are when these fruiting bodies reach maturity. We will check on them periodically.

Boletes, that have pores rather than gills, and puffballs, which have neither structures, are good finds now. I bring a small mirror that I can slide under caps to see if the mushrooms have gills, pores or teeth. This is helpful when trying to identify most capped fungi.

Tobacco is being harvested now, and the tobacco barns have opened boards on their sides that help the leaves to dry slowly. As the leaves dry and turn yellow, the smell of unlit cigars fills the air surrounding these barns, and it is actually not a pungent but rather a sweet aroma that almost makes me like cigars- long as they are not lit up.

While checking out one of my gardens last week, there was a not so sweet smell that led to the discovery of a stinkhorn fungus among some perennials. While they are distinctive looking and colorful those attributes cannot overcome the fetid aroma of these fungi.

In the same garden was a monarch chrysalis that should have a its butterfly emerge any day now. This is the first chrysalis I have found in any of my gardens although many monarch caterpillars have been  here. They just pupate somewhere else, except for this fellow.

On a trip to Milford, there were quite a few yellow-crowned night herons, most of which were juveniles. Normally denizens of the Southern areas of the Atlantic coast, they do stray north as far as Minnesota. Also in the area was a Jetson- era- like apartment complex for purple martins, which by now have flown the coop.

Apples are abundant at farm and fruit stands, as are pumpkins, winter squash and other wonderful things. The peanut pumpkin (Cucurbita maxima ‘Galeux d’Eysine’) is an heirloom pumpkin easily identified by its outward appearance that looks as if peanuts have been glued on its pink-toned rind. These growths are caused by the excess sugar that has built up in its flesh. The peanut pumpkin is believed to be a cross between the Hubbard squash and an unknown variety.

Dragonflies that migrate will be gone as temperatures start to permanently drop. Day trips like going on the Chester ferry across the Connecticut River and seeing Gillette Castle on the hillside are fun. As foliage starts to change, hiking and country drives can get a little more interesting. Migrating birds give a little action to the landscape, especially where fruits and seeds are abundant. Soon it will be time for slowing down a little bit, but not yet.

If you visit farms and farm stands, there may be some interesting signs- sometimes painted on an old pick-up truck.

Pamm Cooper

 

Next Page »

• May 2024

  M	T	W	T	F	S	S
  		1	2	3	4	5
  6	7	8	9	10	11	12
  13	14	15	16	17	18	19
  20	21	22	23	24	25	26
  27	28	29	30	31

• Categories

  Categories Select Category 2016 All America Selections Winners  (1) Agriculture  (31) Amphibians  (18) Animals  (30) Bees  (4) Birds  (52) Bluebird  (3) Bonsai  (1) building  (6) bulbs  (3) Butterflies  (43) Canning  (4) Caterpillars  (34) Chickens  (3) Coastal planti  (1) Coastal plants  (2) Composting  (7) Conifers  (3) Crop Varieties  (2) Deicing Salts  (2) Diseases of Tree Fruit  (3) Environment  (142) Fertilizer  (3) Flowering bulbs  (7) Food waste  (5) Frost  (10) Fruit  (13) Fruit & Vegetables  (1) Fungi  (32) Garden Related Activities  (115) Gardening  (671) Heat Stress  (5) herbs  (3) hiking  (36) Horticultural Advice  (117) Houseplants  (16) Insects and Pests  (107) International Compost Awareness Week  (1) Invasive plants  (18) Lichen  (4) Maple sugaring  (2) Mapping  (1) Moths  (11) Native shrubs  (37) Nature  (114) Nature Oddities  (65) nitrogen  (1) Nutrients  (4) Owl  (4) Pansies  (3) Perennial Plant of the Year  (1) Perennials  (42) Plant Disease  (3) Plant diseases  (12) Plant products  (5) Plants  (132) Pollinators  (41) Pruning  (7) Rain Gardens  (1) Roses  (8) Salt tolerant plants  (2) Seed Diseases  (1) Seeds  (2) Shade plants  (7) Sicily, capers, acanthus  (1) Slugs and snails  (1) Soil  (7) Storing  (1) Tender Bulbs  (3) trees  (79) trees  (13) Trees, Eastern White Pine, Pine Tree Riots  (1) trials  (1) UConn Garden Conference  (3) UConn Master Gardeners  (9) Vanilla scented flowers  (1) Vegetables  (55) Victory Gardens  (1) Virus  (1) Water Quality  (5) Weather  (59) Weeds  (10) Weeds  (10) Wildflowers  (56) Wildlife  (95)

• Recent Posts

  • How to Tie Climbing and Rambling Roses to Achieve the Best look
  • A Day with Ag at the Capitol
  • Vernal Pools

• Archives

  Archives Select Month May 2024  (1) April 2024  (5) March 2024  (3) February 2024  (3) January 2024  (5) December 2023  (5) November 2023  (3) October 2023  (5) September 2023  (3) August 2023  (5) July 2023  (2) June 2023  (3) May 2023  (4) April 2023  (3) March 2023  (3) February 2023  (4) January 2023  (3) December 2022  (2) November 2022  (5) October 2022  (3) September 2022  (4) August 2022  (5) July 2022  (4) June 2022  (4) May 2022  (5) April 2022  (3) March 2022  (5) February 2022  (4) January 2022  (4) December 2021  (5) November 2021  (4) October 2021  (4) September 2021  (4) August 2021  (4) July 2021  (4) June 2021  (5) May 2021  (3) April 2021  (5) March 2021  (4) February 2021  (4) January 2021  (4) December 2020  (5) November 2020  (3) October 2020  (5) September 2020  (3) August 2020  (4) July 2020  (4) June 2020  (4) May 2020  (4) April 2020  (4) March 2020  (4) February 2020  (1) January 2020  (4) December 2019  (5) November 2019  (3) October 2019  (4) September 2019  (4) August 2019  (5) July 2019  (3) June 2019  (3) May 2019  (5) April 2019  (4) March 2019  (4) February 2019  (5) January 2019  (4) December 2018  (3) November 2018  (5) October 2018  (4) September 2018  (4) August 2018  (3) July 2018  (5) June 2018  (4) May 2018  (5) April 2018  (5) March 2018  (4) February 2018  (3) January 2018  (5) December 2017  (4) November 2017  (4) October 2017  (4) September 2017  (5) August 2017  (4) July 2017  (5) June 2017  (3) May 2017  (4) April 2017  (3) March 2017  (5) February 2017  (4) January 2017  (4) December 2016  (5) November 2016  (4) October 2016  (4) September 2016  (4) August 2016  (5) July 2016  (4) June 2016  (5) May 2016  (3) April 2016  (4) March 2016  (4) February 2016  (5) January 2016  (4) December 2015  (5) November 2015  (4) October 2015  (4) September 2015  (4) August 2015  (4) July 2015  (5) June 2015  (4) May 2015  (4) April 2015  (4) March 2015  (5) February 2015  (4) January 2015  (4) December 2014  (4) November 2014  (4) October 2014  (4) September 2014  (5) August 2014  (4) July 2014  (4) June 2014  (3) May 2014  (4) April 2014  (4) March 2014  (4) February 2014  (3) January 2014  (5) December 2013  (3) November 2013  (4) October 2013  (5) September 2013  (4) August 2013  (5) July 2013  (5) June 2013  (4) May 2013  (4) April 2013  (4) March 2013  (4) February 2013  (4) January 2013  (5) December 2012  (4) November 2012  (5) October 2012  (4) September 2012  (4) August 2012  (5) July 2012  (4) June 2012  (4) May 2012  (5) April 2012  (4) March 2012  (4) February 2012  (4) January 2012  (7) December 2011  (4) November 2011  (4) October 2011  (3) September 2011  (4) August 2011  (4) July 2011  (4) June 2011  (5) May 2011  (4) April 2011  (4) March 2011  (5) February 2011  (4) January 2011  (3) December 2010  (5) November 2010  (5) October 2010  (4) September 2010  (4) August 2010  (4) July 2010  (5) June 2010  (4) May 2010  (4) April 2010  (5) March 2010  (4) February 2010  (3) January 2010  (3) December 2009  (4) November 2009  (4) October 2009  (5) September 2009  (4) August 2009  (4) July 2009  (5) June 2009  (4) May 2009  (4) April 2009  (4) March 2009  (6) February 2009  (4) January 2009  (1) December 2008  (1)
• Search for:

• Blog Stats

  • 1,599,933 hits

• Top Posts

  • Do I cut the bare hydrangea sticks or not?
  • Scat in Your Garden
  • Wild Phlox? Probably not, this time of year.
  • Boxwood Psyllid and Honeysuckle Aphids
  • Bald-faced hornets: intimidating but not all bad!
  • What should I spray?
  • Handy Home Diagnostic Guide to Key Pests and Diseases of Boxwoods
  • Black Spots on Basil Leaves!
  • Mulch Molds, "What is Growing on My Mulch?"
  • Plants Reverting? What’s a Gardener to Do?

•  RSS - Posts

   RSS - Comments

• Follow Blog via Email

  Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

  Email Address:

  Follow

  Join 726 other subscribers