Part A: Olentangy River Wetland Research Park.
My botanical survey took place at the Olentangy River Wetland Research Park. It sits north of campus on West Dodridge Street and runs along the Olentangy River. The wetland was created in 1994 and its creation was led by Dr. William J. Mitsch. The research park is 52 acres and is made up of oxbow wetlands, a bottomland hardwood forest, and prairie/grassland areas. Even 30 years after its original crate this site is used by so many different for all kinds of purposes. It is used for classes by students, by walkers and runners on the bike path that goes through it, and for multiple different types of research. This park is mostly made up of what people like to call the “kidneys,” (aptly named after their filtering ability to the environment) which are manmade wetlands that support a variety of wetlands plants, and wildlife.
Google map Ariel Photo of the Olentangy River Wetland Research Park.
Part B: New Plants
I chose this to be the site of my survey and have been out to the wetland for multiple other classes like wildlife ecology and natural history of Ohio and thought I knew a pretty good deal about the plants in and around the park. I was so wrong, After my two-week survey going out on multiple different days at different times I noticed trees I don’t think I have ever seen at the park before. It was quite exciting to walk up on a tree and then truly look around and notice have prevalent it was around the community I was surveying. I took so many pictures of new trees, shrubs, and vines it was hard picking only two trees two shrubs/ and two flowers but I did and I gave an interesting fact about them as well.
__________________________________________
Red Cedar
Juniperus virginiana
The Red Cedar is a tree that has a common name that doesn’t quite fit its scientific name. The Red Cedar despite the name is actually a juniper, which is why it’s in the Juniperus genus. The Red Cedar has both scale-like and longer sharply 3-sided needle-like leaves according to Peterson (Petrides, George A. 1972, Trees and Shrubs of Northeast and North Central US and Southeast and South Central Canada (Peterson Field Guide). Houghton Mifflin, 26 pp. The bark is shreddy not ridge and to me, it looks like a cat has really gone at it and shredded it. A fun fact about the Red cedar is that it used to be called the pencil cedar. This is because in the past it was used to make pencils this was until cheaper wood and synthetic material ultimately replaced it (Wood Database). The Red Cedar has a CC of 3.
You can see the scale and needle like aspects of the red cedar.
__________________________________________
Swamp White Oak
Quercus bicolor
The swamp oak is a bottomland forest tree, which makes sense that I found it inside of the park. The leaves of the swamp oak have 4-6 pairs of large rounded teeth, wedge shapes at the bottom, and white-hairy at the bottom according to Peterson’s (Petrides, George A. 1972, Trees and Shrubs of Northeast and North Central US and Southeast and South Central Canada (Peterson Field Guide). Houghton Mifflin, 220 pp. The scientific name of the tree refers to the different coloration between the lower and upper leaf surfaces (Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center Native Plant Information Network (QUBI). Another fact is one of the Largest Swamp White Oaks grows in Washington County, Ohio. The Swamp White Oak has a CC of 7.
The rounded teeth of the Swamp White Oak (Quercus bicolor).
__________________________________________
Common Privet
Ligustrum vulgare
The common privet is not native to Ohio (boo), it is a European shrub. The leaves are firm but not rough and leathery, elliptic, and hairless (Petrides, George A. 1972, Trees and Shrubs of Northeast and North Central US and Southeast and South Central Canada (Peterson Field Guide). Houghton Mifflin, 79 pp. The bud of the Common Privet is central and at the end of the twig, the buds have 4 or more scales and a single bundle scare. The Common Privet was brought over because it produces a strongly-scented flower according to Go Botany. The Common Privet because of its invasive status has a CC value of 0.
The bud of the Common Privet (Ligustrum vulgare).
A sapling Common Privet (Ligustrum vulgare) found along the roadside.
__________________________________________
Frost Grape
Vitis vulpina
Grapes, now you may surprised to find grapes listed as a woody vine, but grapes are considered a woody vine. The stems attach themselves to trees and can take over. The frost grape leaves are unlobed or with 3 shoulder-like lobes pointed outward and its teether is broadly acute, usually coves sides of the teeth Petrides, George A. 1972, Trees and Shrubs of Northeast and North Central US and Southeast and South Central Canada (Peterson Field Guide). Houghton Mifflin, 79 pp. A fun fact about the frost grape is that its grapes are edible and can be used to make wine, jams, and jellies. The frost grape has a CC of 3.
Looks at those grapes!
__________________________________________
Cardinal Flower
Lobelia cardinalis
The Cardinal Flower can be found in Newcomb’s guide under wildflowers with alternative leaves toothed or lobes with large flowers short-stalked or stalkless (Newcomb, Lawrence. 1977, Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide: An ingenious new key system for quick, positive field identification (Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide). Little, Brown & Co, 52 pp. The Cardinal Flower is aptly named after its vibrant scarlet color. The flower has long stamens projected through a split in the upper lip. It likes to live on stream banks and damp meadows. The Cardinal’s bright coloring attracts its primary pollinator the hummingbird, which is adapted to the long flowers and hard-to-reach nectar according to The Ohio State University. The Cardinal Flower has a CC value of 5.
Look how bright the scarlet color is!
__________________________________________
Biennial Gaura
Oenothera gaura
The Biennial Gaura can be found in Newcomb’s guide under wildflowers with alternative leaves toothed or lobed with white, pink, or purple flowers in 1 or more spikes or racemes stem leaves, not arrow-shaped and basal leaves 0r lowest stem leaf more than twice as long as wide (Newcomb, Lawrence. 1977, Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide: An ingenious new key system for quick, positive field identification (Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide). Little, Brown & Co, 138 pp. The flower is white and turns pink as it fades it has long stamens dropping beneath the flower. Its leaves are lanced-shaped and slightly toothed. The Biennial Gaura gave me a headache because in the book it’s listed as Gaura biennis, but online it is listed as Oenothera gaura. I found out why the names are different. I looked around and was unable to find out why the scientific name was changed. I assume it’s because DNA research was done to find that the Biennial gaura was more related to other Oenothera’s than Gaura’s. The Biennial Gaura has a CC value of 1.
Look how long those stamens are!
__________________________________________
Poison Ivy
Toxicodendron radicans
To make an appearance once again of the dreadful poison ivy. It is essential to know the markers of this poisonous plant that way you don’t accidentally come into contact with it. If you have yet to feel the wrath of this pant count yourself lucky (it is the complete opposite of fun). Poison can be found on the ground and on the side of a tree as a vine. The features of this plant are its leaflets of three where the rhyme “leaflets of three let it be” comes from. Other features are the long stalked middle leaflet and the two lateral leaflets the can be toothed or smooth (Petrides, George A. 1972, Trees and Shrubs of Northeast and North Central US and Southeast and South Central Canada (Peterson Field Guide). Houghton Mifflin, 271 pp. A feature for winter identification is the hair vine you will sometimes see attached to trees. Though poisonous to us humans, it is a food source for wildlife National Park Service. Poison ivy has a CC value of 1.
Do you notice the long stalked middle leaflet?
Part: C: Invasive Plants
Invasive plants boo! The destroyer of forests and beauty. According to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, roughly 2,300 vascular plant species are growing in the wild in Ohio, but only 78% of them are native (that is like a high c on grade scale). The other 22% are invasive and have been introduced from other states or other countries. The Ohio Invasive Plants Council states that 50,000 non-native plant and animal species have been introduced to the United States and half that number is plants. With that number of invasive plants in Ohio it can cause 34 billion dollars in damage to the environment, forestry, agriculture, industry, recreation, and human health (Ohio Invasive Plants Council). With that kind of damage being done it can be helpful to be able to identify some of the common invasive in Ohio especially if you ever want to get involved in land management and help tackle some of the mess that invasive have caused.
__________________________________________
Amur Honeysuckle
Lonicera maackii
Booo Amur Honeysuckle! Anyone who knows anything about forest ecology and management hates this shrub with a burning passion. This shrub is EVERYWHERE and seems to be the poster child of invasive species here in Ohio. The Amur Honeysuckle is native to China, the Russian Far East, Korea, and Japan. It was brought over in the late 1800s as an ornamental plant (we humans are our own downfall). It was promoted for wildlife cover and soil erosion control according to the (Ohio Invasive Plants Council). The Amur honeysuckle is shade tolerant and invades limestone-based soil and can be found in forest edges, abandoned fields, prairies, pastures, and other habitats I said EVERYWHERE. It is the first to leaf out in the spring and lost to drop it leaves meaning it can push out native vegetation from under and around it. If you have ever been to an area covered in Amur Honeysuckle you will see how barren underneath the shrubs is. There are two control methods mechanical and chemical. Mechanical is only recommended for low infestations and if done care should be taken to remove the entire plant (Ohio Invasive Plants Council). Prescribed burns can also be used if it’s in open land. The chemical is the more effective method. It is done by applying herbicides to a stump on the ground after it has been cut back (Ohio Invasive Plants Council)
Bark of the shrub, kind of looks like a zebra.
__________________________________________
Common Reed Grass
Phragmites australis
The Common Reed Grass can be hard to tell from the native reed grasses we have in Ohio. Some of the feature of the non-native grass is dark green leaf color and green stems both of which can be seen in the ones around the wetlands. The non-native common reed grass is theorized to have arrived accidentally through ballast material in the late 18th or 19th century (Ohio Invasive Plants Council). It established itself along the Atlantic coast and over the span of the 20th century spread over the continent. The reed grass is found in wet areas like river edges, marshes, and wet meadows. The grass can invade sites and crowd out native plants, changing hydrology and altering habitats for wildlife (Ohio Invasive Plants Council). There are three control methods machinal, chemical, and biological. Burning is the preferred mechanical method done after the plant has flowers to destroy seeds (Ohio Invasive Plants Council). The chemical control is herbicides sprayed in late summer or early fall after tasseling. The biological control includes several native insects that feed on the phragmites as well as a Eurasian insect (Ohio Invasive Plants Council).
Notices the dark green leaves and the green stem which is indicative of the invasive reed grass.
__________________________________________
Tree of Heaven
Ailanthus altissima
Tree of Heaven more tree of invasion. The tree of heaven was introduced from China as a garden plant in Philadelphia in 1784. By the mid-1800s it was established as a nursery tree because it could grow pretty much anywhere (Ohio Invasive Plants Council). During the gold rush, Chinese immigrants introduced the tree to California as a medical plant (Ohio Invasive Plants Council). It is found in every single county in Ohio and is the greatest threat to younger successional/disturbed forests. The tree loves disturbed soils in urban and natural areas but doesn’t like wetlands. It invades forest edges, successional forests, tree-fall gaps in mature woods, and old fields (Ohio Invasive Plants Council). The tree has three control methods mechanical, chemical, and biological. The mechanical control can work on young seedlings pulling them up or digging them out, making sure to remove the entire plant as fragments left in the soil will allow for it to re-grow(Ohio Invasive Plants Council). It is not recommended to use mechanical controls. Chemical control is the most effective. Selective herbicides are applied to the foliage, cut stem, or the bark at base of the trunk. To be the most effective most herbicides require a penetrating agent to kill off the extensive roots. Biological control is the Ailanthus webworm which has been found in southwest Ohio and feeds exclusively on Tree of Heaven (Ohio Invasive Plants Council).
The bark of the Tree of Heaven (Ailanthus altissima)
The many leaflets of the Tree of Heaven ((Ailanthus altissima)
__________________________________________
Japanese Stiltgrass
Microstegium vimineum
The Japanese Stiltgrass is relatively new to Ohio, being documented in the state for the first time in 1958 by Floyd Bartley. It was not common in southern Ohio till the 1990s (Ohio Invasive Plants Council). and was considered a “watch list” species on the first ODNR invasive plant list in 2001 (Ohio Invasive Plants Council). It is native to China, India, Japan, Korea and Malaysia. The grass was first reported in the country as a whole in 1919 and was thought to be brought over in packing material for porcelain from China’s (Ohio Invasive Plants Council). The grass replaces native vegetation in many plant communities from forested floodplains to fields. When it seeds it can be easily spread from site to site on vehicles, equipment, and footwear (Ohio Invasive Plants Council). There are two control methods for the grass mechanical and chemical. The mechanical controls include mowing and hand-pulling bit is only recommended for low infestation. Chemical control is recommended for high infestations, spraying before flower and fruit happens just life for the mechanical control.
Japanese Stiltgrass (Microstegium vimineum) growing alone roadside.
Part D: Wood Plant Fruits
I have previously on a field trip identified fruit for an individual assignment, but I have never used just fruits to identify a tree. It is quite the challenge to only look at the fruit on a tree and try and figure what tree it belongs to. I was able to do this difficult challenge with four fruit, with a little struggle I was able to locate the fruit and link it up with the species of tree it grows on. The four fruits are listed down below with the identifying feature and what type of fruit the are.
__________________________________________
Ohio Buckeye
Aesculus glabra
The Ohio Buckeye is one of the most iconic nuts ever, it is what we based our lovey dessert off of. The only problem is that the yellow buckeye has a similar nut, so how would you know which one your buckeye came from, well you would have to look at the whole fruit. The fruits are extremely similar being light brown in color, the size of a golf ball, and having multiple seams to split along (which is what makes its fruit a capsule). What makes Ohio Buckeye stand out from yellow is the bumps and spines that adorn the outside of the Ohio Buckeye, the yellow is smooth (Petrides, George A. 1972, Trees and Shrubs of Northeast and North Central US and Southeast and South Central Canada (Peterson Field Guide). Houghton Mifflin, 271 pp. So the next time you walk through the woods and you see a buckeye fruit, check for spines and bumps that’s how you know its a true Ohio Buckeye.
Look at those spines!
__________________________________________
Bradford Pear
Pyrus Calleryana
Another invasive, this time not on the list for being invasive but for noticeable and unique fruits. The Bradford pear has fruits that are pomes, like many of the other similar fruits in the rose family. Some species have similar fruits like the crabapple and serviceberry, but there are differences that set the Bradford Pear apart (Missouri Botanical Gardens). The biggest thing is the color, the Bradford pear fruits are brown in color while the other two species have red or purple-colored fruit. Another aspect is the size of the fruits, the other two have large fruits especially the crabapple, while the Bradford pear has pea-sized fruits making them comparatively small. The last unique feature is that the Bradford Pears fruit is hard and almost seems woody until the frost in fall sets in they become soft. All the features combined, brown, pea-shaped, and hard till frost leads you to know that you are looking at a Bradford Pear fruit.
Notice how its brown in color and quite small.
__________________________________________
Green Ash
Fraxinus pennsylvanica
The green ash just like the others in the Fraxinus genus has samaras (samaras as winged achenes). What separates the green ash samara from the other ashes are a number of things. Those features are that they appear in clusters near the end of the branch, the individual samara is about 1-1.5″ long, the winged portion of the samara extends well past the middle of the seed, the samaras are narrow and tapered at each end and finally, they have a slight square appearance (Texas A&M University). Some people say that the Green Ash samara looks like a boat oar, which I can kind of see (Petrides, George A. 1972, Trees and Shrubs of Northeast and North Central US and Southeast and South Central Canada (Peterson Field Guide). Houghton Mifflin, 51 pp. All of these features can help you locate green ash by just its samaras alone.
Do you think it looks like a boat oar?
__________________________________________
Black Walnut
Juglans nigra
The Black Walnut is the only fruit in this list to house something truly edible. There are other walnuts out and about in the United States but there are features of the Black Walnut that separate it from them. The Black walnut fruit is round and slightly smaller than a baseball. this separates it from the butternut which has oval-shaped fruits that look like papaya (Petrides, George A. 1972, Trees and Shrubs of Northeast and North Central US and Southeast and South Central Canada (Peterson Field Guide). Houghton Mifflin, 135 pp. The nest feature is that the shell of the Black walnut is a dark brown almost black color and is extremely ridges and furrowed. This separates it from the English walnut whose shell is light brown and the California walnut whose shell is smooth and only has a couple of lines running vertically through it. If you brave enough a feature of the black walnut when eaten is that it has a bold earth taste to it which is in contrast to the buttery taste of butternut and mild taste of the English walnut.
You can see how the fruit is smaller than baseball by the size of my hand.
Its covered in mud but you can still see its ridged and furrowed.
Part E: Mosses and Lichens
Lichens and mosses my foe. I am not good at mosses or lichens I have been startled to learn about them only since spring of this year and truly it has been a slow learning process. I found learning trees way easier and I believe that because they are much larger and easier to see the details of. Mosses need a microscope to see some of the identifiable features and for a lot of lichens, you need a hand lens to get close enough to actually see the details. The requirement of secondary equipment to see anything useful for identification kind of hinders me, I like to be able to walk with nothing but my phones and headphones and a field guide and ID as I walk. Mosses and lichens don’t give me the luxury, but for the sake of this website I tried my hardest, was not the most fun but I think I did get a little better are identifying these little life forms.
__________________________________________
Common Greenshield Lichen
Flavoparmelia caperata
The Common Greenshield Lichen is a foliose lichen. It has broad, rounded lobes, and the supper surface is dull, light yellow-green color (Common Lichens of Ohio). This lichen can grow on a variety of tree species, but not on rocks. It likes open locations that get a good amount of sunlight. It is found all around the eastern U.S. and is one of the most common species in Ohio (Common Lichens of Ohio). A fun fact about this lichen is that is used by hummingbirds to camouflage their nests (Common Lichens of Ohio).
Do you think it resembles a shield?
__________________________________________
Star Rosette Lichen
Physcia stellaris
I’m not going to lie this lichen gave me a little bit of a hard time when attempting to ID it. I bounced between the mealy rosette lichen (Physica millegrana) and the star rosette lichen. I landed on Star Rosette Lichen because this lich doesn’t seem to have soredia or isidia and the mealy rosette lichen does have soredia (Common Lichens of Ohio). In the guide it also states that having apothecia is a common aspect of the star rosette and this lichen definitely has them. It is found over the entire U.S. and is common in Ohio. It will grow on trees that are in full sun to light shade (Common Lichens of Ohio).
Do you think I ID this lichen correct? Do you think its the Star Rosette (Physcia stellaris)
or Mealy Rosette (Physica millegrana)?
__________________________________________
Lemon Lichen
Candelaria concolor
The Lemon lichen is a tiny little thing. It tends to be no larger than a fingernail and has very minute lobes (Common Lichens of Ohio). The color of the lichen suits its color quite well with it being a greenish yellow. The lichen likes to grow in full on the bark of soft trees such as ash, walnut, and maple. I found this lichen on maples so I guess now I know why. The species is found all over the U.S. and Canada. Fun fact there are only two species of Candelaria in North America this particular species is an indicator of accumulation of nutrients (Common Lichens of Ohio).
Look at the greenish yellow color!
__________________________________________
Tree Apron Moss
Anomodon attenuatus
Moss are not my thing at all and I struggle real hard at telling them apart unless they are super obvious, so IDing this moss through me for a loop but it landed on Tree Apron Moss. I picked Tree Apron Moss because I located this moss at the base of a tree, which is a common location to find such moss. What I struggled with is this moss did not look like the picture I saw on Google, but I figured out why. I took my photo when it was wet out which caused the leaves to move away from the stem and look flat from above, the picture on google shows the moss when it was dry so that it was I struggled to ID this moss at first (Illinois Wildflowers).
A close up photo of the moss.
Conclusion:
This concludes an overview of my botanical survey out at the Olentangy River Wetland Research Park. I hope that if you have never been out at the park you have a great lodes more about the plants that call that park home and if you have been out to the park you have learned something new about the plants at the park. The research park is an amazing sight and I was happy to be able to deep dive into what to help within its wooded wonders I hope you all have found it just as exciting as I have. I recommend if you have not been you try and make time it’s only a lovely little walk up the Olentangy River trail, and it is totally worth every bit of your time.