Shale Hollow Nature Preserve is a relatively new preserve in Delaware, Ohio. Every weekend I take my dog to a different park and this week’s destination was Shale Hollow! After reading about the variety of habitats in the preserve’s relatively small area I decided this would be a great place to go on my plant scavenger hunt.
As I stepped out of my car into the parking lot I caught site of my first target species, Pokeweed, or Phytolacca americana. It was growing in a culvert on the edge of the parking lot with some other weeds and grasses and was easily recognizable by its dark purple fruits growing on a bright fuchsia stem.
As I began to walk the preserve’s main gravel trail I caught sight of an Ulmus spp., the other species I needed to find. I recognized it by the double serrated alternate leaves. Unfortunately, the brown fringes on the leaf edges indicative of Dutch Elm disease were also a clue to this plant’s identity.
As the forest transitioned into a prairie I came upon a large clump of wild grape. I had to pull through it a bit to find a good example of a character I was looking for, tendrils!
Upon entering the prairie I was surrounded by a sea of yellow. But the vibrant color wasn’t coming from the Canadian Goldenrod that I was used to seeing, but rather a member of the Fabaceae family, Partridge Pea, or Camaecrista fasciculata. The plants had four part flowers as well as legume fruits that made it obvious they were part of the pea family.
On the the edge of the prairie trail, overshadowed by tall grasses was a single Solanaceae plant. Since it was all on its own and had but a single, large fruit, I couldn’t pick it for ID. It was also done flowering so Newcomb’s wasn’t much of a help. Despite being a mystery species this plant was definitely a Solanaceae as evidenced by the broad, uniquely shaped leaves, herbaceous growth pattern and its green, tomato-like fruit wrapped in 5 sepals.
The last character I had to find was capsule fruits. It proved to be a bit difficult, but on my way out I walked past the Preserve’s planted bed of native plants. Coreopsis lanceolata was my saving grace. This plant was in flower so I was able to ID it and it also had the dry capsule fruits I was looking for.
I like how you tell a little story with your scavenger hunt! I think the coreopsis is actually an achene fruit, but I can see why you thought capsule with the dried head forming a cup around the fruits. Most unusual for an Asteraceae.
It looks like you had an awesome adventure on your scavenger hunt! You were even able to find plants we worked on it class.