We returned to our field site on Sunday, and after a few hours were able to identify four additional trees to track the phenology of this semester. The four plants we will track the phenology of are Quercus lyrate, Asimina triloba, Liriodendron tulipifera, and Quercus alba.
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| Quercus lyrata Photo by Hannah Spivey |
Quercus lyrata, or Overcup Oak, shown below is found in areas with poor drained soils. The Overcup Oak is most prominent in the Coastal Plain; however, it is also found in the Valley and Ridge province, where Ruffner is located. Thist tree was distinguishable by it's scaly, thin bark which you can see in the picture below. We saw a couple of these Overcup Oaks along the Marian Harnach Nature Trail.
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| Twig of Asimina triloba Photo by Hannah Spivey |
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| Asimina triloba Photo by Hannah Spivey |
Another plant we will track the phenology of is Asimina triloba, or Pawpaw. We had trouble identifying this tree from both its twigs and bark. We were actually trying to identify a different tree and were led to this tree, which we recognized as something we had already tried to identify. The Pawpaw tree has smooth gray bark. The buds are distinctly hairy and red shown in the picture below. This tree normally grows in moist habitats much like that of Ruffner.
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| Twig of Liriodendron tulipifera Photo by Hannah Spivey |
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| Liriodendron tulipifera Photo by Hannah Spivey |
Liriodendron tulipifera, or Tulip Poplar, was easily recognized as being in the Magnoliaceae family because of the stipule scar surrounding the twig. The distinct bluish/green terminal bud on L. tulipifera was easily seen on the twigs of the tree pictured below. This plant, like the Pawpaw, is common in moist environments. According to our field guide, L. tulipifera requires direct light to grow its best.
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| Quercus alba Photo by Hannah Spivey |
The last tree we will follow is Quercus alba, or White Oak. This tree has distinct bark that is very scaly and a light grey. In addition, there are three terminal bud on a White Oak twig. You can see the twig and bark pictured below. Q. alba does not really have a specific environment that it grows well in. White Oaks are found everywhere often in addition to other oaks.
We have not really started collecting plants yet because there are many things blooming at our site yet. We have been able to identify probably around 10-20 trees, which we will collect samples from once they bloom. Now that we've started to see some herbaceous things coming blooming, we will be able to collect and identify these as well. We are excited about the trees we have found to track the phenology of. There is a variety of plants from different families and genuses, which will make our project all the more interesting.
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