NATURE NOTE - Number 49 July 28, 2022
Introduction:
We often see the larger trees, shrubs and colorful flowers as we wander through nature, but in this NATURE NOTE, we are going to talk about some of those lesser plants that are all around us, but often get overlooked:
Our Current topic: GRASSES, VINES and FERNS
Grasses are the beginning of many food chains. Insects, small rodents, birds, some reptiles, grazing mammals, and other animals eat grass. Some of these animals are eaten by other animals (including humans). Grasses are among the first plants to return to fields, often establishing the beginning of plant succession. Grass seeds can lie dormant for years before germinating. Many plants used by humans for food are in fact a type of grass: wheat, oats, rice, barley, and corn. Most grasses have very inconspicuous flowers and are wind pollenated. A key characteristic of grass is the parallel vine arrangement of the leaf. Unlike most other plants, grass grows from its base, not from the tip of the plant. Notice a few days after you cut your lawn, your grass is still cut-off at the top, but is longer than when you cut it. If it is not, you are looking at something other than grass that is growing in your lawn. This process allows grass to recover rapidly when grazed by animals or mowed. True grasses grow either in clumps, or as a sod, which is connected by an underground root system. Grasses can tolerate dry conditions, as well as very intensive sunlight over a long period. Compared to other plants, grasses are very water-efficient and use less water.
Vines are not a family of plants, but is a term for a form of growth. Most are fast growing, often in sunny locations. They attach to other plants with tendrils or clinging aerial roots. Some common vines are:
- Poison Ivy-“leaves of 3, let it be”. Shiny, pointed, oval leaves, huge stems grow up tree trunks. Scouts NEED to know this one.
- Virginia Creeper- 5-leaves, palmately compound, toothed; with tendrils. Often in the forest. Sometimes confused with poison ivy, but easily distinguished by its 5-leaves.
- Greenbrier – shiny, bright green leaves with smooth edges; green thorns; quite common in the forest.
- Grape - 30 different species. Leaves often large, rounded, with black or violet fruit. More often found along the edge of a forest.
- Kudzu - imported to control soil erosion in 1876. Very successful. Now invasive. Seen growing on slopes and banks next to a road, often crossing the road on utility lines.
- Honeysuckle – colorful flowers, often on fences.
- Trumpeter-creeper – orange, trumpet-shaped flowers, compound, toothed-leaves, and aerial roots.
People often comment about vines killing a tree on which it is growing. Seldom does this happen. Only if the vine starts to totally shade-out the entire foliage of the tree and prevent photosynthesis can this kill the tree. What is more likely is the weight of a huge vine causing a limb to break off the tree, opening it up to insects and diseases. These are indirect causes of tree deaths. Or perhaps what you are seeing is a vine flourishing on a tree that is already, or almost, dead.
Ferns are among the oldest plants in our environment as well as one of the most diverse. Some scientist estimated over 12,000 species worldwide, and over 400 of this lacy, delicate plant in North America alone. Long before flowering plants were on earth, ferns were among the most abundant plant, and are a common fossil. They reproduce by releasing spores (instead of conventional seeds) from the underside of the fronds (leaves) or are produced on separate stalks that are spread by wind. Their fronds are divided into leaflets, sometimes having these leaflets divided again into even smaller leaflets. Usually occupying moist, deeply shaded areas, ferns are great fighters of pollution, as they absorb not only carbon dioxide, but arsenic, formaldehyde, benzene and other chemicals from the air. This is why they make excellent indoor plants. Some ferns are referred to Spleenworts; a group that at one time was believed to cure diseases for the spleen. Other ferns have found to be poisonous to horses and carcinogenic to humans, but ruffed grouse and deer are known to feed on some species. Certain deep-forest birds frequently use ferns as a nesting site. Three of the more common ferns in our area are:
Hay-scented fern: a common yellowish-green fern, 1-3’ tall, often found in sunny, forest openings in large colonies. The name is derived from its scent.
New York fern: 1’-2’ tall, it has tiny fronds at its base and it largest fronds in its mid-section. It also can grow well in sunny, but moist forests.
Cinnamon fern: 2’-5’ tall, is a very early spring fern that grows from a clump at its base. The name comes from the reddish- brown color of its deeply lobed fronds.
More detailed examination is necessary to identify many of the other species found in our region. A good identification guide is The Peterson Field Guide, Ferns and their Related Families of Northern and Central North America by B. Cobb, 2005, as well as: plantnovanatives.org/natiave-ferns.
Opportunities:
Again, this information is provided to help adult scouters to be more aware of the nature around them and point out bits and pieces to the scouts that might be on an outing. Sometimes we tend to see the trees in the forest, but often overlook many other plants that cover the floor of the forest or field. Just pointing out different vines, or how grass grows different, or just trying to find different ferns on a hike might be enough to create that interest in nature for young scouts. They are the ones that will solve the mysteries of nature tomorrow, but today we must encourage them, help them explore, and educate them when we can. Good luck, and keep an eye out for that rattlesnake fern on the forest floor.
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