The plant known as epazote or Mexican tea (Dysphania ambrosioides) is naturalized in the eastern United States as a weed in gardens, on roadsides, and in waste places. It is a pungent herb that has traditionally been used as a flavoring for black beans and is reputed to have carminative and anti-parasitic properties. Until recently most authorities called this plant Chenopodium ambrosioides. However the genus Dysphania, which was originally applied to a small number of Australian species, has been expanded to include species of Chenopodium with glandular trichomes (Mosyakin & Clemants 2002).
The essential oil of the plant consists mostly of the bicyclic monoterpene ascaridole. The name is likely derived from the genus of parasitic nematodes Ascaris. It is reputed to be explosive when heated or treated with organic acids. The chemical structure of ascaridole seems to hint at the hazardous potential of this compound.
source: Wikipedia
Literature Cited
Mosyakin, S.L. and S.E. Clemants. 2002. New nomenclatural combinations in Dysphania R. Br. (Chenopodiaceae): taxa occurring in North America. Ukrayins’k. Bot. Zhurn. (Ukr. Bot. J.) 59:380–385.
Was at Lime Hollow a few weeks ago and came across an unfamiliar smartweed growing next to a gravel path. This one had winged petioles, something I don’t usually associate with plants in the genus Polygonum. I snapped a picture hoping I could figure out the species based on this feature
But no luck figure this one out…until a few days ago I was out at Kettle Bail State Forest and found what appeared to be the same plant growing along the edge of a truck trail. This one had flowers on it and I was able to key it out - Polygonum napalense, or Napalese Smartweed, is a native of China known only from Sullivan, Delaware, and Otsego counties in NY. Assuming I have the identify correct on this one it is now known from multiple locations in Cortland County, .
Spring begins in only a few days, and while the showier spring ephemerals won’t be up for at least a month there should be some buds breaking in the coming weeks. Skunk cabbage is already blooming in some places, and soon some of the following should be emerging.
Coltsfoot (Tussilago farfara) sends up its dandelion-like flowers before its leaves. It is a native of Europe and Asia and has naturalized throughout North America. It has been used medicinally as a cough-suppressant but there now evidence that a chemical constituent of the plant is a powerful mutagen. It is typically found in disturbed areas.
In wetlands one may find Sweetgale (Myrica gale) blooming in early April. This plant associates with nitrogen-fixing bacteria and the crushed leaves smell much like bay leaves. It is in the same family as Bayberry (Morella pensylvanica), which has fragrant berries that have been used to make candles.
In moist woods of Central New York one can find Spicebush (Lindera benzoin), a shrub with fragrant leaves and orange or red berries that ripen in the fall. The floral effect of Spicebush is reminiscent of Forsythia but not quite as showy. It is the larval food plant of the spicebush swallowtail.
Bittersweet Nightshade (Solanum dulcamara) is an herbaceous vine in the potato family (Solanaceae). It is native to Eurasia but has naturalized widely in North America. It occurs in a variety of habitats provided sufficient light is available. Several features aid in identification. First are the purple flowers with five reflexed petals and bright yellow stamens
The fruit matures from green to yellow, orange, and finally bright red and resembles a small tomato (also in the potato family). The plant gets its name from the reputed taste of the fruit, which is said to be bitter at first but later sweet. While the fruits are said to be less poisonous than the rest of the plant, I have never dared to taste one as all parts of the plant contain solanine which is extremely toxic. While poisonings are rare, fatalities have been known to occur.
The leaves are somewhat arrow-shaped and often have two or more lobes at the base. The color is dark green and they seldom have evidence of herbivory. The smell of the leaves is perhaps this plant’s most distinguishing characteristic, similar to tomato but much more foul and disagreeable. This trait has come in handy when it has been necessary to identify seedlings in the field.
Poison hemlock (Conium maculatum) is a biennial herb that can grow to 3 m tall. It has a smooth stem that is often purple-streaked or spotted. The leaves are broadly triangular and divided into 3-4 segments with finely divided leaflets.
The white flowers are produced in umbels up to 6 cm wide and rather resemble a large Wild Carrot (Daucus carota).
This species is native to Eurasia but has been introduced and has spread widely throughout North America. Most often found in partially shaded, disturbed areas on soil ranging from dry to wet, it is perhaps best known as the plant given to Socrates after he was sentenced to death. All parts are extremely poisonous but the parts of the plant that are most toxic are the seeds and root.
Below is a composite image of Common Mullein (Verbascum thapsus). This species has naturalized throughout most of temperate North America and typically occurs in disturbed areas. It is a biennial, most easily recognized by the low rosette of densely fuzzy leaves in the fall of the first year or spring of the second year. By summer of the second growing season it sends up a tall, dense spike of yellow flowers. Mature flowering stems can reach 2 meters in height.
