Botany Blog Plants of the Northeastern U.S.

I recently added species pages for Round-leaved Serviceberry (Amelanchier sanguinea), Bristly Sarsaparilla (Aralia hispida), and Devil’s Walkingstick (Aralia spinosa). The latter two are interesting relatives of the common Wild Sarsaparilla (Aralia nudicaulis).

Devil’s Walkingstick is the only woody member of the genus that occurs in the Northeastern U.S. It mainly occurs from Delaware south but has been introduced further north. Rather showy in both flower and fruit, this species has upright stems armed with large prickles and impressively large compound leaves.

There are two main taxa of Highbush Cranberry found in the U.S., one native to Europe and the other to North America. The European Highbush Cranberry (Viburnum opulus) has naturalized throughout the northern half of the U.S. and is most easily identified by the presence of distally depressed (cup-shaped) petiole glands. The fruit of this species is unpalatable and mildly toxic.

The American Highbush Cranberry is sometimes treated as a variety of Viburnum opulus (V. opulus var. americanum) or as a distinct species (V. trilobum). Rather than being cup-shaped, the petiole glands of this shrub are club-shaped or columnar. In addition, the leaves often have short sparse hairs above and the lobes tend to be narrower. While the European Highbush Cranberry can be found in a variety of shaded habitats, its American counterpart is mostly restricted to rich woods or the edges of marshes or swamps. It has fruit that is sour but considerably more palatable than the European variety.

American Highbush Cranberry seems to be much less common in many parts of North America than the European. I have come across dozens of specimens in the wild in the last few years and none of them have been native. Then last week I found some native Highbush Cranberry on a research plot in the Tug Hill region of NY. The habitat was a reverting field at the edge of a marsh where the water table was very close to the surface. Here are some pictures.

Overall habit

Leaf shape

 Petiole glands

Hairy margin

This small plant is an annual hemi-parasite in the Snapdragon family (Scrophulariaceae) . It is associated with acidic, shady habitats on soils that can be peaty, sandy, or rocky. These plants were found along the edge of a pine forest (white pine/red spruce) on sandy soil. The genus name means “black wheat”; apparently when the seeds of this plant were added to other grains and ground into flour the bread made from this mixture turned out black (Borealforest.org, 2010).

The flowers are bilabiate and white with a yellow throat. Leaves tend to be lance-shaped or linear, with the upper often with a few long teeth near the base.

Squarrose Sedge (Carex squarrosa) is a sedge of swampy woods and thickets that can easily be identified in the field. A stout, tufted sedge that can grow to a height of nearly 1 m, it has inflated perigynia (sacs) with abruptly narrowed beaks that are tightly packed on 1-2 (sometimes 3) spherical to ovoid spikes. The term squarrose means spreading, referring to the arrangement of the perigynia on the spike. The persistent style of the achene has a distinct bend to it, distinguishing it from the straight or slightly curved style of Cattail Sedge (Carex typhina).

Many years ago I developed a fascination with cold-hardy cacti. There are several Opuntia spp. (Prickly Pears) that naturally occur in the Midwest and one in the Northeastern U.S. (Opuntia humifusa).

Spinystar (Coryphantha vivipara) is quite different and only occurs as far east as Minnesota. It has bright magenta flowers and a single, cylindric stem. This species can be grown in the Northeast but may develop rot near the base if it is allowed to get too wet, particularly during cold weather. This is probably what naturally limits its range to the west.