Catskills 3

Painted trillium (Trillium undulatum)



Balsam fir (Abies balsamea)



Bunchberry (Cornus canadensis)



Hobblebush (Viburnum alnifolium) a very lovely and very common shrub in these parts



Marsh violet (Viola cucullata)


MAY 30, 2005
SLIDE MOUNTAIN

TREES
Balsam fir (Abies balsamea)
Moosewood (Acer pensylvanicum)
Red maple (A. rubrum)
Sugar maple (A. saccharum)
Mountain maple (A. spicatum)
Yellow birch (Betula alleghaniensis)
Mountain paper birch (Betula papyrifera var. cordifolia)
Beech (Fagus grandifolia)
Red spruce (Picea rubens)
White pine (Pinus strobus)
Pin cherry (Prunus pensylvanica var. pensylvanica)
Choke cherry (P. virginiana)
Black cherry (P. serotina)
Red oak (Quercus rubra)
Mountain ash (Sorbus americanus)
Eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis)

SHRUBS
Large leaf holly (Ilex montana)
Mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia)
Partridgeberry (Mitchella repens)
Skunk currant (Ribes glandulosum)
Appalachian gooseberry (Ribes rotundifolium)
Northern blackberry (Rubus allegheniensis)
Red raspberry (Rubus idaeus)
Red elderberry (Sambucus racemosa var. racemosa)
Early lowbush blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium)
Hobblebush (Viburnum lantanoides)

FORBS
Mountain aster (Aster acuminatus) (syn. Oclemena acuminata)
Wild sarsaparilla (Aralia nudicaulis)
American golden saxifrage (Chrysosplenium americanum)
Spring beauty (Claytonia caroliniana)
Bluebead (Clintonia borealis)
Threeleaf goldthread (Coptis trifolia)
Bunchberry (Cornus canadensis)
Trout lily (Erythronium americanum)
Largeleaf avens (Geum macrophyllum var. macrophyllum)
Canada mayflower (Maianthemum canadensis)
Whorled wood aster (Oclemena acuminata) – Aster
Common wood sorrel (Oxalis montana)
Large-leaved goldenrod (Solidago macrophylla)
Claspleaf twistedstalk (Streptopus amplexifolius var. amplexifolius)
Twisted-stalk (S. roseus)
Starflower (Trientalis borealis)
Wake robin (Trillium erectum)
Painted trillium (T. undulatum)
Wild oats (Uvularia sessilifolia)
Sweet white violet (Viola blanda)

FERNS & ALLIES
Intermediate fern (Dryopteris intermedia) Evergreen fronds old & newly emerging
Shining clubmoss (Huperzia lucidula)
Running clubmoss (Lycopodium clavatum)
Ground pine (Lycopodium obscurum)

GRAMINIODS
Northern long sedge (Carex folliculata)
Greater bladder sedge (Carex intumescens)
Common hairgrass (Deschampsia flexuosa)
Small-flowered woodrush (Luzula parviflora)

Catskills 2

The most massive beaver dam ever! Beavers are...(wait for it)...extirpated (gone, dead, locally extinct) in NYC.

Today we walked out to a bog that had been "lost" for over 100 years. Since this site has a number of rare species, I will limit site location to "Ulster County".

The walk out there was enchanting - an abundance of Eastern hemlocks (Tsuga canadensis), young and old co-mingling - these were, amazingly, free of the hemlock woolly adelgid, (Adelges tsugae), the trees in our neck of the woods are usually older (i.e, no regeneration) and dying (i.e., infested with aphids). The hemlocks cast a deep, dark shade. A thick layer of sphagnum moss carpeted the forest floor, punctuated by drifts of ferns and common wood sorrel (Oxalis montana). I half expected to see leprachauns darting between tree trunks. This wood sorrel is not the same plant as the ubiquitous sidewalk weed we have here. If only O. montana were common in the five boroughs, but that's what you get for being sans mountains.

Long beechfern (Phegopteris connectilis), with wood sorrel & sphagnum moss peaking out from underneath. More plants native to New York State that are absent in the five boroughs. sniff.

The bog itself was amazing, with more heath shrubs than you could shake a stick at. There were blueberries and cranberries (Vaccinium spp.) and laurels (Rhododendron spp.) and winterberries (Ilex verticillata). I was in heaven. I love the heaths! (Maybe because it reminds me of the romantic moors in Scotland...)

Another native heath shrub, bog laurel (Kalmia polifolia). I wish this were in the city.

Another highlight was tussock cottongrass (Eriophorum vaginatum var. spissum). This bog is the plant's only appearance in Ulster County.

Despite it's common name, tussock cottongrass (Eriophorum vaginatum var. spissum) is actually a sedge. Ah, botanical linguistics.

One of the saddest sights was the discovery of plastic pots strewn around the bog. This was an indication that people steal plants from this place to sell on the cheap. This is especially true for plants that are popular/unusual and slow growing, such as trilliums, orchids, heath shrubs, pitcher plants, and sundews. Once these plants are taken from there ecological context, their chances of survival are slim. Your backyard in Brooklyn sure as hell ain't a bog. Plant poaching is far too prevalent. Be mindful of plants offered for cheap, potted in soils that look "natural" (as opposed to a greenhouse mixture).


False hellebore (Veratrum viride). This beautiful native forb is extirpated (locally extinct) in NYC. That's a sad thing.

The day ended with a scramble to see the Adoxa before sundown. This tiny plant is typical of circumboreal regions. This population is a disjunct, with other populations found in the western U.S. Muskroot (Adoxa moschatellina) is rare in NY. We found the strikingly drab forb along a shale road cut. It was neat to see the muskroot, but what really caught my eye was the purple clematis (Clematis occidentalis var. occidentalis). Look below, can you blame me?


Purple clematis (Clematis occidentalis var. occidentalis)


Plant List - These are just the species I jotted down...

5/29
WALK TO BOG

TREES
Yellow birch (Betula alleghaniensis)
Red spruce (Picea rubens)
Eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis)

SHRUBS
Creeping snowberry (Gaultheria hispidula)
Eastern teaberry (G. procumbens)
Bog laurel (Kalmia polifolia)
Large cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon)
Small cranberry (Vaccinium oxycoccos)

FORBS
Threeleaf goldthread (Coptis trifolia)
Early coralroot (Corallorhiza trifida)
Bunchberry (Cornus canadensis)
Common wood sorrel (Oxalis montana)
Northern pitcher-plant (Sarracenia purpurea)
Heartleaf foamflower (Tiarella cordifolia var. cordifolia)
Purple trillium (Trillium erectum)
False hellebore (Veratrum viride)

GRAMINOIDS
Tussock cottongrass (Eriophorum vaginatum var. spissum)

FERNS
Long beechfern (Phegopteris connectilis)
Eastern marsh fern (Thelypteris palustris)

Sphagnum sp.

MESIC FOREST

FORBS
Red baneberry (Actaea rubra)
Jack-in-the-pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum)
Ramps (Allium tricoccum)
Crinkleroot (Cardamine diphylla)
Blue cohosh (Caulophyllum thalictroides)
Horsebalm (Collinsonia canadensis)
Squirrelcorn (Dicentra canadensis)
Trout lily (Erythronium americanum)
Fragrant bedstraw (Galium triflorum)
Virginia waterleaf (Hydrophyllum virginianum)
Twisted-stalk (Streptopus roseus)
Foamflower (Tiarella cordifolia)
Purple trillium (Trillium erectum)
Painted trillium (T. undulatum)
False hellebore (Veratrum viride)
Canada violet (Viola canadensis)
Marsh violet (V. cucullata)
Yellow forest violet (V. pubescens)
White violet (V. renifolia)
Roundleaf yellow violet (V. rotundifolia)
Common blue violet (V. sororia)

FERNS
Ostrich fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris)
Christmas fern (Polystichum acrostichoides)


SHALE SLOPES

SHRUBS
American black currant (Ribes americanum)
Red elderberry (Sambucus racemosa var. racemosa)

FORBS
Red baneberry (Actaea rubra)
Muskroot (Adoxa moschatellina)
Pussytoes (Antennaria canadensis)
Wild columbine (Aquilegia canadensis)
Early saxifrage (Saxifraga virginiensis var. virginiensis)

FERNS
Western oakfern (Gymnocarpium dryopteris)

VINES
Purple clematis (Clematis occidentalis var. occidentalis)

Catskills 1


A famous vista, painted by Thomas Cole, one of the founders of the Hudson River School of landscape painting.

It seems unbelievable that I have lived all but 14 months of my life in NJ/NY/PA (excluding vacations to exotic locales) and I had never been to the Catskills. To remedy this, I decided to go on the Botanical Society of America's northeast chapter meeting (joint meeting with Torrey & Philly Bot Soc) in Ashokan somewhere in the mountains.

On our first field day, we spent the morning in the water, canoing on North-South Pond, the purpose of which was to see bog mats, but we stopped to look at everything.


Pitcher plant (Sarracenia purpurea) leaf on a Sphagnum bog mat in North-South Pond. Note the hairs on the leaf, which lead the insect into the bowels of the leaf. There it is trapped, and eventually dissolved and thus "eaten" by the plant. This adaptation is very common in plants growing in low nutrient environments, like bogs. This plant is native to NYC & environs.


Large cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon) with last year's fruits on bog mat. Its leaves are long and oval, arranged on the arching stem of the diminuitive trailing shrub (center). Interspersed are some round-leaved sundew leaves (Drosera rotundifolia). Both of these are native plants.

After a wobbly (and wet) start, we managed to climb atop a stable portion of the largest bog mat. What fun to watch the unstable "ground" beneath you undulate with every step. The anchors of these systems appear to be the shrub, leatherleaf (Chamaedaphne calyculata var. angustifolia). At the same time, it's a little nerve-wracking, especially when your boots are only calf high.

Next up, climbing the escarpment trail. This was just as well, since I was itching to get out of the canoe. Being so limited makes it hard to botanize!

Bluets (Houstonia caerulea) are common along trails and mowed edges. A cute little native plant.

One of the most interesting observations was the elevated pine barrens - something I associated with coastal plains, but clearly, that was not the case here.

Pitch pine (Pinus rigida) and lowbush blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium) dominate the landscape 3,500 feet above sea level.

One of the most marvelous things was the endless array of native plants. More species and more individuals in an endless, unbroken progression. It was breathtaking to think that this was even possible. It made me sad to think how much we have lost in New York City.


My new favorite tree, striped maple or moosewood (Acer pensylvanica) in flower. Sadly, this plant does not occur in NYC, but is native to other regions of the state.

Plants I jotted down (this is not a complete list)
Plant list 5/28
North/South Lake floating bogs

TREES
Gray birch (Betula populifolia)
Red spruce (Picea rubens) (very unusual, usually upland species)

SHRUBS
Allegheny serviceberry (Amelanchier laevis)
Leatherleaf (Chamaedaphne calyculata var. angustifolia)
Mountain holly (Nemopanthus mucronata)
Bristly dewberry (Rubus hispidus)
White meadowsweet (Spiraea alba var. latifolia)
Steeplebush (Spiraea tomentosa)
Large cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon) used for eating
Small cranberry (Vaccinium oxycoccos)
Withe-rod (Viburnum nudum var. cassinoides)

FORBS
Carolina fanwort (Cabomba caroliniana var. caroliniana)
Larger blueflag (Iris versicolor)
Northern pitcher-plant (Sarracenia purpurea)
Sweet white violet (Viola blanda)
Horned pondweed (Zannichellia palustris)

GRAMINOIDS
Blue joint grass (Calamagrostis canadensis)
Northwest Territory sedge (Carex utriculata)
Threeway sedge (Dulichium arundinaceum)
Common rush (Juncus effusus)

BRYOPHYTES
Sphagnum moss (Sphagnum spp.)

OTHER (LICHEN)
British soldiers – Cladonia sp.



Escarpment walk

TREES
Moosewood (Acer pensylvanicum)
Sugar maple (Acer saccharum)
Yellow birch (Betula allegheniensis)
White ash (Fraxinus americana)
Red pine (Pinus resinosa)
Pitch pine (P. rigida)
White pine (Pinus strobus)
Pin cherry (Prunus pensylvanica var. pensylvanica)
American basswood (Tilia americana)
Eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis)

SHRUBS
Running serviceberry (Amelanchier stolonifera) – tentative ID
Large leaf holly (Ilex montana)
Mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia)
Fly honeysuckle (Lonicera canadensis)
Partridgeberry (Mitchella repens)
Early azalea (Rhododendron prinophyllum)
Prickly gooseberry (Ribes cynosbati)
Appalachian gooseberry (Ribes rotundifolium)
Red raspberry (Rubus idaeus)
Flowering raspberry (Rubus odoratus)
Red elderberry (Sambucus racemosa var. racemosa)
Early lowbush blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium)

FORBS
Lyre-leaved rock cress (Arabis lyrata)
Wild sarsaparilla (Aralia nudicaulis)
Mountain aster (Aster acuminatus)(Oclemena acuminata)
Pink ladyslipper (Cypripedium acaule)
Wild strawberry (Fragaria virginiana)
Bluets (Houstonia caerulea)
Canada mayflower (Maianthemum canadensis)
Indian cukecumber root (Medeola virginiana)
Indian pipe (Monotropa uniflora)
Hairy Solomon’s seal (Polygonatum pubescens)
Early saxifrage (Saxifraga virginiensis var. virginiensis)
Heartleaf foamflower (Tiarella cordifolia var. cordifolia)
Starflower (Trientalis borealis)
Wake robin (Trillium erectum)
Painted trillium (Trillium undulatum)
Bird’s-eye speedwell (Veronica chamaedrys) *
Arrow-leaf violet (Viola sagittata)

FERNS
Bulblet bladderfern (Cystopteris bulbifera)
Rusty cliff fern (Woodsia ilvensis)
Rock polypody (Polypodium virginianum)
Bracken (Pteridium aquilinum)