False Lilly of the Valley

Maianthemum dilatatum

The false lily of the valley grows mainly in temperate rainforests they can be found from Alsaka to California. They are the main ground cover under Sitka spruce. As one can probably guess the false lilly of the valley gets its name because of its likeness to the lilly of the valley some other names for it is the snakeberry. The False Lilly of the Valley is very common in temperate rainforests it love the moist shade. The False Lilly of the Valley produces small white flowers that grow straight up and red berries. The leaves are tear dropped shape. Generally its only predators are snails, slugs and oblivious students stepping all over them.

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.paulnoll.com/Oregon/Wildflower/plant-Lily-of-the-Valley-False.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.paulnoll.com/Oregon/Wildflower/plant-Lily-of-the-Valley-False.html&usg=__cP2YgUgsdVfy87vTxqv465eLS84=&h=402&w=600&sz=76&hl=en&start=0&zoom=1&tbnid=UdF7FBGCfoZEwM:&tbnh=116&tbnw=155&ei=kXXgTa2_EMjViALBg_XUBg&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dfalse%2Blily%2Bof%2Bthe%2Bvalley-%2Bberries%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26rlz%3D1T4ACGW_enUS406US406%26biw%3D1345%26bih%3D524%26tbm%3Disch&um=1&itbs=1&iact=rc&dur=109&page=1&ndsp=24&ved=1t:429,r:0,s:0&tx=75&ty=56
http://www.wnps.org/plants/maianthemum_dilatatum.html

Shoup Bay Trail

May 26th 2011

Wednesday 430-900pm
Temp. 65-70 degrees Fahrenheit

The Thicket

Salmonberry- Rubus spectabilis
False Indian Corn- Veratrum viride
Skunk Cabbage- Lysichition americanus
Cow Parsnip- Heracleum maximum
Ostrich Ferns- Matteuccia struthiopteris
Red Elder- Sambucus nigra
Black Cottonwood- Populus trichocarpa
Felt Leaf Willow- Salix Alaxensis
Red Current- Ribes triste
Oak Fern- Gymnocarpium dryopteris
Scoulers Willows-Salix scouleriana
Fireweed-Chamerion angustifolium
Alaskan Violets-Viola langsdorfii
Nettles-Urtica Species
Stream Violets-Viola glabella
Watermelon Berry-Streptopus amplexifolius
Chocolate Lily-Fritillaria Camschatcencis
Skunk Cabbage-Lysichition americanus
Scoulers Willows-Salix scouleriana
False Lilly of the Valley- Maianthemum dilatatum
Monkshood- Aconitum Napellus

The Marsh
Purple Iris-Iris germanica
Shooting Star-Hydrangea macrophylla
Meadow Barley-Hordeum brachyantherum
Yarrow-Achillea millefolium
Arctic Rush- Juncus arcticus
Rockweed-Pelvetia fastigiata

It was a very warm yesterday on Shoup bay trail. Dr. Julie asked us to label the plant life from the thicket and the marsh lands as one can see the thicket had much more diversity than the marsh lands. One thing I noticed was that when I was on this trail last year around July and the creek beds were still running with water this year they are all dry.

The Black Cottonwood

The Black cottonwood (Populus trichocarpa) is a deciduous tree that belongs to the willow family and lives primarily in the western United States. The black cottonwood ranges from Prince William Sound on down the Pacific Northwest to southern California. They have been seen as far east as the Dakotas and as far south as the California Baja. The black cottonwood is a hardwood, and is the tallest of all the populus plants.
Black Cottonwoods grow at rate of around five feet per year till age ten. They begin to produce seed around age ten, the seeds ripen in May or June. The black cottonwood flowers in catkins, staminate male catkins are around 2-3cm long. Pistilate catkins typically are around 8-20cm it is from. The fruit is white fluffy and cottony looking which gives the cottonwood its name. The black cottonwoods have a straight trunk that can get pretty knotty, and typically branches begin to grow at the upper 2/3rd portion of the trunk. The leaves on the black cottonwood are heart-shaped with a point at the end.
The black cottonwood’s resinous nice smelling buds are used to make many perfumes and medicines typically for respitory problems. The black cottonwood is also used to make paper.
Quick interesting fact: The Alamo in San Antonio, Texas is named after the cottonwood. The Spanish name for cottonwood is “álamo.”

http://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/plant-of-the-week/populus_balsamifera.shtml
http://pnwplants.wsu.edu/PlantDisplay.aspx?PlantID=217
http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/tree/popbalt/all.html
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMFQq4ekQoC5modIk8y2QHeuBp7i1slKOEzjK5O-ksd-BmXdiLshM3NfTJBG2xOa6ebTGsc6I6JBfZGhgdd-Mih20X2czrIuff2Uqc9WPHXKtRjqX_dD6Ctw-Tqxj6saKCJ7OJYnX7bBg/s400/blackcottonwood8.jpg&imgrefurl=http://pnwnature.blogspot.com/2009/06/black-cottonwood-tree-populus.html&usg=__sr53JwcxSw7TJaMlmBuR1RZ-RHw=&h=300&w=400&sz=28&hl=en&start=0&zoom=1&tbnid=VSQ6_N8IjHs9qM:&tbnh=114&tbnw=157&ei=dmPgTZOfE4jQiAKx8KHxCg&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dblack%2Bcottonwood%2Bcotton%2Bfruit%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26rlz%3D1T4ACGW_enUS406US406%26biw%3D1362%26bih%3D524%26tbm%3Disch&um=1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=387&vpy=219&dur=5194&hovh=194&hovw=259&tx=150&ty=133&page=1&ndsp=28&ved=1t:429,r:21,s:0&biw=1362&bih=524

watermelon berry

Watermelon Berries , also known as cucumber berries and twisted stock or scientifically known as Streptopus amplexifolius. These delicious red berries are full of watery cucumber tasting liquid but don't eat to many of these because they have a slight laxative affect if eaten in a large amount. The American Indians also used the juices to sooth a burn.

The leaves are long oval with pointed tops. at each leaf there is a bend in the thin green stock, giving it a twisted look and have white little flowers that hang down. these plants can get to be 100 cm tall.

You can find this plant in Alaska to California and most of the United states, also through out Canada. They usually will be by streams banks or thick mountain woods. Watermelon berries like moist ground and shaded areas. The berries are ripened around mid summer time.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Streptopus_amplexifolius
http://montana.plant-life.org/species/strepto_ample.htm
http://rareplants.co.uk/product.asp?strParents=&CAT_ID=202&P_ID=1005

Shoup Bay Trail

Shoup Bay Trail

5/26/11 4:30-8:00PM

Weather- Sunny, clear, 65F, amazing beautiful day!

Plants Observed

Watermelon berry-Streptopus amplexifolius
Nettles-Urtica Species
Alaskan violet-Viola langsdorfii
stream violet- Viola glabella
wild geranium-Geranium maculatum
chocolate lily-Fritillaria biflora
marsh cinquefoil- Potentilla palustris
meadow barley-Hordeum brachyantherum
artic rush-Juncus arcticus
pin cushion orange lichen-Xanthoria polycarpa
beach greens-Arenaria peploides
smooth leaf-Saxifraga integrifolia
schoulers willow-Salix scouleriana
Shooting star-Dodecatheon alpinum

The beach accesses trail was covered in beautiful greenery everywhere with a moist some what bouncy ground. False Indian corn , Stream violets, and elders line the narrow path way to the beach.

Dulse

Dulse is a seaweed known for its tastiness. It is harvested in cold waters such as ours and below us in Canada. It can be eaten raw, cooked, roasted, and any other way really. It is a very slimy and rubbery plant. Thick to the touch. Dulse can be found all over health food stores because of their great source of dietary supplements, as well as iron and fluoride. Surprisingly, these are low in sodiu.


Reference:

http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/learn/dulse.php
http://www.marysgarden.com/colostrum/dulse.htm
http://www.grandmanannb.com/dulse.htm