Today, I forayed on the South Tract and spotted a bunch of Bald Cypress trees thriving in a swampy area next to Reddington Lake. Bald Cypress is not native this far north, but can do all right when planted in the right place. In this case, they were planted by Fran Uhler back in the 1960’s or 1970’s. They are doing just fine and some of the trees are producing cones and seeds. In fact, these trees have established themselves with several younger trees growing next to the larger ones.
Several vines of wild yam (Discorea villosa) L. were spotted in full bloom along the Knowles 1 Pond on the Central Tract. Wild Yam is common in North America ranging from Ontario on the North, along the Eastern Seaboard to Florida and West to Texas and Nebraska.
It purportedly has medicinal properties, including as an anti-cancer treatment. However, according to the American Cancer Society these claims are false, and there is no evidence of its effectiveness.
On the way home from work today, I took a bunch of pictures of two established colonies of Aesculus parviflora (Bottlebrush Buckeye) near our home. One of them was in the middle of someone’s lawn and the other one was in the woods. I first spotted them six years ago, and they have spread since then. The latter one ran for about 100 feet along the road and was about 50 feet back into the woods. Three or four saplings had popped up across the road from this colony. I am not sure if they are primarily spread from seedlings or if they are clones, but they sure like where they are at.
The following are photographs that I took today. (Click on the thumbnails for a larger view.)
The following are photographs that I took in previous years.
Today in front of the old house in which the Refuge superintendent used to live, I spotted a pecan tree (Carya illinoinensis). The pecan is native to Mexico and southeastern USA, but not Maryland. This specimen is handsome. I wonder if it will produce pecan nuts in the fall.
Today, I found an interesting exotic on the Central Tract. It is called Temple Grass and the scientific name is Zoysia matrella. This native to East Asia and northern Australia is sometimes planted in North America as a lawn grass. Its matting nature makes it a natural for planting on golf course greens. It is tolerant to high salinity and is therefore sometimes planted as erosion control and in lawns in coastal areas.
Someone planted this grass on the Snowden Pond dike, and it seems to like it there.
It is a diecious, meaning that the female and male reproductive flower parts are found on separate plants. (see the photos on this page.) The leaves angled at more or less 90 degrees from the culm/stem, distinguishes this species from a related species, Zoysia japonica, which have leaves that point upwards towards the end of the stem.
Today I spotted several patches of Mile-a-Minute (Persicaria perfoliata) which has sustained some apparent severe insect damage in the “Savanna” restoration area. I understand that weevils have been released on the refuge. I wonder if this is not damage by weevils. There are weevils which are natural enemies to the Mile-a-Minute in Asia where it is native, but using it as a biological control in the USA is more or less experimental.
The good thing about using weevils as a biological control of Mile-a-Minute is that they are not known to attack our native Persicaria species. I am not sure of the weevil’s species name, but will try to find out. I believe it could be Rhinocominus latipes Korotyaev.
Milkweeds (Asclepias spp.) are important to the Monarch Butterfly (Danaus plexippus) because its larva feeds exclusively on it. The recent decline of the Monarch butterfly population has sparked an interest saving it by planting milkweed. The Friends of Patuxent is sponsoring an effort to plant milkweed on the Patuxent Research Refuge. The Patuxent Research Refuge is home to six species of Milkweed. This series of blogs will introduce them to you.
The most easily seen species of milkweed is the Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca L.). It grows in open fields and along the side of roads throughout. There are a number of them planted by the North Tract Contact Station. The largest patch of it is under the Pepco powerlines on the Central Tract. (Click here for more details.)
The Common Milkweed is found throughout Eastern North America from Southern Canada on the north, along the Eastern Seaboard from Maine to North Carolina and northen Georgia on the east, and to the Great Plains as far west as Texas and Oklahoma. It occurs in a wide range of habitats from floodplains to dry sandy areas and waste fields. It prefers sunny locations over shade.
Chemicals in the milkweed make the larva and adult Monarch’s flesh distasteful to most predators. In addition to the Monarch, it is attractive to the milkweed bug, various other pollinators and insects.
(Click here to see a blog of Monarchs at various life stages)
ABOVE PHOTO: A view of Schafer Lake with water lilies
(Click on the thumbnails below for full views.)
The objective today was to find the Sundew that had been reported as occurring on the Schafer Farm section of the Refuge’s Central Tract. I had heard that it was next to a pond that I had not been to before. The species had been reported to be the Spoon-leaf Sundew (Drosera intermedia). I just had to check it out.
After plugging the Sundew’s geo-coordinates that I received from Zach Cravens, a Refuge staff member, into my GPS, I set out for the location. The hike to the location took me in an eastward direction from the open field where I parked my jeep, along a small man-made lake, and then across a swampy area. The swampy area looked like a variant of a floodplain swamp. Cash Run, the outlet stream of Cash Lake, flows north through the swamp on its way to the Patuxent River. The area subject to flooding in heavy rains.
As I emerged on the east side of the swamp floodplain, I noticed a fairly large pond and determined it must be the pond where the Sundew was reportedly located. I hiked around the south edge of the pond and encountered a boggy area that was full of various types of sedges and rushes as well as other types of plants one would expect to see in such a habitat. The area was slightly above the water level of the pond but the ground water was percolating up and flowed into the pond. This might be an interesting place to make a plant species inventory some time. I carefully scanned the area but did not see any Sundew.
My hike continued along the east side of the pond and then to the north side. Although this side of the pond did not have groundwater percolating up, but there was sphagnum moss right next to the pond. BINGO, I spotted some Sundew. It was growing in several dense clusters at almost regular intervals some distance above the waterline. Sigh, it looked like Round-leaf Sundew (Drosera rotundifolia), and not Drosera intermedia. The leaves were mostly wider than long, although some specimens had dried leaves from the previous year which appeared to be longer than wide. I can see how someone might confuse the two species. It is also possible that someone may have planted the Sundew here because it was occurring in pine needle litter, a place where one normally would not expect to see it, and because it occurred at regular intervals.
In between the parking spot and the Sundew Pond I collected a few vouchers and took pictures, some of which you can see below.
(Photo above – the twelve different types of mushrooms collected today)
Click on the thumbnails below for full views.)
After all the rain we have received this past several days, the mushrooms on the Refuge were popping up all over, a real cornucopia. So, today I decided to look for as many different kinds as I could. I ended up with twelve different species, all of which you can see below. I am not a mycologist (fungus expert), so I don’t know the names of these off hand. So, I will be having fun figuring out what I found. Some of these are cool looking. If you happen to know any of the species, let me know.
The mushrooms I collected will be dried and process for inclusion in the Refuge’s herbarium.
Rain was the theme of the day at the Refuge today. I drove around a bit to see what was going on, and came across another turtle trying to cross the road. This time it was a male Eastern Mud Turtle (Kinosternon subrubrum.) Mud turtles prefer to spend their time in water or moist locations, but I assumed this little guy might have been looking for a mate and the rainy weather probably helped him feel comfortable on land.
The Eastern Mud Turtle is found in the pine barrens of Long Island and New Jersey on the North to the coastal plain regions of Florida and Alabama on the South. In Maryland, they are found all but the two most western counties. They are a shy species preferring to hide themselves in water and in moist humus. That is why it was lucky that I saw this little guy crossing the road.
They are omnivores, and will eat crayfish, insects, crustaceans, mollusks, amphibians, carrion, and aquatic vegetation.
(Click on the thumbnails below for full views.)
Spent about 3.5 hours on the refuge today. My main task was to locate the boggy area just north of the “Savanna” off of Sweet Gum Lane. I did not know what to expect, and was pleasantly surprised. The topography of this bog is steeper than most of the bogs on the refuge, and as a result, the water was flowing rapidly.
The bog is a variant of the Red Maple Acidic Seepage Swamp (CEGL006238) plant community. The striking thing about the bog at this location Chestnut Oak plant community which surrounds it. The bog feeds a creek called Welch’s Creek and we call this wetland Welch’s Bog as a result.
Some of the plant species seen in this bog include Sweet Bay Magnolia, Black Gum, Cinnamon Fern, Royal Fern, American Holly, Paw Paw, Skunk Cabbage, Netted Chain Fern, New York Fern, Carex folliculata, Vaccinium sp., and Indian Cucumber.
The bog continued on down the hill for some distance. However, I did not have time to investigate further. Future forays to this bog will be undertaken.
We are in print – The Friends of Patuxent Newsletter, Summer 2015, Page 3. Check it out. (Click on picture for full view.) 
Today, I spotted some Indian cucumber (Medeola virginiana L.) at Chestnut Oak Bog growing on a sphagnum moss hummock. One of the plants (pictured here) was blooming and was setting seed. This interesting looking member of the family Liliaceae is found in Eastern North America from Ontario and Quebec in the North, and Minnesota to Louisiana on the West. It grows up to 1 to 1.5 feet tall and has one or two whorls of leaves on the stem.
Each plant has one stem. When it blooms, there are between 3 to 9 flowers at the summit of the stem with a whorl of leaves directly under. There is usually one more whorl of leaves further down the stem. The blooming period is in late spring to early summer and lasts about one month. The pedicels bearing the flowers become erect and develop purple-colored berries. Each berry contains several seeds. The plant can also propagate into colonies from rhizomes.
The plant like light to medium sun, and thrives in loamy soil containing decaying organic matter. The plant is named after its cucumber-like tasting root.
Today when foraying around the Chestnut Oak Bog AKA Welchs Bog I checked out the Chestnut Oak – Mountain Laurel Forest (CEGL006299) plant community that surrounds a good part of the bog. This plant community is found in the Mid-Atlantic States and is quite common in the drier areas on the North Tract. The area seen here is just north of the Savanna area on the Northwest side of the North Tract.
The dominate overstory tree is the Chestnut Oak and other oak species can be found in smaller numbers. The other oak species included Black Oak, Southern Red Oak, Willow Oak, White Oak and Scarlett Oak. Red Maple, Sweet Gum, and Black Gum were also spotted. A couple specimens of possible hybrid oaks were seen on the edge of this area where it met the “Savanna.”
A fair number of shrubs and sub-shrubs were also spotted. They include the Mountain Laurel, Paw Paw, huckleberry and blueberries. Green Brier and Bracken Fern was also present.
A windstorm had gone through two days previously and knocked some leaves to the ground. This facilitated taking some close up shots. (Click on the thumbnails for full views of the photos.)
This little weedy plant keys out to Lythrum hyssopifolia L. (Hyssop Loosestrife). It was found on the South Tract on Telegraph Road near the old Beltsville Airport in a wet area next to the road. The Hyssop Loosestrife is in the same genus as the more notoriously invasive Purple Loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria L.)
The Hyssop Loosestrife is a biennial or an annual growing between 10 to 60 cm (4 to 24 inches) high. The flowers are borne in the leaf axils.
It is native to Europe, but has become naturalized on the East and West Coasts of the USA, and in Australia. It prefers temporary wet marshy habitats, like where it was found on the refuge. This is a new record for the refuge.
According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), this species is classed as Endangered (A2c) in the UK and Critically Endangered in Switzerland and is under regional protection in France: in Alsace and Rhône-Alpes.
The Allegheny mound ant (Formica exsectoides Forel) is a field ant that found on the refuge. It ranges along the Atlantic Coast of North America from Nova Scotia to Georgia. Although they are not highly regarded by some people, they are a fascinating and even arguably beneficial species.
Unlike most field ants, they can have multiple queens. Their tunnels can reach three feet below ground level and their mounds reach up to four feet high. The tunnels can be complex and may link several mounds.
They are noted for killing woody vegetation up to about 40 feet away from their mounds. They do this by injecting formic acid into the plants. But, according to the Maine State Extension Service, this damage is minor in comparison to the role of a pest control that they perform.
Allegheny mound ants have been observed scavenging upon honeydew produced by aphids and leafhoppers, dead vertebrates and arthropods, and seeds; and preying upon most small arthropods they encounter. They also prey on caterpillars, beetles, treehoppers, grasshoppers, crickets, wasps and flies.
On the refuge, they also help to spread certain plant species like the Dwarf Dandelion (Krigia virginica (L.) Willd.) and the Canada Toadflax (Nuttallanthus canadensis (L.) D.A. Sutton.) The ants harvest the seeds of these plants and feed on a fat-rich accessory in the seeds called an elaiosome.
Then they discard the still viable seed next to their mound. On the refuge, you can see this behavior in action. The photos seen here are from the Dwarf Dandelion which were seeded by the ants next to their mounds.
The ants are aggressive when disturbed and will bite. Their bite is irritating, but not harmful.
When taking pictures on the refuge, I have had more than a few encounters with this fascinating critter.
REFERENCE: Insects – 195-Beneficial Insect Series 1: Allegheny Mound Ant, Fact Sheet No. 195, UMaine Extension No. 2005, http://umaine.edu/blueberries/factsheets/insects/195-allegheny-mound-ant/
This male Eastern box turtle (Terrapene carolina (L.) Bell ssp. carolina) was trying to get across the hot pavement, but he was running around in circles. It was hard taking these pictures, it was like he didn’t know which way to go. The air temperature was about 95 degrees and I am sure the pavement was even warmer. After I took some quick snaps, I helped him find his way.
They are a hinged-shell turtle, meaning that front and back of the plastron (bottom shell) are hinged and close up when they sense they are in danger. The plastron on males are concave to make facilitate mounting a female when mating. Also, the eyes of males are red-orange while the female’s eyes are brownish. This one was obviously male because of his eyes.
They range in the USA from Maine to Florida on the east, and the Great Lakes to Texas on the West. They are a true land turtle spending virtually all of their time on land. They can live over 100 years in the wild.
Their populations are dwindling mainly due to loss of habitat, the pet trade, and road kill. This little guy was obviously in distress, presumably because of the heat. I feel good about helping him cross the road.
They are a fun critter and are probably the most commonly seen turtle on the roads on the refuge.
(Photo above: new planking on the bridge)
A bridge has existed at this location since the early 1800’s. The current structure was built in 1907 and was closed to traffic in 2009 due to its deteriorating condition. Renovation began in 2013 and it was re-opened in early 2015.
The bridge ties the North Tract and Central Tract together, and with its re-opening travel time between the two tracts will be cut by up to 45 minutes.
The historic road that is carried by this bridge is called Telegraph Road (It is also called Duvall Bridge Road near the bridge.) Telegraph Road is famous for being the road along which the wire between Baltimore and Washington, DC which carried Samuel Morse’s first telegraphic message in 1844.
For even more detailed information about this historic bridge, you can refer to the Jan-Mar 2015 edition of the Friends of Patuxent Newsletter, page 4
This meadow on the Central Tract is located along Beech Forest Drive near where the powerlines cross MD 197 and as far as I can determine is the largest field of Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca L.) on the refuge.
I am not sure of the meadow’s maintenance history, but it is has developed into an ideal location for Milkweed. You can bet that this is probably an ideal place to look for the Monarch Butterfly. The size of the meadow is truly impressive.
