Month: September 2016

Fun fact of the day: The spider in children’s classic, Charlotte’s Web, is a barn orb-weaver similar to the one posted in the picture below. The spider depicted below though is called is a spiny-orb weaver or Gasteracantha. I came across this spider while cutting weeds in my backyard and after a momentary freakout, was comforted in the fact that these spiders are generally harmless. Although I didn’t ruin this one’s web, it wouldn’t have mattered much because apparently these spiders spin new webs every single night to make sure that the structure is secure. These spiders are amongst the most beneficial ones we have because they pray on small pests and insects that are present in crops. This helps to control any insect overpopulation.

 

Source: http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/galveston/beneficials/beneficial-23_spiny_orb_weaver_spider.htm

iNaturalist Link: http://www.inaturalist.org/observations/4220503

This past weekend I was out of town visiting Vancouver for the first time. The foliage there is now a blend of green with warm reds, oranges, and yellows, which helped catch my attention for my biodiversity observation: the tulip tree. Specifically, this was a Chinese tulip tree (Liriodendron chinense) at the VanDusen Botanical Gardens. This has been one of my favorite trees since I first learned to identify it by its leaves which resemble a cat’s face when held upright by the petiole. Liriodendron means “lily tree” in Greek, but this species is also called the yellow poplar within the lumber industry. Its wood is used for numerous purposes, from house interiors to organs. In the past, Native Americans used the trunks to carve out their canoes so often that they called it “canoewood”.  The tulip tree is the state tree of Tennessee, Kentucky, and Indiana, likely because of its remarkable leaves and beautiful flowers.

I found this Yellow Sac Spider (Cheiracanthium mildei) this past week. He’s so small that it is hard to identify him from the photo, but I was completely mesmerized by the web he was spinning. I found this yellow member of arachnidae on a gate in my church’s garden, swinging in circles created tiny, distinct lines with his very own web. I could’ve watched for hours!

 

Earlier this week, I was walking on the sidewalk along the main street in my neighborhood, and I came across a row of these trees that were planted between the street and the sidewalk. As this area is most likely an easement and because this row persists for a few blocks, I’m assuming the City of Austin or Travis County has planted these trees in this area. (I could be wrong though.)

What first caught my eye and inspired me to identify this tree was its pink-colored, small fruit. At first glance I thought this tree’s fruit looked like dusty gum-balls: the fruit is no larger than a quarter and most of the fruit on the tree is bright pink. I could tell by looking at fruit that had fallen though, that ripe fruit from this tree is more of a dark pink to mauve color.

This gave me the idea that this tree is a type of plum tree. At first I wasn’t sure because the fruit is so small but after inspecting the inside of one of the fruits, it looked just like a tiny plum. From there I went on a hunt to identify the species of this plum tree, but as it was clearly planted and as there are many types of plum trees that could be planted in Texas, I couldn’t pin down the exact species. I was torn between Mexcian Plum and Japanese Plum, but when I observed this tree on iNaturalist, I left the species name “unknown”.

Well, I’m happy to report that there are community members that are just as passionate about species identification as we are, and in just a few short hours, a community member had identified my tree as a Mexican Plum. After doing some research on this species, I’ve confirmed with her that this row of mysterious, pink-fruit trees is indeed a row of Mexican Plum trees.

You can find my iNaturalist observation here.

Mexican Plum, or Prunus mexicana, grow in the wild throughout most of the central and south regions of the U.S. It fruits between July and September and although it is native to Texas, it is important to note that these specific trees were  planted. After reading how the fruits from Mexican Plums can attract many species of local birds, I’m wondering if the city (or county, or whoever) planted these native fruit trees in this area, did so with the intention for them to bring birds to an urban area. Regardless who put them there, as this tree-bird relationship enhances local biodiversity, I’m glad they were planted!

More on the Mexican Plum tree can be found here.

 

While out exploring the trails of Mable Davis Park, I was surprised to see a white-tailed deer, Odocoileus virginianus, spring across the path. Unfortunately I was unable to get a picture, so readers you are going to have to take my word for it that I did indeed see this deer (A doe to be precise). Some quick facts about the white-tailed deer:

• Herbivore that can digest leaves, twigs, fruits, nuts, grass, lichens and fungi
• Mammal with a gestation period of seven months
• Rely on their speed and agility to escape predators
• Restoration and management success story (National Geographic)

As human development expands further and further into previously untouched habitats humans come into greater contact with the wild animals that once called that place home. This can be viewed as both a good thing and a bad thing. People like the idea of being close to nature and seeing a deer near their home is a way for them to forgot that they living in an urban world and remember the beauty of nature. Deer can also fascinate young children. Others, especially anyone who has ever hit a deer while driving, see the presence of deer as a nuisance. Deer can eat crops and gardens and can cause car accidents. However you view the white-tailed deer, their presence is a reminder of the biodiversity that surrounds us.

iNaturalist Observation: http://www.inaturalist.org/observations/4206117

Reference

National Geographic

This pretty plant is called Turkscap and its scientific name is Malvaviscus arboreus drummondii. The name, Turkscap, comes from the appearance of it’s flower, resembling a Turkish hat called a fez. It is native to the southeastern region of the United States. It’s flowers do not fully open and attract butterflies and hummingbirds! I actually frequently see hummingbirds here while taking my dog out, and my next blog post might be about that, if I can snap a picture of one fast enough! I found it eye-catching because of it’s tall, single-standing appearance. This plant usually stays between 2-3 ft, however they have been known to reach 9 ft. It does well in shaded areas and prefers moist soils but will tolerate droughts.

My iNaturalist post can be found here

I was able to identify this tree easily because I grew up planting and maintaining crape myrtles (Lagerstroemia indica).  They can range from 3 feet to 30 feet tall and are native to areas of southern China, southeast Asia, and Japan.  Most crape myrtles you see in the United States are hybrids of some sort that is why there is such a range of heights.  This one is on St. Edwards University’s campus and is a mid-sized crape myrtle, which range between 10-15 feet tall.  You might also know this as lilac of the south.  In the United States, their popularity comes from their long bloom periods making them great trees for landscaping.

My iNaturalist post can be found here.

I went outside with a specific tree in mind to identify and talk about in this week’s blog but as I was walking, dark pink flowers stood out among a mostly green back ground.

Lagerstremia indica, known as crapemyrtle. This tree is not a Texas native and can occur with several shades of flowers, which complicated the identification process. Ultimately characteristics such as the leaves, smooth bark on multiple trunks, and flowering season (summer-fall) narrowed down the process.  L. indica is planted along roads and in open yards because it requires full sunlight.  there are many hybrids of this genus to increase resistance to disease and hardiness.

Inaturalist identification can be found here

When I first moved to Austin I always took my dog Jasper to the RedBud Isle Dog Park. Red Bud Isle is located on Town Lake close to the Lake Austin dam. It’s a cool off-leash dog park that has a main trail that loops around the isle and multiple smaller trails that wind around the denser wooded areas for dogs (and human) to frolic through.

 I never thought about where the name of the park came from until I started identifying trees with an app on my phone and found multiple Eastern Redbud trees along the trails.  The Redbuds have become popular for their pink-purple early spring flowers that appear on bare wood before the leaves emerge. The tree is perfect for Texas as it is drought-tolerant and thrives in limestone soils. Redbuds glossy, rounded leaves brings shade and its flowers attract pollinators such as butterflies, bees, moths, and insects.

I saw these little beauty’s outside of Doyle hall on St. Edward’s campus.  This area is planted with several native Texas species such as this one, which attracts many insects. Humming around the yellow bells (Tecoma stans) were several busy bees and monarch butterflies, drinking the sweet nectar produced by this flower.

This irregularly shaped, deciduous shrub is normally 3-6 ft tall, but can reach 9 ft tall in the southern regions of the country.  It has several stems and slender, erect branches. The flowers are attached in clusters of large, trumpet-shaped, bright yellow flowers. Its natural range extends from south Texas west to Arizona and south through Mexico and Central America to South America as far as northern Argentina, as well as in southern Florida south through much of the Caribbean.

Click here for my iNaturalist listing.

Source: http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=TEST