A few weeks ago I visited my friends Bryan and Abi (there were several posts...I'm sure you remember). Now we spent some time around the island learning about vegetation and birds and whatnot because Bryan is … well, brilliant – and biology is, I believe, his primary field of expertise. So Amie and I got to stop and see all kinds of things that we would have normally ignorantly trampled underfoot or barged past. One of the small wonders we saw was (anagram alert!) an interesting little plant called the Shell-mound Buckthorn. I can't tell you a lot about it. Apparently it needs bits of sea-shell in the soil to grow (don't quote me on any of this). Also, and the reason these photos aren't as banal as they might first appear, the fruit is rarely photographed when ripe because the berries take an entire year to ripen.
I'd link to something about the plant, but I can't find a good article right now. Sorry about that. Also, it'd be funny if Bryan was just messing with me. I wouldn't know this plant from a snipe. Or a jackalope for that matter. Just a thought that made me laugh.
Anyways, I meant to get him the photos a long time ago and I've forgotten until now. Here they are!
I'll return to something I know about tomorrow.
It's fun to branch into material momentarily of which I am totally ignorant. :)
Would it *really* be funny if it was just a blueberry? ;)
ReplyDeleteAnyway, it truly is a rare plant, for more info, see here:
http://georgiawildlife.dnr.state.ga.us/assets/documents/sagemi.pdf
or here
http://www.duke.edu/~cwcook/trees/sami.html
I've looked all over, and your page appears to have the ONLY photograph of Sageretia minutiflora with ripe fruits published anywhere on the web -- or in print, so far as I know.
Congratulations on your historic 100th post!
~B.
They're up for you Bryan! You can download them and post them wherever you want!
ReplyDelete