Alone On A Limb: The Flora and Fauna of Nature's Classroom

Sunday, May 10, 2009

The Flora and Fauna of Nature's Classroom

Here are couple of dozen pics of the Flora and Fauna of Nature's Classroom near Mentone, Alabama on Lookout Mountain. I snapped these last Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday during our annual fourth-grade trip. As one critic has noted I am a little skimpy on Fauna, the bashful beasts.

---------------------

Later---

From my Facebook:

I'm sorry I couldn't catch a shot of the skunk that a few of us watched drift through the cabin circle Thursday night. Here are a few other natural wonders I snapped during our trip to Nature's Classroom. I'll label to the best of my ability and edit as my more botanically or zoologically astute friends nudge me.

Tony Pope
Is this bull thistle? You know that's what they (the Cherokee) use to make the "fuzzy" part of their blow darts.
Terrell
Yes, Tony. I learned that from Steve McCarty who does such a great weapons demonstration for our fourth-graders every year at Etowah Mounds.

Lichen

Sassafras
Sassafras albidum
You can see the three leaf-types of Sassafras - pitchfork, mitten, and spade. Sassafras roots are used to flavor many things, including root beer and medicines. The cleaned roots boiled with a little sugar make Sassafras tea.

Whorled Loosestrife
Lysimachia quadrifolia

Lots of these deerberries or blueberries or huckleberries or whatever were blooming. I suppose this is a vaccinium species. I'm guessing Vaccinium stamineum, Deerberry.

Vaccinium stamineum, Deerberry

Maple-leaf Viburnum,
Viburnum acerifolium

The parasite responsible for this particular gall is the maggot larvae of the ocellate (or maple eyespot) gall midge. The bull's eye is formed by substances secreted by these maggots. Once they mature they'll drop to the ground below and burrow into the soil where they'll eventually rise as adults.
http://naturejournals.blogspot.com/.../maple-eyespot-gall...

Maple Eyespot Galls Recently Spotted
The maple eyespot gall midge, Acericecis ocellaris, is also called the maple leafspot gall midge. The word ocellaris comes from the Latin word ocellus meaning eye (hence the name eyespot gall). An official common name does not exist for this insect. Maple eyespot gall midges emerge in early spring and lay their eggs on the newly-expanding leaves. As the maggots hatch and feed on the tender leaf growth, they secrete substances which cause the leaves to form dimples around the maggots (resulting in striking yellow and red circles around the gall). The maggots soon mature and drop to the soil surface where they evidently dig into the soil to spend the rest of the summer, fall and winter. Another generation of midges will emerge the next year. Insect populations vary from year to year due to weather, predation, diseases and additional factors; thus, the maple eyespot galls may be much less noticeable next year. Because they do negligible damage, their management is not necessary.
http://ipm.ncsu.edu/curr.../98PestNews/98News3/ornament.html

Hawthorn
Crataegus spp

Granny Graybeard
or Fringe tree
Chionanthus virginicus

Hawthorn
Crataegus spp

DYC
"D@*# Yellow Composite"

Rhododendron sp.

Mountain Laurel
Kalmia latifolia

Galax
Galax urceolata

I suppose this could be the same one we have on our campus at Armuchee:
Piedmont Azalea
Rhododendron canescens?

Vaccinium stamineum, Deerberry

A different Vaccinium species? Or just closer to fruiting?

Centipede in the shower. Centi shouldn't do that.

This looks like a "House Centipede"

Scutigera coleoptrata
Wikipedia says: "
Scutigera coleoptrata (one of several species commonly known as the house centipede), is a yellowish-grey centipede with 15 pairs of legs. Originally endemic to the Mediterranean region, the species has spread to other parts of the world, where it usually lives in human homes. It is an insectivore; it kills and eats arthropods such as insects and arachnids
S. coleoptrata is 25 mm (0.98 in) to 50 mm (2.0 in) in length and has up to 15 pairs of remarkably long legs. These delicate legs are attached to a rigid body. This enables it to reach surprising speeds of up to 406 mm (16.0 in) per second[1] running across floors, up walls and along ceilings. Its body is yellowish-grey and has three dark-colored dorsal stripes running down its length; the legs also have dark stripes. Unlike most other centipedes, house centipedes and their close relatives have well-developed, faceted eyes. S. coleoptrata has developed automimicry in that its hind legs present the appearance of antennae. While it is at rest it is not easy to tell its front from its back."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scutigera_coleoptrata