Rain Forest in the Southeast?

Hymenophyllum tunbrigense (Tunbridge Filmy-fern)

My association with Richard & Teresa Ware these last 45 years or so has enriched my life in many ways. One of those ways is by spurring my interest in botany and providing me a passing acquaintance with some of the most knowledgeable botanists in the Southeast. So today I am privy to enlightening posts like this one from Dr. Alan Weakley of the University of North Carolina and the author of Flora of the Southern & Mid-Atlantic States. 

Ecological facts of the Southern Blue Ridge Escarpment. The most consistently moist place in North America (month by month, year by year, millenium by millenium, and geologic era by geologic era) is the Southern Blue Ridge Escarpment region of sw. NC, nw. SC, and ne. GA, along the gorges of the Eastatoe, Toxaway, Horsepasture, Chattooga, and Whitewater). Waterfall central (more than anywhere else in North America), Shortia, filmy-ferns, and many other wonders, including a world-class hot-spot of organisms requiring high humidity: lungless salamanders, filmy-ferns, liverworts, mosses, lampshade spiders... (thank you, Lewis Anderson, R.I.P.). As end of year approaches, the Lake Toxaway Weather Station has recorded 127.55 inches for 2013, well above the usual standard for "temperate rain forests" of 80 inches, and the rainfall and humidity is higher still down in the gorges than at this station! - Alan Weakley, FaceBook, December 26, 2013

 

Gleaning Facebook: Just to be clear...

From Alan Weakley:

"Just to be clear, I'm an old white straight southern married son-of the-confederacy son-of the-American-revolution dad glad that we re-elected Barack Hussein Obama as President of America. I have no doubt that America, my daughter, my son, and my wife will be better off because of this outcome. Let's be patriots. Repudiate politicians who take the scorched Earth approach of Mitch McConnell: “The single most important thing we want to achieve is for President Obama to be a one-term president.” The "single most important thing" we should all try to achieve is to support leaders who advance democratic and ecological ("knowing the home") values within our country and abroad."

From Terrell: This southern white ol' geezer Dad agrees. 

Comments: 

Raymond Atkins: I agree too. I am also a white, southern, geezer Dad. Oh, and I am not on the dole and have never drawn a nickel of the public's money.

George Barton: WE are now a minority Terrell, when do we apply for affirmative action?

Paula Graves: Yeah, because white men have it so hard.

Ray: YOU try being in charge of the remote 24/7, Paula. The stress is unbelievable.

Howard Smith: ME, TOO

Gleaning Facebook: A New Marchallia

How exciting to be a Facebook friend to a renowned botanist and get to see pictures of a previously unknown and as yet nameless, and by the way gorgeous, wildflower. It is a Marshallia. Photo by Andy Walker

We have some of its cousins in the prairies near Cave Spring. Check near the end of this post.

Marshallia species novum [picture by Andy Walker]

 

Georgia Botanical Society Spring Pilgrimage

In April of 2009 The Georgia Botanical Society chose the Rome area for their annual Wildflower Pilgrimage, and they chose our school nature trail for one of their field trips. These pictures are from that day, on our trail and the Berry College property immediately adjacent to it.

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The Friday night meet & greet and the Saturday night banquet held at Trinity United Methodist Church.