Maple-Ash Ecosystem

1. Starry Campion

Order: Caryophyllales

Family: Caryophyllaceae

Genus: Silene

Species: S. stellata

General Characteristics:

Silene is clump-forming perennial. It can grow 2-3' tall. White flowers with 5 fringed petals and bell-shaped calyxes appear in loose terminal spikes in early summer. Lance-shaped leaves (to 3" long) appear in whorls of 4. It is native to U.S.

Special Adaptations:

The caterpillars of Anepia capsularis (Capsule Moth) feed on the seed capsules of many members in the Pink family, although it is unclear if Starry Campion is one of the host species.

It is also unclear to what extent deer feed on the foliage of this species in wooded areas. Generally, the foliage and seeds of Silene spp. (Campions) contain varying amounts of saponins and are somewhat toxic to mammalian herbivores. The faunal-floral relationships of Starry Campion are still poorly understood.

2. Bud Light

Order: Urticales

Family: Cannabaceae

Genus: Anheuser

Species: A.buschea

General Characteristics:
Bud Light is a common species found in Indiana. Identification of this species is confusing for some. Bud Light can be observed in it's tall, glassy phase, or it's shorter blue, metallic phase. Some have even spotted Bud Light in a metallic phase similar to the glassy phase, but this is rare. To properly identify Bud Light one must first feel the temperature of Bud Light's body. If it is warm or at room temperature, leave Bud Light alone. If it feels cold, the observer must immediately open Bud Light and taste it. Do not consume the outer skin. This may be harmful.

Special Adaptations:
Bud Light has a special adaptation. If anyone finds a Bud Light and identifies it by taste, that individual will want to find more Bud Lights. Sometimes even six or seven.

3. White Ash

Order: Lamiales

Family: Oleaceaeaceae

Genus: Fraxinus

Species: F. americana

General Characteristics:

White ash is a large tree that reaches 70' to 80' in height. This tree has been known to reach 125' in rare instances. When grown in the open, white ash has round crowns.

The deciduous leaves are compound and oppositely arranged. These leaves are 8" to 13" in length with 7 to 12 leaflets per leaf. Leaflets measure 2" to 4" long and are usually oval shaped. The tops of the leaves are dark green and shiny where the bottoms of the leaves are pale green with tiny hairs. The fruit is a light-brown samara, about 1" long, and often produced in clumps of 10 to 100 samaras. This light gray-brown bark is characterized by having deep, narrow ridges that form a diamond shaped pattern. White ash grows in rich, moist, well-drained soils. This tree may also be found in bottomlands near streams and often on low-sloped areas.

Special Adaptations:

The white ash is a resident of most hardwoods forests. It is found in areas where soils are rich and well drained. It is also found in residential areas since it is an attractive, hardy, and relatively disease free tree.

4. Hawthorn sp.

Order: Rosales

Family: Rosaceae

Genus: Crataegus

Species: Crataegus sp.

General Characteristics:

Possible species are Crataegus flabellata or Crataegus chrysocarpa. The leaf is highly variable, but generally alternate, simple, 2 to 4 inches long, serrate and lobed (may be unlobed), subtending long thorns, dark green above and paler below. The flower is monoecious; perfect, usually small white flowers, with 5 petals produced in clusters near the end of the twig, appearing in mid to late spring. The fruit is a pome. The pome is generally 1/4 inch in diameter, yellow to red when mature; maturing in the early fall. The twig is slender, gray in color, with true terminal buds that are usually dark, shiny red and round. Most species have obvious, stiff, 1 inch long thorns; leaf scars contain 3 bundle scars. The bark is smooth and gray-brown when young, later turning darker and scaly. Hawthorns are generally very dense shrubs or small trees up to 25 feet.

Special Adaptations:

Douglas hawthorn is an excellent soil and streambank stabilizer. Hawthorns have medicinal value. Many are used to treat heart disease.

5. American Basswood

Order: Malvales

Family: Tiliaceae

Genus: Tilia

Species: T. americana

General Characteristics:

The leaf is simple, ovate to cordate, 5 to 6 inches long, with serrate margins, pinnately veined, base is unequally cordate, green above and paler below. The flower is monoecious; pale yellow, borne below a long, gracefully curving leafy wing in a branched cluster, several inches long, appearing in early to mid-summer. The fruit is a round, unribbed nutlet (1/4 inch) that is covered with gray-brown hair; occur in a hanging cluster with a curving, leafy bract acting as wing on top of the cluster, ripening in the fall. The twig is moderately stout, zigzag, green (summer) or red (winter); terminal bud is false, each very plump with one side bulging out disproportionately. Buds are edible but very mucilaginous. The bark is at first smooth and gray-green, later turning gray-brown and becoming ridged with long, shallow furrows and flat topped ridges. The bark is very fibrous.

Special Adaptations:

Mature sugar maple-basswood forests are very resistant to burning. Decomposition of potential fuels is rapid, particularly on base-rich mull soils. Dense shade reduces the numbers and cover of shrubs and herbaceous species, and therefore very little fuel exists at ground level. The tree trunks are not very flammable, and the open crowns do not carry fire well.

6. Broad Leaved Waterleaf

Order: Solanales

Family: Hydrophyllaceae

Genus: Hydrophyllum

Species: H. canadense

General Characteristics:

Also called the Bluntleaf Waterleaf. Flowers white to pale violet, delicate, with 5 petals and a series of long, projecting stamens. Flowers arranged in a loose cluster arising on a long flower stem from below a leaf, but not exceeding the leaf in length. Stem smooth. Leaves without separate lobes, maplelike, with sharply projecting lobes. Plant 6 to 20 inches in height.

Special Adaptations:

A study of herb-soil relationships at a site in Georgia suggests that the occurrence and abundance of Hydrophyllum canadense is related in part to soil nutrient and moisture characteristics.Hydrophyllum canadense occurs at relatively high pH levels (up to pH 6.6) with low available soil aluminum and iron concentrations and high soil moisture contents. Relatively high soil nitrogen and calcium levels are correlated with the occurrence of H. canadense. Hydrophyllum canadense and co-occurring species may be limited in their distribution by high requirements for several basic cations, nitrogen, and moisture, and low requirements for iron, aluminum, and molybdenum.

7. Woodland Agrimony

Order: Solanales

Family: Rosaceae

Genus: Agrimonia

Species: A. striata

General Characteristics:

Also known as Roadside Agrimony. The agrimony has is an erect perennial, single stemmed or sometimes branching above. Leaves are alternate, pinnate, with up to 16 leaflets. Leaf highlighted above was 20 cm long (including petiole) and 9 cm wide. End leaflet measured to 6.5 cm long and 3.5 cm wide. Yellow flowers spikes appear in mid July. Flowers measured at 9 mm in diameter, flower spikes measured 6 cm long. Stems and bottom of leaves pubescent with long hairs, top of leaves covered in short hairs.

Special Adaptations:

The agrimony also possesses an astringent. It is frequently used in alternative medicine as an herbal mouthwash and gargle ingredient, and is applied externally in the form of a lotion to minor sores and ulcers. agrimony has also been recommended, as a strong decoction, to cure sores, blemishes, and pimples.