Further Adventures Along the Ice Meadows

I found it! I found it! After years of searching for Creeping Spearwort (Ranunculus reptans) I nearly stepped on it today, as I was teetering among the rocks along the Hudson Ice Meadows north of Warrensburg. As the photo below shows, this flower is mighty small and easily missed, hiding among the rocks as it does, so I thank my lucky stars I happened to see it. I had actually given up my search and started toward home when Voila! Right before my toes! A perfect end to a grand day touring this fascinating habitat with ice-meadow expert Evelyn Greene.

Evelyn has asked me to sub for her, leading a group of elderly former scouts along these shores, so I asked her to tour the route with me, indicating the points of interest. The first thing she pointed out today was the marble along the banks, great shining white slabs overlaid with swirls and eddies of black magma. These rocks are not only beautiful, but they also contribute to the alkaline condition of the soils here, creating a habitat for many rare plants.

Spiked Nutrush (Scleria triglomerata) was one of the rare plants we found today. Classified as "threatened" in New York State, it appears to grow abundantly here. Distinguished by a three-angled stalk, it also has pearly-white, ball-shaped seeds when ripe.

We also found this tiny green rush, which at first we thought might be the rare Clinton's Club Rush.  But after consulting Steve Young at New York Natural Heritage Program, my guess is that it is a Common Spike Rush of the genus Eleocharis.  I can't be sure of the species.   A very small and very pretty rush, it's only about six inches high and as fine as grass, with a top as intricate as a Faberge Easter egg.

Another really tiny plant was this liverwort, called Asterella tenella. Evelyn loves this plant so much, her granddaughter is named after it. This photo is an extreme close-up, and it shows another really interesting-looking plant alongside the liverwort, that leaf-lettucey stuff with the white-stalked, black-ball-topped lollypops growing out of it. I bet Evelyn will know the name of it and will tell me when she sees this photo. (Click on the photo to see the detail.)

Update: Evelyn believes that lettucey stuff is another liverwort, Fossombronia foveolata, one of the few that fruits in the fall. She says all liverworts have similar round black spore capsules, the stalks of which are translucent and ephemeral.

We stopped to explore five different sites on both banks of the river, including a little wetland along a railroad track that was loaded with Royal Ferns and Large Cranberries. Cranberries galore! It won't be long before these blushing berries will turn bright red, and Evelyn will be back to pick a full winter's supply.