A Brief Walk in a Local Forest

On a recent walk through the limestone-underlaid woods at Skidmore College here in Saratoga Springs, I was delighted to see some plants I rarely see in other habitats. Not all require a high-pH soil, but they do all prefer a well-drained soil rich in organic matter. Except for a final surprise.

Bulblet Ferns (Cystopteris bulbifera), growing on limestone rocks.

While the Bulblet Fern does indeed produce clonal bulblets (which can produce new plants asexually), it also produces little spore packets called sori.

When Bulblet Ferns first unfurl in the spring, the now-dark stalks (rachis) are as red as Cherry Twizzlers.

Canada Violet (Viola canadensis)

The purple backs of the snowy-white petals are a distinguishing trait of this violet species. I have read that this species of violet actually prefers neutral to slightly acidic soils.  So how come I find it only in habitats known to be alkaline? Like this one.  The plants here are mostly found sprouting up between the cracks in limestone boulders.

Goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis)

The clusters of glossy-red berries are just starting to form in the centers of some of the Goldenseal leaves. This species is rated as Threatened in New York State, so I'm glad to know of several locations in Saratoga County where it appears to be secure.  Although I do weed back Garlic Mustard from its patches every year.

Green Violet (Cubelium concolor)

The flowers of Green Violet certainly hide from view by growing in the axles of the alternate leaves, but in this woods, masses of the shin-tall plants cover ample areas of the forest floor. Despite the Green Violets' abundance here, this woods may very well be the only place this rare plant is known to grow in Saratoga County. Although this plant is indeed in the Violet Family (Violaceae), it bears only slim resemblance to other violets, with the exception of its three-parted seed pods:

Leatherwood (Dirca palustris)

All of the Leatherwood leaves in this woods were displaying these annual spotches, evidence of the only know leaf miner of this plant, the larva of the moth Leucanthiza dircella. Luckily, this grazing does not seem to diminish the large population of Leatherwood shrubs in this woods, although browsing deer are severely pruning many of the shrubs. 

Maidenhair Fern (Adiatum pedatum)

Because I tend to notice this entrancing fern mostly in calcareous habitats, I had assumed that Maidenhair Ferns required a high pH environment. But I have now learned (Thanks, Google!) that our northern populations actually prefer soils that are neutral to slightly acidic, although the Southern Maidenhair Fern (Adiatum capillus-veneris) does thrive in more alkaline conditions. Huh!  Live and learn!

Four-leaved Milkweed (Asclepias quadrifolia)

This is one of the very few milkweed species that prefers a shaded forest environment, as well as higher pH soils.  However, it does not like to be crowded by taller overtowering plants.  I'm not sure what other conditions perturb it, but it certainly varies in abundance here from year to year. Some years I find dozens throughout this 150-acre woods, other years many fewer.  At least I found three plants this year without having to wander every acre in search of them. I adore this plant, so dainty and pretty, its white flowers often touched with pink. But never once have I later found a seedpod on the plants. No pollinators?

Rattlesnake Fern (Botrychium virginianum) Or Botrypus virginianus?

Supposedly, this grape fern's fertile frond resembles a rattlesnake's rattle, hence the name Rattlesnake Fern. Because the spore capsules look like tiny balls and are borne in triangular clusters, I can see the "grape" shape more than the rattle, to be honest.   Because grape ferns depend on underground fungi to germinate and develop, they are extremely difficult to grow in home gardens, so we must visit rich woods like this to see and enjoy these attractive plants.

Yellow Oak Sapling (Quercus muehlenbergii). 

Note the tiny sharp "nipple" at the tip of each leaf lobe, which is distinctive for this species. Although the NY Flora Association Plant Atlas does not yet record this tree as present in Saratoga County, I have found a nice grove of 5 mature trees in the Skidmore Woods. This species of oak does prefer a calcareous habitat. The acorns of this oak are said to be the sweetest of all. Search though I may, I have never found one on the ground. I bet the squirrels eat them before they even touch the ground. Because they lack the tannins present in red-oak acorns, squirrels do not bury them. They would quickly rot or sprout in the ground.

Here's the trunk of a Yellow Oak (also known as Chinkapin Oak), which does seem to have a yellowish cast, especially when lit by the sun. The bark is distinctive enough that I can look around the woods here and distinguish four more nearby trunks that appear to belong to Yellow Oak.

Lopseed (Phryma leptostachya)

I love the alternating right-angled leaves of this plant, which will later produce a central slender stem of tiny pink flowers. The narrow seedpods turn down and appear to cling to the stem, hence the vernacular name. I frequently find this native wildflower growing out of limestone or marble boulders, and it is quite abundant in the Skidmore woods, where it grows right out of the ground. This is a really good year for this interesting native wildflower.  I have never seen so many plants as I'm seeing this year.

Here's one of my photos of the tiny pink Lopseed flowers, one of our few local wildflowers to bloom in deep shade:

And here are those "lop seeds" that inspired the name of this woodland plant. I will find them in September.

Orange-fruited Horse Gentian (Triosteum aurantiacum)

Heading for home, I left the shady woods and passed under a sunlit powerline, where I poked among the tall immature sunflowers and goldenrods to find a patch of this unusual native wildflower, blooming now with a wreath of tiny red trumpets circling the stem in each leaf axil. These blooms will turn into marble-sized orange berries containing the three hard seeds that inspired this plant's scientific name, which means "three-boned orange-colored plant" (or something like that). A closely related species, T. perfoliatum or Wild Coffee, has similar berries that can be roasted like coffee beans. I've never found that plant, nor have I tried roasting the seeds of T. aurantiacum and brewing some ersatz coffee. I have tasted the fruits, however, and found them seedy and insipid but mildly sweet. Here's one of my photos of the orange fruits that will ripen in September:

Searching the internet for more information about this interesting plant, I discovered that it is most definitely a calciphile that requires high pH soils. But unlike the other calciphiles I found in the damp dark shade of the woods, this species was basking in sun and happily growing in dry soil. Surprising!