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Month: October 2018

Porcelain Berry (Ampelopsis glandulosa)

Porcelain Berry (Ampelopsis glandulosa)

Porcelain berry (Ampelopsis glandulosa var. brevipedunculata), also known as Amur peppervine, is easily recognized by its showy clusters of pink-purple-azure berries. These colorful fruits are the reason this perennial vine was brought to the United States in the 1870s from East Asia as an ornamental groundcover. Although originally intended for landscaped areas, its fecundity and adaptability have allowed it to spread readily into wild areas, and in many cases porcelain berry vines can completely smother the native vegetation. A vine…

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Orache (Atriplex prostrata?)

Orache (Atriplex prostrata?)

Orache is a many-branched annual plant, common on coastal beaches, and along the upper edges of salt and brackish marshes. It can also be found in saline inland soils. Its weak stems produce a somewhat floppy, sprawling form. In my mind, however, this particular species of orache (Atriplex prostrata) is fairly confusing. It has numerous common names, including spearscale, hastate-leaved orache, triangle orache, spear-leaved orache, and many others, and it belongs to a fairly large genus, Atriplex, which contains between…

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American Pokeweed (Phytolacca americana)

American Pokeweed (Phytolacca americana)

American pokeweed (Phytolacca americana), or often more simply just “pokeweed”, is a common eastern North American herbaceous perennial found in damp thickets, recent clearings and roadsides. It can grow up to 10 feet tall, but more commonly reaches a height of 5 or 6 feet. It has a widely branching form and distinctive bright red or purplish stems. Clusters of green and white flowers are borne on hanging stalks. The flowers are petal-less; the small petal-like structures seen around the…

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viscid violet cort
Viscid Violet Cort (Cortinarius iodes)

Viscid Violet Cort (Cortinarius iodes)

September and October are some of the best months for observing mushrooms, and this is even more true after a heavy rain. Friday’s downpours have caused fungi of all shapes and sizes to spring forth. One that has been continuously catching my eye lately is the viscid violet cort (Cortinarius iodes). Newly emerged viscid violet corts have a bright purple cap, which expands up to 2 1/2 inches in diameter and fades to light lilac or even white or yellowish…

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