May 05, 1963 - Heralds of Spring
May Pink Jack-in-the-Pulpit May Apple Wood Anemone
Exclusive Sunday Review sketch by Dennis Puleston of Brookhaven
Focus on Nature
by Paul Stoutenburgh, Cutchogue
Guest Writer: Carolyn Marshall
Heralds of Spring
The first week in May! A glori
ous time for all nature. The
warblers and other Spring
migrants are coming through and
it's difficult to keep one's mind
solely on the flora. We should
find today's walk worthwhile. This
time in early May, just after the
spring rains have gone and left
the soil moist and rich, the great-
est change can be noted in the
woods. The trees are tinted with
new pale leaves and the plants
still have time before becoming
completely shaded in.
During these one or two weeks,
the most abundant`:plants to be
seen are members of the Lily -
of -the Valley family (Convallari-
aceae). On our North Shore,
where the region of woods has
left a good soil, we can find
Solomon's Seal, False Solomon's
Seal, and False Lily -of -the- Valley
representing that family.
Solomon's S e a 1 (polygonatum
pubescens) is quite a common
plant in the moist, wooded areas.
It may be found in the same
locality as . the Jack -in- the - pulpit
and May Apple, which were seen
last week. The slender stem
supports many alternate leaves
on the upper portion, but is usual-
ly bare on the lower part of the
stem. The leaves are from two
to four inches long, and are ovate -
lanceolate in shape. The bell -
shaped flowers are white or
greenish in color, and hang in
groups of one to four (usually
two), from the underside of the
stem. Because the flowers are
partially hidden and protected
under the leaves from the wind
and most insects, Solomon's Seal
is cross- fertilized mainly by the
bumblebees, who are the most
efficient pollinators.
Solomon's Seal is often confused
and misnamed as Great
Solomon's Seal (Polygonatum bi-
florum). However, when making
an identification, the outstanding
difference can be seen. in their
height; the first rarely exceeds
a height of three feet, while the
latter often 'attains a height of
four to six feet. On Long Island
we are most apt to see only
Solomon's Seal, for the other
specie grows in a more northern
climate.
Not far from the Solomon's
Seal we can find its elose relative,
False Solomon's Seal (Smilacina
racemosa). This plant, equally as
beautiful as the former, usually
reaches one foot in height, al-
though it may reach two to three
feet. The stem has a characteris-
tic igeee and beers several
smooth, dark green leaves, vary-
ing from ewo to four inches long.
The small flowers are white or
greenish, and together form .a
dense terminal cluster. These are
y" neticable,. -but like •their.
cousin, lack fragrance.
Both Solomon's Seal and False
Solomon's Seal derive their com-
mon names from the scarring on
the rootstock after the stem has
withered in the fall. It is said
that the outlines of the scar
suggest the seal of Israel's wise
King Solomon. One may tell the
age of the root by counting its
seals, as one can tell that of a
tree by counting its rings in the
trunk.
Another representative inhabits
the same area, and will most
likely be found close by. The
False Lily -of- the - Valley (Unifol-
ium canadense) is a small plant,
standing only three or four inches
off the ground. It grows in large
groups, forming shinning beds in
the young spring woods. This
slender plant also has a zigzag-
ged stem, usually bearing two
smooth and shining leaves
(hence another common name —
Two - leaved Solomon's Seal). The
delicate flowers are born on a
long terminal spike and forth a .
dense white cluster. In the fall,
the red speckled berries are a
favorite source of food for mi-
grating birds.
Another flower which blooms in
the early part of May is the
White Trillium (Trillium grandi-
folium). Although it is not a
member of the family Convallar-
iaceae, its family Trilliaceae
(Wake - robin) is closely related.
We may have some trouble find-
ing it here on Long Island, how-
ever, it can grow in this habitat.
White Trillium usually desires a
more mountainous region where
evergreen needles and other leav-
es have decayed, leaving a deep
layer of rich soil. For this reason
few are found anywhere except
on the North Shore, and those
should never be picked. It seems
that many years ago, these wood-
land beauties were far more
numerous, but in later years,
Man has selfishly tried to show
his appreciation by picking every
specimen available. It's a shame
that this type of thing is done so
often with natural richness.
The stem of the White Trillium
(between 12 and 18 inches high),
supports three large, oval, point-
ed leaves at its end, forming a
type of whorl out of which a
single flower extends, supported
by a slender, drooping petiole. It
is a very simple and beautiful
flower, but has no odor. The
name trillium was first used be-
cause every part of the plant
grows in th ees — the leaves,
leaf veins, petals, and sepals.
In places such as the Shenan-
doah Mountains in Virginia, trill-
iums grow in large colonies on
the slopes of the mountains, often
covering a whole section of the
moon tainside. =-.The leaves of the
individual plants grow so large
that they appear as a blanket of
green with white and red (Trill -
ium erectusn) spattered here and
there.
We hope that you have enjoyed
this walk. The woods are always
there, and many things are still
to be seen. In the next few weeks
the leaves will grow broader and
the woods will take on a different
atmosphere entirely. Soon the
Wood Star will be up, displaying
its s e l i t -a r y grandeur. In the
marshes the Pitcher Plant and
Sun Dew will be opening them-
selves to the warmth of the sum -
meresun. In the fields and mea-
dows, daisies, fleabanes, and
other Compositae will be nodding
with the warm breezes. Certainly
the season for enjoying Nature in
the fullest has just begun — the
fragrance of the summer months
and the colors of the autumn
foliage have much to offer.
e Please send all comments and
observations to Paul Stouten-
burgh, Box 106, Cutchogue, N Y.
FIELD OBSERVATIONS
Laurence Ernest reports:
Southampton and vicinity, — April
20 -22
Barn Swallows
Bluebirds (4)
Myrtle Warbler
Pine Warbler
Palm Warbler
Chipping Sparrows
Brown Thrashers
Dennis Puleston reports:
Yaphank — April 23
Brown Creeper (nesting)
Peter Stoutenburgh reports:
Cutchcgue — April 16
Nuthatcher (nesting)
Dennis Puleston reports:
Yaphank — April 24
Orange - crowned Warbler
Solitary Sandpiper
Brown Creepers (nesting)
Brookhaven April 25
Red - bellied Woodpecker
Brookhaven - April 26
Orchard Oriole
Yaphank — April 28
Chesnut sided Warbler
Nashville Warbler
Sapsucker
Sayville — April 8
Upland Plover (7)
Yaphank — April 29
Wood Thrush
Henry Halama teports:
Yaphank — April
Cerulean Warbler
Laurence Ernest reports:
Southampton — April 27 -29
Night Herons (5)
Towhee,
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