Answer: they're Hackberries (Celtis laevigata) and nothing's
wrong. That's
how they're supposed to look. Hackberries also get large numbers of
insect galls on their
leaves so they are warty all over.
The warts are natural outgrowths of the bark and the pink color is due to
a harmless
lichen. Hackberries are in the Elm family and have small, reddish-brown
edible drupes.
Commercial examples of drupes are peaches, plums, and cherries.
Across from the Hackberries is a stand of Baccharis or
Groundsel-tree. This is
the only woody composite found locally. There are two species,
Baccharis
salicina and B. halimifolia, but research has shown that most
plants are
hybrids between the two. In fall the bushes have fluffy white
flowers.
Further along the trail is an excellent demonstration tree. It supports
the harmless
Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) on the left and the
insidious
Poison Ivy (Rhus toxicodendron or Toxicodendron radicans)
on the right.
Notice that the Virginia Creeper has five or more leaflets per leaf while
the Poison Ivy
has only three.
Poison Ivy climbs by aerial rootlets. All parts of the plant are toxic,
so avoid the roots
too. Avoid any vine with rootlets like this until you find out for sure
what the leaves look
like.
The path here has been cut up and rutted by the passage of mountain
bikes. Bikers are
encouraged to stick to the grassy trails and avoid the bare paths. This
rutted path in the
flood plain has not been permanently damaged by erosion because the water
rises into it
rather than running through it.
However, the paths in the upland woods along the small drainages are
especially
susceptible to erosion and ought to be avoided by mountain bikers. The
bikes pull soil
down on the descent into the crossings and push soil down when ascending
the other side.
This eventually destroys plant roots that hold the soil together and
makes the area even
more erosion prone. These upland drainages are also the habitat of
Spiranthes
parksii, an endangered species.
This collection of ruts was at the side of a large permanent mud puddle in
the middle of the
path. There were two of these on this stretch of the path, lying in wait
for the unwary. (The city has since filled the puddles in. We sort of miss them--they were natural.)
............
