[NatureNS] re Comfrey vs. Bluebells in NS

DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed;
References: <9D94C40A56A14D84BAB7896C320E409D@DavidPC>
Date: Fri, 28 Jun 2013 06:05:03 -0600
From: Larry Ayers <larry.ayers@gmail.com>
To: NatureNS <naturens@chebucto.ns.ca>
Precedence: bulk
Return-Path: <naturens-mml-owner@chebucto.ns.ca>
Original-Recipient: rfc822;"| (cd /csuite/info/Environment/FNSN/MList; /csuite/lib/arch2html)"

next message in archive
no next message in thread
previous message in archive
previous message in thread
Index of Subjects

3=22 style=3D=22font=3A12=2E
--089e011821ea5510f804e035b0c0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

Yup, Japanese Knotweed it is! The speckled stems are quite distinctive, as
is the faint aura of alien menace surrounding the patches.

Thanks, Angela!

Larry Ayers


On Fri, Jun 28, 2013 at 3:55 AM, AngelaJoudrey <aljoudrey@eastlink.ca>wrote:

> Japanese knotweed maybe?
>
>
>
>
> On 06/28/13, *Larry Ayers * <larry.ayers@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Thanks for your suggestions, James and Jane! I had considered comfrey --
> but I'm familiar with the plant, having seen it under cultivation over the
> years, but thought that the flowers  and leaf size of the new plant weren't
> "right".  I think that James nailed the ID with his suggestion that it
> might be rough comfrey, an Old World species I had never heard of. The
> photos I found on the web matched exactly.
>
> Here's another botanical puzzler which will no doubt be obvious to NS
> natives. There is a peculiarly fleshy weedy plant which grows in ditches
> such as the canals feeding the Annapolis River at Bridgetown. It's tall,
> grows in dense colonies, and hasn't flowered yet. The stems are speckled
> and the leaves are broad and rounded. It has an "invasive alien" feel to
> it, at least to this observer.
>
> Any ideas?
>
> Larry Ayers
>
>
> On Thu, Jun 27, 2013 at 10:26 PM, James W. Wolford <jimwolford@eastlink.ca
> > wrote:
>
>> I'll bet Jane is right about you probably having common comfrey,
>> Symphytum officinale, which is currently in bloom along our rail trail in
>> Wolfville.  We also have a less common second species, rough comfrey, S.
>> asperum.  Cheers from Jim in Wolfville.
>>
>> Begin forwarded message:
>>
>> *From: *Dave&Jane Schlosberg <dschlosb-g@ns.sympatico.ca>
>> *Date: *June 27, 2013 7:49:59 PM ADT
>> *To: *naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
>> *Subject: **Re: [NatureNS] Bluebells (Mertensia) in NS*
>> *Reply-To: *naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
>>
>>  Could it be comfrey (symphytum officinale)?  Different family, but fits
>> your description.
>> Jane
>>
>>  *From:* Larry Ayers <larry.ayers@gmail.com>
>> *Sent:* Thursday, June 27, 2013 4:58 PM
>> *To:* NatureNS <naturens@chebucto.ns.ca>
>> *Subject:* [NatureNS] Bluebells (Mertensia) in NS
>>
>>  Hello -- I'm an American staying in the Round Hill area this summer,
>> and I've been trying to identify the native and alien plants in the
>> neighborhood. Lots of aliens in the Annapolis Valley!
>>
>> There's a road ditch in front of a vacant house on Hwy. 201 which harbors
>> a profuse growth of a plant which has flowers very like those of the
>> Eastern Bluebell, Mertensia virginica. It's a taller plant with rough-hairy
>> lanceolate leaves and I'm wondering if it might be Mertensia paniculata,
>> the Tall Bluebell. That species grows as far east as Quebec and could have
>> been brought to NS as a garden plant, perhaps.
>>
>> Has anyone seen these?
>>
>> Larry Ayers
>>
>>
>>
> --
> "The significant problems of our time cannot be solved by the same level
> of thinking that created them."
> Albert Einstein
>
> "When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the
> rest of the world."
> John Muir

--089e011821ea5510f804e035b0c0
Content-Type: text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

<div dir=3D"ltr">Yup, Japanese Knotweed it is! The speckled stems are quite=
 distinctive, as is the faint aura of alien menace surrounding the patches.=
<div><br></div><div>Thanks, Angela!</div><div><br></div><div>Larry Ayers</d=
iv>
</div><div class=3D"gmail_extra"><br><br><div class=3D"gmail_quote">On Fri,=
 Jun 28, 2013 at 3:55 AM, AngelaJoudrey <span dir=3D"ltr">&lt;<a href=3D"ma=
ilto:aljoudrey@eastlink.ca" target=3D"_blank">aljoudrey@eastlink.ca</a>&gt;=
</span> wrote:<br>
<blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1p=
x #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">Japanese knotweed maybe?<div><div class=3D"h=
5"><br><br><br><br><span>On 06/28/13, <b>Larry Ayers </b> &lt;<a href=3D"ma=
ilto:larry.ayers@gmail.com" target=3D"_blank">larry.ayers@gmail.com</a>&gt;=
 wrote:</span><blockquote style=3D"border-left:1px solid #00f;padding-left:=
13px;margin-left:0" type=3D"cite">
<div><div dir=3D"ltr">Thanks for your suggestions, James and Jane! I had co=
nsidered comfrey -- but I&#39;m familiar with the plant, having seen it und=
er cultivation over the years, but thought that the flowers =A0and leaf siz=
e of the new plant weren&#39;t &quot;right&quot;. =A0I think that James nai=
led the ID with his suggestion that it might be rough comfrey, an Old World=
 species I had never heard of. The photos I found on the web matched exactl=
y.<div>

<br></div><div>Here&#39;s another botanical puzzler which will no doubt be =
obvious to NS natives. There is a peculiarly fleshy weedy plant which grows=
 in ditches such as the canals feeding the Annapolis River at Bridgetown. I=
t&#39;s tall, grows in dense colonies, and hasn&#39;t flowered yet. The ste=
ms are speckled and the leaves are broad and rounded. It has an &quot;invas=
ive alien&quot; feel to it, at least to this observer.</div>

<div><br></div><div>Any ideas?</div><div><br></div><div>Larry Ayers</div></=
div><div class=3D"gmail_extra"><br><br><div class=3D"gmail_quote">On Thu, J=
un 27, 2013 at 10:26 PM, James W. Wolford <span dir=3D"ltr">&lt;<a href=3D"=
mailto:jimwolford@eastlink.ca" target=3D"_blank">jimwolford@eastlink.ca</a>=
&gt;</span> wrote:<br>

<blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1p=
x #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><div style=3D"word-wrap:break-word">
 I&#39;ll bet Jane is right about you probably having common comfrey, Symph=
ytum officinale, which is currently in bloom along our rail trail in Wolfvi=
lle. =A0We also have a less common second species, rough comfrey, S. asperu=
m. =A0Cheers from Jim in Wolfville.<br>

<div><br><div>Begin forwarded message:</div><br><blockquote type=3D"cite"><=
div style=3D"margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:=
0px"><font color=3D"#000000" face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font:12=
.0px Helvetica"><b>From: </b></font><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" sty=
le=3D"font:12.0px Helvetica">Dave&amp;Jane Schlosberg &lt;<a href=3D"mailto=
:dschlosb-g@ns.sympatico.ca" target=3D"_blank">dschlosb-g@ns.sympatico.ca</=
a>&gt;</font></div>

<div style=3D"margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left=
:0px"><font color=3D"#000000" face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font:1=
2.0px Helvetica"><b>Date: </b></font><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" st=
yle=3D"font:12.0px Helvetica">June 27, 2013 7:49:59 PM ADT</font></div>

<div style=3D"margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left=
:0px"><font color=3D"#000000" face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font:1=
2.0px Helvetica"><b>To: </b></font><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" styl=
e=3D"font:12.0px Helvetica"><a href=3D"mailto:naturens@chebucto.ns.ca" targ=
et=3D"_blank">naturens@chebucto.ns.ca</a></font></div>

<div style=3D"margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left=
:0px"><font color=3D"#000000" face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font:1=
2.0px Helvetica"><b>Subject: </b></font><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3"=
 style=3D"font:12.0px Helvetica"><b>Re: [NatureNS] Bluebells (Mertensia) in=
 NS</b></font></div>

<div style=3D"margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left=
:0px"><font color=3D"#000000" face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font:1=
2.0px Helvetica"><b>Reply-To: </b></font><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3=
" style=3D"font:12.0px Helvetica"><a href=3D"mailto:naturens@chebucto.ns.ca=
" target=3D"_blank">naturens@chebucto.ns.ca</a></font></div>

<div style=3D"margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left=
:0px;min-height:14px"><br></div>  <div dir=3D"ltr"> <div style=3D"font-size=
:12pt;font-family:&#39;Calibri&#39;"> <div>Could it be comfrey (symphytum o=
fficinale)?=A0 Different family, but fits your description.</div>

 <div>Jane</div> <div style=3D"font-style:normal;font-size:small;display:in=
line;text-decoration:none;font-family:&#39;Calibri&#39;;font-weight:normal"=
> <div style=3D"FONT:10pt tahoma"> <div><br></div> <div style=3D"BACKGROUND=
:#f5f5f5">

 <div><b>From:</b> <a href=3D"mailto:larry.ayers@gmail.com" target=3D"_blan=
k">Larry Ayers</a> </div> <div><b>Sent:</b> Thursday, June 27, 2013 4:58 PM=
</div> <div><b>To:</b> <a href=3D"mailto:naturens@chebucto.ns.ca" target=3D=
"_blank">NatureNS</a> </div>

 <div><b>Subject:</b> [NatureNS] Bluebells (Mertensia) in NS</div></div></d=
iv> <div><br></div></div> <div style=3D"font-style:normal;font-size:small;d=
isplay:inline;text-decoration:none;font-family:&#39;Calibri&#39;;font-weigh=
t:normal">

 <div dir=3D"ltr">Hello -- I&#39;m an American staying in the Round Hill ar=
ea this summer, and I&#39;ve been trying to identify the native and alien p=
lants in the neighborhood. Lots of aliens in the Annapolis Valley! <div>
<br></div>
 <div>There&#39;s a road ditch in front of a vacant house on Hwy. 201 which=
 harbors a profuse growth of a plant which has flowers very like those of t=
he Eastern Bluebell, Mertensia virginica. It&#39;s a taller plant with roug=
h-hairy lanceolate leaves and I&#39;m wondering if it might be Mertensia pa=
niculata, the Tall Bluebell. That species grows as far east as Quebec and c=
ould have been brought to NS as a garden plant, perhaps.</div>

 <div><br></div> <div>Has anyone seen these?</div> <div><br></div> <div>Lar=
ry Ayers </div></div></div></div></div></blockquote></div><br></div></block=
quote></div><br></div>
</div></blockquote></div></div>--<br>&quot;The significant problems of our =
time cannot be solved by the same level of thinking that created them.&quot=
;<br>Albert Einstein<br><br>&quot;When one tugs at a single thing in nature=
, he finds it attached to the rest of the world.&quot;<br>
John Muir
</blockquote></div><br></div>

--089e011821ea5510f804e035b0c0--

next message in archive
no next message in thread
previous message in archive
previous message in thread
Index of Subjects