WEEK 3

Date: Monday April 22, 2013
Weather: Windy, partly cloudy
Temperature: 55-60 degrees F
Time: 5:30pm-7:00pm
Location: Union Bay Natural Area

This week the weather did not improve as it had between the last two weeks, my site is becoming greener though and I am now able to identify a few species of plant life here. First and foremost I am delighted to say that I have identified my great tree, which to my confusion was actually exactly that which I had suspected it to be, but I had been swayed by an absence of cotton, that will come later. That's right, it's a Cotton Wood! 

1) Cotton Wood, Populus balsamifera, member of the Willow family. I  learned that this tree will produce a catkin flower, and sticky, yellow buds which are quite fragrant. The leaves of the Cotton Wood are arrow shaped, ovate, entire, shinny above, and dull gray below. The bark is gray and the trees retain much water which makes them unsuitable for wood burning (they are wetland indicators). The Cotton Woods here are also very tall, and grow alongside the pond in the shallow water.

2) The Rush, Juncus effusus, is the second species I would like to identify, which explains why I had thought I had seen Idaho Fescue (but clearly, did not). It has a single round, long stem and at this point most of the Rush is from last year, but in the center of the Rush, located in the pond, there is new, green color from this season.

3) The Pacific Willow, Salix lucida, also borders the pond. It is pretty tall, but not as tall as the Cotton Woods here, in general. It has oval/elongate, fine toothed, lanceolate, leaves with small hairs, yellowish twigs, and produces catkins. The bark is grayish and furrowed, and it grows in the same shallow water as the Cotton Wood. Interesting fact: the Pacific Willow is prone to hybridization with others.

4) Red Osier Dogwood, Cornus sericea, is a thick looking shrub which is just as abundant in the area. The first thing that I noticed about it was the red hue of the twigs, then when we examined the leaves closely; the longitudinal veins of the leaves were noticeable, as well as an opposite leaf pattern, and an elliptical, entire shape. The Red Osier Dogwood grows in the dry and wet areas here. 

5) Oregon Ash, Fraxinus latifolia, is a member of the Olive family. It has opposite, pinnately compound leaves that count 5 to 7 on a stem, which are elliptical in shape, entire, and have a hairy underside. The bark is gray, and furrowed in forking ridges. It is growing in the drier area alongside the walking path.

6) Sitka Spruce, Picea sitchensis, is a member of the Pine family. The needles surround the twig and are stiff, and the cones hang down and are cylindrical with thin, papery scales. The bark is gray and thin, and there are very bright green buds on the ends of the tree branches here. The tree is growing in the drier grassy areas.

7) Ponderosa Pine, Pin ponderosa, is also a member of the Pine family, naturally. The needles are bundled in groups of three, and the cones are egg-shaped and reddish. The trees' bark is thick and brown-colored, and the tree also grows in the drier grassy areas here.

8) Pacific Madrone, Arbutus menziesii, is a member of the Heath family. The flowers on the Pacific Madrones here are very small, white, and bell-shaped, and bark is smooth and red with dense cold wood ("refrigerator tree"). The leaves are waxy and elliptical/oblong with small tooths, and a simple pattern. The tree is also growing alongside the drier walking path area.