Saturday, December 1, 2012

Help with IDs? Solved!

Does anyone recognize either or both of these woody/shrubby plants that have showed up in the Meadow?

Thorns! Perhaps bluewood condalia? Definitely gum bumelia (see below).
No thorns. A yaupon? Very likely! Yay!
Sample leaves from both plants....
From Joe Marcus, living collections manager at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center: "I’m going to have to agree with Anonymous and say it’s gum bumelia (Sideroxylon lanuginosum). The spurs visible in your picture are not always present, but some trees will be studded with them.  Growing conditions and growth rate could be factors in their formation. The other plant does appear to be Ilex vomitoria."

This is going to get interesting.

Jason Singhurt, a plant ecologist/botanist with Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, says, "The first plant is gum bumelia, and the second one is deciduous holly." 

I'm good either way! 
Yaupon holly (Ilex vomitoria) or possumhaw (Ilex decidua)

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Sheryl,

The plant in the top photo looks like a bumelia (Sideroxylon/Bumelia species). The plant in the bottom photo looks mostly like a yaupon (Ilex vomitoria), but it could be a possumhaw (Ilex decidua). Watch to see if it hangs on to its leaves this winter. All of these species are excellent native wildlife plants.

Sheryl Smith-Rodgers said...

Hmmm,I don't think Sideroxylon has thorns like our plant does. Now I'm thinking brasil (bluewood) ...Condalia hookeri. Look here: http://www.sbs.utexas.edu/mbierner/bio406d/images/pics/rhm/condalia_hookeri.htm

An Illex either way would be AWESOME!! Looks like maybe yaupon holly: http://www.sbs.utexas.edu/mbierner/bio406d/images/pics/aqu/ilex_decidua.htm

THANK YOU for the help!!!!

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