Introduction to Glen Echo
Glen Echo Park is a roughly 7 acre restoration area of the larger Glen Echo Ravine. It is located off of Indianola Avenue in Columbus, Ohio and, less specifically, less than a 10 minute walk from my house! Because of this, Glen Echo park has been a favorite of mine since I moved in around two years ago. Regardless, Glen Echo Park has a small stream running through it called the Glen Echo Tributary. It also has a very interesting mini-ecosystem called a vernal pool, which is like a micro-wetland that has no permanent inlet or outlet. The vernal pool at Glen Echo is my favorite place to visit since it is home to frogs, salamanders, and snakes. Another interesting creature that Glen Echo is home to? Poison ivy. Here’s an example of what I think is poison ivy. You can tell this is poison ivy due to its “leaves of three – let it be” (more correctly: leaflets, three). This plant is a baby, and unfortunately won’t get to grow much taller as there weren’t many trees around. Even though I’m not allergic, I wasn’t going to risk checking.
Inflorescences
White Clover – Trifolium repens
The flowers of white clover are comprised of sessile, bilaterally symmetrical flowers in the form of an umbel. The flowers are unicarpallate and perigynous(?). I think their fruits would be achenes, since they are dry “pods” with one or two seeds. Also pictured: black medic (Medicago lupulina).
Common Moonseed – Menispermum canadense
The flowers of common moonseed are in panicles that droop. The “drooped” female flowers become small, bluish-black drupes! The flowers are radially symmetrical, hypogynous, and have a syncarpous gynoecium.
Canada Honewort – Cryptotaenia canadensis
The flowers of Canada honewort are bilaterally symmetrical, hypogynous, and have a syncarpous gynoecium. The fruits of Canada honewort are schizocarps.
Invasive Plants (BOO! HISS!)