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SouthEastern Texas Wetlands

23210 Views 83 Replies 24 Participants Last post by  Neverlander
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I was driving through Chambers County today and stopped by a road ditch to see what was in it. I was pleasantly surprised with a few different plants. I was able to ID some Bacopa monneiri, seashore paspalum (Paspalum vaginatum) and some different hairgrasses. But I don't know three of them.

This first one looks like a ludwigia, but is very small. I know that L.peploides is common around here, maybe these are babies? Leaves are opposite. It was growing in a thick clump just below the water surface.




This next one looks VERY similar, but it a bit larger-leaved, and leaves are alternate. It was growing in small clusters or 2-3 stems, sometimes only 1.




Here is a comparison of the two. Notice the size difference.


Can anyone make a good guess or positive ID?
-Dave
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Re: Local Plants for ID

Here is the third plant I could not ID. It's a rosette-like plant. I have absolutely NO clue what it is.



Here's a pic of the ditch, followed by a mat of Bacopa monneiri.




-Dave
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Re: Local Plants for ID

The first one might be Ludwigia repens and the larger red plant might be Ludwigia glandulosa. Very nice finds!
Re: Local Plants for ID

The first one might be Ludwigia repens and the larger red plant might be Ludwigia glandulosa. Very nice finds!
Thanks! :)
Re: Local Plants for ID

What a neat find! I agree with the id's that Huy said. That would be my guess. We'll see if other's have different ideas. :D
Re: Local Plants for ID

1. Ludwigia palustris (probably)
2. L. glandulosa
3. dunno, but I'll bet it turns out to be a stem. Grow it out...
Re: Local Plants for ID

Thanks, all, for the answers. I don't think I have to light output for L.glandulosa, but I'll see what it does. The others I'll plant and see what they do. I'll update if anything neat happens (like #3 stretching out to a stemmie) . :)

-Dave
Re: Local Plants for ID

Wow those are great Dave!When can we go collecting?:D
Re: Local Plants for ID

Wow those are great Dave!When can we go collecting?:D
Whenever you want! I'm just now learning the roads over there, but the entire county is FULL of wetlands and ditches that never dry. Anytime you guys want to tour the area "for conservation assistance" just let me know. :)
Re: Local Plants for ID

ADG use to have a guy that like to dive into ditches all the time. They give him the nickname - ditch diver. hmmmmm :spy:
Re: Local Plants for ID

ADG use to have a guy that like to dive into ditches all the time. They give him the nickname - ditch diver. hmmmmm :spy:
:lalala: At work they call my brother "Mud-duck" (he's the Wetlands Specialist and is always out in the muck) . :cool:
Re: Local Plants for ID

I guess ditch divers in Texas don't worry about gators, huh? :) Around here, if I can't see where I'm stepping, I don't go in it. ;)
Re: Local Plants for ID

I was ditch diving last month and near about stepped on and startled what I thought was a humongous frog or turtle. Turned out to be a 3 foot gator. I look closer now. I don't think the gator could have hurt me "badly"....it is more snakes I worry about. So far the most pain has been from the fire ants which seem to always be in the ditches.
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Re: Local Plants for ID

On a hunch, I ventured out to the ditch just outside my office. I mean, this is literally 50 feet from the front door of my office. I look down and what do I see? More ludwigia and a few other questionable plants (not sure if they are aquatic or not).

The first Ludwigia (that has been ID'd so far as L. palustris) was present in mass quantities and I even found a couple emerged shoots. Take a look, these are the same plant emersed and submersed. I believe this confirms L.palustris? (Even without a flower? )





And I found a grass that was growing submerged. A mower/weedeater has hit a few times I think. My first thought on this was submerged growth of Seashore Paspalum (P. vaginatum) , but I admit I am very much uncertain. There is an abundance of seashore growing in the area, however. Here are pics:




I never knew I'd have so much fun moving to Coastal Texas! This is so much FUN!! :D

-Dave

By the way, is there a way to change the thread title to something more along the lines of "SouthEastern Texas Wetlands" or something like that? If so, I can just keep posting more plants from the area on this thread?
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Re: Local Plants for ID

Dave,

I'm not sure what that first one is, but it's definitely not a Ludwigia (at least the emersed stem). Are you positive that's what the one on the right is? I don't think that's the same thing as in your first photo.

The second one looks like it's probably a grass (might be something from
Cyperaceae). Don't let that stop you from trying it.
Re: Local Plants for ID

Dave,

I'm not sure what that first one is, but it's definitely not a Ludwigia (at least the emersed stem). Are you positive that's what the one on the right is? I don't think that's the same thing as in your first photo.

The second one looks like it's probably a grass (might be something from
Cyperaceae). Don't let that stop you from trying it.
Well, they were growing together, but they weren't attached to the same plant. I just assumed....and we all know what happens when we ass-u-me. So, it may well be two different plants. Especially considering there were only a couple of these emersed stems poping up amongst a HUGE submerged mat of the ludwigia. With my luck, it could be button-bush seedlings (there's alot of that here) . I'll do some better 'sloshing' Monday and see what I find.

As for the grass, it's in my tank right now. I've got it up front where I can keep a close eye on it in case it starts dying/rotting away.

I have to say this again, this really is fun. I'm learning new plants, feeding my hobby, and working at the same time (well...the working part may be a bit of a stretch...it takes a little smooth talking to say swathing through a ditch is conservation-related) .

-Dave

Oh, and look at that new title! Some cool monkey must have come up with that! :) Thanks for changing it for me.
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I wish I could collect all year up here. Well, maybe, but I wouldn't find much and it would be pretty cold. :slywink:
those are some great finds!! heck i havent found anything like that here. You cant go wrong with free plants.
I have seen that third plant occasionally around here, not in ditches, but at the edge of a pond or river. I always thought it was some kind of Ludwigia. Sometimes it seems to have a woody stem. Next time I run across it, I will try to grow it.
Why do you think the first is not Ludwigia? I am no plant expert but I have grown out LOTS of different age/state of immersion plants that look REALLY different and they all grow out to be what I thought was L.repens . How can you tell the difference between repens and palutris? Does the first pic have jaggedy leave edges?
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