Bittersweet Nightshade (Solanum dulcamara)

August 27, 2020 Elise

Next time you’re out for a walk, whether in the forest or along your street, see if you can spot some of these colorful fruits. They belong to an invasive, perennial, semi-woody vine called bittersweet nightshade (Solanum dulcamara). Bittersweet nightshade originated in Eurasia, but is now common throughout much of the United States. It is common in disturbed habitats, forested edges, and along stream banks and wetland margins. This plant’s unique leaf shape, which is deeply divided into almost three…

White-footed Mouse (Peromyscus leucopus)

August 20, 2020 Elise

We found this little guy along the edge of a forested trail on Sunday. While it’s obviously a mouse, sometimes identifying which mouse species you’re looking at can be a little tricky. White-footed mice have a dark brown back, orange-brown sides, a white belly, and, as the name implies: white feet. The head and body are approximately 3.5 inches long, with the tail adding another 3 inches to its overall length. Although white-footed mice can be easily confused with the…

Common liverwort (Marchantia polymorpha)

August 17, 2020 Elise

Most people have at least a passing acquaintance with mosses and lichens, but what about liverworts. What is a liverwort anyway? Liverworts are a group of primitive, nonvascular plants containing only one or a few layers of cells, and tend to grow in thin, flat sheets. Liverworts are found only in moist environments due to their lack of vascular tissue (i.e., xylem and phloem) and their inability to store water. This means if you’re interested in finding one, you should…

Seashore to Forest Floor

A naturalist's journey across Cape Cod and beyond

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Month: August 2020