Colocasia esculenta

NAMING

Scientific Name: Colocasia esculenta
Family: Areaceae
Common: paro, elephant ears

HABITAT

Native to India, Southeast Asia
Category 1 Invasive
Brought over as food resource for slaves, promoted twice more, researched for biofuels
Habitat: Mucky soils, edges of swamps, rivers, lakes
Range: South Carolina -> Texas

TREE TRUNK

Size:
Bark: –

LEAVES

Herbacious, grows in dense groups
soft, velvety
dark green above
arrow shape
paltate peticle
stem is succulent

REPRODUCTION

Flowers: doesn’t often
Fruit: little berry (edible)

USES

TOLERANCES

Shade: tolerant
Frost: no

Fraxinus americana

NAMING

Scientific Name: Fraxinus americana
Family: Aericeae
Common: White Ash

HABITAT

Native
Habitat: Dryer, upland sites but goes to bottomlands
Range: Southeast US

TREE TRUNK

Size: 100 ft
Bark: – Interlacing braided bark

LEAVES

Oddly pinnately compound
opposite
margins: entire
apex is cuminate
dark green above with a whitish sheen below
Axillary: not very obvious like green ash
Swollen peticle
Leaf scar: much more crescent moon shaped
Terminal bud: blunt

REPRODUCTION

Flowers: inconspicuous
Fruit: samara, wing covers entire seed (green ash only half)

USES

Commercial – Louisville Slugger made of white ash.  Commercial value slightly higher

TOLERANCES

Shade: no
Salt: moderate
Fire: moderate
Flood: low
Drought: low

Rhapidophyllum hystrix

image source: http://palmgardensbergstrom.com/images/photos/20091204_1766.jpg

NAMING

Scientific Name: Rhapidophyllum hystrix
Family: Areaceae
Common: needle palm

HABITAT

Native
Habitat: Wet moist sites
Range: MS -> FL ->NC

TREE TRUNK

NO TRUNK – always in a bush-like form

LEAVES

Leaf arrangement: –
Leaf type: –
Leaf margin: torn off edges
Leaf shape: palmate, 15-20 segments per leaf
Leaf blade length: up to almost 7ft
Leaf venation: parallel
Leaf color: green
Leaf persistence: evergreen

*Unarmed petiole

REPRODUCTION

Flowers: yellow to purplish-brown  inflorescence shaped
Fruit: red to brown, spherical

USES

Commercial – Horticulture

TOLERANCES

Drought – Low
Flood – No
Salt – No
Shade – Low

Sabal palmetto

image source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e1/Spalmettotrunk.JPG

image source: http://www.florida.plantatlas.usf.edu/plantimage/Sabal_palmetto10.jpg

image source: http://plants.bees.net/gallery/albums/arecaceae/Photo_Sabal_palmetto_flowers_CRW_0242.jpg

image source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/ff/Cabbage_Palm.JPG

NAMING

Scientific Name: Sabal palmetto
Family: Areaceae
Common: cabbage palm

HABITAT

Native
Habitat: Wet moist sites
Range: Coastal Plains to SC

TREE TRUNK

Size: 90ft tall
Monocot – Not actually a tree

LEAVES

Leaf arrangement: alternate
Leaf type: simple
Leaf margin: entire
Leaf shape: costapalmate
Leaf blade length: up to 12ft
Leaf venation: parallel
Leaf color: green
Leaf persistence: evergreen

*Hastula extends into leaf, creating bend

REPRODUCTION

Flowers: yellow
Fruit: drupe – green to orange

USES

Wildlife – Racoons and squirrels use as shelter, eat fruit

Commercial – used as an ornamental

TOLERANCES

Drought – Yes
Flood – Yes
Salt – Yes