Could someone please help me identify this plant...

http://www.user.shentel.net/eddie180/FP/100_0846e.jpg

This is a viney plant in an arboretum in Northern Virginia growing
on a tree. We thought it might be mistletoe, but it had red berries.
Its rather cold here now, but the leaves on this plant are green
and the berries fully developed.

Thanks in advance

Bittersweet

Celastrus scandens

http://images.google.com/images?svnu...ns&btnG=Search


"Ed" wrote in message
...


Could someone please help me identify this plant...

http://www.user.shentel.net/eddie180/FP/100_0846e.jpg

This is a viney plant in an arboretum in Northern Virginia growing
on a tree. We thought it might be mistletoe, but it had red berries.
Its rather cold here now, but the leaves on this plant are green
and the berries fully developed.

Thanks in advance

"Ed" wrote in
message ...


Could someone please help me identify this plant...

http://www.user.shentel.net/eddie180/FP/100_0846e.jpg

This is a viney plant in an arboretum in Northern Virginia growing
on a tree. We thought it might be mistletoe, but it had red berries.
Its rather cold here now, but the leaves on this plant are green
and the berries fully developed.

_Euonymus fortunei_, a widespread and common introduced
species from China. Unlike the native Euonymus americana,
it's often a climber. Although often invasive, it's commonly
cultivated as an ornamental vine or shrub.

http://www.nps.gov/plants/alien/fact/eufo1.htm
http://mdc.mo.gov/nathis/exotic/vegman/twentyse.htm
http://www.issg.org/database/species...=575&fr=1&sts=
http://www.cas.vanderbilt.edu/bioima...cies/eufo5.htm

cheers

I agree with Cereus that it is bittersweet, based upon the long leaves,
brown stems and large fruits. Euonymus have smaller leaves that are more
leathery, green stems and relatively smaller fruits. Both are noxious weeds.

Scott

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are right" H.L. Mencken
"Ed" wrote in message
...


Could someone please help me identify this plant...

http://www.user.shentel.net/eddie180/FP/100_0846e.jpg

This is a viney plant in an arboretum in Northern Virginia growing
on a tree. We thought it might be mistletoe, but it had red berries.
Its rather cold here now, but the leaves on this plant are green
and the berries fully developed.

Thanks in advance

"Scott Ranger" wrote in
message . ..

"Ed" wrote in message
...
Could someone please help me identify this plant...

http://www.user.shentel.net/eddie180/FP/100_0846e.jpg

This is a viney plant in an arboretum in Northern Virginia growing
on a tree. We thought it might be mistletoe, but it had red berries.
Its rather cold here now, but the leaves on this plant are green
and the berries fully developed.

I agree with Cereus that it is bittersweet, based upon the long leaves,
brown stems and large fruits. Euonymus have smaller leaves that are more
leathery, green stems and relatively smaller fruits.

I missed seeing the earlier bittersweet ID, but I still think this one
is a Euonymus. It's hard to tell whether the leaves in the photo are
alternate [Celastrus] or opposite [Euonymus], but this plant is pretty
clearly evergreen just as the original poster noted [and just like the
particular Euonymus species I'd suggested],

http://www.hancockwoodlands.ca/winte...ereuonymus.JPG

and not deciduous like either the native Celastrus scandens or
the introduced C. orbiculatus.

A more subtle difference is in the fruits: these Celastrus spp. have
their aril-covered seeds in a tight sphere in the center of the dehisced
fruit:

http://www.nps.gov/plants/pubs/chesapeake/plant/237.htm
http://www.kansasnativeplants.com/im...n-seed-320.jpg
http://www.mytho-fleurs.com/images/v...s%20fruits.JPG
http://www.tneppc.org/images/Exotics%20Photos/Celastrus%20PA180017%20(RKC).JPG

Whereas the plant in question here

http://www.user.shentel.net/eddie180/FP/100_0846e.jpg

very clearly has well-separated seeds dangling further out nearer
the tips of the fruit capsule lobes, as is typical of many Euonymus
spp.:

http://oncampus.richmond.edu/academi...tunei_fall.jpg
http://www.plantes-ornementales.com/...coloratus.html
http://www.nationale-plantencollecti...xyphyllus.html
http://arboretum.sfasu.edu/plants/eu...%20americanus/
http://www.npsnj.org/euonymus_americanus.htm

Besides, his photo looks a whole like the _Euonymus fortunei_ plants
that I often see growing around here.

Both are noxious weeds.

Well, just the introduced, invasive species, perhaps.

cheers

On Wed, 14 Dec 2005 22:22:46 -0500, Ed wrote:
Could someone please help me identify this plant...

http://www.user.shentel.net/eddie180/FP/100_0846e.jpg

Hard to tell from the photo, but leaves look opposite, which would
make it Euonymus fortunei. Variable in form, but 40-70 ft vines aren't
uncommon. Leaf retention and good green color this late in the season
also suggests E. fortunei.

Unfortunately, id from pictures is often a best-guess, not an exactitude.

"mel turner" schreef
I missed seeing the earlier bittersweet ID, but I still think this one
is a Euonymus. It's hard to tell whether the leaves in the photo are
alternate [Celastrus] or opposite [Euonymus], but this plant is pretty
clearly evergreen just as the original poster noted [and just like the
particular Euonymus species I'd suggested],

http://www.hancockwoodlands.ca/winte...ereuonymus.JPG

and not deciduous like either the native Celastrus scandens or
the introduced C. orbiculatus.

A more subtle difference is in the fruits: these Celastrus spp. have
their aril-covered seeds in a tight sphere in the center of the dehisced
fruit:

http://www.nps.gov/plants/pubs/chesapeake/plant/237.htm
http://www.kansasnativeplants.com/im...n-seed-320.jpg

http://www.mytho-fleurs.com/images/v...s%20fruits.JPG

http://www.tneppc.org/images/Exotics%20Photos/Celastrus%20PA180017%20(RKC).JPG

Whereas the plant in question here

http://www.user.shentel.net/eddie180/FP/100_0846e.jpg

very clearly has well-separated seeds dangling further out nearer
the tips of the fruit capsule lobes, as is typical of many Euonymus
spp.:

***
I would love to say something wise and insightful here, but I can't.
I agree that the fruit details are very important here, but the picture
quality is not adequate. I cannot even agree that there is a clear
separation: from the picture these could also be cases of fruits close
together. All that anybody has to go by here is general habit, and I know
neither of these species.

All right, a final pearl of wisdom: this is the reason that arboreta have
signs with the name of the plant!
PvR

Thanks for all the answers. Next time I'm at this arboretum I will take
better pictures of the plant in question, and post links to them back
here. This plant seemed to be growing wild in this particular spot. I
don't think there was a nameplate by this one.

Ed

Here is the same image, but cropped and zoomed in. Maybe this will
make it a little more clear. I still would like to take some better
images and do another post.

Thanks again
Ed

Sorry, forgot to include the cropped and zoomed pic.
Here it is...
http://www.user.shentel.net/eddie180/FP/100_0846ce.jpg

That doesn't help at all. Its the same picture.

What you need to do is look at the actual plant itself to see if the leaf
arrangement is opposite or alternate and a better photo of the fruit.
(Actually the fruit are dehiscent and expose seeds with a fleshy red
covering (sarcotesta).)

Its been suggested that Euonymus is evergreen while Celastrus is deciduous,
but the latter genus often retains the terminal cluster of leaves over the
winter.


"Ed" wrote in message
...

Here is the same image, but cropped and zoomed in. Maybe this will
make it a little more clear. I still would like to take some better
images and do another post.

Thanks again
Ed

"Ed" schreef
Sorry, forgot to include the cropped and zoomed pic.
Here it is...
http://www.user.shentel.net/eddie180/FP/100_0846ce.jpg

***
This does help a little.
There is a separation (of seeds) within the fruits.
The leaves do look to be opposite.
PvR

"P van Rijckevorsel" wrote in news:43a30815$0
:

"Ed" schreef
Sorry, forgot to include the cropped and zoomed pic.
Here it is...
http://www.user.shentel.net/eddie180/FP/100_0846ce.jpg

***
This does help a little.
There is a separation (of seeds) within the fruits.
The leaves do look to be opposite.

There are a few leaves that do appear to be opposite, but a bit more
importantly, the leaf scars which are more visible are clearly
opposite.

Sean

I'm agree with Euonymus fortunei
because it fruits and seed
If it is Euonymus fortunei then introduced from central china , korea
or japan

I agree Euonymus fortunei by it's fruits



http://shizuka.sakura.ne.jp/photo2/q2964.jpg