An unusual plant?
 

When I was out hiking this past weekend, I came across a plant that
looked unusual. It also looks a bit unfriendly. I'm wondering if one
of you could identify it for me? I took a picture and posted it at the
URL below. Thanks.

http://hydrogen.denterprises.org/gal...Falls/DSC01539

Colin

--
Colin W. Wetherbee
http://hydrogen.denterprises.org/

An unusual plant?
 

I came across a plant that
looked unusual. It also looks a bit unfriendly.

If it is a vine with prickers, it is a Smilax

Iris,
Central NY, Zone 5a, Sunset Zone 40
"If we see light at the end of the tunnel, It's the light of the oncoming
train."
Robert Lowell (1917-1977)

An unusual plant?
 

Um, Smilax is a monocot and will not have palmately lobed leaves.

M. Reed

Iris Cohen wrote:

I came across a plant that
looked unusual. It also looks a bit unfriendly.

If it is a vine with prickers, it is a Smilax

Iris,
Central NY, Zone 5a, Sunset Zone 40
"If we see light at the end of the tunnel, It's the light of the oncoming
train."
Robert Lowell (1917-1977)

An unusual plant?
 

I am the wrong person for this but to me it looks like a Rubus species, all
too common. It sure feels unfriendly when touched in passing.
PvR

Colin Wetherbee schreef
When I was out hiking this past weekend, I came across a plant that
looked unusual. It also looks a bit unfriendly. I'm wondering if one
of you could identify it for me? I took a picture and posted it at the
URL below. Thanks.

http://hydrogen.denterprises.org/gal...Falls/DSC01539

Colin

--
Colin W. Wetherbee
http://hydrogen.denterprises.org/

An unusual plant?
 

The quite possibly wise P van Rijckevorsel was heard saying:
I am the wrong person for this but to me it looks like a Rubus species, all
too common. It sure feels unfriendly when touched in passing.

I found a few images of plants from the genus Rubus, but none seem to
look like the plant I've found. Specifically, I found Rubus
spectabilis, Rubus mesogaeus, and Rubus deliciosus. Thanks for your
help, though. :)

Colin

--
Colin W. Wetherbee
http://hydrogen.denterprises.org/

An unusual plant?
 

The quite possibly wise Iris Cohen was heard saying:
I came across a plant that
looked unusual. It also looks a bit unfriendly.

If it is a vine with prickers, it is a Smilax

Definitely not a vine. It had a very short, slim stem, if I remember
correctly. Now, I wish I would've taken more pictures of it. :)

Thanks for your help.

Colin

--
Colin W. Wetherbee
http://hydrogen.denterprises.org/

An unusual plant?
 

You might however take a look at the following URL.

http://www.cnr.vt.edu/dendro/dendrol.../ohorridum.htm

Gene again

Gene Newcomb wrote:

I didn't see the short stem comment when I wrote. All bets are off. Now I've lost
the URL and can't find the pictures again.

Gene

Gene Newcomb wrote:

Probably Oplopanax horridum (Sm.) Miq. It has long spines on the stem and is
native to Pacific North West and on up into Alaska. One common name is Devil's
club. It often grows in dense thickets in narrow moist ravines making for a
hard struggle to get through it.

Gene Newcomb

Monique Reed wrote:

Um, Smilax is a monocot and will not have palmately lobed leaves.

M. Reed

Iris Cohen wrote:

I came across a plant that
looked unusual. It also looks a bit unfriendly.

If it is a vine with prickers, it is a Smilax

Iris,
Central NY, Zone 5a, Sunset Zone 40
"If we see light at the end of the tunnel, It's the light of the oncoming
train."
Robert Lowell (1917-1977)

An unusual plant?
 

The quite possibly wise P van Rijckevorsel was heard saying:
I am the wrong person for this but to me it looks like a Rubus species,
all too common. It sure feels unfriendly when touched in passing.

Colin Wetherbee schreef
I found a few images of plants from the genus Rubus, but none seem to
look like the plant I've found. Specifically, I found Rubus
spectabilis, Rubus mesogaeus, and Rubus deliciosus. Thanks for your
help, though. :)
Colin

+ + +
Rubus is both rather variable and a taxonomic nightmare.
A picture like this seems a fair match

http://www.arborea.se/rubodor.htm

PvR

An unusual plant?
 

The quite possibly wise P van Rijckevorsel was heard saying:
Rubus is both rather variable and a taxonomic nightmare.
A picture like this seems a fair match

http://www.arborea.se/rubodor.htm

This looks like the closest match yet. Thanks!

Colin

--
Colin W. Wetherbee
http://hydrogen.denterprises.org/

An unusual plant?
 

The quite possibly wise Gene Newcomb was heard saying:
You might however take a look at the following URL.

http://www.cnr.vt.edu/dendro/dendrol.../ohorridum.htm

It's a close match in appearance, but the description (particularly, "3
to 12 feet tall" and "armed with fine, irritating prickles") seems to be
incorrect for the plant pictured.

Thank you very much for your help, though.

Colin

--
Colin W. Wetherbee
http://hydrogen.denterprises.org/

An unusual plant?
 

The quite possibly wise P van Rijckevorsel was heard saying:
Rubus is both rather variable and a taxonomic nightmare.
A picture like this seems a fair match

http://www.arborea.se/rubodor.htm

Colin Wetherbee schreef in
This looks like the closest match yet. Thanks!

Colin

According to a field guide there is only one Rubus species in California
with non-compound and 5- lobed leafs:

http://www.fw.vt.edu/dendro/dendrolo...arviflorus.htm
PvR

An unusual plant?
 

I think that what all of this discussion proves is that a picture is NOT
worth a thousand words. A fuller description of the plant with the first
question would have lead to less floundering around on the part of those of
us trying to help you. Your terms "looked unusual" and "a bit unfriendly"
are not very useful descriptors.

Gene

Colin Wetherbee wrote:

The quite possibly wise Gene Newcomb was heard saying:
You might however take a look at the following URL.

http://www.cnr.vt.edu/dendro/dendrol.../ohorridum.htm

It's a close match in appearance, but the description (particularly, "3
to 12 feet tall" and "armed with fine, irritating prickles") seems to be
incorrect for the plant pictured.

Thank you very much for your help, though.

Colin

--
Colin W. Wetherbee
http://hydrogen.denterprises.org/

An unusual plant?
 

Gene Newcomb schreef
I think that what all of this discussion proves is that a picture is NOT
worth a thousand words. A fuller description of the plant with the first
question would have lead to less floundering around on the part of those
of us trying to help you. Your terms "looked unusual" and "a bit unfriendly"
are not very useful descriptors.

Gene

+ + +
Surely all this discussion proves that a picture IS worth a thousand words.
A fuller description of the plant with the first question would have led to
more floundering around on the part of those of us pitching in here ("what
do you mean by that word?"). A term like "a bit unfriendly" may not be the
most useful descriptor but at least it is short and gets a message across.

Trying to identify a plant by a single leaf is not an easy matter at the
best of times.
PvR

An unusual plant?
 

Smilax is a monocot and will not have palmately lobed leaves.

I guess I haven't seen one recently. What's your guess?
Iris,
Central NY, Zone 5a, Sunset Zone 40
"If we see light at the end of the tunnel, It's the light of the oncoming
train."
Robert Lowell (1917-1977)

An unusual plant?
 

In article , P van
Rijckevorsel writes
Gene Newcomb schreef
I think that what all of this discussion proves is that a picture is NOT
worth a thousand words. A fuller description of the plant with the first
question would have lead to less floundering around on the part of those
of us trying to help you. Your terms "looked unusual" and "a bit unfriendly"
are not very useful descriptors.

Gene

+ + +
Surely all this discussion proves that a picture IS worth a thousand words.
A fuller description of the plant with the first question would have led to
more floundering around on the part of those of us pitching in here ("what
do you mean by that word?"). A term like "a bit unfriendly" may not be the
most useful descriptor but at least it is short and gets a message across.

Trying to identify a plant by a single leaf is not an easy matter at the
best of times.
PvR

If you want to test whether a fuller description helps, try # 34 at

http://www.meden.demon.co.uk/Malvaceae/whatisit.html
--
Stewart Robert Hinsley