An Additional Festive Touch

This Common Mestra seemed to be particularly attracted to the Guayacan, fluttering around the branches until it came to rest and perched for an extended period of time on the dark green leaves, showing off the brilliant upperside of its wings and adding to the festive appearance of the shrub:

From what I have observed, the Common Mestra (Mestra amymone), a small tropical Brushfoot, has been especially abundant here in Bexar County this year.

This set of photographs was taken along the El Camino Trail at the Medina River Natural Area on Tuesday, November 19, 2013.

A Festive Appearance

From a distance, Guayacan (pronounced "why-a-con") (Guaiacum angustifolium) appears as if it might be an evergreen in the Cupressaceae (Cypress) Family such as a Juniper or Cedar. Upon closer inspection, it becomes evident this shrub has pinnately* compound leaves with thick, leathery, dark green, small leaflets. Guayacan is in the Zygophyllaceae (Creosote-Bush) Family.

In late Fall and persisting into Winter, there are bright, scarlet-red seeds, giving the shrub a festive appearance:

I have heard numerous stories in the South Texas oral tradition about the Guayacan being used as a Christmas tree during the Great Depression of the 1930s by families that could not afford to purchase a traditional Christmas tree. The root bark makes an excellent soap for washing woolen products, so another common name for the shrub is Soapbush.

This set of photographs was taken along the El Camino Trail at the Medina River Natural Area on Tuesday, November 19, 2013.

* Correction, Saturday, November 23, 2013, 10:20 AM: In the original version of this post I had inadvertently typed "palmate" instead of "pinnate." It's quite cold outside. I think I have visions of palm trees on my mind.

Springing Up in the Basin, Part 2

Thursday, March 28, 2013

This is the remainder of the photos taken on my walk along the Hondondo Creek Trails yesterday (March 27, 2013):

• The first photo is a Dewberry flower. I thought there would be a lot more Dewberry, and there might be, but this is the only one I found.
• The second photo is Greenbriar, also known as "nature's barbed wire." This vine is very common in wooded areas in South Texas. In some locations, it is difficult to walk through a wooded area because this vine has numerous very sharp prickles that have been known to cut through the pant legs of inexperienced (and at times, experienced) hikers. The tender young leaves of this vine make a tea that is very high in vitamin C.
• The third photo is Guayacan, also known as Soapbush. This shrub is more commonly found in the South Texas Plains and Northern Mexico, but grows as far north as Austin. It is called Soapbush because the bark of the roots was frequently used to make soap for washing wool.
• The fourth photo is a close up of the flower buds of the Wafer Ash, also known as Hoptree. The first two names are derived from the shape of the seeds. This shrub is actually in the Citrus family, not the Ash family. It is also sometimes called Skunk Bush because of the odor emitted by its leaves when they are crushed.
• The fifth through seventh photos are close ups of the flowers on a Texas Persimmon tree. The fruit of the Texas Persimmon is edible, but the tree is usually used in landscaping because of its beautiful, very smooth bark. This is an excellent native plant substitute for crepe myrtle. 
• The eighth through tenth photos are a Black-crested Titmouse. This bird remained perched just long enough for a brief portrait session.
• Unfortunately, the titmouse was perched on a very large Ligustrum, also known as Glossy Privet. Ligustrum are, by far, the predominant invasive plant species in the Olmos Basin. They have taken over large areas of woodland, completely crowding out native hardwoods. As can be seen in these photos, this shrub is loaded with berries, many of which are going to continue the rapid proliferation of this plant.