thanks for the OT links... why is it that when you get very useful text
information from sites and organizations like this, their photos are so crappy?
After all, proper identification is greatly added by clear and relevant
pictures, whether photos or drawings. My major was biology, and it irks me
when I see bad pictures like this, especially when the technology for superb
work is now easily accessible. End of rant.
Earl
*********** REPLY SEPARATOR ***********
On 8/30/2004 at 9:05 AM Chuck Norcutt wrote:
>Richard's photo of flowering marsh weeds
><http://people.simons-rock.edu/rlovison/image22.jpg> which he calls
>Fireweed (Epilobium angustifolium) is probably actually Purple
>Loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria).
>
>It's a common mis-identification since Fireweed is a similar looking
>invasive native species in the US while Purple Loosestrife is an even
>more invasive non-native species from Europe and Asia. I'm sure it must
>be in the UK so perhaps Chris will recognize it now but perhaps it
>doesn't grow so densely there. Fireweed would prefer to grow in a
>meadow while Purple Loosestrife prefers to have its feet at least damp
>if not wet.
>
>It's a real scourge here since there are no native biological controls
>and the stuff (while pretty) grows so dense that it squeezes out the
>native plants and their dependent wildlife. My property encompasses an
>acre of eastern Massachusetts wetland and it's everywhere. It also
>includes a very shallow man-made settlement pond spec'd by the local
>conservation commission. They couldn't possibly have designed a better
>environment for Purple Loosestrife than that pond... so much for
>government!
>
>The US Fish & Wildlife Service is now conducting experiments at various
>US refuges aimed at finding imported biological controls... that don't
>also eat everything else.
>
>For much more than you're likely to want to know about Purple
>Loosestrife see:
><http://www.fws.gov/r5mnwr/mnwrls.html> and
><http://www.agron.iastate.edu/~weeds/weedbiollibrary/517%20student%20pages/2000/purple.htm>
>
>Chuck Norcutt
>
>
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