6/28/2005.  On a hot day that threatened rain, Ceferino Santana, dog Sonar and I took a walk around Parks Pond.  We parked at the lot on Southern Boulevard and headed south past a few old buildings.  We picked up a trail map and continued south down the white trail along a hay field off to the right.  The white trail forks and we took the left fork up through a patch of woods.  Along the way, we passed some wetlands areas on the left and came to the dam.  We walked along the dam finding some more plant species.  We then crossed the stream outlet from the dam and headed around the pond.  There are quite a few houses to the left of the trail which was a bit disappointing.  There is not a lot of marsh associated with the pond. 

We passed the blue trail at the southern end of the pond; walked north on the western side of the pond looking to pick up the northern end of the blue trail.  We never did find the northern blue markers, so we decided to take a water break and look carefully at the trail map.  I saw that the blue trail skirts the hay field at its southern border and decided to take that trail for a ways.  But it started raining.  The weatherman had talked about a thunderstorm to the north of our area, so to be on the safe side we packed up and walked quickly back to the car.  The area is very attractive and seems to bid one to come back.  Dr. Patrick L. Cooney.

8/20/2005.  On an overcast day that threatened rain, Rosemary Cooney, Ceferino Santana, dog Sonar and I parked at the main entrance for the park.  We walked around the huge hayfield and then picked up the white trail that went north along the west side of Park Pond.  We decided to pick up the blue trail at the southwest corner of the pond.  We should have picked up the blue trail at a more westerly point to go over to Back Pond.  The trail we picked was going uphill and that is something none of us really wanted to do on this rainy/drizzly day.  So we stopped and returned to Park Pond.  We then walked on the east side of Park Pond and then back to the parking lot.

At this time of year, the fields are very good for wildflower watchers.  The edges of the ponds are also good for wildflowers.  We found a great many plant species in bloom making for an interesting walk.  Dr. Patrick L. Cooney.

PLANT LIST:
Dr. Patrick L. Cooney

*  =  plant blooming on date of field trips, 6/28/2005;   # = blooming on 8/20/2005

Trees:
Acer negundo (box elder)
Acer platanoides (Norway maple)
Acer rubrum (red maple)
Acer saccharum (sugar maple)
Ailanthus altissima (tree-of-heaven)
Aralia spinosa (Hercules club)     #
Betula lenta (black birch)
Betula populifolia (gray birch)
Carpinus caroliniana (musclewood)    
Carya cordiformis (bitternut hickory)
Cornus florida (flowering dogwood)  
Fagus grandifolia (American beech)
Fraxinus americana (white ash)
Ilex aquifolium (English holly)
Juglans nigra (black walnut)
Juniperus virginiana (red cedar)
Liriodendron tulipifera (tulip tree)
Morus alba (white mulberry)
Picea abies (Norway spruce)
Pinus sp. (pine)
Pinus strobus (white pine)
Platanus occidentalis (American sycamore)
Populus deltoides (cottonwood)
Prunus serotina (black cherry)
Pyrus sp. (crab apple)
Quercus alba (white oak)
Quercus prinus (chestnut oak)
Quercus rubra (red oak)
Quercus velutina (black oak)
Salix sp. (willow)
Ulmus americana (American elm)
(wafer tree)

Shrubs and Subshrubs:
Berberis thunbergii (Japanese barberry) --  lots and lots of it
Chimaphila maculata (striped wintergreen)     *
Cornus amomum (swamp dogwood)     *
Cornus racemosa (gray dogwood)
Corylus sp. (hazel)
Elaeagnus umbellata (autumn olive)
Euonymus alatus (winged euonymus)  
Hamamelis virginiana (witch hazel)
Ilex verticillata (winterberry holly)   
Kalmia latifolia (mountain laurel)     *
Ligustrum sp. (privet)     *
Lindera benzoin (spicebush)
Lonicera morrowii (Morrow's honeysuckle)
Mitchella repens (partridgeberry)
Rhus typhina (staghorn sumac)
Rosa multiflora (multiflora rose)
Rubus alleghaniensis (common blackberry)
Rubus occidentalis (black raspberry)
Rubus sp. (blackberry)
Salix discolor (pussy willow)
Sambucus canadensis (common elderberry)     *
Spiraea japonica (Japanese spiraea)   planted     *
Vaccinium corymbosum (highbush blueberry)
Vaccinium pallidum (hillside blueberry)
Viburnum acerifolium (maple-leaf viburnum)
Viburnum dentatum (smooth arrowwood viburnum)
Viburnum lentago (nannyberry viburnum)
Vinca minor (periwinkle)

Vines:
Calystegia sepium (hedge bindweed)     *
Celastrus orbiculatus (Asiatic bittersweet)
Cuscuta sp. (dodder)
Echinocystis lobata (wild cucumber)     #
Menispermum canadense (Canada moonseed)
Parthenocissus quinquefolia (Virginia creeper)
Smilax rotundifolia (round-leaved greenbrier)
Toxicodendron radicans (poison ivy)
Vitis labrusca (fox grape)

Herbs:
Acalypha sp. (three-seeded mercury)
Achillea millefolium (common yarrow)      #
Alliaria petiolata (garlic mustard)  
Allium vineale (field garlic)
Ambrosia artemisiifolia (common ragweed)     #
Amphicarpaea bracteata (hog peanut)     #
Antennaria plantaginifolia (plantain-leaved pussytoes)
Arabis glabra (tower mustard)
Arctium minus (common burdock)     #
Arisaema triphyllum (Jack in the pulpit)
Artemisia vulgaris (common mugwort)
Asarum canadense (wild ginger)
Asclepias syriaca (common milkweed)     *
Aster acuminatus (sharp-leaved aster)  
Aster spp. (asters)     #
Bidens connata (swamp beggar tick)     #
Centaurea maculosa (spotted knapweed)     #
Centaurea sp. (hybrid knapweed)     #
Cerastium vulgatum (mouse-ear chickweed)
Cichorium intybus (chicory)     #
Circaea lutetiana (enchanter's nightshade)     *
Cirsium arvense (Canada thistle)     *soon
Cirsium pumilum (pasture thistle)     #
Cirsium vulgare (bull thistle)  
Commelina communis (Asiatic dayflower)     #
Conyza canadensis (horseweed)     #
Daucus carota (Queen Anne's lace)     *  #
Dianthus armeria (Deptford pink)     *  #
Epilobium coloratum (purple-leaved willowherb)     #
Erechtites hieraciifolia (pileweed)     #
Erigeron annuus (daisy fleabane)     *  #
Eupatorium perfoliatum (boneset)     #
Euphorbia maculata (spotted spurge)
Euthamia graminifolia (grass-leaved goldenrod)     #
Fragaria sp. (strawberry)
Galium aparine (cleavers)
Galium mollugo (wild madder)     *  #
Galium sp. (bedstraw)
Geranium maculatum (wild geranium)    
Glechoma hederacea (gill-over-the-ground)     *
Hesperis matronalis (dame's rocket)     #
Hieracium paniculatum (panicled hawkweed)     #
Hieracium sp. (hawkweed)     #
Hieracium venosum (rattlesnake hawkweed)
Hosta sp. (hosta)  planted
Hypericum sp. (St. Johnswort, common or spotted)
Impatiens capensis (orange jewelweed)     *
Iris versicolor (blue flag)     *
Lactuca biennis (tall blue lettuce)     #
Lactuca serriola (prickly lettuce)
Lemna sp. (duckweed)
Leontodon autumnalis (fall dandelion)     #
Leonurus cardiaca (motherwort)
Lepidium virginicum (poor man's pepper)     *  #
Linaria vulgaris (butter and eggs)     #
Lobelia inflata (Indian tobacco)     #
Lotus corniculatus (birdfoot trefoil)     #
Ludwigia palustris (water purslane)
Lysimachia nummularia (moneywort)     *
Lysimachia quadrifolia (whorled loosestrife)     *
Lythrum salicaria (purple loosestrife)      *   #
Maianthemum canadense (Canada mayflower)
Malva neglecta (common mallow)     #
Matricaria matricarioides (pineapple weed)
Medicago lupulina (black medick)     *  #
Melilotus alba (white sweet clover)     *  #
Melilotus officinalis (yellow sweet clover)     #
Mentha spicata (spearmint)     #
Mimulus ringens (monkey flower)     #
Monotropa uniflora (Indian pipe)
Myosotis laxa (lesser forget-me-not)     *
Myriophyllum sp. (water milfoil)     *  lots and lots in Park Pond
Oxalis sp. (yellow wood sorrel)     *  #
Phytolacca americana (pokeweed)     #
Pilea pumila (clearweed)     #
Plantago lanceolata (English plantain)     *  #
Plantago major (common plantain)
Polygonum cespitosum (cespitose smartweed)     *  #
Polygonum hydropiperoides (mild water pepper)     #
Polygonum sagittatum (arrow-leaved tearthumb)     #
Polygonum virginianum (jumpseed)
Potentilla argentea (silvery cinquefoil)     *
Potentilla canadensis (dwarf cinquefoil)    
Potentilla norvegica (rough cinquefoil)     *  #
Potentilla recta (rough-fruited cinquefoil)     *
Prenanthes altissima (tall white lettuce)
Prunella vulgaris (self-heal)     *  #
Ranunculus acris (tall buttercup)     *
Ranunculus hispidus var. caricetorium (swamp buttercup)
Rudbeckia hirta var. pulcherrima (black-eyed Susan)     *  #
Rumex acetosella (sheep sorrel)
Rumex crispus (curled dock)
Rumex obtusifolius (broad dock)
Sanguinaria canadensis (bloodroot)
Satureja vulgaris (wild basil)     #
Silene latifolia (white campion)     *  #
Silene vulgaris (bladder campion)     *  #
Sisymbrium loeselii (hedge mustard)     *
Smilacina racemosa (false Solomon's seal)
Solanum carolinense (horse nettle)     *  #
Solanum dulcamara (bittersweet nightshade)     *  #
Solidago canadensis var. canadensis (Canada goldenrod)     #
Solidago gigantea (late goldenrod)     #
Solidago rugosa (rough-leaved goldenrod)
Solidago sp. (goldenrod)     #
Sparganium sp. (burreed)
Stellaria graminea (lesser stitchwort)     *
Stellaria pubera (star chickweed)     #
Symplocarpus foetidus (skunk cabbage)
Taraxacum officinale (common dandelion)        *
Thalictrum pubescens (tall meadowrue)     *
Tragopogon sp. (goatsbeard)
Trifolium arvense (rabbit foot clover)     #
Trifolium hybridum (alslike clover)     #
Trifolium pratense (red clover)     *  #
Trifolium repens (white clover)     *  #
Triodanis perfoliata (Venus looking glass)     *
Typha latifolia (broad-leaved cattail)
Urtica dioica var. procera (tall nettle)     #
Verbascum blattaria (moth mullein)     *  #
Verbascum thapsus (common mullein)     #
Verbena hastata (blue vervain)     #
Verbena urticifolia (white vervain)     #
Veronica anagallis-aquatica (water speedwell)     *
Veronica officinalis (common speedwell)     *
Vicia cracca (cow vetch)     *
Viola sp. (violet)

Rushes:
Juncus tenuis (path rush)

Sedges:
Carex laxiflora type (loose-flowered type sedge)
Carex lurida (sallow sedge)
Carex pensylvanica (Pennsylvania sedge)
Carex stricta (tussock sedge)
Carex vulpinoidea (fox sedge)
Cyperus strigosus (umbrella sedge)    
Scirpus atrovirens (dark-green bulrush)
Scirpus cyperinus (woolly grass bulrush)

Grasses:
Alopecurus sp. (bristle tail grass)    
Anthoxanthum odoratum (sweet vernal grass)
Bromus inermis (smooth brome grass)
Cinna arundinacea (wood reed grass)
Dactylis glomerata (orchard grass)
Digitaria sp. (crab grass)    
Echinochloa sp. (barnyard grass)    
Elytrigia repens (quack grass)
Leersia virginica (white grass)    
Lolium perenne (perennial rye grass)  
Panicum clandestinum (deer-tongue grass)
Panicum dichotomiflorum (fall panic grass)    
Phalaris arundinacea (reed canary grass)
Phleum pratense (Timothy grass)
Phragmites australis (giant reed grass)
Poa annua (annual bluegrass)
Setaria faberi (nodding foxtail grass)
Setaria glauca (yellow foxtail grass)

Ferns and Fern Allies:
Equisetum arvense (field horsetail)
Athyrium filix-femina (lady fern)
Dennstaedtia punctilobula (hay-scented fern)
Dryopteris intermedia (fancy woodfern)
Glyceria striata (meadow mannagrass)
Onoclea sensibilis (sensitive fern)
Osmunda cinnamomea (cinnamon fern)
Polystichum acrostichoides (Christmas fern)
Thelypteris noveboracensis (New York fern)

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