Capturing photographs and videos on the fly using an Iphone, we visited Fillmore Glen State Park, Moravia, New York with our granddaughter, Nia. This is the eighth post of this series. Click me for “The Space Station and the Waterfall,” the first post in this series.
Click any photograph for a larger view.
Chaos Resolved
Among this jumble of fallen, cut trees is the solution to a personal mystery.
I had often seen these green berry-like fruits of summer, these were growing among tree fall on one of the few almost level places of the gorge. The green turns bluish when ripe. This photograph I used today, along with dogged determination, to identify this plant. It was in neither reference on my desk.
The green berry color threw me off, using the growth pattern of the fruit, the leaves and where it was growing (moist forest with little light) to identify Blue Cohosh (Caulophyllum thalictroides). The leaves are similar to meadow rue and the species name ( thalictroides) is taken from the genus name of meadow rue (Thalictrum). The two are related, belonging to the order Ranunculales.
Blue Cohosh has pharmacological properties. Another name for the plant, Papoose Root, is from the Native Americans who used preparations of the root to induce childbirth, ease the pain of labor, rectify delayed or irregular menstruation, and alleviate heavy bleeding and pain during menstruation.
Michael Stephen Wills Photography 
There’s a great free app the horticulturalist at a public garden where I volunteer shared for identifying plants— Pl@ntNet which you might find helpful. When you see a plant you don’t recognize photograph it and the app searches its database. Pretty accurate.
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This is a fantastic tool, ekurie. I used it in the following post to identify the orchid using only the two photographs in the post. Thank You so much. I will use it as a backup when all else fails.
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good one…thanks for share
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My pleasure, as always.
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I have heard of Black Cohosh but never seen it or the blue version, I don’t think it’s native to Europe…
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Your observation is right on, Emma. Native to the eastern North America as far west as Oklahoma and Manitoba. Is particular in its habitat…needs shade and lots of moisture.
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I am sure it would grow well in Wales, then!
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Dear Michael, I’ve nominated you for the Mystery Blogger Award which you can view here: https://motivation-environment.com/2019/07/27/my-2nd-mystery-blogger-award-nomination/
Please note that you are not expected to tie yourself down and honor it.
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Thanks for the recognition, though I prefer to not accept these nominations that drive my blog content. I have a plan for my blog content and stick to it.
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that’s a good idea; that’s why I don’t expect everyone to honor it; and I clearly hinterland that l… personally I’m tired of the nominations, and had to honor the person who nominated me, for my own good reasons…
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I admire your persistence to find out what kind of plant and it’s medicinal use. I’d have shrugged it off, classified it it wild vegetation and called it a day :).
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There is such variety of plant life in the Finger Lakes that is the only way not to spend my life researching plants.
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