[tn-bird] Re: tupelos and thrushes
- From: jreese5@xxxxxxx
- To: tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Mon, 23 Sep 2002 17:52:26 -0500
Dear Dean and other interested parties,
Black gum is one of our most beautiful native trees, but just to clear up
its true identity, it is not related to dogwood, which is in the family
Cornaceae. The gums are Nyssaceae. Nyssa sylvatica (of the woods) is the
one you are describing, and there is another commonly found in wet areas,
Nyssa aquatica (of the water). The other species, not as common is Ogeechee
gum, Nyssa ogeche. They are all great plants, and if you will look at some
of the trees growing in swamps growing right along with common bald
cypress, you will ofteh find they are water tupelo. Those of you in the
Jackson area, if you visit Cypress Grove Park on Airways Blvd (Hwy. 70)
just past the experiment station, you will find beaucoup water tupelo
dropping their eggshaped fruits all over the board walk.
All of these gums polygamo-dioecious, meaning that they are primarily
dioecious (separate male trees and female trees, with females being the
fruit bearers, of course), but the "polygamo" business means that sometimes
a male will bear a few female blooms or a female a few male blooms so that
they might bear just a few fruit...sort of insurance that there will be
"babies" even if there isn't another tree of the opposite gender nearby.
I am so glad to have a chance to wax erudite on something, since I feel so
far in the rear of the amazing birders that contribute to this chat-line!
Carol Reese
Ornamental Horticulture Specialist -Western District
University of Tennessee Extension Service
605 Airways Blvd.
Jackson TN 38301
731 425 4721 email jreese5@xxxxxxx
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