Tuesday, October 5, 2010

James' Clammy-weed

James' clammy-weed (Polanisia jamesii, Capparaceae) is a rare introduction to the state of Ohio. First discovered in Ohio by Allison Cusick in 1967, he reported it growing in a railroad bed in Summit County. In 1999, I discovered another site in adjacent Portage County in similar habitat. This past summer, I returned to the site and was pleased to see it still there. James' clammy-weed has narrower leaves and fruits than its close relative, clammy-weed (Polanisia dodedandra). A species of the Great Plains, it likely came into Ohio via the railroad and now a rare "weed" in the buckeye state.