August 2003 Archives

All of the water that flows out of taps here in Portland comes from the Bull Run watershed up on Mt. Hood, where a series of reservoirs capture and store the runoff from melting snow. To protect water quality, the watershed is ordinarily off-limits to the public, so few of us ever get to see the source of our drinking water. But on Saturday, September 13th the Portland Bureau of Water Works will be offering one of their rare tours. It's a great chance to see a protected, almost-pristine forest close to Portland. The tour costs $15 and advance registration is required. To register, call (503) 823-7407.
- posted by Niels

If you're going by the Chemistry building this week, take a moment to climb the main stairwell and look out the big window at Reed's only castor aralia (Kalopanax pictus). The tree was given to Reed as a gift from Harvard's Arnold Arboretum in 1972. Biology professor Bert Brehm planted the tree on the edge of the canyon and it's now almost two stories high.

The great thing about the Chemistry stairwell is that it gives you an up-close view of the flowers when the tree blooms every August. The castor aralia is in the ginsing family (Araliaceae) and it has that group's distinctive way of blooming, with many small flowers grouped together in rounded, golf-ball-sized clusters. It also has the typical leaves with lobes and veins that spread out like a fan from a single point.

Quiz time! Can you think of the three other common plants in the Portland area that are members of the same family and have similar leaves and flowers? I've hidden the answers in the white space below and you can highlight the text with your mouse to see them. (Hints: One is an invasive pest here on campus, another is a thorny plant in the gorge, and the third is a common houseplant.)

Answers: English Ivy (Hedera helix), Devil's Club (Oplopanax horridum), and Schefflera (Schefflera sp.)
- posted by Niels