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The Columbia Star - $C
Dr. John Nelson
Photo by Clint Cook
Way down yonder in the
swamp is where these things
came from. These are ~its of a
native American, an American
tree that is. It's a slender tree,
deciduous, at home in shaded
woock especially within bot-
tomland forests. For this reason
it is a common component of
forests along rivers. The species
belongs to a deddely tropical
family, but it occurs widely in
eastern North America from
southern Ontario south to the
Florida panhandle and into the
Midwest and eastern Texas.
The trees have smooth,
gray bare At the stem tips the
handsome terminal buds are
naked, not enclosed by protec-
tive scales. Look dosely, and
you'll see embryonic leaves,
richly covered wi~ russet hairs.
Large, tear--drop shaped leaves
tend to be clustered at the ends
of the branches.
The'crushed, fresh leaves
give off a peculiar, stinky odor,
but that doesn't bother the
zebra swallowtail. This beautiful
butterfly lays its eggs on the
foliage, and that is the only food
souxce known for its caterpillars
Flowers appear in the spring
before the leaves, and they are
certainly unmistakeable with a
cup-like corolla of six brown-
ish-purple petals and plenty of
stamens.
The flowers won't win
any fragrance awards. Most
people describe the scent as
rather yeasty or even mousey.
This is one of those flowers that
has numerous separate pistils,
something like a magnolia blos-
som, and each pistil has the
potential of producing a single
fruit. Usually, only a very few
fruits are produced by a single
tree even if it has bloomed
heavily.
The fruits are probably
the most welt-known aspect of
this plant. Ripe fruits are prized
by a wide variety of wildlife
species, and of course, by
humans, too. The fruits ripen
quickly in the late summer and
drop to the ground and are
usually consumed eagerly. They
are about the size of a stumpy
dill pickle or maybe a small
banana. The skin is somewhat
bitter, and there are a number
of large, dark seeds, but the
flesh inside is exquisite: a soft,
creamy custard full of vitamins
and minerals which tastes
something like a cross between
a banana and a pineapple. One
or two of these delicacies cut
open will fill a room with a mar-
velous tropical aroma.
It's a shame the wild
fruits are so difficult to market.
They bruise very easily and
don't travel well. Nevertheless,
considerable attention has been
devoted to the cultivation of thi
species, and a number of horti-
cultural varieties have been
developed. It is no wonder that
this is one of the better- known
fruit-producing native plants in
North America. Besides that, the
i trees show some promise as
naturally occurring sources of
anti-cancer drugs and pesti-
cides obtained from the bark.
Answer to last
week's mystery
plant
Photo by Gary Ward
Painted leaf, Euphorbia
cyathophora
Dr. John Nelson is, the curator
of the USC Herbarium.
To learn more about the
Herbarium, call him at
777-8196. His department also
offers free plant identification.
www.herbarium.org
SEPTEMBER 8. 200,5 -- 9
Pastor George Head said his adventure was
once in a lifetime opportunity because he
wouldn't want to do it again.
a
ByAlan Shoemaker
sshoe@mbulsprin# com
This past summer, George Head,
past president of the St. Andrews Rotary
Club and senior pastor of Westminster
Presbyterian Church, took on a challenge
he had wanted to master all his life. He
rode a bicycle across America which was
no easy task.
Rev. Head joined a group of 40
like-minded enthusiasts in Seattle, WA, on
June 21 and headed east. Right away they
had to face the Cascade Mountains before
going down hill to flatter land. Ultimately
Rev. Head reached the Potomac River near
Washington, DC, on August 8 after 48
Rev. George Head explains his days of non-stop biking. With an average
coast-to-coast bicycle trip to the St. Andrews travel day of 82 miles, this sport was not
Rotary Club ' for everyone. Of the 40 cyclists who start-
ed in June, 38 crossed the finish line.
Such an adventure is also one that
requires careful planning. Head's Cannondale
27-speed bike endured 12 flat tires, including
four in one day. While crossing Montana and
South Dakota, temperatures soared to 116
degrees.
Perhaps worst of all, one member of the
team was struck by a motorist before getting
across Washington and died. Two more were
slightly injured in the same fashion. Such are
the perils of long distance bike riding. A travel-
ing campground provided them with shelter
and food at night.
Upon returning to Columbia, Head's best
observation was one that declared this adven-
ture to be a once in a lifetime opportunity
because he wouldn't want to do it again any-
time soon.
Judge Michael Davis,
chair of the Lower
Richland Ruritan
Business and
Profession Committee
presented Lisa Dixon
with the Lower
Rich[and Ruritan of
the Year award for
2006. Dixon is mar-
ried to Kenneth
Dixon. They have
three children: Kenny,
Katie, and Caroline.
Mrs. Dixon also
received a Ruritan
gold key for recruiting
three new members.
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Plantation Self Storage Public Sale
Plantation Self Storage will hold a public sale to enforce a
lien imposed on said propert)~ as described below, pur-
suant to the South Carolina Self Storage Act, South
Carolina Code Sections 39-20-10 to 39-20-50 at 11:00 AM
on September 20, 2006 at Plantation Self Storage 4411
Hardscrabble Rd, Columbia, SC 29229.
Management Reserves the right to withdraw any unit
from sale. Registered or MotorVehicles are sold 'AS IS /
PARTS ONLY" no titles or registrations.
NAMES UNITS CONTENTS
/
Anthony Kyte 622 HHG,
. Furniture, Boxes
Samuel Norton 220 HHG,
Furniture, Boxes
Lee J. Phillips 5028 HHG,
Furniture, Boxes
Yolanda E Wilds 650 HHG,
Furniture, Boxes
Claudell Washington 504
HHG
James Ruff 602 Landscaping
Equip.
Jackie Williams 450 HHG,
Furniture, Boxes
Terrance W&ren 143
HHG,
Furniture, Boxes
Whitney Northcutt. 162 HHG,
Furniture, Boxes
Lisa Jones 1143 HHG