Scandens means climbing

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Yes, the Latin word scandens means ‘climbing,’ and this Mikania scandens—the flowering vine that you saw a closeup of last time—is doing its climbing on a hapless young black willow tree, Salix nigra. Call this a contest between the two, and if the vine gets the upper hand, so to speak, it might overshadow the willow to the point that the loss of light to the tree’s leaves would stunt or kill it.

I took this picture on November 2 at the edge of Lake Walter E. Long in far east Austin. Around and even touching the vine-covered willow are some of the bulrushes that line the shore of this and many other lakes and ponds in our area.

For more information about Mikania scandens, including a state-clickable map showing the many places in eastern North America where this species grows, you can visit the USDA website.

© 2011 Steven Schwartzman