Joe, Thank you so much for sharing such a marvellous view! aloha, Jacob Knecht Honolulu, Hawai`i --- Joe Shaw <jshaw@opuntiads.com> wrote: > Hi Gang, > > > > Some years ago (not sure when), the Texas Department > of Transportation built > a bridge over the Trinity River, near the Gulf of > Mexico. This Interstate > 10 bridge is much traveled and is being widened. > > > > When the original bridge was built the DOT created a > wonderful habitat for > Hymenocallis liriosme as they prepared land for the > bridge and foundations. > The soil is deep and rich from the adjacent river, > and the location is > frequently wet or partially submerged in winter. > There are many acres of H. > liriosme that bloom each April and May; adjacent > areas are rich with Crinum > americanum. The H. liriosme plants near the bridge > are the largest I've > ever observed and have the largest flowers too. > Perhaps it is just because > the soil is so rich and deep, or perhaps the local > race is truly large. > However, when I grow the river plants in my garden > they are typically twice > the height of locally obtained plants (Conroe, TX). > The river flowers > spread to 8 inches (sometimes a bit more), whereas > the Conroe flowers are > typically 5-6 inches from spidery tip to spidery > tip. > > > > Anyway, the DOT created a wonderful habitat, but > they are now they are > widening the freeway. I passed by recently and > great chunks of land have > been churned up as a new bridge is being put into > place, parallel to the old > bridge. > > > > I never really calculated the area involved, but I > suppose there were about > 10 acres of H. liriosme plants in bloom in May 2005 > and May 2006. I'm sure > that many Hymenocallis will survive, but the large > expanse of flowers will > be a thing of the past. Perhaps half the area will > be lost to the new > bridge, perhaps more. I guess it is possible that > the current construction > will inadvertently create a new expanse of H. > liriosme habitat. > > > > LINK: Image, H. liriosme below I-10 bridge, Trinity > River, TX > > http://members.aol.com/conroejoe/… > > > > LINK: Close-up Image, H. liriosme, large-flowered > type below bridge > > http://members.aol.com/conroejoe/… > > > > > > Cordially, > > > > Joe > > Conroe TX > > _______________________________________________ > pbs mailing list > pbs@lists.ibiblio.org > http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php > ____________________________________________________________________________________ It's here! Your new message! Get new email alerts with the free Yahoo! Toolbar. http://tools.search.yahoo.com/toolbar/features/…
