Species Profile: Freshwater Jellyfish | Craspedacusta sowerbyi by: Chris Fuller

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Scientific Name:Craspedacusta sowerbyi; synonym Craspedacusta sowerbii
Common Name(s): Freshwater jellyfish, peach blossom fish (China)


Photos by Chris Fuller

Identification:

The freshwater jellyfish Craspedacusta sowerbyiย is easily recognized when in the medusa form, or jellyfish form, of its life cycle. The small bell-shaped medusa form is translucent with a white to green coloring. They range from 0.2-1 inch in diameter. Jellyfish do not have a digestive system with two openings like most animals. Instead, they have one orifice for both ingestion and expulsion of waste. ย The freshwater jellyfish has a digestive system, called the gastrovascular cavity, composed of four radial canals and one central canal, which are easily visible with the naked eye. The mouth is on the ventral, or bottom, surface of the bell. Between 50 and 500 tentacles surround the bell of the medusa, each containing specialized stinging cells called nematocysts which immobilize prey.

Range:

Craspedacusta sowerbyi is native to the Yangtze River Valley in China where it coexists with another freshwater jellyfish, C. sinensis. However, it has become globally cosmopolitan, being found in nearly all climates. In Bella Vista, C. sowerbyi has been observed in Lakes Brittany, Rayburn, and Loch Lomond.

Ecology:

Craspedacusta sowerbyi occupies a variety of freshwater habitats. It inhabits shallow pools along the Yangtze River in its native range, while in Bella Vista it has no problems occupying the relatively deep lakes.

Craspedacusta sowerbyi reproduces both sexually and asexually. Sexual reproduction happens in the medusa life stage where gametes, eggs and sperm, are released into the water. Once a larva has formed from the gametes it enters the polyp stage. The polyp is a sessile stage that can undergo budding, a type of asexual reproduction, to produce a clone of itself which can be used to form a colony group or move away and settle in a new location. When conditions are right for sexual reproduction, the polyp will undergo budding to produce a medusa. The medusa stage is not produced regularly, and populations may wait several years before producing medusa again.

The main prey of freshwater jellyfish, both medusa and polyps, are zooplankton such as copepods and daphnia. These zooplankton are microscopic animals that float in the water column. Being opportunistic feeders, they wait until a prey organism is tangled in their tentacles.

Special Notes:

Craspedacusta sowerbyi is not considered dangerous to humans or larger organisms. The stinging cells in this species are very small and unlikely to penetrate human skin. The ecological impacts of Craspedacusta sowerbyi remain unclear. Although unlikely to influence the remainder of the ecosystem, it is thought that large numbers of C. sowerbyi may shift the balance of zooplankton from one species to another, depending on feeding preference.

 

Species Profile: Passionflower Vine | Passiflora incarnata by: Kayla Sayre

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Scientific Name: Passiflora incarnata
Common Name(s): Passionflower Vine, Purple Passionflower, maypop, wild apricot


Photos by Kayla Sayre, Bella Vista POA Fisheries & Water Quality Sr. Technician
A) Passionflower bloom with symbiotic ants where flower connects to vine.
B) Palmate leaf with three deep lobes.
C) Passionflower once cross pollination has occurred but before fruit formation.
D) Passionflower fruit, also known as a maypop fruit.
E) Seeds contained within maypop fruit. Top shows seeds within pulp purse and bottom shows seeds outside of the purse.

Identification:

Passionflower vines have unique purple flowers and produce fruit called maypop. Passionflowers bloom from July to early September, but most commonly bloom in July in Bella Vista. Passionflowers have radial (circular) symmetry with three overlapping reproductive structures. At the base of the flower petals are arranged in whorls of five around the stem. There can be multiple whorls. Petals are bluish-white to purple. Overlaying the petals is a fringed white-and-purple corona, which is a cluster of hair-like appendages. The corona is patterned in a target design to entice pollinators to the middle of the flower, where the pollen is produced by the five anthers that lie above the corona. The anthers drop the pollen downward over the middle portion of the flower. Above the anthers are the three stigmas at the very top of the flower, which are often green but sometimes with purple splotching.

Between the anthers and the stigmas is an oval bulge called the ovary, where the maypop or fruit develops once fertilized. Once cross-pollinated, the three stamens fall and contact the pollen on the anthers, which fertilize the ovary. Passiflora incarnata are self-infertile, meaning they cannot produce fruit from their own pollen, so they require cross-pollination from bees to produce fruit. Bees leave traces of pollen on the anthers that are from other plants. Once fertilized, the flower closes, allowing the ovary to develop into fruit. The maypop fruit is named after the popping sound they make when stepped on. They are edible and develop in the late summer to early fall. They are about the size and color of a lime when mature. The thickness of the internal fruit varies depending on the abundance of water. Each seed is dark brown to black, with small pin-sized indentations throughout, and is encapsulated with other seeds in a small white purse that contains a juicy pulp. This pulp improves germination once outside the fruit.

Passionflowers grow on vines that contains specialized curling tendrils for attachment to sturdy structures such as trees, shrubs, or fences. The stems of the vines are smooth. The leaves are palmate, with three (and sometimes five) deep lobes reminiscent of theropod dinosaur or bird tracks. The leaf surface is smooth with margins finely toothed. Leaves are 6 to 15 centimeters in length.


https://plants.usda.gov/home

Range:

Passiflora incarnata is found in the continental United States in states east of the Rocky Mountains, and south of the great lakes.

Ecology:

Passionflower vines have evolved in ways that favor larger bees, such as carpenter bees and bumblebees, for pollination. The purple coloration attracts carpenter bees and bumblebees since bees prefer plants in the blue and purple wavelengths. The corona is patterned in a target design to entice pollinators to the center of the flower, where the pollen is produced by the five anthers that lie atop the corona. The space between the nectar and anthers is larger, so only larger bees can pick up and deposit pollen when drinking nectar. Carpenter bees and bumblebees become slightly intoxicated by the nectar as they drink and hang out on the plant for longer periods. This allows more pollen to collect on their back or for pollen from a different plant to be dislodged to allow for cross-pollination.

The leaves have two glands at the base that produce sweet nectar, which small ants feed on in exchange for protecting the leaves and flowers from insects, with two exceptions. Look closely at the above at photo (A) to see small ants along the stem. Specifically, the ants will swarm and sting insects that try to eat the plant. However, Gulf fritillary and variegated fritillary caterpillars have a resistance to the toxic chemical produced by the ants. They eat the leaves of passionflowers and lay their eggs on the flower. However, these caterpillars also protect themselves and the passionflowers by deterring mammals and birds with their vibrant orange color and black spikes. These bright colors signal to predators that they are poisonous when eaten, deterring them. The gulf and variegated caterpillars are solely dependent on passionflowers to survive in the same way that monarchs are dependent on milkweeds.

Passionflower has had interesting historic herbal uses by Native Americans and peoples of India. The maypop fruit contains compounds that may increase GABA, a neurotransmitter, production in the brain. Passionflower fruit was used by Native Americans to treat epilepsy in older people and to treat nerve pain. Additionally, it has been used in India to treat opioid addiction. It is also used to treat insomnia and anxiety since increasing GABA in the brain can be naturally sedating.

Cultivation:

Here in Bella Vista, passionflower is found in open areas with full sun. It can be found on the dry side of most of the dams but has been specifically spotted at Lakes Windsor and Avalon Dams.
Passionflower vines are in the family Passifloraceae, which includes 750 species across 27 genera that share the distinctive passionflower and fruit. Passionflower vines are perennials, meaning they come back each season. They can grow back from root shoots from the original plant as well as from seeds. The seeds germinate in the spring and do not require winter stratification. In warmer southern states with mild winters, they can grow continuously but die out in areas where freezing occurs. They grow in full sun in sandy and clay loam soil and can tolerate drought. They can grow in open prairie habitats, on slopes, or in flat areas. They do well in erosion-prone areas because, once established, they tend to dominate the landscape.

 

Species Profile: Muscadine Grape | Vitis rotundifolia by: Kayla Sayre

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Scientific Name: Vitis rotundifolia var. rotundifolia
Common Name(s): Muscadine, Bullace, Bull Grape, Southern Fox


Photos by Kayla Sayre, Bella Vista POA Fisheries & Water Quality Sr. Technician

Identification:

The muscadine is a native wild grape found in Arkansas, used primarily for wine production. Muscadine fruit is a thick-skinned grape with a large seed. Immature grapes are green maturing to a yellow bronze or purple when ripe. The fruit becomes ripe in the late summer. The flowers of wild muscadine are dioecious, with male and female flowers on separate plants, and only the females produce fruit. The male flowers have an extended stamen without a pistil, while the female flowers have shorter inverted stamens with nonfunctional pollen. The flowers bloom from late spring to early summer. Muscadine’s dark green leaves are smooth and glossy without dense hair on the underside. It has simple, undivided leaves that are directly attached to the vine. The leaves have three shallow lobes and are coarsely serrated at the margins. The vines are smooth and darker green brown. The bark develops vertical grooves as it ages, but unlike other grape plants, it does not peel or shed. It grows in unbranched tendrils which emerge opposite the leaves of the main stock. Muscadine, like other grape species, grows on vines that can reach 40 to 60 feet tall and 20 feet wide, depending on soil conditions, nutrient availability, and sunlight exposure.

Variations:

Muscadine has three varieties. The variety found in Arkansas and the southeastern United States is Vitis rotundifolia var. rotundifolia. Another variety, Vitis rotundifolia var munsoniana, grows in Florida, while V. rotundifolia var. popenoei grows in Central America.


https://plants.usda.gov/home

Range:

Muscadine is native to the southeastern and south-central United States. Muscadines grow wild in Arkansas but are less common in northern counties.

Ecology:

Wild Muscadine can be found in dry upland forests. Muscadine grows best and are cultivated in fertile sandy loam and alluvial soils with good drainage. In the wild, it can be found in well-drained soil that does not experience extended periods of drought. Its roots are susceptible to rot, so it cannot live in waterlogged soils. It does best in full sun, as it needs at least 6 hours of direct sunlight, and it thrives in humid conditions. Muscadine will climb high to reach the sun and, with the right soil conditions, it can become a nuisance in shady areas due to its need to climb toward sunlight.

Typically, it takes 3-5 years for a newly planted Muscadine to produce fruit. Muscadine fruit has thick skin, with less than half of the fruit being pulp and up to forty percent being skin and seed. Muscadine grapes will abscise from the cluster at maturity, meaning they will fall away individually and shatter. This differs from California-type grapes, which fall off as bunches. They differ in flavor from table grapes and California-type grapes traditionally used in wine production, and some may describe them as musky or sour in comparison.

The thick skin helps protect from diseases that affect other grape species such as Pierceโ€™s disease. They are relatively resistant to pest attacks, with some minor trouble from parasitic nematodes, grapevine aphids, and grape root borers. They are particularly resistant to phylloxera, an insect that kills grapevine roots.

Muscadine has been grown commercially since 1972, with many cultivars developed to aid effective and efficient fruit production. Cultivars are varieties of the natural muscadine that are often bred to be more commercially desirable. Cultivars are most commonly used in wine production, but other markets include jams, jellies, and juices. The fruit cultivars vary from almost white to purple to nearly black in appearance. Problems can arise from the muscadine fruit abscising from the stem and opening up the pulp, which allows bacteria or fungus to grow. Therefore, cultivars are created to provide a cleaner, smaller, and drier separation when abscising from the stem. In the wild, only female plants bear fruit, but commercially developed cultivars are self-fertilizing to allow for more efficient fruit production. Most vineyards consist of self-fertilizing and female-flowered plants. This allows self-fertilizing plants to fertilize themselves, along with the female plants in the vineyard, resulting in yield from all individuals.

Special Notes:

Here in Bella Vista, muscadine can be found on high ground where water can drain away, along forest margins, or in open unforested areas. They can be cultivated and grown in your backyard, with the first year needing more care and consistent watering. Once mature they can persist easily. Take care to keep the muscadine grapes away from your pets, as they are highly toxic to dogs and moderately toxic to cats.

 

Species Profile: Cardinal Flower | Lobelia cardinalis by: Kayla Sayre

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Scientific Name: Lobelia cardinalis
Common Name(s): Cardinal Flower


Left by Denis Barthel; Right by Kayla Sayre, Bella Vista POA Fisheries & Water Quality Sr. Technician

Identification:

Cardinal flowers are vibrant red flowers that grow along lakes, streams, and other moist areas. They bloom between July and September. Cardinal flowers are in the bellflower family (Campanilaceae) and in the genus Lobelia, where flowers in this genus are characterized by milky sap and petals that have a bottom lip. The flower reaches heights of three to five feet and spread between one and two feet. They have tubular bilaterally symmetric flowers with lower and upper lips. The lower lip/petal forms three lobes and the upper lip/petal has two lobes. Cardinal flowers are a raceme type flower, which is an unbranched flower with multiple flowers along the stem. Flowers bloom from the bottom to the top with the oldest flowers on bottom and newest near the top. Shiny leaves grow in an alternate pattern around the main stem below the flowers. The leaves can grow up to six inches in length and have a lance shaped with toothed margins.


https://plants.usda.gov/home

Range:

Cardinal flowers are found throughout much of the United States and eastern Canada. Cardinal flowers are found throughout Arkansas but need moist soil that consistently stays wet such as lakeside or low-lying forested areas, like many areas in Bella Vista.

Ecology:

Cardinal flowers are herbaceous, or non-woody, perennials, meaning they will die back in the winter and grow back from their root stems the following spring. They do best in fertile and rich soil in partial shade. They are drought intolerant and need year-round moisture, and as such, grow along streams, lakes, wetlands, springs, and in low-lying forests. They have roots that are tolerant to being wet and can even grow in shallow water.

To propagate, seed will need to be stratified by being exposed to cold before they grow. They germinate in early spring but will need light, so seed will need to be sown near the soil surface. Plant seeds in low lying areas along forest margins or along lakeside habitat. They flower best in partial shade in rich, moist soil. Once they are established they will readily reseed on their own. They can be planted with other water loving natives such as the white spider lily (Hymenocallis littoralis) or Arkansas bluestar (Amsonia hubrichtii) for a touch of red, white, and blue along your shoreline or low-lying forested habitat. However, use caution as spider lilies and cardinal flowers can both be harmful to dogs if ingested.

Cardinal flowers were used in the past in herbal remedies, although members in the genus Lobelia contain naturally occurring toxic alkaloids including lobelanine and lobeline. These make the plant harmful if ingested and may cause stomach upset and dilated pupils, along with the possibility of convulsions and coma. The Zuni people of New Mexico used cardinal flower as an ingredient in โ€œschumaakwe cakes,โ€ which were used for rheumatism and swelling. Also, the leaves were dried as an alternative to tobacco by the Penobscot people of Maine.

Special Notes:

Here in Bella Vista, you may find cardinal flower along lake shores, along stream banks, or in low-lying forested areas that have partial shade and consistently stay wet. They attract ruby-throated hummingbirds, as their flower shape is adapted for hummingbird beaks.

 

Species Profile: Water Willow | Justicia americana – by Kayla Sayre

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Scientific Name: Justicia americana
Common Name(s): Water Willow, American Water Willow

Water Willow by Kayla Sayre: POA Fisheries & Water Quality Sr. Technician
Photos by Kayla Sayre, Bella Vista POA Fisheries & Water Quality Sr. Technician

Identification:

American water willow is a native water-loving flower that grows along the shorelines of Bella Vistaโ€™s Lakes. Read until the end to understand more about identifying this beautiful native plant and the ecological benefits to both fish and pollinators!

American water willow is a water-loving herbaceous perennial plant. It is found in shallow water along shorelines. Water willow can range in height from three to five feet, with roots and stems below the waterโ€™s surface and the top quarter of the plant along with the flowers emerging out of water.
Flowers appear from June to September They are similar in appearance to an orchid, with each petal fusing at the base to form a tubular shape. Additionally, the flower has a landing strip in the form of a single petal that sticks out separately at the bottom of the flower, allowing for efficient pollination. Water willow is dioecious, meaning that male and female reproductive structures are on separate plants.

Although water willow bears the name โ€œwillow,โ€ it does not share taxonomic lineage with the traditional willow trees in the willow family (Salicaceae). It was given the common name โ€œwater willowโ€ because its leaves resemble those of the willow tree. The leaves are lanceolate in shape, being oblong with a pointed tip similar to the shape of a sword or lance. The leaf margins are smooth, and the leaves are 2 to 4โ€-inches long and ยฝ-inch wide.


https://plants.usda.gov/home

Range:

American water willow is found in the eastern and central United States with a limited amount found in Arizona.

Water willow is in the family Acathaceae, which is composed of herbs, shrubs, and small trees. This family contains around 2500 species worldwide, with most members of this family found in the tropics. Only a few members of this family are cold hardy and found in the United States.

Ecology:

Water willow is an emergent aquatic plant, where the top half of the plant emerges from water habitats. It prefers habitats with water that is up to three feet in depth. It will not grow without consistent soil moisture and does best in shallow water that is still or slow moving. It does well on sand-, gravel-, and mud-bars in rivers and ponds and thrives along the shoreline of lake habitats and wetlands. Water willow can live in partial to full sunlight but does best in full sun where it receives six or more hours of direct sunlight.

Water willow provides good nursery habitat for gamefish. It can form thick vegetation stands that extend along shorelines. Young fish use this aquatic vegetation to hide from larger fish while they are small and still in their nursery phase.

Stands of water willow also offer shoreline protection and stabilization in Bella Vista lakes. The extensive rhizomial network, along with the plant’s emerging portion, provides excellent shoreline protection from wave action generated by wind or boats. This buffer acts as a shock absorber protecting shorelines against erosion. Water willow stands are crucial for protecting shorelines that do not have a man-made seawalls.

Water willow attracts most pollinators but is especially adept at attracting native bees, such as bumble bees, because of its color and shape. The tubular, orchid-like shape of water willow is ideal for holding pollen and nectar. A single petal sticks out at the bottom of the flower, acting as a landing strip for bees and other pollinators. Additionally, the flower has pollinator guidelines in the middle of its petals, which are blue to purple. This is especially attractive to bees since they are adept at seeing the blue portion of the UV color spectrum. Along with pollination and reseeding, water willow also grows from rhizomes. Rhizomes are roots that extend from the primary plant and grow into open spaces where new water willow shoots can emerge.

Special Notes:

In Bella Vista, we at the Lakes Ecology Lab love water willow. It is currently the dominant aquatic plant in Bella Vista lakes serving as much needed habitat for young fish. Water willow also provides natural shoreline protection against wave action from wind and boat wakes. We want to encourage lakefront property owners to tolerate as much water willow around the shoreline as possible without impeding recreational enjoyment of the lakes.