Blackened surface of conglomerate stones

Some of the stones of the conglomerate rocks exposed to sun and weather have a blackening that I will guess is a growth of blue-green algae.  Rachel Carson in some of her writing mentions the black zone of the uppermost tidal regions of the seashore, visible in every part of the world, habitat of blue-green algae.  Here is a link to p. 31 of her book The Edge of the Sea describing this black zone.  I don't find very much writing available on epilithic algae that this photo might depict, probably it deserves more study.

Photo taken Feb. 23, 2015, along the trail near the location of the previous two posts.

Another link to cyanobacteria tidal zone:

Unstable section of bluff

A view of the bluff overlooking Wildcat Creek, a few steps south of the conglomerate formation pictured in the previous post.  This is prone to landslides and what is visible here was exposed in a recent landslide.  A good view of the glacial till history of the land here.  Some of the conglomerate rock is also visible. 

Photo taken Feb. 23, 2015.

Conglomerate rock bluff overlooking Wildcat Creek

 

A view of the conglomerate rock bluff overlooking Wildcat Creek at Clegg Garden. Looking south, a view upstream of the creek. The rock at this point on the trail forms a minor cave that affords some shelter from the elements.

This particular kind of conglomerate rock can be seen in various parts of Tippecanoe County, most famously at Prophet's Rock near Battleground, or at Valley Street in Lafayette. The following description of this kind of rock is here excerpted from the 1888 report of the Indiana State Geologist, in the chapter “Geology of Tippecanoe County”, pages 87-90. It may be that modern geological science has a different theory of the nature and origin of this conglomerate rock, I don't know, but if there is I hope to add it to a future blog post here:

THE DRIFT.

An exhaustive study of the Drift must be extended over a wide area. Facts must be closely collected and carefully grouped. Every locality in this widely distributed formation must be patiently examined and thoughtfully studied. Geologists can not jump at conclusions, but years of continued patient study may unfold the mystery. The assertion may be ventured that no county in the Union affords a more varied exhibit of this puzzling deposit than Tippecanoe.

Mention has been made of the ancient valley which crosses the northern part of the county from east to west, and also the great basin in the central part of the county. The area of this basin is not less than 250 square miles. This ancient basin is now filled with gravel, containing a small proportion of clay, sand and bowlders. The ancient valley is filled with blue clay and sand.

In Sleepy Hollow, two miles north-west of Lafayette, on the opposite side of the Wabash River....(has a place that) is known as the “sand pit”. West of this about 200 yards is the “stone quarry.” Here an exposure along the north bluff of the hollow reveals a stratum of sand so firmly cemennted as to form a hard, durable stone. When it was first discovered a quarry was opened out here with the expectation of finding an inexhaustible supply of good building stone. This stratum of cemented sand is about six feet in thickness, on an average. It is composed of moderately fine, sharps grains of sand, firmly cemented together. It hardens, somewhat, on exposure, and, so far as tested, it proves to be a very good material for foundations for light buildings. It would be utterly worthless, however, for heavy structures. While the stratum is six feet in thickness, but a small portion of it can be procured in suitable sizes for economic use. It occurs between beds of cemented gravel.

Tenth Street Hollow, at La Fayette, shows grand exposures of this cemented gravel, sand and bowlders. Here, as well as at the points already mentioned, these material are so firmly cemented together as to form immense masses of solid conglomerate. Tenth Street Hollow is a miniature canon, eroded by the waters of the Recent Period. The bluffs of this hollow are high and precipitous. The walls of conglomerate stand up on either side in picturesque grandeur. Along their perpendicular sides may be distinctly seen the lines of stratification. Here, at Durgee's Run, on Perin Avenue, in Sleepy Hollow, on Burnett's Creek, at Battle Ground, and every point where a view may be obtained of a north or south wall these lines of stratification may be distinctly seen, and with a uniform dip to the west of usually about 15 to 20 degrees. The immense gravel depostis of the Wea Plains, and the corresponding terrace on the opposite side of the river, embracing more than 100 square miles of territory, at every point observed show clearly that the whole mass is distinctly stratified; that it is in layers as evenly and uniformly placed as are the solid rock deposits beneath it. Wherever the gravel is solidly cemented together these lines of stratification may be followed the full length of the exposure. Excavations made in the gravel beds to procure material for road building always reveal the same facts. And further, it is always plainly disclosed that there is a slight dip toward the west. This dip to the west is observed equally on both sides of the river. On Indian Creek, Laramie Creek, Wild Cat Creek and Wea Creek—wherever this cemented gravel, sand or bowlders are exposed, the same uniform westerly dip is observed. The conclusion arrived at here is that these gravel and sand deposits, forming terraces adjacent to the river, sometimes called “alluvial terraces” are not river terraces at all, but that they were formed by the same agencies that made all the wide plains of Indiana long ages before the Wabash River traced it serpentine course across the surface. The Tippecanoe Basin was filled with clay, sand, gravel and bowlders at a period far remote from that in which the Wabash began wearing a channel through the hills and rocks of Warren and Fountain Counties, to find its way to the sea. 

 A view looking north (downstream), from the same vantage point as the first picture above.

A closer look at the conglomerate rock at the same location as the first two photos.  All photos taken Feb. 23, 2015.

Peter's Mill Landing

A view of Peter's Mill Landing, looking across Wildcat Creek from the trail at Clegg Garden.  Peter's Mill Landing is used for canoe/kayaking access to Wildcat Creek.  Photo taken Feb. 13, 2015.

Link to Peter's Mill Landing:

Hop hornbeam

A hop-hornbeam tree (Ostrya virginiana), one of the labeled trees at Clegg Garden.  Hop-hornbeam trees have a characteristic shreddy bark.  This species of tree is typically a part of the forest understory. 

In the background is the Eisenhower Road bridge over Wildcat Creek.  Photo taken Feb. 13, 2015.

Link to Ostrya virginiana:

Link to forest understory:

Antennaria in winter

Antennaria along a trail in Clegg Garden shows fairly evergreen character in the winter.  I'm not sure what species of Antennaria this is.  The multiple veins on the basal leaves could be a clue to the species.  On a slope, woodland habitat.   Photo taken Feb. 13, 2015.

Link to Antennaria:

Link to Antennaria:

Link to Antennaria:

Link to Antennaria plantaginifolia:

Sugar maple

This sugar maple tree (Acer saccharum) is along the trail leading to Wildcat Creek.  Photo taken Feb. 13, 2015.

Link to Acer saccharum:

Hepatica is visible but not yet flowering

Here on a hillside next to a trail there are several Hepatica plants that show the leaves but are not yet flowering. I still call this plant a Hepatica although now most botanists consider that an obsolete name as now it has been grouped in the Anemone genus and the current name is Anemone acutiloba.

Link to Anemone acutiloba:

Here is a closer view of the Hepatica plant showing the flowering bud waiting for the right time to flower.

Photos taken February 13, 2015.

Link to Hepatica in another location:

Link to Hepatica in another location:

Kentucky coffee-tree

Kentucky coffee-tree (Gymnocladus dioicus), along a trail in Clegg Garden.  The bark of Kentucky coffee-tree has bark that curls outward with a sharp edge.  Touch the bark to learn how it feels.  The vines climbing up the side of this tree are old dead poison-ivy vines that have rotted away on the inside.  They are recognizable by the aerial rootlets (the fuzzy things attaching to the tree trunk) which is characteristic of poison-ivy.

Looking up at this Kentucky coffee-tree, a few of the characteristic seed-pods are visible. Also notice that the winter twigs are quite thick compared to other trees of the forest. This is due to the fact the leaves that fall off in autumn are very big as they are doubly-compound. As you drive around the countryside in the winter, you can spot from a great distance where the groves of Kentucky coffee-trees are from the look of the big seed pods high in the tops of the trees.

Photos taken Feb. 13, 2015.

Link to Gymnocladus dioicus:

Link to previous post on Gymnocladus dioicus in another location:

Link to previous post on Gymnocladus dioicus in another location:

Red oak bark

This mature red oak (Quercus rubra) shows a good example of the shiny vertical strips of bark that is typical of red oak.  Notice it's one of the trees at Clegg Garden with a label to identify it.  In the background to the west is the lookout point over Wildcat Creek.  Photo taken February 4, 2015.

Link to Quercus rubra:

Link to Quercus rubra:

Beech tree retains previous year's leaves

By mid-winter the leaves on many juvenile beech trees have still not fallen as the leaves of the other trees in the forest.  As winter lets us see a good distance across the forest land, we can spot where the young beech trees are from far away.  This beech tree (Fagus grandifolia) in the east end of Clegg Garden is getting rather mature but still shows the previous season's leaves.  This property is called marcescense.

Link to marcescence:

Link to discussion of marcescence in a beech forest:

The old house in the background is being remodeled to house the NICHES headquarters.  Notice the new wood deck and stairway to the front entrance.  It was getting built the day this photo was taken, February 4, 2015.

Link to Fagus grandifolia: