Black Bryony, Snowberry

Black Bryony, Tamus communis, in High Elms Country Park, 15 September 2011.

Some more autumn berries. These showy red ones belong to Black Bryony, a delicate climbing plant with heart-shaped leaves. The larger leaves belong to the plant it is climbing on, a Wayfaring-tree. Some of the Bryony leaves are already dead, and you can see them towards the bottom of the photo. A still living leaf can be seen right in the middle. At the top and bottom, you can also see the stem, winding around that of its host plant.

Spiders are everywhere at this time of year, and these plants and berries are covered with a fine mesh of web. There is a spider at the lower left. Small invertebrates often turn up in plant photos.

Below are the fruits of a Snowberry. This is a weed plant in High Elms Country Park, and I don't use that word carelessly; in this place, it causes problems. It was introduced by a previous owner to provide low cover for game birds, and it thrives and spreads so well that it tends to crowd out the other plants.

The sun had not reached the Snowberry when I took this, and it was still covered with dew. Spiders' webs again!

Snowberry, Symphoricarpos albus, on Orchid Bank, High Elms Country Park, 15 September 2011.