I set out down Piney Woods Church late this afternoon with lifted spirits, following an encouraging note from a friend, reminding me that all the changes I saw yesterday will soon be undone by nature, in the form of rain, wind, and new growth. Meanwhile, I discovered all sorts of possibilities for photographs today. The image I selected is a close-up of the point where the leaf of a vine connected to the main stem. It marks a confluence, where all of the veins in the leaf come together. Also at the join, two long trendrils emerge from the plant, helping it to climb over any obstacles and cling to anything in its path. Most likely, the plant is one of two possible species (both invasive) in the genus Discorea: either the air-potato (Discorea bulbifera) from Africa, or the Chinese yam (Discorea oppositifolia) from Asia. The two are difficult to distinguish (my bets are on the Chinese yam), but both plants are considered highly invasive.
One thing I have noticed from all my explorations of roadside plants is that most of them are non-native, and they harken from a variety of homelands. Many are from Europe, but others are from parts of Asia or even Africa. I am coming to realize that a rural Georgia back road can be a much more cosmopolitan place than I had previously imagined.
