River-Lab 5 Guide Manual – Trail Point 2
Trail Point 2—Small Plant
Decodon
(Decodon verticillatus)
We are going to look at this plant called Decodon. (Point to Decodon.)
 It is also known as water willow.
 Record decodon on your observation sheet on the line next to “Small Plant”.
Observation and Recording of Habitat and Evidence of Productivity
 In what part of the river basin system is the decodon growing? [Marsh.]
 Check off habitat: marsh.
■ Often decodon grow in dense clumps in the marsh, in standing water out from
under the trees. Record feature: dense growth.
 What does this tell you about the conditions decodon prefers to grow in? [It grows
well in wet soil and sun.] Check off habitat conditions: wet soil, sun.
 Describe what is immediately in the water around the base of the decodon plants.
[Leaves, plant parts, mulch.]
 Notice how leaves and plant parts are trapped in between the stems at the base of the
decodon. How does the mulch and all that trapped plant material contribute to the
river basin system? [Trapped mulch helps slow the flow of the water.]
 Look around, how many more decodon do you see in this area?
Use Evidence of
Productivity Checklist and check off that you see live decodon. Check off whether
you see a few decodon or many decodon. You can also check off mulch as evidence
of productivity here.
Observation and Recording of Features and Evidence of Productivity
 Record features observed and evidence of productivity when I direct you. (Ask
questions, as necessary, to lead team to observations.) We may talk about contributions
this organism makes as we go along but we will record the contributions at the end of the
trail point.
 Point (again) to Decodon plants.)
 (Describe the height of the last year’s decodon plants. [Tall]
■ Record feature: tall.
 Decodon can grow 2 to 8 feet tall. I am x feet tall, that means the decodon
could grow x feet taller than me.
 Describe the stems. [Tall, thin, bending over—arching stems.]
■ Record feature: arching stems.
 The stems are ridged and spongy at the base, growing thinner and thinner
toward the top.
 Decodon reproduces when its stems arch downward and touch the soil. It then
makes more roots and new plants shoot up from the new roots.
 How does the decodon's ability to reproduce in this way contribute to the river
basin system? [More plants and stems can trap more mulch.]
 We are looking for evidence of productivity from the decodon plants.
 What do you see here? Think about all the possibilities. Use the Evidence of

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Productivity Checklist and check off what evidence you see that could be from the
decodon.
 How do all the plant parts contribute to the river basin system? [They decay and
nutrients add enrichment to water and soil.]
■ All the fallen parts—the flower parts in spring, the many brown leaves in fall, the
other parts all year long—build up and create mulch. The mulch will also
eventually decay and enrich the soil.
■ The mulch contributes to productivity in another way. When it rains, how will the
mulch contribute to the river basin system? Remember what you learned last year
in 4th grade when you rained on the two models. [Absorbs and intercepts runoff
and rain so slows runoff and rainwater.]
 During a flood or heavy rain, some of that mulch could wash into the river.
How do you think that will contribute to the river basin system? [Nutrients
from decaying material add enrichment to the water.]
 Where else will benefit from enrichment of the water? [Estuary.]
Interactive Activity
 Direct team members take to turns reading information about decodon provided on trail
gear card. Information italicized and underlined below is information listed on card.
Respond with additional detail provided here in open bullets.
 Decodon produces pink flowers in July and August.
o Flowers are bell-shaped, producing urn-shaped seed capsules.
o Ducks and geese eat the seeds.
 Muskrat eat the stems.
 In what way is the decodon plant contributing to the river basin system?
[Food for muskrat, ducks and geese.]
Record Contributions of Decodon
 Check off on checklist on observation sheet the contributions of decodon to the river
basin system.
o [Food, enrichment of soil and water, soil holding, oxygen production, mulch
trapping, slow runoff and floodwater.]
Full checklist from observation sheet (for guide reference)
 Food source for animals
 Enrichment of soil and water
 Soil holding
 Oxygen production
o Nitrogen conversion
o Nutrient storage and release
 Mulch trapping
 Slowing runoff and floodwater
o Habitat for animals
o Water cooling
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© 2009 Mill River Wetland Committee, Inc.
River-Lab 5 Guide Manual – Trail Point 2
Transition:

We observed many decodon plants growing here in the marsh.

What else do you see? [Living organisms – plants.]

Look at your Evidence of Productivity Checklist.

How does decodon and all that you can see impact the productivity of the living
river basin system and the estuary?

Does it increase or decrease productivity? [Increase.]

At the next trail point we will discuss an animal and how it contributes to the river basin
system.
Skunk Cabbage
(Symplocarpus foetidus)
We are going to look at this plant called Skunk Cabbage. (Point to Skunk Cabbage.)
Skunk cabbage is an early spring plant.
 Record skunk cabbage on your observation sheet on the line next to “Small Plant”.
 Has anyone studied the skunk cabbage? If yes: Tell us about it.
Observation and Recording of Habitat and Evidence of Productivity
 In what part of the river basin system is the skunk cabbage growing? [Swamp.]
 Check off habitat: swamp.
■ Skunk cabbages also live on the floodplain, on river banks and in the marsh.
■ What does that tell you about the conditions the skunk cabbage grows best in? [It
grows well in moist soil and shade.]
 Check off habitat conditions: moist soil, part shade.
 Describe what is immediately around the skunk cabbage plants. [Leaves, mulch.]
 Notice how the skunk cabbage plants grow up through the mulch. How does the
mulch gathered around the skunk cabbage contribute to the river basin system?
[Trapped mulch helps slow runoff and rainwater.]
■ The new plants trap the mulch so that it won’t be washed away during heavy
spring rains and flooding.
 Look around, how many more skunk cabbage do you see in this area?
■ Use Evidence of Productivity Checklist and check off that you see live skunk
cabbage. Check off whether you see a few skunk cabbages or many skunk
cabbages.
 You can also check off mulch as evidence of productivity here.
Observation and Recording of Features and Evidence of Productivity
 Record features observed and evidence of productivity when I direct you. (Ask
questions, as necessary, to lead team to observations.) We may talk about contributions
this organism makes as we go along but we will record the contributions at the end of the
trail point.

(Point (again) to skunk cabbage, specifically to the spathe and spadix first, then
leaves.)

Describe this structure of the skunk cabbage. [Curved spotted “leaf”.]

This plant part is not a true leaf.

That is the spathe. The curved structure is made of tissues that insulate the
skunk cabbage flower. It acts like a hood to protect what is inside.


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

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Record feature: protective hood.

What does it look like inside? [Round and spikey.]
 This structure, called the spadix, is the flower. It contains the male and
female reproductive parts. It may not look like a flower, but it is one!
 Colorful flowers are usually pollinated by flying insects. This flower is not
colorful but it attracts flies. What might attract a fly to it? [Smell.]
 Odor is one way of attracting an insect in the early spring, warmth is
another way.
 Skunk cabbage plants actually make heat. Only a few plants do this. The
spathe helps keep the temperature of the spadix constant day and night
throughout all the temperature changes of late winter and early spring.
 What is the purpose of flowers? [To make seeds to make new plants.]
o That funny looking flower, the spadix, forms seeds which are often
eaten by wood ducks.
If skunk cabbage leaves are beginning to grow, direct students to observe the growth
and size of the leaves. If the leaves are NOT evident, show photographs of individual
plants and of a community of skunk cabbage.

Describe the skunk cabbage leaves: [Early: Bright green spike (spear-like)
poking up from the ground. Later: Large and green.] Record feature: spike,
large leaves.
 What do you notice about the way in which the skunk cabbage leaf is growing?
[Spiral.]
 The skunk cabbage leaves unfold as the spring goes on, growing sometimes as
large as 3 feet long.

How do you think the large leaves growing so close to the ground contribute
to the river basin system? [Mulch trapping, slowing runoff and rainwater
and floodwater.]
We are looking for Evidence of Productivity from the skunk cabbage.
o What do you see here? Think about all the possibilities. Use the Evidence of
Productivity Checklist and check off what evidence you see that could be from
the skunk cabbage. You can also check off that you see mulch here.

How do all the plant parts contribute to the river basin system? [They decay and
nutrients add enrichment to soil in the floodplain.]

All the fallen parts—the flower parts in spring, the many brown leaves in fall,
the other parts all year long—build up and create mulch. The mulch will also
eventually decay and enrich the soil.
The mulch contributes to productivity in another way. When it rains, how will
the mulch contribute to the river basin system? Remember what you learned
last year in 4th grade when you rained on the two models. [Absorbs and
intercepts runoff and rain so slows runoff and rainwater.]

As the skunk cabbage leaves die back and decay, some of that decaying material
could wash into the river during a flood or heavy rain. How do you think that will
contribute to the river basin system? [Nutrients from decaying material add
enrichment to the water.]

What area downstream will benefit from all the contributions the skunk cabbage
makes upriver? [Estuary.]
© 2009 Mill River Wetland Committee, Inc.
River-Lab 5 Guide Manual – Trail Point 2
Interactive Activity

Direct team members take to turns reading information about skunk cabbage provided on
trail gear card. Information italicized and underlined below is information listed on card.
Respond with additional detail provided here in open bullets.
 The bundle of hundreds of skunk cabbage roots hold the entire plant securely in the
ground.
o Even when there is a big rainstorm or a spring flood, that root system helps the
skunk cabbage plant remain in its location.
o That root system holds the skunk cabbage plant in the ground so strongly it is
almost impossible to uproot it.
o How do you think that root system contributes to the river basin system? [Soil
holding.]
Record Contributions of the Skunk Cabbage
 Check off on observations sheet the contributions of skunk cabbage to the river basin
system.
o [Food, enrichment of soil and water, soil holding, oxygen production, mulch
trapping, slow runoff and floodwater.]
Full checklist from observation sheet (for guide reference).
 Food source for animals
 Enrichment of soil and water
 Soil holding
 Oxygen production

Nitrogen conversion

Nutrient storage and release
 Mulch trapping
 Slowing runoff and floodwater
o Habitat for animals
o Water cooling
Transition:
 We observed many skunk cabbage plants growing here in the floodplain.
 What else do you see? [Living organisms – plants.]
 Look at your Evidence of Productivity Checklist.
 How does skunk cabbage and all that you can see impact the productivity of the
living river basin system and the estuary?
 Does it increase or decrease productivity? [Increase]
 At our next trail point we will discuss an animal and how it contributes to the river basin
system.
Spring Beauty
(Claytonia virginica)


We are going to look at this plant called Spring Beauty. (Point to spring beauties.)
Record spring beauty on your observation sheet on the line next to “Small Plant”.
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 Has anyone studied the spring beauty? If yes: Tell us about it.
Observation and Recording of Habitat and Evidence of Productivity
 In what part of the river basin system is the spring beauty growing? [Floodplain.]
o Check off habitat: floodplain.
 Spring beauties live in the floodplain, where we found these, under taller
trees and shrubs.
 What does that tell you about the conditions spring beauties grow best in?
[It grows best in moist soil and part shade.]
 Check off habitat conditions: moist soil, part shade.
 Describe what is immediately around the spring beauty plants. [Leaves, mulch.]
o Notice how the spring beauties grow up through the mulch. How does the mulch
gathered around the spring beauties contribute to the river basin system?
[Trapped mulch helps slow runoff and rainwater.]
 The new plants trap the mulch so that it won’t be washed away during
heavy spring rains and flooding.
o Look around, how many more spring beauties are there in this area?
 Use Evidence of Productivity Checklist and check off that you see live
spring beauties. Check off whether you see a few spring beauties or many
spring beauties.
 You can also check off mulch as evidence of productivity here.
 When there are so many spring beauties and other floodplain wildflowers
in such great abundance, scientists refer to it as a “carpet”.
 The “carpet” of new plants traps the mulch and holds it in place so
it won’t be washed away during heavy spring rains and flooding
and helps slow the runoff and absorbs rainwater.
Observation and Recording of Features and Evidence of Productivity
 Record features observed and evidence of productivity when I direct you. (Ask
questions, as necessary, to lead team to observations.) We may talk about contributions
this organism makes as we go along but we will record the contributions at the end of the
trail point.
 (Point (again) to Spring Beauty plants.)
o Describe the size of the spring beauty plants. [Small.] Record feature:
small.
 Grows 3-6 inches high.
o Describe the leaves of the spring beauty. [Leaves resemble blades of grass.]
 Notice that they are wider, thicker and blunter than a blade of grass.
 If spring beauty is flowering, direct students to look at the flowers. If spring beauty
is NOT flowering, show photos of spring beauty flowers.
o Describe the flowers. [Delicate white flowers, pink stripe on petals, pink
anthers.]
 Colorful flowers are usually pollinated by insects. Spring beauties are
pollinated by bees.
 It is a perfect flower; male and female reproductive parts are in one
flower on each plant.
o What is the purpose of flowers? [To make seeds to make new plants.]
 Look around.
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River-Lab 5 Guide Manual – Trail Point 2
o
What other plants in this area are blooming? [Not many.]
 Spring beauties bloom early in spring—April to May.

They are known as “spring ephemerals” (\i-ˈfem-rəl) —that is, they
bloom early and die back early. Record feature: short life cycle.
 The spring beauty life cycle is about 2 weeks in early spring.
o Spring beauties take in nitrogen from the soil for
growth. All plants need nitrogen to grow.
o What is REALLY important about the spring beauty’s
short life cycle is that it “holds” the nitrogen inside the
leaves so the nitrogen inside the plant cannot be washed
away. Spring floods after spring rain storms and snow
melt can wash the nitrogen out of the soil but nitrogen
is safely stored inside the spring beauty plant.
o When spring beauties die and decay, the nitrogen is
released back into the soil to be used by nearby plants
that grow later in the season.
 How does this contribute to the river basin system? [Nutrient
storage and release.]
 We are looking for Evidence of Productivity from the spring beauty.
o What do you see here? Think about all the possibilities. Use the Evidence of
Productivity Checklist and check off what evidence you see that could be
from the spring beauty.
o How do all the plant parts contribute to the river basin system? [They decay
and nutrients add enrichment to soil in the floodplain.]
 All the fallen parts—the flower parts in spring, the many brown leaves
in fall, the other parts all year long—build up and create mulch. The
mulch will also eventually decay and enrich the soil.
 The mulch contributes to productivity in another way. When it rains,
how will the mulch contribute to the river basin system? Remember
what you learned last year in 4th grade when you rained on the two
models. [Absorbs and intercepts runoff and rain so slows runoff
and rainwater.]
o The decaying material could get washed into the river during a rainstorm or
flood.
 How do you think that will contribute to the river basin system?
[Nutrients from decaying material add enrichment to the water.]
o Where else will benefit from enrichment of the water? [Estuary.]
Interactive Activity
 Direct team members take to turns reading information about spring beauties on trail
gear card. Information italicized and underlined below is information listed on card.
Respond with additional detail provided here in open bullets.
 Tiny underground roots are edible.
o Eaten by voles and other small rodents.
o The tubers are known as “fairy spuds” and taste like a chestnut. They were
eaten by Native Americans and colonists.
 Insects that are active early in spring need food.
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o Spring beauty flower nectar is an important food source for these insects.
Record Contributions of the Spring Beauty
 Check off on observation sheet the contributions of spring beauties to the river basin
system. Say "This tiny plant sure makes lots of contributions".
o [Food, enrichment of soil and water, soil holding, oxygen production,
nutrient storage and release, mulch trapping, slow runoff and floodwater]
Full Checklist from observation sheet (for guide reference):
 Food source for animals
 Enrichment of soil and water
 Soil holding
 Oxygen production
o Nitrogen conversion
 Nutrient storage and release
 Mulch trapping
 Slowing runoff and floodwater
o Habitat for animals
o Water cooling
Transition:
 We observed many spring beauties here.
 What else do you see? [Living organisms—plants.]
 Look at your Evidence of Productivity Checklist.
o How does the spring beauty and all that you can see impact the productivity of the
living river basin system and the estuary?
o Does it increase or decrease productivity? [Increase.]
 At the next trail point we will discuss an animal and how it contributes to the river basin
system.
Trout Lily
(Erythronium americanum)
We are going to look at this plant called Trout Lily. (Point to Trout lily.)
 Record trout lily on your observations sheet on the line next to “Small Plant”.
 Has anyone studied the trout lily? If yes: Tell us about it.
Observation and Recording of Habitat and Evidence of Productivity
 In what part of the river basin system is the trout lily growing? [Floodplain.]
 Check off habitat: floodplain.
■ Trout lilies live on the floodplain, under taller trees and shrubs.
■ What does that tell you about the conditions the trout lily grows best in? [It
grows well in moist soil and shade.]
 Check off habitat conditions: moist soil, part shade.
 Describe what is immediately around the trout lily plants. [Leaves, mulch.]
 Notice how the trout lilies grow up through the mulch. How does the mulch gathered
around the trout lilies contribute to the river basin system? [Trapped mulch helps

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© 2009 Mill River Wetland Committee, Inc.
River-Lab 5 Guide Manual – Trail Point 2
slow runoff and rainwater.]
■ The new plants trap the mulch so that it won’t be washed away during heavy
spring rains and flooding.
 Look around, how many more trout lilies do you see in this area?
■ Use Evidence of Productivity Checklist and check off that you see live trout lily
plants. Check off whether you see a few trout lilies or many trout lilies.
 You can also check off mulch as evidence of productivity here.
 When there are so many trout lilies and other floodplain wildflowers in such
great abundance, scientists refer to it as a “carpet”.
 The “carpet” holds a great deal of mulch which helps slow runoff and absorb
rainwater.
Observation and Recording of Features and Evidence of Productivity
 Record features observed and evidence of productivity when I direct you. (Ask
questions, as necessary, to lead team to observations.) We may talk about contributions
this organism makes as we go along but we will record the contributions at the end of the
trail point.
 (Point (again) to trout lily plants.)
 Describe the size of the trout lily plant. Record feature: small.
■ Trout lilies grow 6-10 inches high.
 Describe the leaves of the trout lily. [Spotted leaves.]
■ The two spotted leaves resemble a trout or fawn. (Plant is also known as fawn
lily.)
■ The leaves are well camouflaged by this spotted-leaf pattern.
 If trout lily is flowering, direct students to look at the flowers. If trout lily is NOT
flowering, show photos of trout lily flowers.
 Describe the flowers. [Yellow petal, leafless stem.]
■ Pollination occurs from bees. Colorful flowers are usually pollinated by
insects.
 What is the purpose of flowers? [To make seeds to make new plants.]
 Look around.
 What other plants in this area are blooming? [Not many.]
■ Trout lilies bloom early in spring – April to May.
■
They are known as “spring ephemerals” (\i-ˈfem-rəl) – that is, they bloom
early and die back early. Record feature: short life cycle.
 The Trout Lily life cycle is about 2 weeks in early spring.
 Trout lilies take in nitrogen from the soil for growth. All plants need
nitrogen to grow.
 What is REALLY important about the Trout lily’s short life cycle is that
it “holds” the nitrogen inside the leaves so nitrogen inside the plant
cannot be washed away. Spring floods after spring rain storms and
snow melt can wash the nitrogen out of the soil but the nitrogen is
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safely stored inside the trout lily plant.
 When trout lilies die and decay, the nitrogen is released back into the
soil to be used by nearby plants that grow later in the season.
■ How does this contribute to the river basin system? [Nutrient storage and
release.]
 We are looking for Evidence of Productivity from the trout lily.
o What do you see here? Think about all the possibilities. Use the Evidence of
Productivity Checklist and check off what evidence you see that could be from
the trout lily.
o How do all the plant parts contribute to the river basin system? [They decay and
nutrients add enrichment to soil in the floodplain.]

All the fallen parts—the flower parts in spring, the many brown leaves in fall,
the other parts all year long—build up and create mulch. The mulch will also
eventually decay and enrich the soil.

The mulch contributes to productivity in another way. When it rains, how will
the mulch contribute to the river basin system? Remember what you learned
last year in 4th grade when you rained on the two models. [Absorbs and
intercepts runoff and rain so slows runoff and rainwater.]
o The decaying material could get washed into the river during a rainstorm or flood.

How will that contribute to the river basin system? [Nutrients from decaying
material add enrichment to the water.]
o What area downstream will benefit from all the contributions the trout lily makes
upriver? [Estuary.]
Interactive Activity
 Direct team members take to turns reading information about trout lily provided on trail
gear card. Information italicized and underlined below is information listed on card.
Respond with additional detail provided here in open bullets.

Trout lilies produce flowers when they reach 7-10 years of age.
 The flowers produce a seed which ants will take back to their nest. The ants eat a
part of the seed and throw the rest in their garbage heap. Then the seed sprouts
and grows.
 Trout lilies also spread underground.
 Roots send up new shoots to make new plants.
Record Contributions of the Trout Lily
 Check off on observations sheet the contributions of trout lilies to the river basin system.
o [Food, enrichment of soil and water, soil holding, oxygen production,
nutrient storage and release, mulch trapping, slow runoff and floodwater.]
Full checklist from observation sheet (for guide reference).
 Food source for animals
 Enrichment of soil and water
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 Soil holding
 Oxygen production
o Nitrogen conversion
 Nutrient storage and release
 Mulch trapping
 Slowing runoff and floodwater
o Habitat for animals
o Water cooling
Transition:

We observed many trout lily plants growing here in the floodplain.

What else do you see? [Living organisms – plants.]

Look at your Evidence of Productivity Checklist.

How does trout lily and all that you can see impact the productivity of the living river
basin system and the estuary?

Does it increase or decrease productivity? [Increase]

At our next trail point we will discuss an animal and how it contributes to the river basin
system.
© 2009 Mill River Wetland Committee, Inc.
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