zgreene1234
eco photo image 3
This photo was taken on March 9, 2018 on UNCW’s campus during my ecology lab. I think this is Carolina Jessamine, Gelsemium sempervirens, because I asked my lab TA Jennifer Fredley. I also double checked it by looking at the first reference listed below. They can survive in a wide range of habitats, and are commonly found in March, April, and early May. The ecological concept demonstrated in this photo is defense against predation. All parts of the Jessamine plant are poisonous to humans. The plant contains Alkaloids which can cause sweating, nausea, muscular weakness, dilated pupils, lowered temperature, convulsions, and respiratory failure. There is a debate on whether they are toxic for bees and other pollinators. There has not been a lot of scientific research on the matter, but they are commonly used in landscaping. There has been research to suggest that the bees native to the same area as the jessamine such as the bumblebee were able to consume the nectar while honeybees, not native, could not. The theory explored in the article by Koenig is that the species have evolved together with the pollinators adapted to the plants defense. More research needs to be done to figure out the relationship between jessamine and the pollinators.
Society, N. (2017). Plants - North Carolina Native Plant Society. [online] North Carolina Native Plant Society. Available at: www.ncwildflower.org/plant_galleries/details/gelsemium-se...
Plants.ces.ncsu.edu. (2018). Gelsemium sempervirens. [online] Available at: plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/all/gelsemium-sempervirens/
Koenig, P. (2017). Carolina Jessamine Part 2: does it harm native bees? | Bee Informed Partnership. [online] Beeinformed.org. Available at: beeinformed.org/2017/03/30/carolina-jessamine-part-2-is-i...
eco photo image 3
This photo was taken on March 9, 2018 on UNCW’s campus during my ecology lab. I think this is Carolina Jessamine, Gelsemium sempervirens, because I asked my lab TA Jennifer Fredley. I also double checked it by looking at the first reference listed below. They can survive in a wide range of habitats, and are commonly found in March, April, and early May. The ecological concept demonstrated in this photo is defense against predation. All parts of the Jessamine plant are poisonous to humans. The plant contains Alkaloids which can cause sweating, nausea, muscular weakness, dilated pupils, lowered temperature, convulsions, and respiratory failure. There is a debate on whether they are toxic for bees and other pollinators. There has not been a lot of scientific research on the matter, but they are commonly used in landscaping. There has been research to suggest that the bees native to the same area as the jessamine such as the bumblebee were able to consume the nectar while honeybees, not native, could not. The theory explored in the article by Koenig is that the species have evolved together with the pollinators adapted to the plants defense. More research needs to be done to figure out the relationship between jessamine and the pollinators.
Society, N. (2017). Plants - North Carolina Native Plant Society. [online] North Carolina Native Plant Society. Available at: www.ncwildflower.org/plant_galleries/details/gelsemium-se...
Plants.ces.ncsu.edu. (2018). Gelsemium sempervirens. [online] Available at: plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/all/gelsemium-sempervirens/
Koenig, P. (2017). Carolina Jessamine Part 2: does it harm native bees? | Bee Informed Partnership. [online] Beeinformed.org. Available at: beeinformed.org/2017/03/30/carolina-jessamine-part-2-is-i...