Our next match in March Species Madness takes us back to the Plant Kingdom, as the Red Maple (Acer rubrum) faces off against the Mayapple (Podophyllum peltatum).
The red maple has already made waves in this tournament, defeating the previous Champion of the Plants and Final Four participant the Yellow Trout Lily in a close-fought match. Did the red maple draw upon patriotic supporters through its connection to the Canadian flag? Or were we won over by its sweet sap which, while not as prolific as the sugar maple, can still be used to make maple syrup? Or is it just the way these leaves add their own vibrant colour to our canopies in autumn? Whatever the case, it now stands one match away from entering the quarterfinals (click here to learn more about this beautiful tree).
Opposing it is the lesser-known mayapple, a herbaceous perennial that appears briefly on our forest floors in early spring. The flowers are visited by waking bumble bees, and produce small 1.5-2-inch fruits that ripen to a golden colour in the summer. These fruits are edible, though the seeds they contain are not. Mayapples have been used in jellies and preserves, but are also the favoured food of box turtles and other wildlife which disperse the seeds. This page by the University of Wisconsin-Madison will tell you more, but it’s clear the mayapple is another example of the many things happening near our feet as we trek through the trails within our natural spaces.
Both the red maple and the mayapple are worthy contenders to represent the Plant Kingdom in the Final Four, but only one can get there via a space in the quarterfinals, and that’s based entirely on your votes, so cast them below: