Flora and Fauna Encounters

So, like Texas, this strange, new world has both Fireflies (good ol' Photinus pyralis) and American Robins which have the scientific name Turdus migratorius. I'm not making this up.

Mr. Bojangles (Cranklebobbius mcgillicuttius) saw fireflies for the first time the other night. Formal approval pending.

Outside the old apartment grows a large shrub/small tree which I thought had square stems at first glance. It actually has four equidistant fins that grow the length of new stems. The older branches look rough and woody. It has opposite leaves that are ovate and serrated with pinnate veins. Below are pictures of the leaves and stems.

One last time: Turdus migratorious. Heh.

Update 7/19:

This is a Winged Elm (Ulmus alata), also known as a Corked Elm or a Wahoo Elm. That's right. Endemic to the southeastern and south-central US, they can be inavsive and difficult to eradicate. The wood, since it's flexible and resists splitting, is used to make rocking chairs, hockey sticks, and twine.