The DU Lounge

Root found on Ocracoke beach. Photo by Lisa Day Eiland

The Observer’s native plant expert, Ken Moore who lives in the Chapel Hill area, offers this observation:

That root is the thick tuberous root stem of Smilax probably Smilax laurifolia or Smilax bonanox, two of several that grow out on the dunes and in the maritime forest. This green vine, some with evergreen leaves, literally tie the shrubby vegetation together and must help greatly in securing the sandy shore against the sea wash and winds. The common name is catbrier. Plants can go by several names, including dune greenbrier and earlobe greenbrier. I find these hard-as-wood roots just about every time I walk out around Springer’s Point and quite often see them washed up in the surf on the open beach.

Ken Moore managed the North Carolina Botanical Garden from 1970 until his retirement as Assistant Director in 2003. He continues to teach plant identification classes and lead occasional field trips for the Garden. He wrote a weekly column, “Flora” for The Carrboro Citizen during its publication March 2007 – October 2012.

https://ocracokeobserver.com/2015/02/25/ask-the-observer-found-on-the-beach-feb-14-2015/