Help identifying odd leaves/flowers

In My Humble Opinion
1

I noticed these odd leaves (or maybe flowers?) growing from a vine (I think) that has worked its way up into a Texas mountain laurel tree. I live in South Texas. See pictures (there are two pics). The pics are a little wonky because I zoomed in and also lightened them up. The leaves at the bottom of the second picture are the clearest.

I’ve never seen this kind of leaf. They almost do look like flower petals. The tan-ish ones aren’t pink, they’re actually dried/dead green leaves. They almost look like they’re growing out of the mountain laurel. I’ve been around mountain laurel trees all of my adult life, and I’ve never see this.

I just used the app Plantsnap (very cool app!) and it identified them as Ginko Biloba, and there is a resemblance, except these have FOUR lobes, not TWO. And anyway, where would it have come from?

Anybody recognize these?

2

Missed edit window (by a mile). In case the size is not apparent from the pics, the leaf/flower cluster is about 2.5" across.

3

Definitely not Gingko. What happens if you pinch off a cluster of the leaves and try the app that way?

4

I pulled one down off the tree with a rake-- waaay up in the tree. Should have done this from the get-go. Four pictures, bottom, top looking down, and two from different sides. green leaves - Album on Imgur

There are three pairs of two leaves/petals joined at the center. It doesn’t show up so much in the pictures but the leaves are bright green and quite stiff like iceberg lettuce.

Plantsnap was no help. Google images suggested chicory, angelica, anthurium.

I think I’ll take this to a nursery and see if they recognize it. Still curious if it looks familiar to anyone here.

5

They’re not leaves. They are emerging from the stems of flower clusters from which most of the flowers or fruits have fallen. My first guess was that they were some kind of wind-dispersed seed, but the close-ups suggest that they may be some kind of weird flower gall.

Definitely not ginkgo, which is a tree anyway. Plantsnap won’t help you with these.

It would be helpful to figure out what kind of vine it is. Better photos of the actual leaves would help.

6

Well, that link was creepy as hell. :eek:

I have to go out, but I’ll put up some pictures of the leaves later. Thanks.

7

It also looks like the pale brown “leaves” are somewhat different in structure from the green ones. If you could post close ups of those that might help as well.

8

Mystery solved. I took the “blossom” to a nursery and the person told me it was butterfly vine. Another link. After it dries and turns brown, some crafty people paint the flowers to look like butterflies.

I said I didn’t know where it came from, but upon reflection, I did buy a plant in a pot and sat it next to the mountain laurel several years ago and forgot about it. I would water it from time to time, but otherwise paid no attention and didn’t remember what it was. Turns out IT’S the butterfly vine. :smack: It has thrown off its shackles and risen to take over the mountain laurel. The light bulb came on when I saw the tiny yellow flowers in the pictures.

The nursery man showed me a tree at the nursery that has similarly been taken over by the butterfly vine. It’s harmless and some people consider it invasive, but they don’t do anything about theirs, and I don’t plan to either.

Thanks to those who participated. A tiny bit of plant ignorance fought today. :slight_smile:

9

I love to identify flowers, especially wildflowers. I also like to ID trees, bugs, rocks, etc. I’m kind of nerdy when it comes to nature.

I have an app on my iPhone called Garden Answers. I take a picture of a flower and then it sends me pictures of the different flowers it might be. All free!