More identifying and research from that walk in the park!
Basically as I was walking along it occured to me that I don't know what poison ivy looks like, and that if I plan to be tromping around in wooded areas with possible poison ivy, I should at least be able to recognize it! So I passed this ivy-looking plant and snapped a shot to try and identify when I got back to a computer.
"The compound leaves of poison ivy consist of three pointed leaflets; the middle leaflet has a much longer stalk than the two side ones. The leaflet edges can be smooth or toothed but are rarely lobed. The leaves vary greatly in size, from 8 to 55 mm (0.31" to 2.16") in length. They are reddish when they emerge in the spring, turn green during the summer, and become various shades of yellow, orange or red in the autumn." - http://poisonivy.aesir.com/view/pictures.html
Three pointed leaflets, check
Middle leaflet has a much longer stalk than the two side ones, yep
Leaflet edges: smooth or toothed but rarely lobed, definitely toothed
It doesn't say anything about the winter, which is the season we're in now :/
I mean, it's seeming pretty likely
I'm going to check out some possible look alikes to see if it's just a mistaken one of those
I mean it fits the profile. If you look closely you can even see the red tint in the stalk and petiole.
I'm going to identify it as Poison Ivy, also known as Toxicodendron radicans. The good news is, even if misidentified, I learned a lot about poison ivy, what it can look like, and what NOT to get near.
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