Trichostema dichotomum is found in dry open woods and in clearings, and is currently considered Rare in Indiana (though I believe it will soon be downgraded to Special Concern).
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Plant Quiz Winner
Somebody tell me how he does it! We've already got a winner to the most recent plant quiz, and it is Justin "Shotgun" Thomas. Justin correctly identified the plant in the photo as Trichostema dichotomum, blue curls, aka the bastard pennyroyal. Trichostema is translated as hair-stamen, for the capillary filaments, and dichotomum refers to the inflorescence forking in pairs.
Trichostema dichotomum is found in dry open woods and in clearings, and is currently considered Rare in Indiana (though I believe it will soon be downgraded to Special Concern).
Trichostema dichotomum is found in dry open woods and in clearings, and is currently considered Rare in Indiana (though I believe it will soon be downgraded to Special Concern).
I think I've seen this species only once, on a glade SW of St. Louis with one Shotgun Thomas and crew. It occurs in some of our disturbed oak barrens on the west side of the state, and is listed as threatened.
ReplyDeleteI've only seen it a few times in Missouri as well, though it is far from considered a species of conservation concern. It seems to like savanna and glade communities within micro-sites that lack competition such as shelves with very dry and shallow soils. We also have T. brachiatum (Isanthes brachiatus) which looks just like T. dichotoma (except it is triple nerved) and occurs in the exact same habitat.
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