Hi all. Thanks to Justin and Scott for telling me about this awesome blog, and thanks to Ben for setting me up as a contributor. I am a plant ecologist with the Missouri Department of Conservation. I get to spend my summers traipsing through the woods and training budding botanists to identify every plant they see, no matter how small or vegetative. I love it, and I'm not likely to get bored anytime soon, trying to learn all the plants in the Missouri Ozarks!
I photographed this specimen on November 1st of this year, in a dry-mesic woodland about a 1/2 mile from the Current River in Shannon County. Associated plants include Asimina triloba and Asarum canadense. It has a taproot. No odor.
Justin and Scott may NOT participate in this quiz: Justin identified the mystery plant for me at the botany slideshow.
Keith gave the very first guess and nailed it... it is the fall foliage of the biennial Osmorhiza claytonii, getting ready to bloom in spring. Obviously I'll have to pick a harder one next!
5 comments:
Welcome to the GYBO blog, Susan, and for the great quiz.
Great! A new contributor! Welcome to the blog, Susan.
Welcome Susan!!
Sometimes winter leaves look a lot different than those of the growing season. I'm gonna try Osmorhiza claytonii.
Wow! First guess gets it right. Congratulations, Keith! It IS Osmorhiza claytonii. The fall leaves DO look a fair bit different than the growing season leaves. As a biennial, this young plant will bloom this coming spring(or would have if I hadn't plucked it).
Ha - I'm special! When do I get my cash prize?
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