Sunday, March 28, 2010

Plant Quiz

Location - Southeastway Park, Indianapolis, IN, mesic woodland.
Growing with dog-tooth violets, harbinger-of-spring, spring beauties, and bloodroot in a Beech/Maple woods.

Monday, March 22, 2010

The land of flowers 2

I am working at getting a handle on the plants I am seeing at work. Sometimes, the desire, effort, or time is lacking while I am working, but putting the photos online helps me get better at paying attention.
Hypoxis juncea - Yellow stargrass
In the dry prairie at Myakka River State Park.

Lyonia lucida
In the dry prairie with blueberries at Myakka River State Park.

Nuttallanthus (formerly Linaria)- probably floridanus or canadensis.
This flower was growing profusely throughout cattle pastures and along roadsides.

Sisyrinchium - Blue-eyed Grass from Sarasota County, FL. Feel free to ID, I'll try to key later. I tried for several days to get the camera focus on these guys.

Salvia lyrata - Lyreleaf Sage
I did not see many individuals of this flower blooming yet.

Hypericum from Manatee County, FL. Feel free to take a shot at ID. Sorry for the incomplete ID.

Emilia fosbergii - Florida Tasselflower
This 'weed' was growing very commonly in sandy margins of ag fields in Manatee County.

Fumaria officinalis - drug fumitory
Growing very weedy in a disturbed site in Hillsborough County. I thought it was a Corydalis at first.

Sunday, March 21, 2010

Northern Indiana Update

Upon returning home to northern Indiana from sunny and green Florida, I was hopeful that spring had arrived in my absence. Not the case, but at least there's no snow! I haven't been out botanizing, but the only plant in bloom on our property is Acer saccharinum (Silver Maple).

Some flowers of Acer saccharinum are perfect, but others are fully pistillate (like those above) or fully staminate (like some of those shown below).

Friday, March 12, 2010

The land of flowers

It is fun to see things blooming again. I am sure there will be more pictures as I get a chance to process things.
Bidens alba - Romerillo

Lindernia grandiflora - Savannah False Pimpernel

Asimina incana - Pawpaw
It is very cool to find out that there are other pawpaws out there in the world.

Vaccinium myrsinites - Shiny Blueberry

Gelsemium sempervirens - Evening Trumpetflower
This native is so prolific that it seems like an invasive. The flowers are gorgeous.

Houstonia procumbens - Roundleaf Bluet
Blooming at Hillsborough River State Park

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

JT Reporting from Southern Missouri

Spring Peepers are going gang-busters. Last weekend I saw Thlaspi perfoliata in bloom and yesterday Lamium amplexicaule. The Phoebes that insist on nesting on my porch are back and staking their claims. More warm weather on the way!

Friday, March 5, 2010

A Green River Drainage Endemic

I recently posted about Aquilegia barnebyi, a species endemic to the Green River Drainage in Utah and Colorado, on Through Handlens and Binoculars.


Click here to find out more about this species and the unique lake around which we saw it growing.