Goldenrods, Asters, a thistle and some bugs!

The halcyon days of early autumn have yielded many delightful hours in the field. Here are a few recent photos. Please help identify the bugs!

Fen Thistle, Cirsium muticum, looking like a fireworks display, only cleaner, quieter, and far better-smelling. Have you experienced the tactile wonder of the involucre on this plant?

Riddell's Goldenrod, Solidago riddellii, with a Buckeye butterfly. This is one of the few butterflies that will hold still for a photo.
Riddell's Goldenrod, Solidago riddellii, with what appears to be a Chinese Mantid eating a hornet. It's a gruesome spectacle as that thing has a bunch of mouthparts wiggling around as it aggressively devours its prey.


Shining Aster, Aster puniceus var. firmus with some unknown bug wearing an elegant fur coat. PETA would be outraged.

Shining Aster, Aster puniceus var. firmus, with what appears to be an American Hover Fly.


Fen Thistle, Cirsium muticum, with a Silver Spotted Skipper.


"I leave the towns behind and I am lost in some boundless heath, and life becomes gradually more tolerable, if not even glorious." Henry David Thoreau

Cirsium discolor at Dusk

I was walking our trails last evening when I saw a beautiful Cirsium discolor (Field Thistle) in flower with the moon in the background. I couldn't resist a shot.

Cirsium discolor is a biennial or short-lived perennial member of the Asteraceae that is native to the eastern half of North America. It occurs in tallgrass prairies, moist meadows, glades, old fields, pastures, and openings in woods, reaching heights of up to 8 feet tall. While it can be found in quality habitats, C. discolor also can withstand quite a bit of degradation. Unlike C. arvense (Canada Thistle), which spreads by rhizomes, C. discolor has a taproot and does not form colonies. The genus name Cirsium comes in part from the Greek word cirsos, meaning "swollen vein," as thistle was once used to treat this ailment. The specific epithet discolor is a reference to the leaves being different colors (green on the top and densely white hairy on the underside).

Just a Dandelion?

Justin and I spent a few hours botanizing together at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore on Sunday. I took Justin to a sand blowout where I knew that the Federally Threatened Cirsium pitcheri grew, and we saw several plants in flower.

We then began heading back into black oak savanna when we noticed a dandelion. I mentioned to Justin that there was another dandelion in the Chicago Region that I'd never seen, but that I wasn't sure how to distintuish it from Taraxacum officinale. Consulting Plants of the Chicago Region right there in the field, I read the key as Justin examined the plant. Conincidentally enough, we were staring at a new plant for both of us, Taraxacum laevigatum (=T. erythrospermum), the red-seeded dandelion. I bet you've never seen two seasoned botanists get so excited about a dandelion!

This species differs from our common dandelion in several ways. The terminal lobes of the leaves of T. laevigatum aren't noticably larger than the lateral lobes, while the terminal lobe is larger than the laterals in T. officinale. Also, the lobes on the leaves of T. laevigatum are divided all the way to the midvein, while the terminal lobe of T. officinale is not much divided or is divided only part way to the midvein. If flowers are present, you can tell the two species apart by examining the inner phyllaries, which are mostly flat at the tip in T. officinale and callous-thickened at the tip in T. laevigatum. Finally, the seeds in T. officinale are stramineous to brown, while those in T. laevigatum are deep reddish-brown.

For comparison, I've included photos of Taraxacum officinale from my yard, both in flower and fruit, below.

I will never look at a dandelion, especially in sandy soil, the same way again.