Trillium cernuum and Trillium flexipes

Often confused with the similar Trillium flexipes, the first two photos below are Trillium cernuum.  Look closely at the stamens... the anthers and filaments are approximately the same length.  In Trillium flexipes, the anthers are much longer than the filaments.  The ranges of the two species sometimes overlap, but Trillium cernuum is generally a more northern species, whereas Trillium flexipes is generally more southern. 

 

The photos above are from Bog Meadow Nature Trail in Saratoga County, New York, May 21, 2014.

For comparison, here are four photos of Trillium flexipes. The first was taken at Turkey Run State Park, Parke County, Indiana, May 3, 2008.  The next three were taken at Bendix Woods Nature Preserve, St. Joseph County, Indiana - the first two on May 5, 2013 and the last on April 25, 2009.  Again, take a close look at the anther to filament ratio. The anthers are much longer than the filaments in Trillium flexipes. 

I tend to think that the anther to filament ratio is a better way to distinguish these two similar species than the actual length of the filaments.  Many references use a filament length of up to 2 or 2.5 mm for Trillium flexipes in their keys, but if you dissect the flower you often can find filaments that are longer than 2.5 mm.  In fact, I would be willing to bet that the filaments in the first through third photos of Trillium flexipes above have filaments longer than 2.5 mm (I can see them pretty easily without even dissecting the flowers). 

All of this said, I have seen specimens in northern Indiana that are somewhat intermediate between the two species, so the distinctions are not always as black-and-white as they are in these photos.

Trillium grandiflorum at Bendix Woods

The floor of Bendix Woods is carpeted with large-flowered trillium just now, and the other spring ephemerals are still fresh because of their late flowering.

Sessile Trillium

This well known native, Trillium sessile, was flowering in central Indiana today. It is similar to Trillium recurvatum, but Sessile Trillium has leaves that are sessile and sepals that are not recurved.

Large-flowered Trillium

One of the most well-known and popular spring wildflowers, Trillium grandiflorum puts on impressive displays in rich, mesic woodland.

For interesting reading, look into the way Trillium seeds are equipped with a little caruncle of oily material (known as an elaisome) that is attractive to ants. The ants collect the seeds, carry them away to the nest, eat the caruncles, and discard the seeds, possibly underground. Many plants do this - not just Trilliums.
Photographed at Bendix Woods County Park in St. Joseph County, Indiana, where this plant occurs by the thousands! http://www.sjcparks.org/bendix.html.

Snow Trillium!

On Saturday, March 10, Trillium nivale was flowering on a steep, southwest-facing slope in the Kokiwanee Nature Preserve, Wabash County, Indiana. Most plants were just in bud but a few were wide open, with pollen visible on the anthers.

South Carolina Highlights, Part 3

The final day of our trip to the Palmetto State started out with a trip to Shealy's Pond Heritage Preserve in the sandhills province. The plant communities that we hoped to see at this preserve were Atlantic White Cedar Bog and the seepy margin around the edge of the mill pond formed by the dammed Scouter Creek.



The seepage zone surrounding the mill pond is home to three species of Sarracenia, as well as several hybrids between them. The most conspicuous of the three species that we saw was Sarracenia flava var. maxima (below). Unfortunately, the flowers of this species (which McPherson (2007)) describes as some of the largest and most spectacular in the entire genus) had all dropped their petals before we arrived on 3 May, but the nearly three foot tall yellow-green pitchers helped to make up for this deficiency. Yellow Pitcher Plant grows throughout a narrow band in the coastal plain and piedmont of eastern North America and into the panhandle of Florida and southeastern Alabama in a variety of wet acidic habitats.


In the Great Lakes and New England states, as well as in Canada, Sarracenia purpurea ssp. purpurea can regularly be seen growing in bogs and fens. That's why I was very excited to see Sarracenia purpurea ssp. venosa (below), the more southern subspecies. There are disjunct populations of Sarracenia purpurea ssp. purpurea in the southern Appalachian Mountains as well, but generally the two subspecies are geographically separated around northern Virginia. The Sarracenia purpurea ssp. venosa plants that we saw at Shealy's Pond were much taller than any Sarracenia purpurea ssp. purpurea that I've seen in northern Indiana.


This subspecies is named for its veiny leaves. A major difference between this and Sarracenia purpurea ssp. purpurea is that the leaves of Sarracenia purpurea ssp. venosa are too heavy for the plant to support their weight, and the pitchers therefore fall over and appear to be prostrate in growth form, curving upwards at the pitcher opening (see photograph below). Frog's Breeches, as it is known, is a federal species of concern that grows in wet, acidic habitats primarily in the Atlantic coastal plain of the southeastern United States. In South Carolina, this carnivorous plant species is rare but grows in the mountains, sandhills, and coastal plain.


The third species of pitcher plant at Shealy's Pond was Sarracenia rubra (below). This species has its greatest distribution in South Carolina, but its overall range includes several small isolated populations throughout the southeastern United States. Sarracenia jonesii, which I mentioned in Part 1 of my recap, was once thought to be a subspecies of Sarracenia rubra, but the two are now thought by most to be distinct species, with the former restricted to the mountains and the latter found in the coastal plain and sandhills.


The leaves of Sarracenia rubra (shown below) are on average a bit smaller (with smaller openings) than those of Sarracenia jonesii, but there is some overlap. Sarracenia rubra supposedly preys mostly on ants, as the opening in the pitcher is said to be too small for many other insects.


After Shealy's Pond, we started our trip back through the piedmont and stopped at Savannah River Bluffs Heritage Preserve, located along the scenic Savannah River just northeast of Augusta, Georgia. Taxodium distichum, Platanus occidentalis, and Betula nigra were dominant in the floodplain forest, in places covered with Tillandsia usneoides. In addition to the floodplain, the basic-mesic forest at Savannah River Bluffs was our targeted plant community.


At this preserve, we were excited to see another sedge in section Phyllostachyae (the section in which Carex jamesii, Carex latebracteata, Carex wildenowii, and Carex basiantha are placed), Carex superata (shown below). This interesting sedge, with tallest flower stalks less than half the height of the plant, is known from moist to dry forests and openings in the southeastern United States.


Our primary target at Savannah River Bluffs, however, was Trillium reliquum, shown below. Unfortunately, we were a bit late to see this federally endangered trillium in flower, but I still couldn't resist taking numerous photos of this amazing rarity that is known from widely separated populations in just five counties in three states (Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina). Relict Trillium, as it is known, can be identified by the s-shaped stem and silvery stripe along the leaf midveins; it grows in rich basic-mesic forests and floodplains.


After getting our fill of past-flowering Trillium reliquum, we hurried to Stevens Creek Heritage Preserve to end our trip in what some claim to be the best basic-mesic forest in the piedmont of the eastern United States. It didn't take long for us to find another of our targets, the federally threatened Ribes echinellum (shown below, in fruit). Although it can be abundant where found, the global distribution of Miccosukee Gooseberry includes just four sites in three counties: Gadsden and Jefferson Counties, Florida and McCormick County, South Carolina.


A trillium common at Stevens Creek that was still in flower when we were there on 3 May was Trillium discolor, shown below. Like so many of the other trillies, Pale Yellow Trillium has a narrow distribution, being restricted to the mountains and piedmont in the upper drainage of the Savanna River. Trillium discolor grows in deciduous forest and is known from just a handful of counties in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia.


To wrap up our excursion, we found one last "must see," Trillium lancifolium (below). Although it was past flowering, we couldn't resist numerous photos of this unique trillium that bares a similar appearance to the common Trillium recurvatum that grows here in northern Indiana. Lanceleaf Trillium grows in floodplains and mesic forests in widely separated populations throughout Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, the panhandle of Florida, southern Tennessee, and eastern Mississippi.


It has been fun reliving our whirlwind trip through the mountain, piedmont, and coastal plain provinces of South Carolina. As you can see, South Carolina has a lot to offer to the botanically inclined, and we had a terrific time touring the state.



McPherson, S. Pitcher Plants of the Americas. Blacksburg, Virginia: The McDonald & Woodward Publishing Company, 2007.

The Mysterious Trillium nivale

Even in Indiana, March isn't too early for some good botany. Last weekend, Lee Casebere and I headed to southeastern Indiana in search of the stunning and pre-spring blooming Trillium nivale. The specific epithet nivale means "of the snow," leading to the common name Snow Trillium for this species, which is sometimes seen blooming when snow is covering the ground. According to Wildflowers of South West Indiana, Trillium nivale was in bloom as early as March 3 this year!


There it is, right at home growing from a crevice in a moss-covered limestone outcropping. This is a tough plant, for sure, considering that it can withstand being frozen every night, and that it grows on nearly bare rock. These conditions are exactly what Trillium nivale needs, as it doesn't do well when in competition with other vegetation. Another habitat in which this little wonder is found is in gravelly-sandy alkaline floodplains, where the periodic disturbance of overbank flooding creates conditions where not many plants will grow and Trillium nivale can benefit from the lack of competition.


Trillium nivale has a somewhat spotty distribution throughout the Midwest, Great Lakes, and New England states. Its strongholds appear to be Iowa, Illinois, and Indiana, where it is locally abundant. Even so, it is often difficult to predict exactly where you will find Trillium nivale; you can often find it growing abundantly in one spot, yet not find a single plant in the exact same habitat a few hundred feet away. I hope you are all lucky enough to find Snow Trillium in the short time that it blooms, from March to early April.

Trillium cuneatum?

Can anyone share thoughts on the identification of this Trillium? I'm labeling photos from 2010 and not sure what it is. Trillium cuneatum seems likely, though it would be a significant range extension where it was found in southern Michigan. It seems possible that it was introduced at the site, a rich forest remnant where it was growing by the hundreds with several other Trillium species. Thanks for any help!

Trillium catesbaei for Joy

Lindsay's Aunt Joy is a breast cancer survivor. This Bashful Wakerobin (Trillium catesbaei) is posted in her honor. Like Joy, Bashful Wakerobin resides in North Carolina.

I've Discovered The Secret To Time Travel!

It's already mid-June. Where did Spring 2010 go? There were so many plants that I had hoped to see in flower this year that have already done their thing. Given that the average lifespan of a human male is approximately 72 years, I only have approximately 38 more seasons to see the spring wildflowers. Sort of depressing, really. Therefore, I've developed a means of time travel to allow me to see the spring wildflowers at various times during the year. All you've got to do is spend April in Missouri/Arkansas, May in Indiana/Ohio, and June in northern Wisconsin.


Take, for example, the genus Trillium. After seeing Trillium pusillum var. ozarkanum, Trillium recurvatum, Trillium sessile, Trillium viride, and Trillium viridescens in Arkansas and Missouri in April, I saw Trillium flexipes, Trillium grandiflorum, Trillium recurvatum, and Trillium sessile blooming in Indiana in May. I was sure I had seen the last of the Trillium flowers for the year, when this week in Superior, Wisconsin, I saw Trillium cernuum in bloom, shown above.


Castilleja coccinea has a long blooming period in this part of the country. Regardless, I have now seen it flowering in Missouri in April and now in Superior, Wisconsin in June (above).


It's been a productive year for finding Cypripedium parviflorum var. pubescens in flower. I saw this stunner this year first in Arkansas in April, then in Ohio in May, and this week (June) in Superior, Wisconsin (shown above). If I continued my travels north, I could find this species blooming as late as August at the northern extent of its range!


Although Cypripedium acaule blooms in the Chicago Region until mid- to late-June, I was pretty sure I had missed it this year... until I spent time in the Northwoods of Wisconsin this week. Above, it is shown in bloom on June 10 at Erickson Creek Forest and Wetlands State Natural Area in Douglas County, Wisconsin.


When I saw Clintonia borealis in northern Indiana on 26 May 2010, it was already finished flowering and the characteristic "bluebead" fruit were beginning to form. Again, all I had to do to turn back the clock was to go north. This week, it was blooming in profusion in Douglas County, Wisconsin, as shown above.

Okay, so it isn't really time travel, but I'm doing everything I can, given my limited time for botanizing, to essentially slow down the progression of spring. Until a time machine really is created, following plants as they flower from south to north is the best I can do.

Ozark and Ouachita Highlights

Some of you knew that Justin Thomas, Brad Slaughter, Doug Ladd, and I took a spring botany trip to the Ozarks and Ouachitas in late April 2010, and I'd promised that I would post photos both here and at Through Handlens and Binoculars. Below are some of the highlights from our trip.


Our journey certainly started out on the right foot as we visited Victoria Glade near St. Louis on our way to the Ozarks. The highlight at this location was Clematis fremontii, shown above. The genus name Clematis means "a climbing plant," however this species happens to be the only non-vine member of the genus that occurs in Missouri. This species was named in honor of the 19th century American explorer John Charles Fremont.


At Frog Hollow, a property owned in part by Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission Botanist Theo Witsell, we were delighted to see a couple of Cypripedium kentuckiense plants in bloom. This towering lady's slipper (up to 70 cm tall) dwarfs the other members of the genus that I've seen, and has the largest flower of any Cypripedium. The flowers are cream colored and the end of the "slipper" is blunt in shape.


Amsonia hubrichtii is nearly a Ouachita endemic, know from one Ozark county in Arkansas outside of the Ouachitas. It can be found growing on gravel bars and near creeks and streams. We saw three species of Amsonia on our journeys; this one was observed at Middle Fork Barrens Natural Area.


The identity of the species above, observed at Dry Lost Creek Glade in Bauxite Natural Areas, is still in question. It would key to Phemeranthus rugospermus, but Theo told us that this is a species new to science that is currently being described. There are several plant species that fit this bill in the Ouachitas. As Justin told us, the Ouachitas are geologically more similar to the Appalachians than they are to the Ozarks. It seems that the Ouachitas were once part of the Appalachian range, but the two ranges have since been geographically separated. This geographical and genetic separation has led to speciation occurring in the isolated Ouachitas. There are still many species new to science to be described in this part of the United States.


At Camp Road Shale Barrens, we saw Valerianella longiflora, shown above. The flowers of this cornsalad have a pinkish tinge and, as the Latin name implies, a long corolla tube. A species endemic to Arkansas and Olkahoma, Longtube Cornsalad grows in rocky glades and open woodlands. This was one of four species of Valerianella that we saw on our trip.


One of our target species in the open woodlands surrounding the Shut-in Mountain Fens in Shannon County, Missouri was Nemastylis geminiflora, pictured above. The flowers of this species open before noon and close before sundown. After leaving Shut-in Mountain, we stopped at a roadside glade and found more Prairie Pleatleaf, but the flowers had already closed as dusk was approaching. Nemastylis geminiflora is found in woodlands, prairies, glades, and pastures in the southern United States from Kansas and Texas to Tennessee and Alabama.


Justin and Brad had both seen Trillium pusillum var. ozarkanum before, but this was my first personal experience with this species. We found it near Winona, Missouri, growing more densely in the mowed roadside than in the surrounding forest. Ozark Wakerobin is only known to occur in five states: Oklahoma, Missouri, Arkansas, Tennessee, and Kentucky. As seen in the photo, the flowers of this species are on pedicels, placing it in subgenus Trillium (the sessile-flowered species are placed in subgenus Phyllantherum).


Astragalus crassycarpus var. trichocalyx was one of my target species on the trip, and I wasn't disappointed when we found it. Groundplum Milkvetch is found in the central United States from Illinois to Texas. The first part of the common name refers to the edible fruit that look like plums. This member of the family Fabaceae grows in glades, prairies, and rocky open woods. We found Buffalo Pea, as it is also known, at Spurgeon Hollow in the lower Ozarks of Missouri.


Another Astragalus that was on my trip wish list was Astragalus distortus var. engelmannii, shown above. This diminutive milkvetch grows on limestone and shale glades in Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi. We saw this species on shale barrens at Middle Fork Barrens Natural Area.


The genus Lonicera often gets a bad rap, and generally for good reason. With so many non-native and invasive species of honeysuckle choking out our woods, it's easy to despise the entire group of species. However, there are also native and very attractive honeysuckles around, and we saw two of them, both vines, on our trip. Above is Lonicera flava, and below is Lonicera sempervirens, both observed at several of the sites we visited. It amazes me that these species are not more commonly used as native landscaping plants.


We also saw four species of Tradescantia, including the widespread Bluejacket (Tradescantia ohiensis, not shown).


The spiderwort above, Tradescantia longipes, was one of my targets on the trip, and we found it in bloom in dry woods at Spurgeon Hollow. Wild Crocus, as it is known, is endemic to Missouri and Arkansas. Unlike most other members of the genus, the leaves of this Tradescantia are basal.


The spiderwort that we observed most frequently on our excursion was Tradescantia ernestiana, pictured above. Ernest's Spiderwort is known from the southcentral United States, from Texas to Alabama. We found it growing most commonly in wooded situations, often on ledges and bluffs, but occasionally also in open habitats and on roadsides.


Another of my target species on this trip, shown above, was Tradescantia hirsuticaulis, and we found it in bloom at Frog Hollow. The hirsute stem for which it is named is one of the characters used to distinguish Hairystem Spiderwort from similar species. This species grows on glades and in open woods from Oklahoma to South Carolina.

If you're not bored yet and want to see more photos and hear more about our trip, click here and here.

Trillies, Lilies, and the Rest of the Bunch

I've been so busy this spring that I haven't had much time to get out and botanize. This past Tuesday evening, I visited property of friends of ours just northeast of Potato Creek State Park in St. Joseph County, Indiana. Unfortunately, there wasn't enough daylight for me to take photos at that time. Today, Lindsay, Bootypants, and I went back to this mesic upland forest to snap some shots.

Trillium recurvatum.

Trillium grandiflorum.

Erythronium americanum. Very few individuals of this species still had flowers; most had dropped petals and were developing fruit.

Arisaema triphyllum.

Asarum canadense. I'd never noticed the white portion of the inside of the calyx.

Claytonia virginica.

Dicentra cucullaria.

Enemion biternatum.

Phlox divaricata. The best I can tell, this is ssp. divaricata, with notched petals. Unfortunately, the references I've seen say that the unnotched variety/subspecies sometimes has notched petals, and vice versa.

Phlox divaricata ssp. laphamii. Notice the unnotched petals. The two varieties apparently overlap near the Indiana-Illinois state line, with ssp. divaricata more eastern and ssp. laphamii more western.

Viola pubescens.

Many other species were blooming, but I missed seeing the earliest species (Sanguinaria canadensis, Erigenia bulbosa, etc.) in Indiana this year.

Additional photos can be found at Through Handlens and Binoculars by clicking here.