Liparis loeselii, in a Most Unexpected Place

This May, Lindsay and I came across a single flowering plant of Liparis loeselii in a shrubby old-field on our property in northern Indiana. 

Liparis loeselii is an inconspicuous orchid found in states and provinces throughout the northeastern half of North America.  However, it is listed as a species of conservation concern in seven states, and most occurences of the species are from areas around the Great Lakes and New England states.  Although most of the documented habitats from which Liparis loeselii is known are calcareous wetlands (such as fens, pannes, sedge meadows, marshes, marly lake margins, forested seeps, and wet peaty or sandy meadows), it is sometimes found in the more acidic conditions of bogs, and it also occurs in previously open and disturbed areas that are naturally becoming reforested.  Such is the case on our property.

For my account of finding this species on our property, see my recent post at Through Handlens and Binoculars.

Indiana Sand Country in May

In continuing to catch up from my excursions this spring, I recently posted about surveys I conducted in late May and about several sand prairie and savanna species that grow in northwest Indiana on Through Handlens and Binoculars.  One of those, of course, is the wildly charismatic Lupinus perennis var. occidentalis.

Lupinus perennis var. occidentalis

For those of you strictly plant people, you'll have to scroll through the nonsense about a little endangered butterfly to get to the good stuff.

Remember April?

I've been absent from the blogging scene for a couple of months due to other commitments.  Happily, I'm back and have posted one of hopefully several posts on highlights from the last several months, this one on highlights from four botanizing outings in late April, on Through Handlens and Binoculars.

Lithospermum incisum in central Indiana, April 22, 2012

Hopefully more posts to come!

Aralia racemosa

I found some Spikenard blooming in a ravine near Turkey Run State Park yesterday. I was not familiar with this plant, and it was fun to find it clinging to the rock wall.

Ecological Dynamics

I was recently sent the following link to a song about the life of the ecologist...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8f8_am8G7Q&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Asiatic Dayflower

Commelina communis was named for three Dutch botanists. All named Commelin, two were accomplished in their field (hence the showy blue petals), but the career of the third was cut short by an early death, (signified by the small, white petal). This is a common plant of shady, damp dooryards and other places around homes, especially in cities.

Kentucky Coffee Tree

Gymnocladus dioica is one of the few trees in Indiana with bipinnately compound or "bipinnate" leaves. Is it the only one? I don't know. Also known as "Coffee Nut," it is uncommon in the northwest third of the state, sometimes being found in the alluvium along streams in woods. It also occurs in more upland mesic forest and even on dry fencerows.

The large bean pods stay attached to the tree through winter and drop in spring. An earlier post resulted in some very interesting thoughts from the inimitable Justin Thomas, legendary Ozark botanist.

Blue Beech

The unusual inflorescence of Carpinus caroliniana offers a serious challenge to one of our most recognized birds. The Cardinal sometimes can be seen doing all kinds of contortions to get at the seeds while hanging upside-down from a nearby branch. The dense wood and unusual, sinuous form of the trunk have elicited other common names including Musclewood, Ironwood, and Hornbeam.

Photographed in seed on June 26, 2012 in Marshall County, Indiana.

Stipes on Display?

I looked around this carny but didn't see any stipes on display. Nor did I see any rachises, pinnae, or sori. In fact, I didn't see any fern fronds at all. Go figure.

New England Aster!

I was stunned to see this common fall flower in a state of FGB (full, glorious bloom) today, June 8th (!) on a roadside in Marshall County, Indiana. I noticed a lot of closed flowers, and I have to wonder if any of them were open during the month of May!! I don't have records but I believe Aster novae-angliae normally begins flowering in August or September.

Prickly Pear Cactus

Opuntia humifusa has to be one of the most unusual plants in Indiana, and it is surprisingly widespread in the state. The actual leaves are very small and pointed, falling off early and leaving little bunches of needles. The "pads" are the stems, and the "pears" are the floral ovaries. I admire any plant that can thrive and flourish in deep, dry sand, especially in a prolonged drought. Photographed in Porter and Lake Counties in Indiana.

Butter-and-eggs, Linaria vulgaris

This showy little snapdragon is one of several attractive non-natives that seem to prefer growing along railroads. Others include Railroad Vine (Convolvulus arvensis), Little Barley (Hordeum pusillum), Viper's Bugloss (Echium vulgare), and Carolina Cranesbill (Geranium carolinianum), just to name a few of the many. Photographed along the C & O Railroad near New Buffalo, Michigan.

Cannabis?

This little seedling was growing along the edge of a parking lot at a playground for small children in a northern Indiana city. Not what I would have expected to see there.

Ranunculus bulbosus, Bulbous Buttercup

Three cheers for DenPro! On March 22 I posted this photo of a vegetative plant I didn't recognize, hoping someone would be able to name it. To me it looked like Artemisia, and there were a lot of suggestions in different families and genera. DenPro suggested some kind of Ranunculus, and today I discovered he was right!

Good call - it is Ranunculus bulbosus, not recorded from the 11,000 square mile Chicago Region since the days of Julius Nieuwland! Discovered in disturbed, gravelly clay waste ground at the St. Joseph County Fairgrounds, South Bend, Indiana. Note the white clover in the upper right corner for scale. This plant has not been mowed.

Finding something new is always fun, even if it's a weed. For the rest of the day's botanizing trip I was champing at the bit to get home to my books and microscope!

"Weeds are flowers too, once you get to know them." Eeyore

Plant Quiz - Answered!

I recently posted the following plant quiz...

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The photograph below was taken in St. Joseph County, Indiana.  This should be an easy one, given that pretty much the entire plant is present in the photo...

Good luck!
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It doesn't take long for an answer to a plant quiz on Get Your Botany On!, and this time EMP correctly answered with Ellisia nyctelea. This member of the Hydrophyllaceae (waterleaf family) is an annual that grows in mesic forests as well as in disturbed areas where little competition from other species is present.  In Indiana, Aunt Lucy, as it is known, was previously documented from a few western counties.  I was shocked when I saw it in a forest in St. Joseph County along the St. Joseph River.  Luckily, Keith Board was home that Saturday afternoon when I called him from the field, and he was able to look up its known distribution so that I knew to collect it as a new county record.

Congratulation on correctly answering the quiz, EMP!

Plant Quiz Solved - Large-flowered Valerian!

Good Call, A.L. and M.Y.O.Q. It is Valeriana pauciflora. It is interesting to note that “pauciflora” means few-flowered, but the common name is Large-flowered Valerian. This native plant has a limited distribution in North America, but can be locally abundant where it occurs. Maps on the USDA Plants database seem to show that Indiana has more known locations than other states in the plant’s limited range. These were abundant in low, rich woods along the Salamonie River in the Kokiwanee Nature Preserve, Wabash County, Indiana.

Do you recognize this plant? Without seeing leaves, identification is much more challenging. Feel free to name it or just take a guess! It was growing in shaded, wet woods.

Fire Pink

Silene virginica is one of those striking plants that just has to be noticed in shady forests in late spring. I saw it again today and tried to improve on the many pictures I already have of this showy plant. I posted a few pictures a week ago but I believe these are better.

Starry False Solomon's Seal

Smilacina stellata is one of the easiest natives to grow at home. It spreads like crazy from abundant rhizomes, and grows in just about any habitat, wet or dry. The herbage of this lily is notably elegant, resembling the leaves of an orchid.

Wood Sedge or Woods Edge?

Whatever it is, I would love to have that in my street address. I'd call it Wood Sedge Road, and I'd get return address labels with line drawings of Laxiflorean sedges!

Wild Hyacinth

Common in forests and dry, open prairie remnants, the showy Camassia scilloides can be extremely abundant where it grows. Photographed in bottomland woods near the Salamonie River in Wabash County, Indiana at the Kokiwanee Nature Preserve.