Trillium luteum

Growing on the floodplain of the Big South Fork of the Cumberland River with the Bluebells.

Tussilago farfara

Coltsfoot
These flowers were growing in a gravel bar along Rock Creek in Tennessee. The genus gets its name from tussis, which means a cough.

Obolaria virginica

Pennywort
Here is another I flower I encountered while backpacking in TN with which I was unfamiliar. I love etymology; obolos was a small Greek coin.

Pachysandra procumbens

Allegheny Spurge
I went backpacking in Tennessee this past weekend and had a great time seeing wildflowers blooming. I learned a new plant, so I thought that I would share it. Bruce helped me identify the it by photograph. It took me a little bit to associate the leaves with the flowers, since they weren't always together.

Acer rubrum, Red Maple - Beautiful in Every Season

One of the most beloved trees of wet forests - Red Maple - is also one of the nicest yard trees we can have, even in uplands. Here are photos from Saturday of pistillate (female) flowers, staminate (male) flowers, and from last October, autumn leaves. Photos from Chamberlain Lake and Ambler Flatwoods nature preserves in northern Indiana.

Halcyon Days!

How rare and wonderful when two days of warm, peaceful weather occur on a weekend in March! First, here’s a more cheery look at Erigenia bulbosa to replace the dark and brooding shot I posted earlier.




Veronica hederifolia (=V. hederaefolia), Ivy-Leaved Speedwell, was flowering away on a south-facing slope (degraded lawn), near the edge of the parking lot at an abandoned K-Mart in South Bend, Indiana. I’ve found this plant at 7 sites in northern Indiana and southern Michigan, and it is always growing densely and in profusion far and wide. Though attractive, it seems to have the potential of becoming a troublesome weed in natural areas. The setaceous hairs are so numerous that the colonies take on a grey-green appearance from a distance.

Populus tremuloides, Quaking Aspen, along the Norfolk Railroad in Starke County, Indiana.

Hepatica americana, Round-Lobed Hepatica, flowering abundantly on the summit of a west-facing slope above the Yellow River in Starke County, Indiana.

"Shall not a man have his spring as well as the plants?" Henry David Thoreau, journal, June, 1850.

Spring in CO

Any thoughts on what this is? One of our wildlife staff took a photo of this tree and called it one thing but one of our plant ecologists disagreed. Then discussion ensued as well as collecting of branches from other trees followed by more discussion. But you all are experts so I'm thinking you can clarify it for us (after laughing at us).

Scouring the Steep Ozarkian Slopes

Tony Troche, Lindsay, and I were in Missouri last week to spend some time in the herbarium at the Missouri Botanical Garden with Dana and Justin Thomas (and their son Eli). On Friday afternoon, we left the Garden and drove southwest to Salem, Missouri, where we stayed with Justin and Dana for the weekend. On Sunday, Tony, Justin, and I took a botanizing trip to Carman Springs Natural Area. Our target was Claytonia ozarkensis, a plant collected only twice in Missouri, and that has since become extirpated from the state. We knew that it was probably a bit early to find it in flower, but we hoped that since we had seen a few Claytonia virginica in bloom further north, maybe at least the leaves of C. ozarkensis would be visible if the plant was indeed present at Carman Springs. We searched along a creek on the exposed sandstone layers that were sandwiched between dolomite, using binoculars when the terrain was not hikable. While we did see some very interesting plants, including the remains of Carex woodii and Parnassia grandiflora and fresh leaves of Selaginella eclipes and Dodecatheon meadia, we did not locate any C. ozarkensis. Maybe next time.

At one point on our hike along the creek, Justin noticed some yellow-green leaves high on a steep face of a bluff. We couldn't resist climbing up this shallow-soil incline to find out to what species these leaves belonged (we eventually found that they were Dodecatheon meadia leaves). On the way up, we came across Hepatica americana (=H. nobilis var. obtusa) in bloom, and we couldn't resist taking photos.

Unfortunately, these photos don't do justice to the incline we were dealing with. This photo of Tony on the slope in an adjacent glade community helps to show the incline, but the area on which the H. americana was growing was even more steep.

In a glade portion of the bluff, we found Verbena canadensis (=Glandularia canadensis) in bloom.

This is just a taste of some of the earliest blooming Ozarkian flora to wet your whistle on this first day of spring.

A Sign of Things to Come

Warm rays of the sun worked their charm on the drab brown of the forest floor, and the delightful little Harbinger of Spring unfurled itself once again - a sign of greener days approaching. Erigenia bulbosa, also known as Salt-and-Pepper, is one of the smaller members of the Carrot/Parsley Family, (Apiaceae, or Umbelliferae). This one was photographed in a lovely Beech forest at Potato Creek State Park, on a gentle south-facing slope, just above a tinkling rivulet on March 16th, 2009. Life is good, and spring is wonderful!

Araceae: Symplocarpus foetidus

I'm guessing we aren't playing the family game this year, but I hope that all of you will continue to post what you're seeing throughout the year here on Get Your Botany On.

Everyone has probably already seen it, but yesterday at Kankakee Fen in St. Joseph County, Indiana, I saw Symplocarpus foetidus in bloom for the first time this year. The morphology of this species is typical of the family Araceae, with a spathe (a large bract enclosing the inflorescence) enclosing a spadix (a club-shaped structure with a fleshy axis), on which the individual tiny flowers are located. The genus gets its name from the aggregated ovaries (symploce is Greek for connection, and carpos refers to the fruit), while the specific epithet foetidus refers to the foul odor of the plant when bruised. If you were a fly, you would love the skunky odor emitted by good ol' skunk cabbage, and it would draw you to the plant, where you would unknownly collect and spread its pollen.

For more information on Symplocarpus foetidus and to read about the other signs of spring I have been observing recently, visit this post on Through Handlens and Binoculars.

Frozen Fronds

Yesterday's failed search for signs of spring was a chilly one, but there was beauty in the forest, even so. This is good old Christmas Fern, Polystichum acrostichoides, one of many plants that are green all winter. I enjoyed seeing it embedded in ice, but have to admit I'm ready for a break from ice and snow. These are not DSLR pictures.

2009 Ohio Botanical Symposium

The 2009 Ohio Botanical Symposium will be held in Columbus on April 3. Jim McCormac has a great write-up about the event here. A link to the official webpage for the event can be found here.

Hope to see some of you in Columbus, Ohio!

Plant Quiz Answered; Selaginella eclipes!

With the botany sharks that circle this site, it is difficult for a quiz to last long.

Scott is correct. This is Selaginella eclipes. Evidently there is still debate as to whether this species is distinct from S. apoda. I am going with S. eclipes based on the lanceolate leaves of the upper stem surface and their long acuminate tips. I have read that the soil acidity is variable, but FNA does say it is from calcareous habitats.

FNA mentions that there is debate as to the validity of this taxon being a distinct species but then says "It is recognized here at the specific level to highlight the problems within this species complex". Wow! A breath of responsible taxonomy. Too bad they are not consistent in this philosophy.

Plant Quiz

Here is a quick plant quiz. This was growing on a patch of raised ground in an acid seep in Iron County, Missouri.

Spring in San Diego!

Since from the weather reports I've been reading it doesn't seem like spring is coming any time soon to the Midwest, I thought I'd share some photos from my recent trip to San Diego - where spring has definitely arrived. The first set of pictures are from San Elijo Lagoon. San Elijo is one of the few remaining (large) coastal wetlands that have both salt marsh and freshwater marsh habitat types. Riparian scrub and coastal scrub habitats lie adjacent to the marsh habitat. I didn't see much blooming in the marsh habitats yet. Arroyo willow (Salix lasiolepis - Salicaceae) was blooming along the riparian edge of the marsh. Willows in San Diego aren't the identification bane that they were to me in the Midwest. There are only 5 species of Salix in San Diego County and their identification can often be determined using vegetative characteristics. Although when it's not flowering, I feel like mule fat (Baccharis salicifolia - Asteraceae) looks like a willow. I've included a photo of red eye acacia (Acacia cyclops - Fabaceae) just because I'm curious about it's flowers.





Bush sunflower (Encelia californica - Asteraceae) and bush monkeyflower (Diplacus puniceus - Scrophulariaceae) are very common coastal scrub species. I also threw in another weed, Bermuda buttercup (Oxalis pes-caprae - Oxalidaceae).



Moving south down the coast, there was a variety of species in bloom at Torrey Pines State Reserve. The reserve is immediately adjacent to the ocean, but sits up on a bluff. The reserve is named for the Torrey pine (Pinus torreyana) which has an extremely limited distribution. Sand verbena (Abronia umbellata - Nyctaginaceae), bush poppy (Dendomecon rigida - Papaveraceae), Shaw's agave (Agave shawii - Agavaceae), and bush rue (Cneoridium dumosum - Rutaceae) were all in bloom during the first week of February when I was there. Several other species were in bloom when I was there, but I limited the post to species I haven't shared with the group before.





I'll leave you with some really bad pics (luckily, I don't earn my keep taking photographs!). The first is a shot of a faint rainbow over the San Dieguito Lagoon as viewed from the bluffs of Torrey Pines State Reserve. San Dieguito Lagoon is another saltwater/freshwater coastal lagoon that has been preserved (somewhat). The second is the tail of a California grey whale. (Yes, you will need to enlarge the pic.) This was the first time I had ever seen whales in San Diego. Obviously, I didn't see too much of the whale - but exciting nonetheless.



I have some photos from more species in bloom in the chaparral east of the ocean that I will post sometime soon.

Erodium cicutarium

That's right, Keith... Erodium cicutarium, of the Geraniaceae! The genus name of this cute little weed from Europe comes from the Greek word for heron (erodios), which is in reference to the long beak of the fruit that resembles a heron's bill. Redstem stork's bill, as it is known, is found throughout most of North America in fields, on roadsides, in deserts, and in waste areas. It is also used as a winter forage in the southwestern United States, where it is known as alfileria.

I have never seen this winter annual (biennial in the southern parts of its range) become horribly invasive, but it is invasive in some parts of its range. It was brought to the United States in the 1700s and spread rapidly west across the country as a result of the spiraled mature style that attached seeds to the fur and feathers of animals and birds. By the 1890s, Erodium cicutarium had already made it to the Pacific Northwest, where it dominated overgrazed pastures.

This photograph was taken in March 2006.

Plant Quiz

I am so tired of seeing that photo of me at the top of the page every time I visit Get Your Botany On! that I'm posting a plant quiz just to post something... anything. Gotta admit, though, I still chuckle when I see that photo.

Here's the quiz. Good luck.

I don't see the resemblance.

By the way, Lindsay and I were at the Wild Things conference in Chicago yesterday. I briefly talked to Jerry Wilhelm (who asked me to pass his regards to Keith, and to tell Keith to keep up the good work). Jerry said that the new Chicago Region flora will be done in 10 years, unless he can get enough funding, in which case it could be done within 3 years. I have a handout regarding making donations. If you're interested in making a donation to speed up the process, let me know, and I will pass you the information you will need.

Does That Actor Look Like a Botanist?

In checking the news from northwest Indiana (nwi.com) today I couldn't help but notice the familiar face on the actor in the top hat. Isn't that a botanist we all know? The only thing missing is the tin vasculum...and handlens...and camera...and binoculars...and copy of Gleason and Cronquist. Apparently a multi-talented guy! p.s. I do not have Photoshop. That really was the picture on the news site!

I need a little spring!

I'm not one to complain about the snow. I love the snow. I love the winter. But even I have to say that spring can't come quickly enough this year. Parts of LaPorte County were blanketed with almost 2 feet of snow... last night! It's only early February, but it's hard to believe that spring will be roaring in less than two months. Since I don't think I'll be seeing any live flowering plants anytime soon, I figured I would post some old early spring photos to hopefully brighten our spirits.

Behold, the harbinger of spring - Erigenia bulbosa! This photo was taken on March 19, 2005 at Fall Creek Gorge in Attica, Indiana.

Trillium nivale, aptly named snow trillium, as it can sometimes be seen flowering while snow is still on the ground. This photo was taken on March 19, 2005 at Fall Creek Gorge.

The ubiquitous spring beauty, Claytonia virginica. In the depths of winter, even the most common of plants can bring us joy. This photos was taken on April 1, 2006 at Mammoth Cave in Kentucky.

When there isn't much florally happening on the forest floor in early spring, Hepatica acutiloba is at its best. This photo of sharp-lobed hepatica was taken at Dowagiac Woods in southwest Michigan on April 15, 2006.

Upside-down, they do look like a Dutchman's breeches, don't they? I took this photo of Dicentra cucullaria at Bendix Woods in South Bend, Indiana on April 10, 2005.

If you've seen the roots of Dicentra canadensis, you understand why it's commonly referred to as squirrel corn. This photo was taken on April 17, 2005 at Bendix Woods.
In mid-April, marsh marigold lights up forested wetlands and seeps. This photo of Caltha palustris was taken in LaPorte County, Indiana on April 19, 2006.
Bloodroot, Sanguinaria canadensis, is beautiful even prior to anthesis. This photo was taken at Waldhaus in Buchanan, Michigan on March 25, 2007.

This perennial favorite, yellow trout lily (Erythronium americanum), is about as photogenic as they come. I snapped this shot on April 10, 2005 at Bendix Woods.

And a final sign of spring, the leaves of Asarum canadense, wild ginger, just beginning to unfurl. I took this photo at the Heron Rookery in Porter County, Indiana on April 1, 2007.

I can't wait for spring!