文章
Miss Chen
2018年06月16日
Description: This perennial wildflower is an emergent aquatic about 3-8' tall, consisting of a small cluster of 2-5 deciduous basal leaves and a tall flowering stalk. The blades of basal leaves are 6-21" long and about one-third as much across; they are lanceolate to ovate in shape and smooth (entire) along their margins. The upper blade surface is pale green and glabrous, while the lower blade surface is whitish green and glaucous. Fine hairs are often present along the base, central veins, and margins of the blade underside. The erect petioles of basal leaves are 1½-3' long; they develop from a basal sheath. The petioles and basal sheath remain buoyant in water as a result of internal air cavities. The ascending blades diverge from their sheathed petioles at an angle. Leaf venation is pinnate with lateral veins that are parallel, curving toward the blade tips as they approach the margins.
An erect or ascending stalk about 4-8' tall terminates in a floral panicle about 4-18" long with a leafy bract at its base that is early-deciduous. The lateral branches of the panicle are ascending to drooping and slightly zigzag; they are reddish brown, but covered with a white powdery bloom. The whitish purple flowers develop in pairs along these lateral branches, where they bloom in succession. Adjacent pairs of flowers are spaced about 3 mm. from each other. A pair of large floral bracts are located at the base of each pair of flowers; these bracts are powdery white. Each flower is about 10-17 mm. long, consisting of 3 sepals, 3 petals, an ovary with a single style, a single fertile stamen, and 3 staminodia (sterile stamens). The membranous sepals are about 2 mm. long and insignificant. The petals join together at the base, forming a short corolla tube. The fertile stamen and staminodia are highly modified petaloid structures; they are purple to whitish purple and showy. The hooded staminodium has a pair of trigger-like appendages that, when they are depressed, release an elastic style with a cup-shaped stigma, enabling cross-pollination of the flower. The blooming period occurs from mid- to late summer, lasting about 1 month (in Illinois). Afterwards, fertile flowers areDistribution Map replaced by globoid-ovoid seed capsules. Each capsule contains a single large seed about 8 mm. long that is dark brown, globoid-ovoid in shape, and smooth. The root system is rhizomatous, from which clonal colonies of plants are produced.
Cultivation: The preference is full sun, wet ground with up to 1½' of water, and muddy or clay soil with organic matter. This wildflower can be propagated by either its seeds or division of its rhizomes. It is hardy to Zone 5 or Zone 6 if the rhizomes are protected by standing water during the winter and a northern ecotype is selected.
Range & Habitat: The native Powdery Thalia has been found in Alexander County at the southern tip of Illinois, where it is rare and state-listed as 'endangered.' Elsewhere in the state, it is absent. Illinois lies along the northern range limit of this species; it is more common in areas further south. Habitats include margins of ponds, marshes, swamps, and wet ditches along roads. Powdery Thalia is cultivated occasionally as an ornamental plant for ponds and wetland gardens.
Faunal Associations: The unusual flowers rely on explosive secondary pollination. The anther of the fertile stamen drops pollen grains onto a depression of the elastic style (immediately behind its stigma) during evening hours. The following morning, flower-visiting insects can trigger an appendage of the hooded staminodium, releasing the elastic style with its load of pollen. This area of the style strikes near the insect's head. The flowers of Powdery Thalia are cross-pollinated by nectar-seeking carpenter bees (Xylocopa virginica) and possibly large bumblebees (Bombus spp.); flies and other smaller insects often become trapped by the elastic styles of the flowers and die. Such floral visitors as large butterflies and hummingbirds are able to feed on nectar without triggering the explosive mechanism of pollen delivery; they are considered nectar thieves. The caterpillars of Calpodes ethlius (Brazilian Skipper) feed on the leaves of Powdery Thalia; they are leaf-rollers. This skipper does not successfully overwinter in Illinois, but it migrates northward and can reach the state during the summer. The large seeds are eaten by the Mallard, Lesser Scaup, and probably other ducks (Martin & Uhler, 1939).
Photographic Location: A botanical garden in Chicago, Illinois. The photographs were taken by Rita Ryan (Copyright © 2012).
Comments: Powdery Thalia is the only species in the Arrowroot family that is native to Illinois. It is a tropical-looking plant with large showy leaves and unusual purple flowers. The only other species of this genus that is native to the United States, Thalia geniculata (Alligator Flag), is found primarily in areas along the Gulf coast. It differs from Powdery Thalia by the lack of white powdery bloom on its foliage and flowers. In addition, the lateral floral branches of Alligator Flag are more zigzag than those of Powdery Thalia because adjacent pairs of its flowers are more widely spaced (at least 5 mm. apart).
An erect or ascending stalk about 4-8' tall terminates in a floral panicle about 4-18" long with a leafy bract at its base that is early-deciduous. The lateral branches of the panicle are ascending to drooping and slightly zigzag; they are reddish brown, but covered with a white powdery bloom. The whitish purple flowers develop in pairs along these lateral branches, where they bloom in succession. Adjacent pairs of flowers are spaced about 3 mm. from each other. A pair of large floral bracts are located at the base of each pair of flowers; these bracts are powdery white. Each flower is about 10-17 mm. long, consisting of 3 sepals, 3 petals, an ovary with a single style, a single fertile stamen, and 3 staminodia (sterile stamens). The membranous sepals are about 2 mm. long and insignificant. The petals join together at the base, forming a short corolla tube. The fertile stamen and staminodia are highly modified petaloid structures; they are purple to whitish purple and showy. The hooded staminodium has a pair of trigger-like appendages that, when they are depressed, release an elastic style with a cup-shaped stigma, enabling cross-pollination of the flower. The blooming period occurs from mid- to late summer, lasting about 1 month (in Illinois). Afterwards, fertile flowers areDistribution Map replaced by globoid-ovoid seed capsules. Each capsule contains a single large seed about 8 mm. long that is dark brown, globoid-ovoid in shape, and smooth. The root system is rhizomatous, from which clonal colonies of plants are produced.
Cultivation: The preference is full sun, wet ground with up to 1½' of water, and muddy or clay soil with organic matter. This wildflower can be propagated by either its seeds or division of its rhizomes. It is hardy to Zone 5 or Zone 6 if the rhizomes are protected by standing water during the winter and a northern ecotype is selected.
Range & Habitat: The native Powdery Thalia has been found in Alexander County at the southern tip of Illinois, where it is rare and state-listed as 'endangered.' Elsewhere in the state, it is absent. Illinois lies along the northern range limit of this species; it is more common in areas further south. Habitats include margins of ponds, marshes, swamps, and wet ditches along roads. Powdery Thalia is cultivated occasionally as an ornamental plant for ponds and wetland gardens.
Faunal Associations: The unusual flowers rely on explosive secondary pollination. The anther of the fertile stamen drops pollen grains onto a depression of the elastic style (immediately behind its stigma) during evening hours. The following morning, flower-visiting insects can trigger an appendage of the hooded staminodium, releasing the elastic style with its load of pollen. This area of the style strikes near the insect's head. The flowers of Powdery Thalia are cross-pollinated by nectar-seeking carpenter bees (Xylocopa virginica) and possibly large bumblebees (Bombus spp.); flies and other smaller insects often become trapped by the elastic styles of the flowers and die. Such floral visitors as large butterflies and hummingbirds are able to feed on nectar without triggering the explosive mechanism of pollen delivery; they are considered nectar thieves. The caterpillars of Calpodes ethlius (Brazilian Skipper) feed on the leaves of Powdery Thalia; they are leaf-rollers. This skipper does not successfully overwinter in Illinois, but it migrates northward and can reach the state during the summer. The large seeds are eaten by the Mallard, Lesser Scaup, and probably other ducks (Martin & Uhler, 1939).
Photographic Location: A botanical garden in Chicago, Illinois. The photographs were taken by Rita Ryan (Copyright © 2012).
Comments: Powdery Thalia is the only species in the Arrowroot family that is native to Illinois. It is a tropical-looking plant with large showy leaves and unusual purple flowers. The only other species of this genus that is native to the United States, Thalia geniculata (Alligator Flag), is found primarily in areas along the Gulf coast. It differs from Powdery Thalia by the lack of white powdery bloom on its foliage and flowers. In addition, the lateral floral branches of Alligator Flag are more zigzag than those of Powdery Thalia because adjacent pairs of its flowers are more widely spaced (at least 5 mm. apart).
0
0
文章
Miss Chen
2018年06月16日
Description: This is a herbaceous vine about 2-6' long that is either unbranched or branched occasionally. It either sprawls across the ground or climbs adjacent vegetation. This vine is either a summer annual or perennial (there are differing descriptions in this regard). The stems are light green, glabrous, angular, and prickly along their angles. The prickles are retrorse (curve downward) and about 1 mm. in length. Alternate leaves occur at intervals along the stems. These leaves are 2½-6" long and 2-4" across; they are hastate to broadly hastate in shape and smooth along their margins. The basal lobes of these leaves are triangular-shaped and divergent. Leaf tips taper to an acute point, while leaf bases are indented. The upper leaf surfaces are medium green and glabrous to sparsely short-pubescent, while the lower leaf surfaces are light green and sparsely to moderately covered with short stellate hairs. Small retrorse prickles occur along the major veins on the leaf undersides. Petioles are ½-4" long (becoming shorter as they approach the terminal points of stems), light green, and plano-convex (flat or slightly concave along their upper sides, convex along their lower sides). There are also retrorse prickles along the lower sides of the petioles. At the bases of petioles, there are ochrea (membranous sheaths) up to ½" long that wrap around the stems. These ochrea have rings of retrorse prickles around their bases, and their upper margins are often ciliate.
Both axillary and terminal inflorescences are produced on peduncles about 1-4" long. These inflorescences are variable, consisting of dense head-like racemes, interrupted racemes that are sparsely flowered, and/or sparsely branched panicles consisting of 2 or more racemes. Sometimes only a single flower is produced, rather than a raceme of flowers. Each flower is about ¼" (5-6 mm.) long, consisting of 4-5 tepals, an ovary with a pair of styles, and 6 stamens (less often 8 stamens). The tepals can be reddish white, pinkish white, greenish white, or white; they are broadly elliptic in shape. The peduncles are light green, glandular-hairy, and sometimes prickly below. The blooming period occurs from mid-summer into the fall, lasting about 1-3 months. Afterwards, the flowers are replaced by seeds that are 3.5-4.0 mm. long and a little less across at maturity; they are ovoid, slightly flattened, biconvex (rounded on both sides), dark brown, and shiny. This vine can spread vegetatively by forming rootlets when the nodes of stems touch moist ground.
Cultivation: This vine prefers partial sun, wet to consistently moist conditions, and soil containing some sand and decaying organic matter (silt and other soil types may also be acceptable). Most growth and development occurs during the summer.
Range & Habitat: Halberd-Leaved Tearthumb is native to only a few counties in the eastern half of Illinois (see Distribution Map). It is state-listed as 'endangered.' This vine is probably extirpated from Macon and McHenry counties because their specimens were collected prior to 1875 (Mohlenbrock, 2002). Illinois lies along the western-range limit of this species; it is more common further to the east. Habitats include bottomland woodlands, swamps, seeps and springs, low areas along ponds, and sloughs with fairly consistent moisture levels. Many of the preceding habitats, where this vine occurs, are often sandy and partly shady. Halberd-Leaved Tearthumb is usually found in high quality natural areas.
Faunal Associations: Little is known about the floral-faunal relationships of this vine specifically, although they are probably similar to those of smartweeds (Persicaria spp.). The flowers are probably pollinated by small bees, various flies, small butterflies, and wasps. Insects that feed on various parts of smartweeds include the caterpillars of butterflies and moths, flea beetles, aphids, and stink bugs. In particular, caterpillars of the butterflies Lycaena helloides (Purplish Copper) and Lycaena hyllus (Bronze Copper) feed on the foliage of smartweeds. Such wetland birds as the Mallard and other dabbling ducks, some rails, and granivorous songbirds (e.g., Bobolink, Swamp Sparrow, Redwing Blackbird) eat the seeds. Because Halberd-Leaved Tearthumb can form a tangle of leaves and prickly stems, it is able to provide some protective cover to various kinds of wetland wildlife.
Photographic Location: An open sandy swamp at the Indiana Dunes State Park in NW Indiana.
Comments: Halberd-Leaved Tearthumb can be distinguished from other similar vines in Illinois by its prickly stems and hastate leaves (shaped like Medieval halberds). Its closest relative in the state, the more common Tracaulon sagittatum (Arrow-Leaved Tearthumb), differs by having sagittate leaves (shaped like arrowheads), ochrea that lack rings of prickles, and seeds that are bluntly 3-angled (rather than biconvex and two-sided). Many contemporary authorities prefer to merge Tearthumb vines (Tracaulon spp.) with the smartweeds (Persicaria spp.). As a result, they refer to Halberd-Leaved Tearthumb as Persicaria arifolia. Another scientific name for this species, Polygonum arifolium, also appears in older sources of information. The classification that is used here follows Mohlenbrock (2002) and Mohlenbrock (2010). The leaves of Halberd-Leaved Tearthumb superficially resemble the leaves of other species, both wild and cultivated, in the Arum family (Araceae). This similarity of form is the source of the scientific name for this species (arifolium).
Both axillary and terminal inflorescences are produced on peduncles about 1-4" long. These inflorescences are variable, consisting of dense head-like racemes, interrupted racemes that are sparsely flowered, and/or sparsely branched panicles consisting of 2 or more racemes. Sometimes only a single flower is produced, rather than a raceme of flowers. Each flower is about ¼" (5-6 mm.) long, consisting of 4-5 tepals, an ovary with a pair of styles, and 6 stamens (less often 8 stamens). The tepals can be reddish white, pinkish white, greenish white, or white; they are broadly elliptic in shape. The peduncles are light green, glandular-hairy, and sometimes prickly below. The blooming period occurs from mid-summer into the fall, lasting about 1-3 months. Afterwards, the flowers are replaced by seeds that are 3.5-4.0 mm. long and a little less across at maturity; they are ovoid, slightly flattened, biconvex (rounded on both sides), dark brown, and shiny. This vine can spread vegetatively by forming rootlets when the nodes of stems touch moist ground.
Cultivation: This vine prefers partial sun, wet to consistently moist conditions, and soil containing some sand and decaying organic matter (silt and other soil types may also be acceptable). Most growth and development occurs during the summer.
Range & Habitat: Halberd-Leaved Tearthumb is native to only a few counties in the eastern half of Illinois (see Distribution Map). It is state-listed as 'endangered.' This vine is probably extirpated from Macon and McHenry counties because their specimens were collected prior to 1875 (Mohlenbrock, 2002). Illinois lies along the western-range limit of this species; it is more common further to the east. Habitats include bottomland woodlands, swamps, seeps and springs, low areas along ponds, and sloughs with fairly consistent moisture levels. Many of the preceding habitats, where this vine occurs, are often sandy and partly shady. Halberd-Leaved Tearthumb is usually found in high quality natural areas.
Faunal Associations: Little is known about the floral-faunal relationships of this vine specifically, although they are probably similar to those of smartweeds (Persicaria spp.). The flowers are probably pollinated by small bees, various flies, small butterflies, and wasps. Insects that feed on various parts of smartweeds include the caterpillars of butterflies and moths, flea beetles, aphids, and stink bugs. In particular, caterpillars of the butterflies Lycaena helloides (Purplish Copper) and Lycaena hyllus (Bronze Copper) feed on the foliage of smartweeds. Such wetland birds as the Mallard and other dabbling ducks, some rails, and granivorous songbirds (e.g., Bobolink, Swamp Sparrow, Redwing Blackbird) eat the seeds. Because Halberd-Leaved Tearthumb can form a tangle of leaves and prickly stems, it is able to provide some protective cover to various kinds of wetland wildlife.
Photographic Location: An open sandy swamp at the Indiana Dunes State Park in NW Indiana.
Comments: Halberd-Leaved Tearthumb can be distinguished from other similar vines in Illinois by its prickly stems and hastate leaves (shaped like Medieval halberds). Its closest relative in the state, the more common Tracaulon sagittatum (Arrow-Leaved Tearthumb), differs by having sagittate leaves (shaped like arrowheads), ochrea that lack rings of prickles, and seeds that are bluntly 3-angled (rather than biconvex and two-sided). Many contemporary authorities prefer to merge Tearthumb vines (Tracaulon spp.) with the smartweeds (Persicaria spp.). As a result, they refer to Halberd-Leaved Tearthumb as Persicaria arifolia. Another scientific name for this species, Polygonum arifolium, also appears in older sources of information. The classification that is used here follows Mohlenbrock (2002) and Mohlenbrock (2010). The leaves of Halberd-Leaved Tearthumb superficially resemble the leaves of other species, both wild and cultivated, in the Arum family (Araceae). This similarity of form is the source of the scientific name for this species (arifolium).
0
0
文章
Miss Chen
2018年06月14日
Description: This wildflower is a biennial that forms a rosette of basal leaves during the first year, followed by a flowering plant about 2-7' tall the following year. The basal leaves are up to 16" long and 6" across, although they are normally closer to about one-half that size. Aside from a tendency to be larger in size, they are similar to the alternate leaves of a flowering plant (as described below). A typical flowering plant is unbranched below and occasionally branched above. The central stem and any lateral stems are light green, terete, and longitudinally furrowed; they are finely hairy above, becoming more glabrous below. Alternate leaves are up to 10" long and 4" across, becoming gradually smaller in size as they ascend the stems. In outline, these leaves are lanceolate-oblong to elliptic-oblong; they are also pinnatifid with several pairs of lanceolate to linear-lanceolate lobes that have spiny tips. The lobes of the alternate leaves usually have smaller secondary lobes or sharp teeth that may also have spiny tips. The spines are golden yellow and up to 1/8" (3 mm.) long. The upper leaf surface is medium to dark green and glabrous to sparsely short-pubescent. The lower leaf surface is usually whitened from a dense coating of short white hairs while young, but it becomes more pale green with age from a thinning of such hairs.
The central stem and any upper stems terminate in either individual flowerheads or open corymbs of 2-5 flowerheads. The peduncles of these flowerhead are 1-6" long, light green (less often pale purple), terete, finely grooved, and finely hairy to nearly glabrous. There is usually a single leafy bract (up to 3" long) at the base of each peduncle and, less often, there may be a whorl of a few leafy bracts (up to 1½" long) underneath the flowerhead. Otherwise, the peduncle is naked. The leafy bracts resemble the alternate leaves, except they are smaller in size and their spiny lobes are more narrow. Each peduncle terminates in a flowerhead that is about 1¼-2" across and similarly in length. At the flattened top of the flowerhead, there is a dense cluster of numerous disk florets; there are no ray florets. The disk florets are perfect and fertile. The corollas of the disk florets are narrowly cylindrical below, becoming slightly wider above with 5 narrow lobes. These corollas vary in color from pink to pinkish purple. The sides of the flowerhead consist of overlapping floral bracts (phyllaries) that are appressed together in several series. These floral bracts are lanceolate to ovate in shape; their tips taper into erect minute spines, or such spines may be absent. The sticky floral bracts have narrow mid-ribs that are pale green, otherwise they are blackish green; appressed woolly hair usually occurs between the floral bracts. The blooming period occurs from mid-summer to early fall, lasting about 1½ months. Afterwards, the ray florets are replaced by small achenes with tufts of white hair. Individual achenes are about 5 mm. long, oblongoid, and dark brown to black with bands of yellow at their upper ends. They are distributed by the wind. The root system consists of a stout taproot.
Cultivation: The preference is full sun, wet to moist conditions, and calcareous sand, although partial sun and other soil types are tolerated. The size of individual plants can be highly variable, depending on moisture level, soil fertility, and competition from other plants.
Range & Habitat: The native Swamp Thistle is occasional in NE Illinois, otherwise it is uncommon or absent elsewhere in the state (see Distribution Map). This plant is more common further to the north. Habitats include wet sand prairies, sandy swamps, marshes, fens, interdunal swales near Lake Michigan, limestone bluffs (where some seepage of ground water occurs), pastures, and abandoned sandy fields. Swamp Thistle is found primarily in sandy wetlands and rocky areas where seepage through limestone occurs. It is perhaps most common in fens.
Faunal Associations: The flowerheads of Swamp Thistle and similar Cirsium spp. (thistles) attract many insects, especially long-tongued bees and butterflies. Typical floral visitors include honeybees, bumblebees, long-horned bees (Melissodes spp.), leaf-cutting bees (Megachile spp.), Cuckoo beesTiger Swallowtail Nectaring at Flowerhead (Triepeolus spp.), Swallowtail butterflies (Papilio spp.), Fritillary butterflies (Speyeria spp.), Painted Lady butterflies (Vanessa spp.), and day-flying moths. Most of these insects suck nectar, although some bees also collect pollen. A long-horned bee, Melissodes desponsa, is an oligolege (specialist pollinator) of thistles. Other insect feed destructively on these plants. Swamp Thistle is the preferred host plant for the caterpillars of an uncommon butterfly, Calephelis mutica (Swamp Metalmark). Other insect feeders of thistles include caterpillars of Vanessa cardui (Painted Lady), caterpillars of Platyptilia carduidactyla (Artichoke Plume Moth) and Papaipema arctivorens (Northern Burdock Borer Moth), the leaf beetle Cassida rubiginosa, stem-boring larvae of Lixus concavus (Rhubarb Weevil), Melanoplus borealis (Northern Grasshopper), Brachycaudus cardui (Thistle Aphid) and Capitophorus elaeagni (Artichoke Aphid), and the treehopper Entylia bactriana. See the Insect Table for a more complete listing of these species. Because Swamp Thistle has some protection from its spines and it occurs in less accessible wetland habitats, it is usually ignored by mammalian herbivores. Some small songbirds, however, eat the seeds of thistles, especially the American Goldfinch. This bird also uses the hair tufts of thistle seeds in the construction of its nests. Another small bird, the Ruby-Throated Hummingbird, occasionally visits the flowerheads of thistles for their nectar.
Photographic Location: A fen in NE Illinois. The photographs were taken by Lisa Culp (Copyright © 2011).
Comments: Swamp Thistle (Cirsium muticum) resembles the more common Pasture Thistle (Cirsium discolor) and other tall-growing thistle species. It can be distinguished from these other species by the lack of significant spines on its floral bracts (phyllaries) and its preference for wetland habitats. While the leaf undersides of Swamp Thistle tend to be somewhat whitened, they are usually less whitened than either the Pasture Thistle or Tall Thistle (Cirsium altissimum). A Eurasian species that has not been found in Illinois, but appears to be spreading in other areas of the United States, is the Marsh Thistle (Cirsium palustre). Like the Swamp Thistle, Marsh Thistle also prefers wetland habitats, but it has smaller flowerheads (1" across or less) and its floral bracts have outward-pointing fine spines. This Eurasian thistle also tends to be somewhat smaller in size than the Swamp Thistle. Another common name of Cirsium muticum is Fen Thistle.
The central stem and any upper stems terminate in either individual flowerheads or open corymbs of 2-5 flowerheads. The peduncles of these flowerhead are 1-6" long, light green (less often pale purple), terete, finely grooved, and finely hairy to nearly glabrous. There is usually a single leafy bract (up to 3" long) at the base of each peduncle and, less often, there may be a whorl of a few leafy bracts (up to 1½" long) underneath the flowerhead. Otherwise, the peduncle is naked. The leafy bracts resemble the alternate leaves, except they are smaller in size and their spiny lobes are more narrow. Each peduncle terminates in a flowerhead that is about 1¼-2" across and similarly in length. At the flattened top of the flowerhead, there is a dense cluster of numerous disk florets; there are no ray florets. The disk florets are perfect and fertile. The corollas of the disk florets are narrowly cylindrical below, becoming slightly wider above with 5 narrow lobes. These corollas vary in color from pink to pinkish purple. The sides of the flowerhead consist of overlapping floral bracts (phyllaries) that are appressed together in several series. These floral bracts are lanceolate to ovate in shape; their tips taper into erect minute spines, or such spines may be absent. The sticky floral bracts have narrow mid-ribs that are pale green, otherwise they are blackish green; appressed woolly hair usually occurs between the floral bracts. The blooming period occurs from mid-summer to early fall, lasting about 1½ months. Afterwards, the ray florets are replaced by small achenes with tufts of white hair. Individual achenes are about 5 mm. long, oblongoid, and dark brown to black with bands of yellow at their upper ends. They are distributed by the wind. The root system consists of a stout taproot.
Cultivation: The preference is full sun, wet to moist conditions, and calcareous sand, although partial sun and other soil types are tolerated. The size of individual plants can be highly variable, depending on moisture level, soil fertility, and competition from other plants.
Range & Habitat: The native Swamp Thistle is occasional in NE Illinois, otherwise it is uncommon or absent elsewhere in the state (see Distribution Map). This plant is more common further to the north. Habitats include wet sand prairies, sandy swamps, marshes, fens, interdunal swales near Lake Michigan, limestone bluffs (where some seepage of ground water occurs), pastures, and abandoned sandy fields. Swamp Thistle is found primarily in sandy wetlands and rocky areas where seepage through limestone occurs. It is perhaps most common in fens.
Faunal Associations: The flowerheads of Swamp Thistle and similar Cirsium spp. (thistles) attract many insects, especially long-tongued bees and butterflies. Typical floral visitors include honeybees, bumblebees, long-horned bees (Melissodes spp.), leaf-cutting bees (Megachile spp.), Cuckoo beesTiger Swallowtail Nectaring at Flowerhead (Triepeolus spp.), Swallowtail butterflies (Papilio spp.), Fritillary butterflies (Speyeria spp.), Painted Lady butterflies (Vanessa spp.), and day-flying moths. Most of these insects suck nectar, although some bees also collect pollen. A long-horned bee, Melissodes desponsa, is an oligolege (specialist pollinator) of thistles. Other insect feed destructively on these plants. Swamp Thistle is the preferred host plant for the caterpillars of an uncommon butterfly, Calephelis mutica (Swamp Metalmark). Other insect feeders of thistles include caterpillars of Vanessa cardui (Painted Lady), caterpillars of Platyptilia carduidactyla (Artichoke Plume Moth) and Papaipema arctivorens (Northern Burdock Borer Moth), the leaf beetle Cassida rubiginosa, stem-boring larvae of Lixus concavus (Rhubarb Weevil), Melanoplus borealis (Northern Grasshopper), Brachycaudus cardui (Thistle Aphid) and Capitophorus elaeagni (Artichoke Aphid), and the treehopper Entylia bactriana. See the Insect Table for a more complete listing of these species. Because Swamp Thistle has some protection from its spines and it occurs in less accessible wetland habitats, it is usually ignored by mammalian herbivores. Some small songbirds, however, eat the seeds of thistles, especially the American Goldfinch. This bird also uses the hair tufts of thistle seeds in the construction of its nests. Another small bird, the Ruby-Throated Hummingbird, occasionally visits the flowerheads of thistles for their nectar.
Photographic Location: A fen in NE Illinois. The photographs were taken by Lisa Culp (Copyright © 2011).
Comments: Swamp Thistle (Cirsium muticum) resembles the more common Pasture Thistle (Cirsium discolor) and other tall-growing thistle species. It can be distinguished from these other species by the lack of significant spines on its floral bracts (phyllaries) and its preference for wetland habitats. While the leaf undersides of Swamp Thistle tend to be somewhat whitened, they are usually less whitened than either the Pasture Thistle or Tall Thistle (Cirsium altissimum). A Eurasian species that has not been found in Illinois, but appears to be spreading in other areas of the United States, is the Marsh Thistle (Cirsium palustre). Like the Swamp Thistle, Marsh Thistle also prefers wetland habitats, but it has smaller flowerheads (1" across or less) and its floral bracts have outward-pointing fine spines. This Eurasian thistle also tends to be somewhat smaller in size than the Swamp Thistle. Another common name of Cirsium muticum is Fen Thistle.
0
0
文章
Miss Chen
2018年06月14日
Description: This perennial plant is about 2-3' tall and unbranched or sparingly branched. The central stem is glabrous and either terete or 4-angled. Each pair of opposite leaves rotates 90° from the position of the pair of leaves immediately below. For var. linifolia of White Turtlehead, these leaves are less than ¾" across and they are linear-lanceolate in shape. However, the typical variety of White Turtlehead has some leaves greater than ¾" and they are lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate in shape. The leaves are hairless and finely serrated along their margins. At their bases, the leaves are sessile, or they have petioles that are less than ¼" in length. The central stem terminates in a dense spike of white flowers about 3-6" in length, blooming from the bottom to the top.
Each flower is about 1¼" long, consisting of a 2-lipped white corolla, a green calyx with 5 oval teeth, a slender white style, and 5 hairy stamens. Four of these stamens have fertile anthers, while the remaining stamen is sterile and green. The tubular corolla is somewhat flattened at the mouth, where it is more wide than tall. The upper lip of the corolla functions as a protective hood, while the lower lip has 2-3 shallow lobes and functions as a landing pad for visiting insects. The lower interior of the corolla has abundant white hairs. At the base of the calyx, there are a few green bracts that resemble the sepals. The blooming period occurs from late summer to fall and lasts about 1month. There is no noticeable floral scent. Each flower is replaced by an ovoid seed capsule containing several seeds that are flattened and broadly winged; these seeds can be blown about by the wind and probably float on water. The root system consists of a taproot and rhizomes. Vegetative colonies may form as a result of these rhizomes.
Cultivation: The preference is full or partial sun, wet to moist conditions, and a fertile soil containing some organic matter. Temporary flooding is tolerated. This plant can be maintained in gardens if it is watered during dry spells.
Range & Habitat: The native White Turtlehead occurs occasionally in central and northern Illinois, but it is rare in the southern part of the state (see Distribution Map). The typical variety of this species is more abundant than var. linifolia. Habitats include open woodlands in floodplain areas, thickets in floodplain areas, wet prairies, sedge meadows, seeps, springs, marshes, and fens. These habitats can be either sandy or non-sandy. White Turtlehead is an indicator plant of fens, where the ground water ranges from slightly acid to alkaline, but it occurs in other high quality wetland habitats as well.
Faunal Associations: The flowers are pollinated by nectar-seeking bumblebees; sometimes they also attract the Ruby-Throated Hummingbird. In the northern half of Illinois, White Turtlehead is the preferred host for caterpillars of the butterfly Euphydryas phaeton phaeton (Baltimore). This butterfly is fairly uncommon. Other insects that feed on the foliage of White Turtle include leaf-mining larvae of the flea beetle Diabolia chelones, larvae of the sawfly Tenthredo grandis, and larvae of the sawfly Macrophya nigra. The seeds are eaten by larvae of the fly Phytomyza chelonei and larvae of the polyphagous moth Endothenia hebesana, while larvae of Papaipema nepheleptena (Turtlehead Borer Moth) bore through the stems (Clark et al. 2004, Smith 2006, Eastman, 1995). The foliage is bitter and usually avoided by White-Tailed Deer and other mammalian herbivores.
Photographic Location: A prairie swale at Meadowbrook Park in Urbana, Illinois. In some photographs, the plants with yellow flowerheads in the background are Bidens polylepis.
Comments: The interesting flowers of this species resemble the head of a turtle, hence the common name. Because of these unique flowers, Chelone spp. (turtleheads) are easy to distinguish from other groups of plants. Among the turtleheads occurring in the Midwest, White Turtlehead is unique in having white flowers (although they are sometimes tinted light pink or pale purple). It also has more narrow leaves than other turtleheads, which is especially pronounced in var. linifolia, as illustrated in the photograph of the leaves. The other turtlehead species that occurs in Illinois, Chelone obliqua (Pink Turtlehead), has pink flowers and broader leaves with longer petioles (these petioles exceed ¼" in length). This species is uncommon and usually occurs in damp wooded habitats.
Each flower is about 1¼" long, consisting of a 2-lipped white corolla, a green calyx with 5 oval teeth, a slender white style, and 5 hairy stamens. Four of these stamens have fertile anthers, while the remaining stamen is sterile and green. The tubular corolla is somewhat flattened at the mouth, where it is more wide than tall. The upper lip of the corolla functions as a protective hood, while the lower lip has 2-3 shallow lobes and functions as a landing pad for visiting insects. The lower interior of the corolla has abundant white hairs. At the base of the calyx, there are a few green bracts that resemble the sepals. The blooming period occurs from late summer to fall and lasts about 1month. There is no noticeable floral scent. Each flower is replaced by an ovoid seed capsule containing several seeds that are flattened and broadly winged; these seeds can be blown about by the wind and probably float on water. The root system consists of a taproot and rhizomes. Vegetative colonies may form as a result of these rhizomes.
Cultivation: The preference is full or partial sun, wet to moist conditions, and a fertile soil containing some organic matter. Temporary flooding is tolerated. This plant can be maintained in gardens if it is watered during dry spells.
Range & Habitat: The native White Turtlehead occurs occasionally in central and northern Illinois, but it is rare in the southern part of the state (see Distribution Map). The typical variety of this species is more abundant than var. linifolia. Habitats include open woodlands in floodplain areas, thickets in floodplain areas, wet prairies, sedge meadows, seeps, springs, marshes, and fens. These habitats can be either sandy or non-sandy. White Turtlehead is an indicator plant of fens, where the ground water ranges from slightly acid to alkaline, but it occurs in other high quality wetland habitats as well.
Faunal Associations: The flowers are pollinated by nectar-seeking bumblebees; sometimes they also attract the Ruby-Throated Hummingbird. In the northern half of Illinois, White Turtlehead is the preferred host for caterpillars of the butterfly Euphydryas phaeton phaeton (Baltimore). This butterfly is fairly uncommon. Other insects that feed on the foliage of White Turtle include leaf-mining larvae of the flea beetle Diabolia chelones, larvae of the sawfly Tenthredo grandis, and larvae of the sawfly Macrophya nigra. The seeds are eaten by larvae of the fly Phytomyza chelonei and larvae of the polyphagous moth Endothenia hebesana, while larvae of Papaipema nepheleptena (Turtlehead Borer Moth) bore through the stems (Clark et al. 2004, Smith 2006, Eastman, 1995). The foliage is bitter and usually avoided by White-Tailed Deer and other mammalian herbivores.
Photographic Location: A prairie swale at Meadowbrook Park in Urbana, Illinois. In some photographs, the plants with yellow flowerheads in the background are Bidens polylepis.
Comments: The interesting flowers of this species resemble the head of a turtle, hence the common name. Because of these unique flowers, Chelone spp. (turtleheads) are easy to distinguish from other groups of plants. Among the turtleheads occurring in the Midwest, White Turtlehead is unique in having white flowers (although they are sometimes tinted light pink or pale purple). It also has more narrow leaves than other turtleheads, which is especially pronounced in var. linifolia, as illustrated in the photograph of the leaves. The other turtlehead species that occurs in Illinois, Chelone obliqua (Pink Turtlehead), has pink flowers and broader leaves with longer petioles (these petioles exceed ¼" in length). This species is uncommon and usually occurs in damp wooded habitats.
0
0
文章
Miss Chen
2018年06月12日
Description: This perennial plant is about ½–2' tall; it branches regularly. The stems are hairless and hollow. Basal leaves are produced early in the year, while alternate leaves are produced along the stems. The blades of these leaves are up to 4" long and 4" across; they are orbicular-cordate, finely crenate along the margins, and glabrous. Their venation is palmate. The petioles of the basal leaves are up to 6" long, while the petioles of the alternate leaves are shorter than this. The upper stems produce small clusters of bright yellow flowers on short petioles. Each flower spans about ¾–1½" across; it consists of 5-9 petal-like sepals, a thick ring of abundant stamens, and a cluster of carpels in the center. There are no true petals. The sepals are bright yellow, well-rounded, and slightly overlapping. The blooming period occurs during mid-spring and lasts about a month. There is no noticeable floral scent. Each of the carpels matures into a seedpod that contains several seeds. This seedpod is flattened and recurved; it splits open along the upper side to release the seeds (technically, it is a follicle). The root system consists of a short crown with fibrous roots. This plant spreads by reseeding itself. It occasionally forms loose colonies at favorable sites.
Cultivation: The preference is full or partial sun, wet conditions, and mucky soil. Shallow standing water is tolerated. Growth and development begin early in the year.
Range & Habitat: The native Marsh Marigold occurs primarily in central and northern Illinois, where it is occasional. In southern Illinois, it is uncommon or absent (see Distribution Map). This circumboreal species also occurs in Eurasia, where it is native as well. Habitats include various wetlands, including vernal pools in low woodlands, swamps, soggy meadows in river floodplains, marshes, fens, seeps and springs, and ditches. Marsh Marigold prefers sunny areas where the soil is consistently wet from underground seepage of water, although it occurs in other wetlands as well.
Faunal Associations: The nectar and pollen of the flowers attract flies and bees primarily. This includes Bombylius major (Giant Bee Fly), Syrphid flies, Halictid bees, honey bees, and others. Two leaf beetles are occasionally found on the foliage of Marsh Marigold: Plateumaris nitida and Hydrothassa vittata. It is possible that they eat the foliage. For other herbivores, specific information for Marsh Marigold is lacking. Because the acrid foliage contains toxic alkaloids and glycosides, it is usually avoided by mammalian herbivores. The seeds of plants in the closely related Ranunculus genus are eaten by the Wood Duck, Sora Rail, and some upland gamebirds. The seeds of such plants are also eaten by the Meadow Vole, Eastern Chipmunk, and other small rodents.
Photographic Location: Near the Collinson Marsh in Vermilion County. Several colonies of Marsh Marigold were growing in a ditch along a field where there was underground seepage of water from a neighboring bluff.
Comments: In sunny wetlands, Marsh Marigold is one of the first wildflowers to bloom during the spring. The flowers are showy and conspicuous because of their bright color and relatively large size. The foliage is an attractive bright green. This species is not a true marigold of the Aster family, in spite of its common name. Instead, it is closely related to the many Ranunculus spp. (Buttercups) that occur within the state. The various species of Buttercups have smaller flowers (less than ¾" across) and they usually bloom later in the year.
Cultivation: The preference is full or partial sun, wet conditions, and mucky soil. Shallow standing water is tolerated. Growth and development begin early in the year.
Range & Habitat: The native Marsh Marigold occurs primarily in central and northern Illinois, where it is occasional. In southern Illinois, it is uncommon or absent (see Distribution Map). This circumboreal species also occurs in Eurasia, where it is native as well. Habitats include various wetlands, including vernal pools in low woodlands, swamps, soggy meadows in river floodplains, marshes, fens, seeps and springs, and ditches. Marsh Marigold prefers sunny areas where the soil is consistently wet from underground seepage of water, although it occurs in other wetlands as well.
Faunal Associations: The nectar and pollen of the flowers attract flies and bees primarily. This includes Bombylius major (Giant Bee Fly), Syrphid flies, Halictid bees, honey bees, and others. Two leaf beetles are occasionally found on the foliage of Marsh Marigold: Plateumaris nitida and Hydrothassa vittata. It is possible that they eat the foliage. For other herbivores, specific information for Marsh Marigold is lacking. Because the acrid foliage contains toxic alkaloids and glycosides, it is usually avoided by mammalian herbivores. The seeds of plants in the closely related Ranunculus genus are eaten by the Wood Duck, Sora Rail, and some upland gamebirds. The seeds of such plants are also eaten by the Meadow Vole, Eastern Chipmunk, and other small rodents.
Photographic Location: Near the Collinson Marsh in Vermilion County. Several colonies of Marsh Marigold were growing in a ditch along a field where there was underground seepage of water from a neighboring bluff.
Comments: In sunny wetlands, Marsh Marigold is one of the first wildflowers to bloom during the spring. The flowers are showy and conspicuous because of their bright color and relatively large size. The foliage is an attractive bright green. This species is not a true marigold of the Aster family, in spite of its common name. Instead, it is closely related to the many Ranunculus spp. (Buttercups) that occur within the state. The various species of Buttercups have smaller flowers (less than ¾" across) and they usually bloom later in the year.
0
0
文章
Miss Chen
2018年06月12日
Description: This herbaceous perennial plant is ¾–2¼' tall and unbranched. The central stem is green, glabrous, and terete. A single well-developed leaf occurs near the base of the central stem. This leaf is 4-12" long, ¼–1½" across, and ascending; it is linear-elliptic to elliptic in shape and entire (toothless) along its margins. The leaf tapers gradually into a narrow base that is enclosed by a sheath, while its tip is narrowly acute and hull-shaped. The upper surface of the entire leaf is often slightly concave (curved inward from the margins) along its length. Both the upper and lower leaf surfaces are yellowish green to medium green and glabrous. Leaf venation is parallel. Below the well-developed leaf, there are 1-2 rudimentary leaves that are sheath-like and inconspicuous.
The central stem terminates in a spike of 2-15 flowers (rarely up to 20). The rachis of this floral spike is green to reddish purple, terete, and glabrous; it has a tendency to zig-zag between the flowers. Each flower is 1-2" across, consisting of 3 petaloid sepals, 3 petals, an exposed reproductive column, and an inferior ovary. Both the sepals and petals (excluding the petal that has been modified into a lip) are pink to deep rosy pink (rarely white); the sepals and petals may also have faint veins of dark rosy pink. The sepals are ovate or broadly oblong-ovate in shape, while the petals are broadly elliptic or elliptic-ovate in shape. Depending on the stage of development, both petals and sepals are spreading and more or less incurved from their tips; their upper surfaces are flat to somewhat concave. Both sepals and petals are nearly the same length (about ¾" long), although the sepals are a little wider. The third petal has been modified into an upper lip about ¾" long. This upper lip is linear in shape (grooved above and convex below), except toward its tip, where it has been widened by 2 lateral lobes; these lobes are half-orbicular to bluntly triangular in shape. At the center of this lobed tip, is a patch of white and a cluster of clubbed pseudo-stamens; these pseudo-stamens are hair-like in appearance and yellow to orange. Elsewhere, the lip is pink to rosy pink (rarely white) like the sepals and remaining petals. The lip is also hinged at its base.
The exposed reproductive column is mostly linear-flattened in shape, straight, and pink to rosy pink (rarely white). However, toward its tip, the reproductive column is upturned, terete along its center, and laterally lobed. The reproductive organs are located at the tip of the column, which is dark rosy pink. The reproductive column lies opposite from the upper lip of the flower; it is about ¾" long. The ascending inferior ovary, at the time of bloom, is light green to pale greenish pink, cylindrical-ribbed in shape, and glabrous. The blooming period usually occurs from early to late summer, lasting about 3-4 weeks. The flowers bloom sequentially from the bottom to the top of the floral spike. There can be either a mild floral fragrance or none. Afterwards, fertile flowers are replaced by seed capsules that are about ¾" long and ellipsoid-ovoid in shape; they eventually break open to release numerous tiny seeds, which are distributed by the wind. The root system consists of a globoid to ovoid corm with fibrous roots below.
Cultivation: The preference is full or partial sun, wet to moist conditions, and soil containing some sand and/or peat. Sometimes, this orchid is available from specialist orchid nurseries and it can be cultivated in gardens if its requirements are met. Wild plants, however, should never be collected.
Range & Habitat: The native Grass Pink Orchid has been found primarily in the northern half of Illinois and a few scattered counties elsewhere (see Distribution Map). This orchid is now rare and it is state-listed as 'endangered.' At one time, the Grass Pink Orchid was more abundant in Illinois, but its populations have declined because of habitat destruction and unscrupulous collecting. Habitats where this orchid can be found include wet to moist sand prairies, wet to moist sandy meadows, shallow sandy swales, openings in sandy swamps, fens, and bogs. This orchid is found in high quality natural areas.
Faunal Associations: Bumblebees and other large long-tongued bees are the primary pollinators of the flowers. Halictid bees, flies, butterflies, skippers, and beetles also visit the flowers occasionally, but they are unlikely to be effective at cross-pollination. See Cole (1988), Luer (1975), Small (1976), and Thien & Marcks (1972) for more information. Neither nectar nor accessible pollen are available to such flower-visiting insects. Instead, they are lured by deception to land on the showy flowers. In particular, they are often attracted to the colorful pseudo-stamens on the lip of the flower. If the visiting insect has sufficient weight, the hinged lip of the flower collapses onto its exposed reproductive column, attaching pollinia to the back of the insect. When the same insect visits the next flower, the same process can deposit the pollinia onto the exposed stigma of the reproductive column, enabling cross-pollination to occur. Like other orchids, the foliage and flowers of the Grass Pink Orchid are probably vulnerable to browsing by White-tailed Deer and other mammalian herbivores. When such animals are too abundant, it may be necessary to protect colonies and solitary plants of this orchid with wire cages or fencing.
Photographic Location: A shallow sandy swale at a nature preserve in Lake County, Illinois.
Comments: The structure of the flower for this orchid is highly unusual because its lip is located at the top rather than the bottom, causing the flower to appear upside-down (even though it is actually rightside-up). The Grass Pink Orchid is the most common species of its genus within the state and it is widely distributed within the eastern United States and SE Canada. The only other species of this genus within the state, the Oklahoma Grass Pink Orchid (Calopogon oklahomensis), is even more rare and it is also state-listed as 'endangered.' This latter orchid can be distinguished from the former as follows: 1) the petals and sepals of its flower are usually a lighter shade of pink, and 2) the lip of its flower has a patch of short pink pseudo-stamens above its showier yellow pseudo-stamens. The more common Grass Pink orchid lacks short pink pseudo-stamens on the lip of its flower. The Oklahoma Grass Pink Orchid is also found in drier habitats, like mesic prairies. Other common names of Calopogon tuberosus are Tuberous Grass Pink and Grass Pink, even though it is neither a grass nor a member of the Pink family (Caryophyllaceae).
The central stem terminates in a spike of 2-15 flowers (rarely up to 20). The rachis of this floral spike is green to reddish purple, terete, and glabrous; it has a tendency to zig-zag between the flowers. Each flower is 1-2" across, consisting of 3 petaloid sepals, 3 petals, an exposed reproductive column, and an inferior ovary. Both the sepals and petals (excluding the petal that has been modified into a lip) are pink to deep rosy pink (rarely white); the sepals and petals may also have faint veins of dark rosy pink. The sepals are ovate or broadly oblong-ovate in shape, while the petals are broadly elliptic or elliptic-ovate in shape. Depending on the stage of development, both petals and sepals are spreading and more or less incurved from their tips; their upper surfaces are flat to somewhat concave. Both sepals and petals are nearly the same length (about ¾" long), although the sepals are a little wider. The third petal has been modified into an upper lip about ¾" long. This upper lip is linear in shape (grooved above and convex below), except toward its tip, where it has been widened by 2 lateral lobes; these lobes are half-orbicular to bluntly triangular in shape. At the center of this lobed tip, is a patch of white and a cluster of clubbed pseudo-stamens; these pseudo-stamens are hair-like in appearance and yellow to orange. Elsewhere, the lip is pink to rosy pink (rarely white) like the sepals and remaining petals. The lip is also hinged at its base.
The exposed reproductive column is mostly linear-flattened in shape, straight, and pink to rosy pink (rarely white). However, toward its tip, the reproductive column is upturned, terete along its center, and laterally lobed. The reproductive organs are located at the tip of the column, which is dark rosy pink. The reproductive column lies opposite from the upper lip of the flower; it is about ¾" long. The ascending inferior ovary, at the time of bloom, is light green to pale greenish pink, cylindrical-ribbed in shape, and glabrous. The blooming period usually occurs from early to late summer, lasting about 3-4 weeks. The flowers bloom sequentially from the bottom to the top of the floral spike. There can be either a mild floral fragrance or none. Afterwards, fertile flowers are replaced by seed capsules that are about ¾" long and ellipsoid-ovoid in shape; they eventually break open to release numerous tiny seeds, which are distributed by the wind. The root system consists of a globoid to ovoid corm with fibrous roots below.
Cultivation: The preference is full or partial sun, wet to moist conditions, and soil containing some sand and/or peat. Sometimes, this orchid is available from specialist orchid nurseries and it can be cultivated in gardens if its requirements are met. Wild plants, however, should never be collected.
Range & Habitat: The native Grass Pink Orchid has been found primarily in the northern half of Illinois and a few scattered counties elsewhere (see Distribution Map). This orchid is now rare and it is state-listed as 'endangered.' At one time, the Grass Pink Orchid was more abundant in Illinois, but its populations have declined because of habitat destruction and unscrupulous collecting. Habitats where this orchid can be found include wet to moist sand prairies, wet to moist sandy meadows, shallow sandy swales, openings in sandy swamps, fens, and bogs. This orchid is found in high quality natural areas.
Faunal Associations: Bumblebees and other large long-tongued bees are the primary pollinators of the flowers. Halictid bees, flies, butterflies, skippers, and beetles also visit the flowers occasionally, but they are unlikely to be effective at cross-pollination. See Cole (1988), Luer (1975), Small (1976), and Thien & Marcks (1972) for more information. Neither nectar nor accessible pollen are available to such flower-visiting insects. Instead, they are lured by deception to land on the showy flowers. In particular, they are often attracted to the colorful pseudo-stamens on the lip of the flower. If the visiting insect has sufficient weight, the hinged lip of the flower collapses onto its exposed reproductive column, attaching pollinia to the back of the insect. When the same insect visits the next flower, the same process can deposit the pollinia onto the exposed stigma of the reproductive column, enabling cross-pollination to occur. Like other orchids, the foliage and flowers of the Grass Pink Orchid are probably vulnerable to browsing by White-tailed Deer and other mammalian herbivores. When such animals are too abundant, it may be necessary to protect colonies and solitary plants of this orchid with wire cages or fencing.
Photographic Location: A shallow sandy swale at a nature preserve in Lake County, Illinois.
Comments: The structure of the flower for this orchid is highly unusual because its lip is located at the top rather than the bottom, causing the flower to appear upside-down (even though it is actually rightside-up). The Grass Pink Orchid is the most common species of its genus within the state and it is widely distributed within the eastern United States and SE Canada. The only other species of this genus within the state, the Oklahoma Grass Pink Orchid (Calopogon oklahomensis), is even more rare and it is also state-listed as 'endangered.' This latter orchid can be distinguished from the former as follows: 1) the petals and sepals of its flower are usually a lighter shade of pink, and 2) the lip of its flower has a patch of short pink pseudo-stamens above its showier yellow pseudo-stamens. The more common Grass Pink orchid lacks short pink pseudo-stamens on the lip of its flower. The Oklahoma Grass Pink Orchid is also found in drier habitats, like mesic prairies. Other common names of Calopogon tuberosus are Tuberous Grass Pink and Grass Pink, even though it is neither a grass nor a member of the Pink family (Caryophyllaceae).
0
0
文章
Miss Chen
2018年06月12日
Description: This herbaceous perennial plant can be terrestrial or emergent-aquatic. During the spring, it forms a small number of ascending basal leaves in a loose rosette. The leaf blades are 2–4½" long and a little less across; they are cordate, oval-cordate, or orbicular-cordate in shape and their margins are toothless. The leaf blades are cordate at the base and they taper abruptly into short narrow tips. These tips are often curved upward and inward (involute). The leaf blade surface is medium to dark green, hairless, and somewhat shiny above. Each leaf blade has a central vein that extends to about one-third of its length, from which there develops numerous parallel lateral veins that curve upward toward the leaf tip. The petioles are 3–8" long and rather stout; they are light to medium green and hairless. The upper side of each petiole is shallowly concave, while its lower side is round. Basal sheaths wrap around the bases of the petioles. The inflorescence consists of a solitary spadix and spathe at the apex of a floral stalk. The greenish white spadix is ½–1¼" in length, short-cylindrical in shape, and short-stalked.
The spadix has mostly perfect (bisexual) flowers and some staminate (male) flowers at its apex, although sometimes the spadix lacks staminate flowers. These small flowers are densely arranged across the entire surface of the spadix and they are numerous. Each perfect flower has a green ovoid pistil that is surrounded at its base by 6-9 white stamens. The staminate flowers have only white stamens. Directly behind the spadix, there is a petaloid white spathe. The hairless spathe is about 1½–2½" in length, ovate to oval in shape, and tapering abruptly into a narrow linear tip up to 8 mm. (1/3") long; this tip is strongly involute (rolled tightly inward). Sometimes the back of the spathe is light green while it is in bloom. On rare occasions, 2-3 spathes may develop alongside the spadix. The blooming period occurs intermittently during the summer, lasting about 1-2 months for a colony of plants. Afterwards, the spadix and spathe turn green. The perfect flowers are replaced by globoid-obovoid berries with short tapered beaks; the spadix swells in size as the berries develop. Immature berries are green or greenish yellow, but they become bright red and 8–12 mm. (1/3–1/2") across at maturity. The interior of each berry contains gelatinous flesh and several seeds. The mature seeds are 6 mm. (¼") long, ellipsoid and somewhat flattened in shape, brown to dark brown, and minutely pitted. The root system is long-rhizomatous and fibrous. Colonies of clonal plants of varying size sometimes develop from the rhizomes at favorable sites.
Cultivation: The preference is partial sun to medium shade, wet conditions to shallow water, and an acidic peaty soil. Further to the north of Illinois, this plant tolerates full sun.
Range & Habitat: In Illinois, Wild Calla (Calla palustris) has been found only in Lake County, where it is native and still exists (see Distribution Map); it is state-listed as endangered. Illinois lies along its southern range-limit. This plant has a broad distribution in boreal areas of NE and north-central USA and southern Canada; it also occurs in boreal areas of Eurasia. In Illinois, Wild Calla is found primarily in shrubby areas of bogs, including shrubby areas adjacent to boardwalks where live sphagnum mosses occur. It also occurs in shallow pools of water in bogs, and on wet ground around Tamarack trees (Larix laricina). All of these habitats are high quality natural areas.
Faunal Associations: The flowers are visited primarily by flies, including Syrphid flies and carrion flies (Müller, 1873/1883; Knuth, 1909; Thomson, 1995). The foliage is toxic because it contains calcium oxalate; this substance is highly irritating to the gastrointestinal tract of vertebrate animals. Nonetheless, it has been reported that the young foliage of this plant is an important source of food for Black Bears during the spring in Minnesota when few sources of food are available (Rogers, 2011; Rogers et al., 1987).
Photographic Location: Shrubby area of a bog in Lake County, Illinois.
Comments: While the flowers of the spadices remain in bloom for only a short time, the white spathes of this plant remain attractive for a longer period of time. The glossy foliage and ripe red berries are also attractive. Wild Calla (Calla palustris) is the only species in its genus. It is an easy plant to identify when its inflorescence is present as no other plant produces anything like it in Illinois. The leaves of Wild Calla have a superficial resemblance to those of the more common Marsh Marigold (Caltha palustris), but the leaves of the latter have fine networks of veins and shallow teeth along the margins. Marsh Marigold also produces its yellow flowers during the spring, while Wild Calla produces its greenish white flowers during the summer. Another common name of Calla palustris is Water Arum.
The spadix has mostly perfect (bisexual) flowers and some staminate (male) flowers at its apex, although sometimes the spadix lacks staminate flowers. These small flowers are densely arranged across the entire surface of the spadix and they are numerous. Each perfect flower has a green ovoid pistil that is surrounded at its base by 6-9 white stamens. The staminate flowers have only white stamens. Directly behind the spadix, there is a petaloid white spathe. The hairless spathe is about 1½–2½" in length, ovate to oval in shape, and tapering abruptly into a narrow linear tip up to 8 mm. (1/3") long; this tip is strongly involute (rolled tightly inward). Sometimes the back of the spathe is light green while it is in bloom. On rare occasions, 2-3 spathes may develop alongside the spadix. The blooming period occurs intermittently during the summer, lasting about 1-2 months for a colony of plants. Afterwards, the spadix and spathe turn green. The perfect flowers are replaced by globoid-obovoid berries with short tapered beaks; the spadix swells in size as the berries develop. Immature berries are green or greenish yellow, but they become bright red and 8–12 mm. (1/3–1/2") across at maturity. The interior of each berry contains gelatinous flesh and several seeds. The mature seeds are 6 mm. (¼") long, ellipsoid and somewhat flattened in shape, brown to dark brown, and minutely pitted. The root system is long-rhizomatous and fibrous. Colonies of clonal plants of varying size sometimes develop from the rhizomes at favorable sites.
Cultivation: The preference is partial sun to medium shade, wet conditions to shallow water, and an acidic peaty soil. Further to the north of Illinois, this plant tolerates full sun.
Range & Habitat: In Illinois, Wild Calla (Calla palustris) has been found only in Lake County, where it is native and still exists (see Distribution Map); it is state-listed as endangered. Illinois lies along its southern range-limit. This plant has a broad distribution in boreal areas of NE and north-central USA and southern Canada; it also occurs in boreal areas of Eurasia. In Illinois, Wild Calla is found primarily in shrubby areas of bogs, including shrubby areas adjacent to boardwalks where live sphagnum mosses occur. It also occurs in shallow pools of water in bogs, and on wet ground around Tamarack trees (Larix laricina). All of these habitats are high quality natural areas.
Faunal Associations: The flowers are visited primarily by flies, including Syrphid flies and carrion flies (Müller, 1873/1883; Knuth, 1909; Thomson, 1995). The foliage is toxic because it contains calcium oxalate; this substance is highly irritating to the gastrointestinal tract of vertebrate animals. Nonetheless, it has been reported that the young foliage of this plant is an important source of food for Black Bears during the spring in Minnesota when few sources of food are available (Rogers, 2011; Rogers et al., 1987).
Photographic Location: Shrubby area of a bog in Lake County, Illinois.
Comments: While the flowers of the spadices remain in bloom for only a short time, the white spathes of this plant remain attractive for a longer period of time. The glossy foliage and ripe red berries are also attractive. Wild Calla (Calla palustris) is the only species in its genus. It is an easy plant to identify when its inflorescence is present as no other plant produces anything like it in Illinois. The leaves of Wild Calla have a superficial resemblance to those of the more common Marsh Marigold (Caltha palustris), but the leaves of the latter have fine networks of veins and shallow teeth along the margins. Marsh Marigold also produces its yellow flowers during the spring, while Wild Calla produces its greenish white flowers during the summer. Another common name of Calla palustris is Water Arum.
0
0
