文章
Miss Chen
2018年06月18日
Description: This herbaceous perennial plant is unbranched and about 3-6' tall. The central stem is smooth and sometimes reddish. The alternate compound leaves are up to 2' long. They are often yellowish green, and become much smaller and sparser while ascending the central stem. Each compound leaf consists of 1-7 palmate leaflets that are aligned along each reddish leaf-stem in succession. Each leaflet is up to 6" long and across and has 2-5 cleft lobes. The margins are coarsely dentate.
The inflorescence occurs on a long naked stalk, consisting of a panicle of pink buds and flowers about 5-8" across. Each flower is about 1/3" across, consisting of 5 pink petals and numerous long white stamens with pink anthers. The overall appearance of the inflorescence resembles wind-tossed fluff or foam, and is quite beautiful. The flowers bloom from the bottom up, and have little or no fragrance. The blooming period occurs from early to mid-summer, and lasts about 3 weeks. Afterwards, straight reddish fruits develop that are about ¼–½" across. The root system consists of a taproot and rhizomes. Queen-of-the-Prairie tends to form colonies under moist conditions.
Cultivation: The preference is full or partial sun, and wet to moist conditions. The soil should be high in organic content, and can contain a little sand. The cooler climate of the Great Lakes region is preferred, rather than hot, dry summer heat. Occasionally, the leaves become spotted from foliar disease, otherwise it is not subject to any special problems.
Range & Habitat: The native Queen-of-the-Prairie occurs primarily in scattered counties along the upper basin of the Illinois River and in the Chicago area. It has also been observed in east central Illinois (see Distribution Map), where it has been successfully introduced. This uncommon plant is listed as 'threatened' in Illinois. Habitats include moist black soil prairies, moist sand prairies, moist meadows along rivers in woodland areas, shrubby fens, and wet areas in or around seeps and springs. This is an indicator plant of high quality habitats, although in some areas it has been introduced as part of restoration efforts.
Faunal Associations: The colorful flowers provide pollen as a reward for insect visitors, but not nectar. Various species of bees collect pollen from the flowers and probably are the most important pollinators. Beetles and flies feed on the pollen. Wasps and butterflies may land on the flowers looking for nectar, but their search will be futile. Little is known about the floral-fauna relationships for birds and mammals. The foliage doesn't seem to be bothered by deer and other herbivorous mammals.
Photographic Location: The photographs were taken at Meadowbrook Park in Urbana, Illinois.
Comments: This is a wonderful plant, if only it would bloom longer! In prairies, the pink flowers rise above the surrounding vegetation and can be seen from a considerable distance. It has a very distinctive appearance, and can't be confused with any other native plant. However, the introduced Filipendula ulmaria (Queen-of-the-Meadow) is somewhat similar. This latter species differs from Queen-of-the-Prairie by having white flowers and twisted fruits.
The inflorescence occurs on a long naked stalk, consisting of a panicle of pink buds and flowers about 5-8" across. Each flower is about 1/3" across, consisting of 5 pink petals and numerous long white stamens with pink anthers. The overall appearance of the inflorescence resembles wind-tossed fluff or foam, and is quite beautiful. The flowers bloom from the bottom up, and have little or no fragrance. The blooming period occurs from early to mid-summer, and lasts about 3 weeks. Afterwards, straight reddish fruits develop that are about ¼–½" across. The root system consists of a taproot and rhizomes. Queen-of-the-Prairie tends to form colonies under moist conditions.
Cultivation: The preference is full or partial sun, and wet to moist conditions. The soil should be high in organic content, and can contain a little sand. The cooler climate of the Great Lakes region is preferred, rather than hot, dry summer heat. Occasionally, the leaves become spotted from foliar disease, otherwise it is not subject to any special problems.
Range & Habitat: The native Queen-of-the-Prairie occurs primarily in scattered counties along the upper basin of the Illinois River and in the Chicago area. It has also been observed in east central Illinois (see Distribution Map), where it has been successfully introduced. This uncommon plant is listed as 'threatened' in Illinois. Habitats include moist black soil prairies, moist sand prairies, moist meadows along rivers in woodland areas, shrubby fens, and wet areas in or around seeps and springs. This is an indicator plant of high quality habitats, although in some areas it has been introduced as part of restoration efforts.
Faunal Associations: The colorful flowers provide pollen as a reward for insect visitors, but not nectar. Various species of bees collect pollen from the flowers and probably are the most important pollinators. Beetles and flies feed on the pollen. Wasps and butterflies may land on the flowers looking for nectar, but their search will be futile. Little is known about the floral-fauna relationships for birds and mammals. The foliage doesn't seem to be bothered by deer and other herbivorous mammals.
Photographic Location: The photographs were taken at Meadowbrook Park in Urbana, Illinois.
Comments: This is a wonderful plant, if only it would bloom longer! In prairies, the pink flowers rise above the surrounding vegetation and can be seen from a considerable distance. It has a very distinctive appearance, and can't be confused with any other native plant. However, the introduced Filipendula ulmaria (Queen-of-the-Meadow) is somewhat similar. This latter species differs from Queen-of-the-Prairie by having white flowers and twisted fruits.
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文章
Miss Chen
2018年06月18日
Description: This perennial plant is 3-5' tall and unbranched, except for flowerhead-bearing stalks near the apex of the plant. The central stem is stout, terete, and either purple-spotted or purple; it is often covered with short fine hairs. At intervals along the central stem, there are whorls of 4-5 leaves that are yellowish green or green. These leaves are up to 7" long and 2½" across; they are lanceolate to broadly elliptic and serrated along their margins. The upper leaf surfaces have conspicuous venation. The petioles of the leaves are short (less than ¼" in length). The central stem terminates in a rather flat-headed panicle of flowerheads spanning 3-6" across. Small clusters of flowerheads may occur below on separate stalks. Each narrow flowerhead is about 1/3" (8 mm.) long, consisting of 8-20 pink to purplish pink disk florets and no ray florets. Each tiny disk floret has a narrowly tubular corolla with 5 spreading lobes along its upper rim; exerted from the corolla, there is a strongly exerted style that is divided into filiform parts. The narrow bracts (phyllaries) at the base of each flowerhead are pink or purplish pink, like the disk florets. The flowering stalks are purple-spotted to purple and they are often covered with short fine hairs. The blooming period occurs from mid- to late summer, lasting about 3-4 weeks. The flowerheads are often fragrant. The florets are replaced by achenes with small tufts of bristly hair; they are dispersed by the wind. The root system is fibrous and rhizomatous. This plant often forms small clonal colonies.
Cultivation: The preference is full or partial sun, wet to moist conditions, and a mineral-rich soil containing silty or sandy loam. Spotted Joe-Pye Weed is more tolerant of water-logged conditions than most plants.
Range & Habitat: The native Spotted Joe-Pye Weed occurs occasionally in the northern half of Illinois, while in the southern half of the state it is rare or absent (see Distribution Map). Habitats include wet black soil prairies, wet sand prairies, sedge meadows, marshes, fens, and swampy thickets with small trees or shrubs. Spotted Joe-Pye Weed is partial to sandy wetlands, but it is also found in non-sandy wetlands. It is usually found in high quality natural areas, rather than degraded habitats with a history of disturbance.
Faunal Associations: The nectar of the flowers attracts honey bees, bumblebees, long-horned bees (Melissodes spp.), leaf-cutting bees (Megachile spp.), bee flies, butterflies, skippers, and moths. Some bees may also collect pollen. The following leaf beetles have been observed to feed on Spotted Joe-Pye Weed: Exema dispar, Ophraella notata, and Sumitrosis inaequalis (Clark et al., 2004). An uncommon aphid, Aphis vernoniae, sucks the plant juices. The caterpillars of some moth species feed on various parts of Eutrochium spp. (Joe-Pye Weed species). They include Schinia trifascia (Three-Lined Flower Moth; feeds on florets), Carmenta bassiformis (Eupatorium Borer Moth; bores through roots), Phragmatobia fuliginosa (Ruby Tiger Moth; feeds on foliage), and Eupithecia miserulata (Common Pug; feeds on florets). The seeds of Joe-Pye Weed species are a minor source of food to the Swamp Sparrow. The foliage is not preferred as a food source for mammalian herbivores, although it may be browsed upon occasion by deer, rabbits, or livestock.
Photographic Location: Cowe's Bog at the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore in NW Indiana. Cowe's Bog is a sandy fen.
Comments: Recently, species of Joe-Pye Weed have been separated from the Bonesets (Eupatorium spp.); they have been re-assigned to the genus Eutrochium. Some sources of information still refer to this species as Eupatorium maculatum, and sometimes it is also referred to as Eupatoriadelphus maculatus. In Illinois, species of Joe-Pye Weed differ from the Bonesets by their whorled leaves, while the latter group of plants usually have opposite leaves. Spotted Joe-Pye Weed (Eutrochium maculatum) differs from Hollow-stemmed Joe-Pye Weed (Eutrochium fistulosum) and Sweet Joe-Pye Weed (Eutrochium purpureum) by its rather flat-headed panicles of flowerheads, purple-spotted or purplish stems that are often pubescent, and flowerheads consisting of 8-20 disk florets. Other species of Joe-Pye Weed within the state have more dome-shaped panicles of flowerheads, stems that are hairless, and flowerheads consisting of 4-7 disk florets. Spotted Joe-Pye Weed also tends to be shorter.
Cultivation: The preference is full or partial sun, wet to moist conditions, and a mineral-rich soil containing silty or sandy loam. Spotted Joe-Pye Weed is more tolerant of water-logged conditions than most plants.
Range & Habitat: The native Spotted Joe-Pye Weed occurs occasionally in the northern half of Illinois, while in the southern half of the state it is rare or absent (see Distribution Map). Habitats include wet black soil prairies, wet sand prairies, sedge meadows, marshes, fens, and swampy thickets with small trees or shrubs. Spotted Joe-Pye Weed is partial to sandy wetlands, but it is also found in non-sandy wetlands. It is usually found in high quality natural areas, rather than degraded habitats with a history of disturbance.
Faunal Associations: The nectar of the flowers attracts honey bees, bumblebees, long-horned bees (Melissodes spp.), leaf-cutting bees (Megachile spp.), bee flies, butterflies, skippers, and moths. Some bees may also collect pollen. The following leaf beetles have been observed to feed on Spotted Joe-Pye Weed: Exema dispar, Ophraella notata, and Sumitrosis inaequalis (Clark et al., 2004). An uncommon aphid, Aphis vernoniae, sucks the plant juices. The caterpillars of some moth species feed on various parts of Eutrochium spp. (Joe-Pye Weed species). They include Schinia trifascia (Three-Lined Flower Moth; feeds on florets), Carmenta bassiformis (Eupatorium Borer Moth; bores through roots), Phragmatobia fuliginosa (Ruby Tiger Moth; feeds on foliage), and Eupithecia miserulata (Common Pug; feeds on florets). The seeds of Joe-Pye Weed species are a minor source of food to the Swamp Sparrow. The foliage is not preferred as a food source for mammalian herbivores, although it may be browsed upon occasion by deer, rabbits, or livestock.
Photographic Location: Cowe's Bog at the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore in NW Indiana. Cowe's Bog is a sandy fen.
Comments: Recently, species of Joe-Pye Weed have been separated from the Bonesets (Eupatorium spp.); they have been re-assigned to the genus Eutrochium. Some sources of information still refer to this species as Eupatorium maculatum, and sometimes it is also referred to as Eupatoriadelphus maculatus. In Illinois, species of Joe-Pye Weed differ from the Bonesets by their whorled leaves, while the latter group of plants usually have opposite leaves. Spotted Joe-Pye Weed (Eutrochium maculatum) differs from Hollow-stemmed Joe-Pye Weed (Eutrochium fistulosum) and Sweet Joe-Pye Weed (Eutrochium purpureum) by its rather flat-headed panicles of flowerheads, purple-spotted or purplish stems that are often pubescent, and flowerheads consisting of 8-20 disk florets. Other species of Joe-Pye Weed within the state have more dome-shaped panicles of flowerheads, stems that are hairless, and flowerheads consisting of 4-7 disk florets. Spotted Joe-Pye Weed also tends to be shorter.
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文章
Miss Chen
2018年06月18日
Description: This perennial wildflower is 3-9' tall and largely unbranched, except for some lateral ascending stems along the upper one-third of its length. The central stem is dark purple to pale purplish white, stout, terete, glabrous, and glaucous; the interior of the central stem is mostly hollow. The lateral stems are similar, except they are more narrow. Whorls of 4-7 leaves (usually 5-6) occur at intervals along the central stem; whorls of smaller leaves also occur along some of the lateral stems. Individual leaves are up to 9" long and 3" across; they are elliptic in shape and crenate-serrate along their margins. The upper leaf surface is medium green and glabrous; it is creased along the veins. The lower leaf surface is pale green and mostly glabrous, except for hairs along the lower sides of the veins. The petioles are up to ½" long, pale purple to dark purple, and stout.
The central stem terminates in a panicle of flowerheads up to 1½' long and 1' across; the upper lateral stems often terminate in panicles of flowerheads as well, except they are smaller in size. Individual panicles are rather open and dome-shaped at the top; they vary in color from pale pink-lavender to deep rosy pink. Individual flowerheads are about 9 mm. (1/3") long and 3 mm. (1/8") across, consisting of 5-7 disk florets and no ray florets. Each disk floret consists of a narrowly cylindrical corolla with 5 upright lobes, 5 inserted stamens, and a pistil with an exserted bifurcated style. The corolla is pink-lavender to rosy pink. At the base of each flowerhead, there are overlapping bracts (phyllaries) that are appressed together in several series. These bracts are usually linear-oblong, white with pink tints to light pink, and glabrous. The branches of each panicle are widely spreading to ascending; they are usually dark purple and finely pubescent. The blooming period occurs from mid-summer to early fall and lasts about 1 month. The flowerheads are often mildly fragrant. Afterwards, the disk florets are replaced by small bullet-shaped achenes (about 3 mm. long) with tufts of bristly hair. They are distributed by the wind. The root system is mostly fibrous, although sometimes rhizomes are produced.Distribution Map
Cultivation: The preference is full or partial sun and wet to moist conditions; the soil can contain loam, sand, or gravel. There is considerable variation in the size of individual plants. Exposure to high winds can cause some plants to topple over. Standing water is tolerated if it is temporary.
Range & Habitat: The native Hollow-Stemmed Joe-Pye Weed is an uncommon plant that is found in the southern tip of Illinois, SE Illinois, and widely scattered areas elsewhere. Habitats include wet sand prairies, seeps and springs in partially wooded areas, soggy thickets, fens, rocky sandstone ravines along streams, and low areas along railroads and roadsides. Sometimes this wildflower is cultivated in gardens, although many cultivars display some evidence of hybridization.
Faunal Associations: The flowerheads are visited by honeybees, bumblebees, and other long-tongued bees; other floral visitors include bee flies (Bombyliidae), butterflies, skippers, and moths. Most of these visitors obtain nectar from the flowerheads, although some bees also collect pollen. A modest number of insects feed on the foliage, flowers, stems, or roots of Hollow Joe-Pye Weed and other members of this genus. They include caterpillars of the following moths: Carmenta bassiformis (Eupatorium Borer Moth), Condica vecors (Dusky Groundling), Schinia trifascia (Three-Lined Flower Moth), Papaipema eupatorii (Joe-Pye Weed Borer), Perigea xanthioides (Red Groundling), and Phragmatobia fuliginosa (Ruby Tiger Moth). Other insect feeders include the aphid Aphis vernoniae, the treehopper Entylia bactriana, the leaf beetles Exema dispar and Ophraella notata, and the gall gnat Dasyneura purpurea. Joe-Pye Weed species (Eutrochium spp.) are used by vertebrate animals only to a limited extent. The Swamp Sparrow and probably other birds consume the seeds, while hoofed mammalian herbivores (e.g., deer & cattle) eat the bitter-tasting leaves only when little else is available.
Photographic Location: A wet sand prairie along a railroad at the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore in NW Indiana. Most of the flowerheads of the photographed plant are still in the bud stage.
Comments: This wildflower is an impressive sight as it towers above the surrounding vegetation in open areas. Two other species in this genus occur in Illinois: Eutrochium purpureum (Sweet Joe-Pye Weed) and Eutrochium maculatum (Spotted Joe-Pye Weed). Like Hollow Joe-Pye Weed, these are tall plants with similar flowerheads and whorled leaves. Hollow Joe-Pye Weed can be distinguished from these species by the greater number of leaves per whorl (sometimes exceeding 5), the strong white bloom of its central stem, and the largely hollow interior of its central stem. The other two species of Joe-Pye Weed have at most 5 leaves per whorl, their central stems are either glabrous or hairy, but not strongly glaucous, and the interior of their central stems is only slightly hollow or filled with pith. Other scientific names of Hollow Joe-Pye Weed include Eupatorium fistulosum and Eupatoriadelphus fistulosus.
The central stem terminates in a panicle of flowerheads up to 1½' long and 1' across; the upper lateral stems often terminate in panicles of flowerheads as well, except they are smaller in size. Individual panicles are rather open and dome-shaped at the top; they vary in color from pale pink-lavender to deep rosy pink. Individual flowerheads are about 9 mm. (1/3") long and 3 mm. (1/8") across, consisting of 5-7 disk florets and no ray florets. Each disk floret consists of a narrowly cylindrical corolla with 5 upright lobes, 5 inserted stamens, and a pistil with an exserted bifurcated style. The corolla is pink-lavender to rosy pink. At the base of each flowerhead, there are overlapping bracts (phyllaries) that are appressed together in several series. These bracts are usually linear-oblong, white with pink tints to light pink, and glabrous. The branches of each panicle are widely spreading to ascending; they are usually dark purple and finely pubescent. The blooming period occurs from mid-summer to early fall and lasts about 1 month. The flowerheads are often mildly fragrant. Afterwards, the disk florets are replaced by small bullet-shaped achenes (about 3 mm. long) with tufts of bristly hair. They are distributed by the wind. The root system is mostly fibrous, although sometimes rhizomes are produced.Distribution Map
Cultivation: The preference is full or partial sun and wet to moist conditions; the soil can contain loam, sand, or gravel. There is considerable variation in the size of individual plants. Exposure to high winds can cause some plants to topple over. Standing water is tolerated if it is temporary.
Range & Habitat: The native Hollow-Stemmed Joe-Pye Weed is an uncommon plant that is found in the southern tip of Illinois, SE Illinois, and widely scattered areas elsewhere. Habitats include wet sand prairies, seeps and springs in partially wooded areas, soggy thickets, fens, rocky sandstone ravines along streams, and low areas along railroads and roadsides. Sometimes this wildflower is cultivated in gardens, although many cultivars display some evidence of hybridization.
Faunal Associations: The flowerheads are visited by honeybees, bumblebees, and other long-tongued bees; other floral visitors include bee flies (Bombyliidae), butterflies, skippers, and moths. Most of these visitors obtain nectar from the flowerheads, although some bees also collect pollen. A modest number of insects feed on the foliage, flowers, stems, or roots of Hollow Joe-Pye Weed and other members of this genus. They include caterpillars of the following moths: Carmenta bassiformis (Eupatorium Borer Moth), Condica vecors (Dusky Groundling), Schinia trifascia (Three-Lined Flower Moth), Papaipema eupatorii (Joe-Pye Weed Borer), Perigea xanthioides (Red Groundling), and Phragmatobia fuliginosa (Ruby Tiger Moth). Other insect feeders include the aphid Aphis vernoniae, the treehopper Entylia bactriana, the leaf beetles Exema dispar and Ophraella notata, and the gall gnat Dasyneura purpurea. Joe-Pye Weed species (Eutrochium spp.) are used by vertebrate animals only to a limited extent. The Swamp Sparrow and probably other birds consume the seeds, while hoofed mammalian herbivores (e.g., deer & cattle) eat the bitter-tasting leaves only when little else is available.
Photographic Location: A wet sand prairie along a railroad at the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore in NW Indiana. Most of the flowerheads of the photographed plant are still in the bud stage.
Comments: This wildflower is an impressive sight as it towers above the surrounding vegetation in open areas. Two other species in this genus occur in Illinois: Eutrochium purpureum (Sweet Joe-Pye Weed) and Eutrochium maculatum (Spotted Joe-Pye Weed). Like Hollow Joe-Pye Weed, these are tall plants with similar flowerheads and whorled leaves. Hollow Joe-Pye Weed can be distinguished from these species by the greater number of leaves per whorl (sometimes exceeding 5), the strong white bloom of its central stem, and the largely hollow interior of its central stem. The other two species of Joe-Pye Weed have at most 5 leaves per whorl, their central stems are either glabrous or hairy, but not strongly glaucous, and the interior of their central stems is only slightly hollow or filled with pith. Other scientific names of Hollow Joe-Pye Weed include Eupatorium fistulosum and Eupatoriadelphus fistulosus.
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文章
Miss Chen
2018年06月17日
Description: This perennial wildflower forms arching stems about 3-8' long that are unbranched or sparingly so. The base of each stem is spongy and swollen if it is submerged in water, otherwise it is more constricted and angular. Each stem is pale green to red and either glabrous or pubescent; it tends to be slightly woody at the base, but dies down to the ground each winter (at least in the Midwest). Both opposite leaves and whorls of 3 leaves can occur along the stems; they are up to 6" long and 1½" across. The leaves are elliptic in shape and smooth along their margins. The upper leaf surface is medium to dark green and glabrous, while the lower surface is pale to medium green and either glabrous or pubescent. The leaves taper gradually into short petioles (¼" or less) and long narrow tips.
Clusters of non-terminal flowers occur in the axils of the leaves. Individual flowers are up to 1" long and 1" across, consisting of 5 wrinkled purple petals, a short tubular calyx with 5 primary teeth alternating with 5 secondary teeth, 10 stamens of varying lengths, and a pistil with a style. Sometimes there are more calyx teeth and fewer stamens. The bell-shaped calyx is light green to cream-colored with rose tints; its primary teeth are ovate, while its secondary teeth are elevated above the primary teeth and they are linear. The slender secondary teeth are often contorted or crooked and they are ciliate along their margins. The pedicels of the flowers are light green, glabrous or pubescent, and short (about ¼" in length). There are 2 or more leafy bracts underneath each cluster of flowers; they are up to ¾" in lengthDistribution Map and lanceolate to ovate in shape. The blooming period occurs from mid-summer to early fall, lasting about 1-2 months. Each flower typically lasts only 1-2 days. During the autumn, the flowers are replaced by globoid seed capsules about ¼" across. Each capsule contains many chunky seeds; the seeds probably float on water. This wildflower reproduces clonally whenever its stem tips touch moist ground, where new plants will take root. As a result, colonies of clonal plants often form.
Cultivation: The preference is full or partial sun, wet to moist conditions, and soil that is mucky, peaty, or sandy (or some combination of the preceding). Swamp Loosestrife is usually an emergent aquatic plant in stagnant or slow-moving water. However, it also colonizes damp ground near shorelines.
Range & Habitat: Swamp Loosestrife is an uncommon wildflower that is found in scattered areas of Illinois. It is apparently absent in the NW and east-central areas of the state. Habitats include marshes and sandy marshes, swamps and sandy swamps, shorelines along ponds and small lakes, calcareous fens, and peaty bogs. Sometimes Swamp Loosestrife occurs on floating mats of vegetation in fens and bogs. It is usually found in high quality wetlands.
Faunal Associations: The flowers are cross-pollinated by honeybees, bumblebees, Swallowtail butterflies, and probably other insects. These visitors obtain primarily nectar from the flowers. The caterpillars of Darapsa versicolor (Hydrangea Sphinx) and Eudryas unio (Pearly Wood Nymph) feed on the foliage, while the caterpillars of Papaipema cataphracta (Burdock Borer Moth) and Papaipema sulphurata (Decodon Borer Moth) bore through the stems. The range of the rare Decodon Borer Moth is restricted to northeastern United States. The seed capsules of Swamp Loosestrife are eaten by several ducks: the Mallard, Black Duck, Blue-Winged Teal, Green-Winged Teal, and Wood Duck. Muskrats like to feed on the swollen and spongy underwater stems.
Photographic Location: Shoreline of a small lake at the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore in NW Indiana.
Comments: Swamp Loosestrife is both large in size and attractive, especially when it is in bloom. Its two closest relatives in Illinois, the native Lythrum alatum (Winged Loosestrife) and introduced Lythrum salicaria (Purple Loosestrife), prefer somewhat drier areas of wetlands. Compared to Swamp Loosestrife, both of these species have very similar purple flowers, but they are both erect in their habit of growth, rather than arching.
Clusters of non-terminal flowers occur in the axils of the leaves. Individual flowers are up to 1" long and 1" across, consisting of 5 wrinkled purple petals, a short tubular calyx with 5 primary teeth alternating with 5 secondary teeth, 10 stamens of varying lengths, and a pistil with a style. Sometimes there are more calyx teeth and fewer stamens. The bell-shaped calyx is light green to cream-colored with rose tints; its primary teeth are ovate, while its secondary teeth are elevated above the primary teeth and they are linear. The slender secondary teeth are often contorted or crooked and they are ciliate along their margins. The pedicels of the flowers are light green, glabrous or pubescent, and short (about ¼" in length). There are 2 or more leafy bracts underneath each cluster of flowers; they are up to ¾" in lengthDistribution Map and lanceolate to ovate in shape. The blooming period occurs from mid-summer to early fall, lasting about 1-2 months. Each flower typically lasts only 1-2 days. During the autumn, the flowers are replaced by globoid seed capsules about ¼" across. Each capsule contains many chunky seeds; the seeds probably float on water. This wildflower reproduces clonally whenever its stem tips touch moist ground, where new plants will take root. As a result, colonies of clonal plants often form.
Cultivation: The preference is full or partial sun, wet to moist conditions, and soil that is mucky, peaty, or sandy (or some combination of the preceding). Swamp Loosestrife is usually an emergent aquatic plant in stagnant or slow-moving water. However, it also colonizes damp ground near shorelines.
Range & Habitat: Swamp Loosestrife is an uncommon wildflower that is found in scattered areas of Illinois. It is apparently absent in the NW and east-central areas of the state. Habitats include marshes and sandy marshes, swamps and sandy swamps, shorelines along ponds and small lakes, calcareous fens, and peaty bogs. Sometimes Swamp Loosestrife occurs on floating mats of vegetation in fens and bogs. It is usually found in high quality wetlands.
Faunal Associations: The flowers are cross-pollinated by honeybees, bumblebees, Swallowtail butterflies, and probably other insects. These visitors obtain primarily nectar from the flowers. The caterpillars of Darapsa versicolor (Hydrangea Sphinx) and Eudryas unio (Pearly Wood Nymph) feed on the foliage, while the caterpillars of Papaipema cataphracta (Burdock Borer Moth) and Papaipema sulphurata (Decodon Borer Moth) bore through the stems. The range of the rare Decodon Borer Moth is restricted to northeastern United States. The seed capsules of Swamp Loosestrife are eaten by several ducks: the Mallard, Black Duck, Blue-Winged Teal, Green-Winged Teal, and Wood Duck. Muskrats like to feed on the swollen and spongy underwater stems.
Photographic Location: Shoreline of a small lake at the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore in NW Indiana.
Comments: Swamp Loosestrife is both large in size and attractive, especially when it is in bloom. Its two closest relatives in Illinois, the native Lythrum alatum (Winged Loosestrife) and introduced Lythrum salicaria (Purple Loosestrife), prefer somewhat drier areas of wetlands. Compared to Swamp Loosestrife, both of these species have very similar purple flowers, but they are both erect in their habit of growth, rather than arching.
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Miss Chen
2018年06月17日
Description: This plant is a small much-branched shrub about 1½–3' tall. The bark of the woody branches is reddish brown to grayish brown, becoming shredded and ragged-looking with age. The alternate leaves are about ½–1" long and across; they are divided into 3-7 narrow pinnate lobes and their margins are smooth and revolute (folded downward). The lobes often appear to be palmate because they are crowded together; they are linear-oblong in shape. The upper surface of each leaf is medium to dark green and sparsely covered with fine silky hairs; the lower surface is pale green and more densely covered with fine hairs. The leaves have short petioles.
The upper branches produce either individual or small clusters of yellow flowers. Each flower spans about ¾–1½" across; it has 5 yellow petals that are well-rounded, 5 yellowish green sepals, 15-20 stamens with flat golden anthers, and multiple carpels (female reproductive organs) that are crowded together in the center. The sepals are ovate in shape and sparsely covered with fine silky hairs. On a particular shrub, many flowers may bloom at once, or only a few flowers at a time. The blooming period occurs during the summer and early fall; a small colony of shrubs may remain in bloom for 2-3 months. Each flower is replaced by a capsule that contains several hairy seeds. Mature capsules become dark brown and persist into the winter. The root system consists of a woody taproot.
Cultivation: Shrubby Cinquefoil prefers full sun, moist conditions, and a sandy or rocky soil containing calcium. The pH of the soil should be slightly acid to alkaline. Shrubby Cinquefoil can be cultivated in a garden soil containing loam or clay-loam, and it will adapt to drier situations.
Range & Habitat: Shrubby Cinquefoil is a rare plant in Illinois; it is found primarily in a few counties in the NE section of the state (see Distribution Map), where it is native. Habitats include fens, calcareous seeps, the upper portion of beaches and low sandy areas along Lake Michigan, sandy banks of interdunal ponds, moist dolomite prairies, and hill prairies. The last habitat is highly atypical. Shrubby Cinquefoil is typically found in calcareous wetlands near Lake Michigan and other Great Lakes; it rarely naturalizes in disturbed areas. Because of its attractive flowers and easy culture, Shrubby Cinquefoil is often cultivated as an ornamental plant in gardens and lawns. This circumboreal shrub is also native to Eurasia.
Faunal Associations: According to observations of Müller (1873/1883) in Germany, the nectar and pollen of the flowers attract honeybees, Halictid bees, Sphecid wasps, and various flies. Observed fly visitors include: Soldier flies, Syrphid flies, Thick-headed flies, Flesh flies (Sarcophaga spp.), Blow flies (Lucilia spp.), Dung flies (Scatophaga spp., Sepsis spp.), and Anthomyiid flies. The caterpillars of the butterfly Lycaena dorcas (Dorcas Copper) feed on the foliage of Shrubby Cinquefoil, while the caterpillars of the moth Scopula limboundata (Large Lace Border) eat the flowers. Another insect that feeds on Shrubby Cinquefoil is the flea beetle Macrohaltica caurina. With the exception of goats, hoofed mammalian herbivores don't browse on this shrub to any significant extent.
Photographic Location: A roadside garden in Champaign, Illinois.
Comments: Other scientific names for this species includes Potentilla fruticosa and Pentaphylloides floribunda. While the floral structure of Shrubby Cinquefoil (Dasiphora fruticosa) resembles that of the various cinquefoil species (Potentilla spp.), the latter are non-woody plants with smaller flowers (¼–¾" across). Another species, Three-toothed Cinquefoil (Sibbaldiopsis tridentata), is a low woody plant with small white flowers; it more closely resembles a wild strawberry (Fragaria sp.) than Shrubby Cinquefoil.
The upper branches produce either individual or small clusters of yellow flowers. Each flower spans about ¾–1½" across; it has 5 yellow petals that are well-rounded, 5 yellowish green sepals, 15-20 stamens with flat golden anthers, and multiple carpels (female reproductive organs) that are crowded together in the center. The sepals are ovate in shape and sparsely covered with fine silky hairs. On a particular shrub, many flowers may bloom at once, or only a few flowers at a time. The blooming period occurs during the summer and early fall; a small colony of shrubs may remain in bloom for 2-3 months. Each flower is replaced by a capsule that contains several hairy seeds. Mature capsules become dark brown and persist into the winter. The root system consists of a woody taproot.
Cultivation: Shrubby Cinquefoil prefers full sun, moist conditions, and a sandy or rocky soil containing calcium. The pH of the soil should be slightly acid to alkaline. Shrubby Cinquefoil can be cultivated in a garden soil containing loam or clay-loam, and it will adapt to drier situations.
Range & Habitat: Shrubby Cinquefoil is a rare plant in Illinois; it is found primarily in a few counties in the NE section of the state (see Distribution Map), where it is native. Habitats include fens, calcareous seeps, the upper portion of beaches and low sandy areas along Lake Michigan, sandy banks of interdunal ponds, moist dolomite prairies, and hill prairies. The last habitat is highly atypical. Shrubby Cinquefoil is typically found in calcareous wetlands near Lake Michigan and other Great Lakes; it rarely naturalizes in disturbed areas. Because of its attractive flowers and easy culture, Shrubby Cinquefoil is often cultivated as an ornamental plant in gardens and lawns. This circumboreal shrub is also native to Eurasia.
Faunal Associations: According to observations of Müller (1873/1883) in Germany, the nectar and pollen of the flowers attract honeybees, Halictid bees, Sphecid wasps, and various flies. Observed fly visitors include: Soldier flies, Syrphid flies, Thick-headed flies, Flesh flies (Sarcophaga spp.), Blow flies (Lucilia spp.), Dung flies (Scatophaga spp., Sepsis spp.), and Anthomyiid flies. The caterpillars of the butterfly Lycaena dorcas (Dorcas Copper) feed on the foliage of Shrubby Cinquefoil, while the caterpillars of the moth Scopula limboundata (Large Lace Border) eat the flowers. Another insect that feeds on Shrubby Cinquefoil is the flea beetle Macrohaltica caurina. With the exception of goats, hoofed mammalian herbivores don't browse on this shrub to any significant extent.
Photographic Location: A roadside garden in Champaign, Illinois.
Comments: Other scientific names for this species includes Potentilla fruticosa and Pentaphylloides floribunda. While the floral structure of Shrubby Cinquefoil (Dasiphora fruticosa) resembles that of the various cinquefoil species (Potentilla spp.), the latter are non-woody plants with smaller flowers (¼–¾" across). Another species, Three-toothed Cinquefoil (Sibbaldiopsis tridentata), is a low woody plant with small white flowers; it more closely resembles a wild strawberry (Fragaria sp.) than Shrubby Cinquefoil.
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Miss Chen
2018年06月17日
Description: This perennial plant is 1-2½' tall, branching occasionally to abundantly. The stems are light green, terete, and appressed-pubescent. The opposite leaves are up to 3" long and 2" across; they have short slender petioles. The leaf blades are oval-cordate, oval, or ovate in shape, while their margins are dentate or dentate-crenate. The upper blade surface is light green and glabrous with a conspicuous network of veins. The upper stems terminate in flat-topped clusters of flowerheads. Each cluster of flowerheads spans about 1-3" across. Each flowerhead has about 40-50 disk florets that are pink, lavender, or blue. Each floret has a tiny tubular corolla with 5 spreading lobes and a strongly exerted style that is divided into two filiform parts. Around the base of each flowerhead, there are several floral bracts (phyllaries) that are arranged in 1-2 series; they are light green and linear in shape. The branches underneath each flowerhead cluster are light green and terete.
The blooming period occurs from mid-summer to early autumn, lasting about 1-2 months. There is no noticeable floral scent. Afterwards, the florets are replaced by achenes with small tufts of hair; they are distributed by the wind. The root system is highly rhizomatous; this plant readily forms colonies.
Cultivation: The preference is full sun to light shade, moist conditions, and soil containing loam or silt. There should be sufficient organic material in the soil to retain moisture. This plant can spread aggressively in moist open ground, otherwise it presents few problems. Drought tolerance is poor. Propagation is by seed or division of the rhizomes.
Range & Distribution: The native Mistflower occurs in the southern half of Illinois and the Chicago area (see Distribution Map). It is fairly common in southern Illinois, but uncommon or absent elsewhere. This plant was introduced into the Chicago area. Some local populations in the wild are probably the result of seeds or plants that have escaped cultivation. Habitats include river-bottom prairies, moist open woodlands, gravelly seeps, borders of lakes and rivers, moist meadows in wooded areas, bases of bluffs, and ditches. This plant usually occurs in poorly drained areas and near sources of water.
Faunal Associations: The flowers attract long-tongued bees, butterflies, and skippers. Other occasional visitors include short-tongued bees, various flies, moths, and beetles. These insects seek nectar primarily, although the bees often collect pollen. Insects that feed on Eupatorium spp. (Bonesets) may also feed on Mistflower. Insect feeders of this group of plants include the caterpillars of such moths as Haploa clymene (Clymene Moth; eats foliage), Phragmatobia lineata (Lined Ruby Tiger Moth; eats foliage), Carmenta bassiformis (Eupatorium Borer Moth; bores into roots), and Schinia trifascia (Three-Lined Flower Moth; eats florets & developing seeds). Mammalian herbivores rarely consume Mistflower because of its bitter foliage.
Photographic Location: The photograph was taken along a drainage canal at Kaufman Lake Park in Champaign, Illinois.
Comments: Mistflower has attractive delicate flowers that are colored in pastel shades of pink, lavender, or blue. For this reason, it is often grown in flower gardens. This plant is closely related to the white-flowered Bonesets (Eupatorium spp.), and sometimes it is still referred to as Eupatorium coelestinum. Mistflower can be distinguished from the Bonesets primarily by its colorful flowers, relatively short stature, and broad opposite leaves that are heavily veined. While species of Joe-Pye Weed (Eupatoriadelphus spp.) have similar colorful flowers, they are taller plants with whorled leaves. All of these species are similar in that their flowerheads consist entirely of disk florets.
The blooming period occurs from mid-summer to early autumn, lasting about 1-2 months. There is no noticeable floral scent. Afterwards, the florets are replaced by achenes with small tufts of hair; they are distributed by the wind. The root system is highly rhizomatous; this plant readily forms colonies.
Cultivation: The preference is full sun to light shade, moist conditions, and soil containing loam or silt. There should be sufficient organic material in the soil to retain moisture. This plant can spread aggressively in moist open ground, otherwise it presents few problems. Drought tolerance is poor. Propagation is by seed or division of the rhizomes.
Range & Distribution: The native Mistflower occurs in the southern half of Illinois and the Chicago area (see Distribution Map). It is fairly common in southern Illinois, but uncommon or absent elsewhere. This plant was introduced into the Chicago area. Some local populations in the wild are probably the result of seeds or plants that have escaped cultivation. Habitats include river-bottom prairies, moist open woodlands, gravelly seeps, borders of lakes and rivers, moist meadows in wooded areas, bases of bluffs, and ditches. This plant usually occurs in poorly drained areas and near sources of water.
Faunal Associations: The flowers attract long-tongued bees, butterflies, and skippers. Other occasional visitors include short-tongued bees, various flies, moths, and beetles. These insects seek nectar primarily, although the bees often collect pollen. Insects that feed on Eupatorium spp. (Bonesets) may also feed on Mistflower. Insect feeders of this group of plants include the caterpillars of such moths as Haploa clymene (Clymene Moth; eats foliage), Phragmatobia lineata (Lined Ruby Tiger Moth; eats foliage), Carmenta bassiformis (Eupatorium Borer Moth; bores into roots), and Schinia trifascia (Three-Lined Flower Moth; eats florets & developing seeds). Mammalian herbivores rarely consume Mistflower because of its bitter foliage.
Photographic Location: The photograph was taken along a drainage canal at Kaufman Lake Park in Champaign, Illinois.
Comments: Mistflower has attractive delicate flowers that are colored in pastel shades of pink, lavender, or blue. For this reason, it is often grown in flower gardens. This plant is closely related to the white-flowered Bonesets (Eupatorium spp.), and sometimes it is still referred to as Eupatorium coelestinum. Mistflower can be distinguished from the Bonesets primarily by its colorful flowers, relatively short stature, and broad opposite leaves that are heavily veined. While species of Joe-Pye Weed (Eupatoriadelphus spp.) have similar colorful flowers, they are taller plants with whorled leaves. All of these species are similar in that their flowerheads consist entirely of disk florets.
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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).
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Miss Chen
2018年06月16日
Description: This herbaceous plant is an annual vine about 3-6' long that branches occasionally. It often climbs over adjacent vegetation (or itself), creating a tangle of stems and leaves. The stems are light green, yellowish green, or red; they are strongly angular and prickly. The well-developed prickles are curved with their tips pointing downward. Alternate leaves are widely spaced along the stems. The leaf blades are up to 4" long and 1" across; they are narrowly sagittate to sagittate in shape and their margins are smooth and slightly ciliate with stiff hairs. The upper blade surfaces are medium green and hairless, while their lower surfaces are pale green and slightly prickly along their central veins.
The leaves are sessile or they have petioles up to 1" long. Near the base of each petiole, there is an oblique membranous sheath (ochrea) that wraps around the stem; this sheath is largely devoid of hairs and prickles. Both terminal and axillary flowers are produced on short spike-like racemes. The racemes are globoid or ovoid-globoid in shape and up to ½" long; they are produced individually or in pairs on long naked peduncles up to 6" long. The flowers are densely arranged along each raceme. Individual flowers are about 1/8" (3 mm.) long, consisting of 5 white to pink tepals, 8 short stamens, and an ovary with a tripartite style. At the base of each raceme, there is a pair of small green bracts. Similarly, at the base of each flower,Distribution Map there is a pair of tiny bracts that are greenish yellow and ovate. The blooming period occurs from mid-summer into the fall and lasts about 2-3 months. Each flower is replaced by a single dark seed that is about 3 mm. long, ovoid, and bluntly 3-angled. This herbaceous vine can form rootlets where the stems are decumbent on moist open ground.
Cultivation: The preference is partial sun, wet to moist conditions, and soil containing silty loam, sand, gravel, or peat moss. Most growth and development occurs during the summer. Temporary flooding is tolerated.
Range & Habitat: Arrow-Leaved Tearthumb is occasional throughout Illinois, where it is native. In addition to its distribution in eastern North America, this herbaceous vine also occurs in China. It is found in a variety of wetland habitats, including marshes, swamps, recently burned bogs, gravelly seeps, low areas along springs, and soggy thickets. The marshes, swamps, and soggy thickets where this vine occurs are sometimes sandy and sometimes non-sandy.
Faunal Associations: The floral-faunal relationships of Arrow-Leaved Tearthumb are similar to Persicaria spp. (Smartweeds). The nectar and pollen of the flowers attract primarily small bees, wasps, and flies. The leaves are eaten by the caterpillars of the butterflies Lycaena helloides (Purplish Copper) and Lycaena hyllus (Bronze Copper), while the flowers and developing seeds are eaten by the caterpillars of the butterfly Strymon melinus (Gray Hairstreak). Other insects that feed on this plant include flea beetles, aphids, stinkbugs, and the caterpillars of several moths. Various species of birds that occur in wetlands eat the seeds; these include Mallards and other dappling ducks, some rails, and granivorous songbirds (e.g., Bobolink, Swamp Sparrow, Redwing Blackbird). Because it often forms dense tangles of prickly stems and leaves, Tearthumb provides protective cover for various kinds of wildlife.
Photographic Location: A soggy sandy thicket at the Iroquois County Conservation Area in Illinois.
Comments: Arrow-Leaved Tearthumb is very similar to the more common Persicaria spp. (Smartweeds), except it is a sprawling vine rather than an erect plant. Because of its prickly stems, arrowhead-shaped leaves, and short dense heads of flowers, it is very easy to identify. Another native species that is a sprawling vine, Tracaulon arifolium (Hastate-Leaved Tearthumb), is very similar in appearance, except its leaves are hastate with spreading basal lobes. This uncommon vine also differs from Arrow-Leaved Tearthumb by its more flattened seeds and bifurcated styles (divided into two parts, rather than three). A scientific synonym of Arrow-Leaved Tearthumb is Polygonum sagittatum.
The leaves are sessile or they have petioles up to 1" long. Near the base of each petiole, there is an oblique membranous sheath (ochrea) that wraps around the stem; this sheath is largely devoid of hairs and prickles. Both terminal and axillary flowers are produced on short spike-like racemes. The racemes are globoid or ovoid-globoid in shape and up to ½" long; they are produced individually or in pairs on long naked peduncles up to 6" long. The flowers are densely arranged along each raceme. Individual flowers are about 1/8" (3 mm.) long, consisting of 5 white to pink tepals, 8 short stamens, and an ovary with a tripartite style. At the base of each raceme, there is a pair of small green bracts. Similarly, at the base of each flower,Distribution Map there is a pair of tiny bracts that are greenish yellow and ovate. The blooming period occurs from mid-summer into the fall and lasts about 2-3 months. Each flower is replaced by a single dark seed that is about 3 mm. long, ovoid, and bluntly 3-angled. This herbaceous vine can form rootlets where the stems are decumbent on moist open ground.
Cultivation: The preference is partial sun, wet to moist conditions, and soil containing silty loam, sand, gravel, or peat moss. Most growth and development occurs during the summer. Temporary flooding is tolerated.
Range & Habitat: Arrow-Leaved Tearthumb is occasional throughout Illinois, where it is native. In addition to its distribution in eastern North America, this herbaceous vine also occurs in China. It is found in a variety of wetland habitats, including marshes, swamps, recently burned bogs, gravelly seeps, low areas along springs, and soggy thickets. The marshes, swamps, and soggy thickets where this vine occurs are sometimes sandy and sometimes non-sandy.
Faunal Associations: The floral-faunal relationships of Arrow-Leaved Tearthumb are similar to Persicaria spp. (Smartweeds). The nectar and pollen of the flowers attract primarily small bees, wasps, and flies. The leaves are eaten by the caterpillars of the butterflies Lycaena helloides (Purplish Copper) and Lycaena hyllus (Bronze Copper), while the flowers and developing seeds are eaten by the caterpillars of the butterfly Strymon melinus (Gray Hairstreak). Other insects that feed on this plant include flea beetles, aphids, stinkbugs, and the caterpillars of several moths. Various species of birds that occur in wetlands eat the seeds; these include Mallards and other dappling ducks, some rails, and granivorous songbirds (e.g., Bobolink, Swamp Sparrow, Redwing Blackbird). Because it often forms dense tangles of prickly stems and leaves, Tearthumb provides protective cover for various kinds of wildlife.
Photographic Location: A soggy sandy thicket at the Iroquois County Conservation Area in Illinois.
Comments: Arrow-Leaved Tearthumb is very similar to the more common Persicaria spp. (Smartweeds), except it is a sprawling vine rather than an erect plant. Because of its prickly stems, arrowhead-shaped leaves, and short dense heads of flowers, it is very easy to identify. Another native species that is a sprawling vine, Tracaulon arifolium (Hastate-Leaved Tearthumb), is very similar in appearance, except its leaves are hastate with spreading basal lobes. This uncommon vine also differs from Arrow-Leaved Tearthumb by its more flattened seeds and bifurcated styles (divided into two parts, rather than three). A scientific synonym of Arrow-Leaved Tearthumb is Polygonum sagittatum.
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Miss Chen
2018年06月15日
Description: This herbaceous perennial wildflower is 3-7' tall and largely unbranched, except for the short flowering stalks along the upper one-fourth of its length. The central stem is terete, light green, and either glabrous or canescent. The alternate leaves are 3-8" long and and 2-4" across; they are ovate to broadly ovate and crenate-dentate along their margins. Some leaves may have a pair of lobes that are shallow and broad. The upper leaf surface is yellowish green to medium green and glabrous (or nearly so), while the lower leaf surface is pale green and canescent. The slender petioles are 2-5" long and either light green or reddish green. At the base of each petiole, there is a pair of small linear stipules. The upper flowering stalks are 1½–3" long and canescent; each stalk has a single leaf and a single flower.
Individual flowers are 4-6" across and a similar length, consisting of 5 white or pink petals, 5 light or yellowish green sepals, a reproductive columnar structure with numerous stamens along its length and 5 styles with knobby stigmata at its apex. The persistent sepals are ovate and canescent (or tomentose); they are united at the base. Each flower usually has a reddish purple throat at the base of its petals, although sometimes this is absent. Directly underneath the sepals, there are about 12 linear bracts that curve upward; they are 1" in length. The blooming period occurs from mid-summer to early fall and lasts about 1 month. Individual flowers are short-lived; usually only 0-2 flowers are in bloom at the same time on a single plant. The flowers are replaced by seed capsules that are about 1–1¼" long and a little less across; they are globoid-ovoid, short-beaked, and glabrous. Each seed capsule contains a ring of seeds; individual seeds are reniform, flattened, and hairless. This wildflower spreads by reseeding itself.
Cultivation: The preference is full to partial sun, wet to consistently moist conditions, and soil containing loam, silt, or some sand with organic material.
Close-up of Flower
Range & Habitat: The native Swamp Rose Mallow is found in widely scattered localities along the eastern half of Illinois, where it is uncommon. Illinois lies near the NW range-limit for this species in North America. Swamp Rose Mallow is also found in east Asia, where some additional color forms exist. Habitats include marshes, open swamps, and low soggy areas along rivers and ponds. Along the Atlantic coast of the U.S., this wildflower is also found in brackish marshes. Because of its attractive flowers, Swamp Rose Mallow is cultivated occasionally in gardens; some cultivars display evidence of hybridization with other Hibiscus spp. (Rose Mallows).
Faunal Associations: The flowers are cross-pollinated by bumblebees and other long-tongued bees, including Melitoma taurea and Ptilothrix bombiformis (Rose Mallow bee). The Rose Mallow bee is a specialist pollinator (oligolege) of native Hibiscus spp. (Rose Mallows); it sucks nectar and collects pollen from the flowers, while other long-tongued bees suck nectar primarily. The Ruby-Throated Hummingbird is another nectar-seeking visitor of the flowers. Some insects feed on various parts of Rose Mallows. The introduced pest, Popillia japonica (Japanese Beetle), gnaws on the flowers and young leaves, while the aphids Aphis gossypii and Macchiatiella rhamni suck plant juices. The caterpillars of Pyrgus communis (Common Checkered Skipper) and the butterfly Vanessa cardui (Painted Lady) sometimes feed on the leaves, while the caterpillars of the butterfly Strymon melinus (Gray Hairstreak) feed on the developing seeds. The caterpillars of several moths also feed on Rose Mallows, including Acontia delecta (Delightful Bird-Dropping Moth), Anomis erosa (Yellow Scallop Moth), Automeris io (Io Moth), and Eudryas unio (Pearly Wood Nymph).
Photographic Location: A prairie swale at Meadowbrook Park in Urbana, Illinois.
Comments: Swamp Rose Mallow has exotic oversized flowers that are very striking, particularly when they occur in a colony of plants. Other native Hibiscus spp. (Rose Mallows) in Illinois are similar to Swamp Rose Mallow in appearance and they are found in similar habitats. These species include Hibiscus lasiocarpos (Hairy Rose Mallow) and Hibiscus laevis (Halberd-Leaved Rose Mallow). Hairy Rose Mallow has felty leaves that are conspicuously hairy on both their upper and lower surfaces; Swamp Rose Mallow has leaves that are hairless (or nearly so) on their upper surfaces. Hairy Rose Mallow also has hairy ovaries/capsules, while the ovaries/capsules of Swamp Rose Mallow are glabrous. Sometimes Hairy Rose Mallow is regarded as a subspecies of Swamp Rose Mallow, or Hibiscus moscheutos lasiocarpos. The remaining similar species, Halberd-Leaved Rose Mallow, has leaves with divergent basal lobes (shaped like a halberd) or palmate lobes (maple-leaf shaped), leaf surfaces that are hairless on both the lower and upper sides, and seeds that are quite hairy. In contrast, Swamp Rose Mallow lacks such strongly lobed leaves, the lower surfaces of its leaves are canescent (or tomentose), and its seeds are hairless. In the past, the pink-flowered form of Swamp Rose Mallow that lacks a reddish purple throat was classified as a distinct species, Hibiscus palustris. However, it is now considered one of several color forms of Swamp Rose Mallow.
Individual flowers are 4-6" across and a similar length, consisting of 5 white or pink petals, 5 light or yellowish green sepals, a reproductive columnar structure with numerous stamens along its length and 5 styles with knobby stigmata at its apex. The persistent sepals are ovate and canescent (or tomentose); they are united at the base. Each flower usually has a reddish purple throat at the base of its petals, although sometimes this is absent. Directly underneath the sepals, there are about 12 linear bracts that curve upward; they are 1" in length. The blooming period occurs from mid-summer to early fall and lasts about 1 month. Individual flowers are short-lived; usually only 0-2 flowers are in bloom at the same time on a single plant. The flowers are replaced by seed capsules that are about 1–1¼" long and a little less across; they are globoid-ovoid, short-beaked, and glabrous. Each seed capsule contains a ring of seeds; individual seeds are reniform, flattened, and hairless. This wildflower spreads by reseeding itself.
Cultivation: The preference is full to partial sun, wet to consistently moist conditions, and soil containing loam, silt, or some sand with organic material.
Close-up of Flower
Range & Habitat: The native Swamp Rose Mallow is found in widely scattered localities along the eastern half of Illinois, where it is uncommon. Illinois lies near the NW range-limit for this species in North America. Swamp Rose Mallow is also found in east Asia, where some additional color forms exist. Habitats include marshes, open swamps, and low soggy areas along rivers and ponds. Along the Atlantic coast of the U.S., this wildflower is also found in brackish marshes. Because of its attractive flowers, Swamp Rose Mallow is cultivated occasionally in gardens; some cultivars display evidence of hybridization with other Hibiscus spp. (Rose Mallows).
Faunal Associations: The flowers are cross-pollinated by bumblebees and other long-tongued bees, including Melitoma taurea and Ptilothrix bombiformis (Rose Mallow bee). The Rose Mallow bee is a specialist pollinator (oligolege) of native Hibiscus spp. (Rose Mallows); it sucks nectar and collects pollen from the flowers, while other long-tongued bees suck nectar primarily. The Ruby-Throated Hummingbird is another nectar-seeking visitor of the flowers. Some insects feed on various parts of Rose Mallows. The introduced pest, Popillia japonica (Japanese Beetle), gnaws on the flowers and young leaves, while the aphids Aphis gossypii and Macchiatiella rhamni suck plant juices. The caterpillars of Pyrgus communis (Common Checkered Skipper) and the butterfly Vanessa cardui (Painted Lady) sometimes feed on the leaves, while the caterpillars of the butterfly Strymon melinus (Gray Hairstreak) feed on the developing seeds. The caterpillars of several moths also feed on Rose Mallows, including Acontia delecta (Delightful Bird-Dropping Moth), Anomis erosa (Yellow Scallop Moth), Automeris io (Io Moth), and Eudryas unio (Pearly Wood Nymph).
Photographic Location: A prairie swale at Meadowbrook Park in Urbana, Illinois.
Comments: Swamp Rose Mallow has exotic oversized flowers that are very striking, particularly when they occur in a colony of plants. Other native Hibiscus spp. (Rose Mallows) in Illinois are similar to Swamp Rose Mallow in appearance and they are found in similar habitats. These species include Hibiscus lasiocarpos (Hairy Rose Mallow) and Hibiscus laevis (Halberd-Leaved Rose Mallow). Hairy Rose Mallow has felty leaves that are conspicuously hairy on both their upper and lower surfaces; Swamp Rose Mallow has leaves that are hairless (or nearly so) on their upper surfaces. Hairy Rose Mallow also has hairy ovaries/capsules, while the ovaries/capsules of Swamp Rose Mallow are glabrous. Sometimes Hairy Rose Mallow is regarded as a subspecies of Swamp Rose Mallow, or Hibiscus moscheutos lasiocarpos. The remaining similar species, Halberd-Leaved Rose Mallow, has leaves with divergent basal lobes (shaped like a halberd) or palmate lobes (maple-leaf shaped), leaf surfaces that are hairless on both the lower and upper sides, and seeds that are quite hairy. In contrast, Swamp Rose Mallow lacks such strongly lobed leaves, the lower surfaces of its leaves are canescent (or tomentose), and its seeds are hairless. In the past, the pink-flowered form of Swamp Rose Mallow that lacks a reddish purple throat was classified as a distinct species, Hibiscus palustris. However, it is now considered one of several color forms of Swamp Rose Mallow.
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Miss Chen
2018年06月15日
Description: This perennial plant is 3-6' tall, branching sparingly. The stems are terete and glabrous. The alternate leaves are up to 6" long and 4" across (excluding the petioles); they are usually divided into 3-5 pointed lobes and their margins are serrate-crenate. Leaves with 3 lobes resemble a medieval halberd because the middle lobe is much longer than the 2 lateral lobes. Leaves with 5 lobes have the shape of a maple leaf. Some of the leaves may be unlobed; they are lanceolate to ovate in shape. The leaves are glabrous and their venation is partially palmate. The petioles are long and slender. The upper stems terminate in either a solitary or small cluster of flowers.
Each flower is up to 5" across when fully open, consisting of 5 rounded petals, a columnar reproductive structure, and a green calyx with 5 oval lobes. The petals are pink to nearly white. The reproductive column consists of whorled stamens and a divided style at its tip. The throat of the flower is reddish purple. Around the base of the calyx, there are several linear bracts. The blooming period occurs from mid- to late summer, lasting about 1 month. Each flower lasts only a single day. The rather large seeds are finely hairy and irregularly shaped – they tend to be flat-sided and reniform, but this is not always the case. Their fine hairs are white or brown. The seeds are light for their size, and probably distributed by movement of water. The root system consists of a taproot. This plant spreads by reseeding itself.
Cultivation: The preference is full or partial sun, fertile soil, and wet conditions. Flowers require exposure to sunlight to open up properly. This wetland species doesn't like to dry out.
Range & Habitat: The native Halberd-Leaved Rose Mallow has been observed in most areas of Illinois, except for extreme northern Illinois and some south central areas of the state (see Distribution Map). Habitats include marshes, swamps, low areas along rivers and ponds, and soggy islands in the middle of rivers or ponds. It is not often found in highly disturbed areas, and doesn't compete well against the invasive Salix interior (Sandbar Willow).
Faunal Associations: The nectar and pollen of the flowers attract bumblebees and an oligolectic bee, Ptilothrix bombiformis. Another common floral visitor, Melitoma taurea, is oligolectic on Ipomoea spp. (Morning Glory), but it is attracted to the large funnelform flowers of other plants. Some insects feed destructively on Hibiscus spp. (Rose Mallow). Caterpillars of the butterfly, Strymon melinus (Gray Hairstreak), feed on the flower buds and developing seeds, while caterpillars of the butterfly, Vanessa cardui (Painted Lady), feed on the foliage, as do caterpillars of Pyrgus communis (Checkered Skipper). Larvae of such moths as Eudryas unio (Pearly Wood Nymph), Anomis erosa (Yellow Scallop Moth), Automeris io (Io Moth), and Acontia delecta (Delightful Bird-Dropping Moth) also feed on these plants; the latter moth is found south of Illinois, however.
Other insect feeders include the flea beetle Chaetocnema quadricollis, larvae of the sawfly Atomacera decepta, the jewel beetle Paragrilus tenuis, adults of Popillia japonica (Japanese Beetle), and some aphid species. Deer and livestock will eat the non-toxic foliage of native Hibiscus spp. readily. However, the introduced shrub, Hibiscus syriacus (Rose-of-Sharon), which is often planted in yards, is apparently more resistant to browsing by deer than the native Hibiscus spp.
Photographic Location: Along a large drainage ditch at the Windsor Road Prairie in Champaign, Illinois, where this species was introduced.
Comments: Halberd-Leaved Rose Mallow has large beautiful flowers that can be seen from a distance. Other native Hibiscus spp. in Illinois include Hibiscus moscheutos (Swamp Rose Mallow) and Hibiscus lasiocarpus (Hairy Rose Mallow). Halberd-Leaved Rose Mallow can be distinguished by its lobed leaves, as the latter two species have unlobed leaves that are oval-ovate in shape. While Halberd-Leaved Rose Mallow has hairless leaves and hairy seeds, Swamp Rose Mallow and Hairy Rose Mallow have hairy leaf undersides and hairless seeds! All of these species have similar flowers and they prefer similar wetland habitats, although Hairy Rose Mallow has a more southern distribution within the state. A scientific synonym of the Halberd-Leaved Rose Mallow is Hibiscus militaris.
Each flower is up to 5" across when fully open, consisting of 5 rounded petals, a columnar reproductive structure, and a green calyx with 5 oval lobes. The petals are pink to nearly white. The reproductive column consists of whorled stamens and a divided style at its tip. The throat of the flower is reddish purple. Around the base of the calyx, there are several linear bracts. The blooming period occurs from mid- to late summer, lasting about 1 month. Each flower lasts only a single day. The rather large seeds are finely hairy and irregularly shaped – they tend to be flat-sided and reniform, but this is not always the case. Their fine hairs are white or brown. The seeds are light for their size, and probably distributed by movement of water. The root system consists of a taproot. This plant spreads by reseeding itself.
Cultivation: The preference is full or partial sun, fertile soil, and wet conditions. Flowers require exposure to sunlight to open up properly. This wetland species doesn't like to dry out.
Range & Habitat: The native Halberd-Leaved Rose Mallow has been observed in most areas of Illinois, except for extreme northern Illinois and some south central areas of the state (see Distribution Map). Habitats include marshes, swamps, low areas along rivers and ponds, and soggy islands in the middle of rivers or ponds. It is not often found in highly disturbed areas, and doesn't compete well against the invasive Salix interior (Sandbar Willow).
Faunal Associations: The nectar and pollen of the flowers attract bumblebees and an oligolectic bee, Ptilothrix bombiformis. Another common floral visitor, Melitoma taurea, is oligolectic on Ipomoea spp. (Morning Glory), but it is attracted to the large funnelform flowers of other plants. Some insects feed destructively on Hibiscus spp. (Rose Mallow). Caterpillars of the butterfly, Strymon melinus (Gray Hairstreak), feed on the flower buds and developing seeds, while caterpillars of the butterfly, Vanessa cardui (Painted Lady), feed on the foliage, as do caterpillars of Pyrgus communis (Checkered Skipper). Larvae of such moths as Eudryas unio (Pearly Wood Nymph), Anomis erosa (Yellow Scallop Moth), Automeris io (Io Moth), and Acontia delecta (Delightful Bird-Dropping Moth) also feed on these plants; the latter moth is found south of Illinois, however.
Other insect feeders include the flea beetle Chaetocnema quadricollis, larvae of the sawfly Atomacera decepta, the jewel beetle Paragrilus tenuis, adults of Popillia japonica (Japanese Beetle), and some aphid species. Deer and livestock will eat the non-toxic foliage of native Hibiscus spp. readily. However, the introduced shrub, Hibiscus syriacus (Rose-of-Sharon), which is often planted in yards, is apparently more resistant to browsing by deer than the native Hibiscus spp.
Photographic Location: Along a large drainage ditch at the Windsor Road Prairie in Champaign, Illinois, where this species was introduced.
Comments: Halberd-Leaved Rose Mallow has large beautiful flowers that can be seen from a distance. Other native Hibiscus spp. in Illinois include Hibiscus moscheutos (Swamp Rose Mallow) and Hibiscus lasiocarpus (Hairy Rose Mallow). Halberd-Leaved Rose Mallow can be distinguished by its lobed leaves, as the latter two species have unlobed leaves that are oval-ovate in shape. While Halberd-Leaved Rose Mallow has hairless leaves and hairy seeds, Swamp Rose Mallow and Hairy Rose Mallow have hairy leaf undersides and hairless seeds! All of these species have similar flowers and they prefer similar wetland habitats, although Hairy Rose Mallow has a more southern distribution within the state. A scientific synonym of the Halberd-Leaved Rose Mallow is Hibiscus militaris.
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Miss Chen
2018年06月15日
Description: This perennial wildflower is 3-9' tall, forming a central stem that is unbranched, except along the upper one-third of its length, where there may be a few ascending lateral stems. These stems are predominately reddish purple and terete; they are covered with spreading white hairs. Abundant spreading leaves occur along these stems; they are usually opposite below and alternate above. Individual leaves are 3-7" long and ½-1½" across; they are lanceolate-elliptic in shape and usually crenate-serrate along their margins. The upper leaf surface is medium green and rough-textured from minute stiff hairs, while the lower surface is pale green with spreading white hairs along the major veins and minute stiff hairs inbetween. The minute stiff hairs of the leaves are sparsely to moderately abundant in their distribution. Individual leaves taper gradually into short petioles up to ½" long, and they taper gradually into acute tips.
The upper stems terminate in one or more flowerheads about 2-3" across. Each flowerhead has 10-20 yellow ray florets that surround a dense circular cluster of yellow disk florets in the center. The petaloid extensions of the ray florets are oblong and slightly notched at their tips. The tiny disk florets are tubular in shape with 5 spreading to ascending lobes. The disk florets are perfect, while the ray florets are sterile. At the base of each flowerhead, there are floral bracts (phyllaries) that are loosely arranged in several series; they are ascending to widely spreading when the flowerhead is in bloom. Individual floral bracts are medium green, narrowly linear-lanceolate, and covered with stiff minute hairs; their margins are often ciliate. The peduncles (up to 6" long) of the flowerheads are similar to the stems, except they are usually light green. The blooming period occurs from mid-summer into the fall, lasting about 2 months. The disk florets are replaced by small achenes that are oblongoid and slightly flattened in shape; each achene has a truncate apex with a pair of membranous awns that soon become detached. The root system has fleshy fibrous roots and shallow rhizomes. Small colonies of plants often develop from the rhizomes.
Distribution MapCultivation: The preference is full sun, wet to moist conditions, and sandy soil. The size of individual plants is highly variable, depending on the level of moisture, nutrients, and competition from other plants.
Range & Habitat: The native Giant Sunflower is largely restricted to NE Illinois, where it is rare and state-listed as 'endangered.' It is more common in areas further to the north and east of Illinois. Habitats consist of wet sand prairies, sandy swales, calcareous fens, sedge meadows, and Tamarack bogs. This wildflower is found in higher quality wetlands.
Faunal Associations: The nectar and pollen of the flowerheads attract bumblebees and other long-tongued bees, Andrenid bees and other short-tongued bees, Syrphid flies and other flies, butterflies, and other insects. A variety of insects feed on the foliage, stalks, roots, and other parts of Giant Sunflower and other sunflowers (Helianthus spp.). These species include such beetles as Haplorhynchites aeneus (Sunflower Head-Clipping Weevil), Cylindrocopturus adspersus (Sunflower Stem Weevil), Rhodobaenus quinquepunctatus (Five-Spotted Billbug), Rhodobaenus tredecimpunctatus (Thirteen-Spotted Billbug), Systena blanda (Pale-Striped Flea Beetle) and other leaf beetles. The larvae of Contarinia schulzi (Sunflower Midge) cause club-shaped distortions in the buds and flowerheads, while the larvae of Strauzia longipennis (Sunflower Maggot) bore through the stems. The larvae of another fly, Neotephritis finalis (Sunflower Seed Maggot), feed from inside the achenes. Other insect feeders include the flower thrips Heterothrips auranticornis and the following plant bugs: Ilnacoris stalii, Plagiognathus nigronitens, and Polymerus basalis. In addition to these insects, a large number of aphids, leafhoppers, and treehoppers feed on sunflowers (see Aphid, Leafhopper, & Treehopper Table). Caterpillars of the butterflies Chlosyne nycteis (Silvery Checkerspot), Chlosyne gorgone (Gorgone Checkerspot), and Vanessa cardui (Painted Lady) sometimes feed on sunflowers, as do the caterpillars of many moths (see Moth Table). The seeds of sunflowers are eaten by many birds during the fall and winter, including the Mourning Dove, White-Winged Crossbill, Eastern Goldfinch, Black-Capped Chickadee, White-Breasted Nuthatch, Tufted Titmouse, and various sparrows. The foliage of sunflowers is palatable to White Tailed Deer and other hoofed grazing mammals, while the seeds are eaten by the Meadow Vole and other small rodents. Because Giant Sunflower occurs in wetlands, its large stalks are sometimes used by beavers in the construction of their dams and lodges. This tall colonial plant also provides protective cover for many kinds of wildlife.
Photographic Location: A prairie at Meadowbrook Park in Urbana, Illinois.
Comments: This attractive sunflower can be distinguished from other sunflowers in Illinois by its relatively narrow leaves, alternation of its leaves along the stems, spreading hairs of its stems, yellow disk florets, and long slender phyllaries (floral bracts). Other narrow-leaved species of sunflowers within the state include Helianthus grosseserratus (Sawtooth Sunflower) and Helianthus pauciflorus (Prairie Sunflower). Sawtooth Sunflower can be distinguished by its hairless glaucous stems, while the Prairie Sunflower can be distinguished by its stouter phyllaries and reddish purple disk florets. Another species, Helianthus tuberosus (Jerusalem Artichoke), has hairy stems like Giant Sunflower, but the leaves of Jerusalem Artichoke are wider and its petioles are longer. Yet another species, Helianthus hirsutus (Hairy Sunflower), also has hairy stems like Giant Sunflower, but the leaves of Hairy Sunflower are arranged oppositely along its stems, rather than alternately.
The upper stems terminate in one or more flowerheads about 2-3" across. Each flowerhead has 10-20 yellow ray florets that surround a dense circular cluster of yellow disk florets in the center. The petaloid extensions of the ray florets are oblong and slightly notched at their tips. The tiny disk florets are tubular in shape with 5 spreading to ascending lobes. The disk florets are perfect, while the ray florets are sterile. At the base of each flowerhead, there are floral bracts (phyllaries) that are loosely arranged in several series; they are ascending to widely spreading when the flowerhead is in bloom. Individual floral bracts are medium green, narrowly linear-lanceolate, and covered with stiff minute hairs; their margins are often ciliate. The peduncles (up to 6" long) of the flowerheads are similar to the stems, except they are usually light green. The blooming period occurs from mid-summer into the fall, lasting about 2 months. The disk florets are replaced by small achenes that are oblongoid and slightly flattened in shape; each achene has a truncate apex with a pair of membranous awns that soon become detached. The root system has fleshy fibrous roots and shallow rhizomes. Small colonies of plants often develop from the rhizomes.
Distribution MapCultivation: The preference is full sun, wet to moist conditions, and sandy soil. The size of individual plants is highly variable, depending on the level of moisture, nutrients, and competition from other plants.
Range & Habitat: The native Giant Sunflower is largely restricted to NE Illinois, where it is rare and state-listed as 'endangered.' It is more common in areas further to the north and east of Illinois. Habitats consist of wet sand prairies, sandy swales, calcareous fens, sedge meadows, and Tamarack bogs. This wildflower is found in higher quality wetlands.
Faunal Associations: The nectar and pollen of the flowerheads attract bumblebees and other long-tongued bees, Andrenid bees and other short-tongued bees, Syrphid flies and other flies, butterflies, and other insects. A variety of insects feed on the foliage, stalks, roots, and other parts of Giant Sunflower and other sunflowers (Helianthus spp.). These species include such beetles as Haplorhynchites aeneus (Sunflower Head-Clipping Weevil), Cylindrocopturus adspersus (Sunflower Stem Weevil), Rhodobaenus quinquepunctatus (Five-Spotted Billbug), Rhodobaenus tredecimpunctatus (Thirteen-Spotted Billbug), Systena blanda (Pale-Striped Flea Beetle) and other leaf beetles. The larvae of Contarinia schulzi (Sunflower Midge) cause club-shaped distortions in the buds and flowerheads, while the larvae of Strauzia longipennis (Sunflower Maggot) bore through the stems. The larvae of another fly, Neotephritis finalis (Sunflower Seed Maggot), feed from inside the achenes. Other insect feeders include the flower thrips Heterothrips auranticornis and the following plant bugs: Ilnacoris stalii, Plagiognathus nigronitens, and Polymerus basalis. In addition to these insects, a large number of aphids, leafhoppers, and treehoppers feed on sunflowers (see Aphid, Leafhopper, & Treehopper Table). Caterpillars of the butterflies Chlosyne nycteis (Silvery Checkerspot), Chlosyne gorgone (Gorgone Checkerspot), and Vanessa cardui (Painted Lady) sometimes feed on sunflowers, as do the caterpillars of many moths (see Moth Table). The seeds of sunflowers are eaten by many birds during the fall and winter, including the Mourning Dove, White-Winged Crossbill, Eastern Goldfinch, Black-Capped Chickadee, White-Breasted Nuthatch, Tufted Titmouse, and various sparrows. The foliage of sunflowers is palatable to White Tailed Deer and other hoofed grazing mammals, while the seeds are eaten by the Meadow Vole and other small rodents. Because Giant Sunflower occurs in wetlands, its large stalks are sometimes used by beavers in the construction of their dams and lodges. This tall colonial plant also provides protective cover for many kinds of wildlife.
Photographic Location: A prairie at Meadowbrook Park in Urbana, Illinois.
Comments: This attractive sunflower can be distinguished from other sunflowers in Illinois by its relatively narrow leaves, alternation of its leaves along the stems, spreading hairs of its stems, yellow disk florets, and long slender phyllaries (floral bracts). Other narrow-leaved species of sunflowers within the state include Helianthus grosseserratus (Sawtooth Sunflower) and Helianthus pauciflorus (Prairie Sunflower). Sawtooth Sunflower can be distinguished by its hairless glaucous stems, while the Prairie Sunflower can be distinguished by its stouter phyllaries and reddish purple disk florets. Another species, Helianthus tuberosus (Jerusalem Artichoke), has hairy stems like Giant Sunflower, but the leaves of Jerusalem Artichoke are wider and its petioles are longer. Yet another species, Helianthus hirsutus (Hairy Sunflower), also has hairy stems like Giant Sunflower, but the leaves of Hairy Sunflower are arranged oppositely along its stems, rather than alternately.
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Miss Chen
2018年06月15日
Description: This perennial plant is 3-5' tall, branching sparingly to occasionally. It has greenish stems that are angular and winged. The alternate leaves are up to 5" long and 1½" across; they are lanceolate-oblong to elliptic-oblong in shape and slightly serrated along their margins. The leaves are either sessile or their bases clasp the stems. Upper stems terminate in flowerheads spanning about 1½-2" across; they are usually produced in abundance. Each flowerhead has a slightly flattened to globoid head of yellow disk florets that is surrounded by yellow ray florets. The petaloid rays of the latter florets are narrowly triangular in shape (broader at their tips than at their bases). The tips of these unusual rays are doubly notched, creating an interesting effect. The tubular corollas of the tiny disk florets are less than 1/8" across. The blooming period occurs during the autumn for 1-2 months. Afterwards, the florets are replaced by achenes that lack tufts of hair; they are distributed in part by water. The root system is shallow and fibrous.
Cultivation: The preference is full to partial sun, wet to moist conditions, and soil containing loam or silt that is relatively high in organic material. Common Sneezeweed can appear sloppy and unkempt, particularly if it is allowed to dry out.
Range & Habitat: The native Common Sneezeweed occurs throughout Illinois, where it is quite common in the central and northern sections of the state (see Distribution Map). In southern Illinois, this plant is less common or absent. Habitats include moist black soil prairies, moist meadows in wooded areas, moist meadows along rivers, moist open woodlands, soggy thickets, fens, marshes, poorly drained pastures and abandoned fields, low areas along streams and ponds, and ditches. It is not uncommon to find this plant growing within a few feet of water in both disturbed areas and higher quality habitats. Recovery from fire is poor.
Faunal Associations: Probably the most common visitors to the flowers are long-tongued bees, including honeybees, bumblebees, long-horned bees (Melissodes spp.), cuckoo bees (Coelioxys spp., Triepeolus spp.), and leaf-cutting bees (Megachile spp.). Other visitors include Halictid bees, Sphecid wasps, Vespid wasps, Syrphid flies, butterflies, and beetles. Most of these insects suck nectar, although some bees also collect pollen and some beetles feed on the pollen. The aphids Aphis vernoniae and Uroleucon tardae suck plant juices from Common Sneezeweed, while the caterpillars of Papaipema rigida (Rigid Sunflower Borer Moth) bore through its stems and feed on the pith. Mammalian herbivores usually don't feed on this plant because its foliage is toxic and bitter. There have been reports of severe poisoning for livestock that have consumed this plant, producing such symptoms as congestion of the kidneys and liver, formation of necrotic areas in the lungs, and irritation of the digestive tract. Not surprisingly, Common Sneezeweed is considered an 'increaser' in grazed meadows.
Photographic Location: The photographs were taken near a drainage ditch at Judge Webber Park in Urbana, Illinois, and in a wetland area of Weaver Park of the same city.
Comments: Notwithstanding its common name, this plant doesn't cause sneezing or hay fever during the autumn – its pollen is distributed by insects, rather than the wind. Common Sneezeweed blooms quite late in the year, providing some fall color when other plants have finished blooming. A similar species, Helenium flexuosum (Purple-Headed Sneezeweed), differs from Common Sneezeweed by having disk florets that are purple, rather than yellow, and its foliage is more soft-hairy. This latter species is native to southern Illinois.
Cultivation: The preference is full to partial sun, wet to moist conditions, and soil containing loam or silt that is relatively high in organic material. Common Sneezeweed can appear sloppy and unkempt, particularly if it is allowed to dry out.
Range & Habitat: The native Common Sneezeweed occurs throughout Illinois, where it is quite common in the central and northern sections of the state (see Distribution Map). In southern Illinois, this plant is less common or absent. Habitats include moist black soil prairies, moist meadows in wooded areas, moist meadows along rivers, moist open woodlands, soggy thickets, fens, marshes, poorly drained pastures and abandoned fields, low areas along streams and ponds, and ditches. It is not uncommon to find this plant growing within a few feet of water in both disturbed areas and higher quality habitats. Recovery from fire is poor.
Faunal Associations: Probably the most common visitors to the flowers are long-tongued bees, including honeybees, bumblebees, long-horned bees (Melissodes spp.), cuckoo bees (Coelioxys spp., Triepeolus spp.), and leaf-cutting bees (Megachile spp.). Other visitors include Halictid bees, Sphecid wasps, Vespid wasps, Syrphid flies, butterflies, and beetles. Most of these insects suck nectar, although some bees also collect pollen and some beetles feed on the pollen. The aphids Aphis vernoniae and Uroleucon tardae suck plant juices from Common Sneezeweed, while the caterpillars of Papaipema rigida (Rigid Sunflower Borer Moth) bore through its stems and feed on the pith. Mammalian herbivores usually don't feed on this plant because its foliage is toxic and bitter. There have been reports of severe poisoning for livestock that have consumed this plant, producing such symptoms as congestion of the kidneys and liver, formation of necrotic areas in the lungs, and irritation of the digestive tract. Not surprisingly, Common Sneezeweed is considered an 'increaser' in grazed meadows.
Photographic Location: The photographs were taken near a drainage ditch at Judge Webber Park in Urbana, Illinois, and in a wetland area of Weaver Park of the same city.
Comments: Notwithstanding its common name, this plant doesn't cause sneezing or hay fever during the autumn – its pollen is distributed by insects, rather than the wind. Common Sneezeweed blooms quite late in the year, providing some fall color when other plants have finished blooming. A similar species, Helenium flexuosum (Purple-Headed Sneezeweed), differs from Common Sneezeweed by having disk florets that are purple, rather than yellow, and its foliage is more soft-hairy. This latter species is native to southern Illinois.
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文章
Miss Chen
2018年06月15日
escription: This herbaceous perennial plant is 3-7' tall and usually unbranched, except where the inflorescence occurs. The central stem is light green to light reddish green, glabrous to sparsely pubescent, terete, and sometimes shallowly grooved. Sometimes the central stem is also glaucous. The alternate leaves are up to 10" long and 6" across, becoming gradually smaller as they ascend. The lower to middle leaves are hastate or deltate (triangular) in shape and serrated along their margins; the upper leaves are deltate or lanceolate in shape and serrated along their margins. The lower and middle leaves have winged petioles up to 5" long, while the upper leaves are nearly sessile. The tips of leaves are acute to narrowly acute, while their bases are indented, truncate, or broadly wedge-shaped. The basal lobes of hastate leaves are deltate with acute tips. The upper and lower surfaces of the leaves are medium green and glabrous. Leaf venation is pinnate. The central stem and axillary stems from the upper leaves terminate in a panicle (or compound corymb) of flowerheads that is more or less flat-headed. The branches and peduncles of this inflorescence are light green, mostly glabrous, and sometimes glaucous (however, minute hairs may be visible with a hand lens).
Individual flowerheads have 20-40 perfect disk florets and no ray florets; they are 8-12 mm. long and short-cylindrical in shape, although swelling slightly above while blooming. The corollas of the disk florets are white, cylindrical in shape, and deeply 5-lobed above. The base of each flowerhead is surrounded by linear phyllaries (floral bracts) in a single series; these phyllaries are light green to nearly white and glabrous. Underneath the base of each flowerhead, there are several linear bractlets that are widely spreading and up to 8 mm. long. These bractlets are light green to nearly white and glabrous; sometimes their tips curl upward. The blooming period occurs during late summer to early autumn, lasting about 2-3 weeks. The flowerheads have a pleasant sweet fragrance. Afterwards, fertile disk florets are replaced by achenes with tufts of white or tawny hair; they are distributed by the wind and perhaps by water. Mature achenes are about 6 mm. (¼") long, bullet-shaped, and brownish. The root system is shallow and coarsely fibrous. Sometimes clonal offsets develop from the root system.
Cultivation: The preference is light shade to full sun, wet to moist conditions, and soil containing silt, loam, or calcareous sand. This plant can spread aggressively in gardens.
Range & Habitat: Sweet Indian Plantain is uncommon in northern Illinois and rare elsewhere within the state, where it is native (see Distribution Map). Habitats include borders of bottomland woodlands, edges of soggy thickets, river bottom prairies, stream banks, and calcareous fens (including sandy fens). The disturbance of occasional floods along rivers and streams may play an important role in maintaining populations of this species. Such disturbance may reduce competition from less flood-tolerant plants and create areas of exposed topsoil that can be colonized. Sweet Indian Plantain is found in both high quality habitats and more disturbed habitats in floodplain areas.
Faunal Associations: Very little is known about floral-faunal relationships for Sweet Indian Plantain. The nectar and pollen of the flowerheads probably attract a variety of insects, including bees, wasps, flies, small to medium-sized butterflies, skippers, and moths. An aphid (Uroleucon sp.) has been reported to feed on the foliage and plant juices of this plant (Blackman & Eastop, 2013). White-tailed Deer also browse on the foliage (Sharp, 2001).
Photographic Location: A prairie in Fayette County, Illinois. The photographs were taken by Keith & Patty Horn (Copyright © 2015).
Comments: Sweet Indian Plantain (Hasteola suaveolens) has striking triangular-shaped leaves. Because this plant is uncommon throughout its range, it should be cultivated more often. In the past, this plant has been assigned such scientific names as Cacalia suaveolens and Synosma suaveolens. Another common name of this species is False Indian Plantain. It is similar in appearance to some Arnoglossum spp. (Indian Plantain species), including Pale Indian Plantain (Arnoglossum atriplicifolium) and Prairie Indian Plantain (Arnoglossum tuberosum). Sweet Indian Plantain can be distinguished from these species by its deltate and hastate leaves; its flowerheads also have conspicuous spreading bractlets at their bases that these other species lack.
Individual flowerheads have 20-40 perfect disk florets and no ray florets; they are 8-12 mm. long and short-cylindrical in shape, although swelling slightly above while blooming. The corollas of the disk florets are white, cylindrical in shape, and deeply 5-lobed above. The base of each flowerhead is surrounded by linear phyllaries (floral bracts) in a single series; these phyllaries are light green to nearly white and glabrous. Underneath the base of each flowerhead, there are several linear bractlets that are widely spreading and up to 8 mm. long. These bractlets are light green to nearly white and glabrous; sometimes their tips curl upward. The blooming period occurs during late summer to early autumn, lasting about 2-3 weeks. The flowerheads have a pleasant sweet fragrance. Afterwards, fertile disk florets are replaced by achenes with tufts of white or tawny hair; they are distributed by the wind and perhaps by water. Mature achenes are about 6 mm. (¼") long, bullet-shaped, and brownish. The root system is shallow and coarsely fibrous. Sometimes clonal offsets develop from the root system.
Cultivation: The preference is light shade to full sun, wet to moist conditions, and soil containing silt, loam, or calcareous sand. This plant can spread aggressively in gardens.
Range & Habitat: Sweet Indian Plantain is uncommon in northern Illinois and rare elsewhere within the state, where it is native (see Distribution Map). Habitats include borders of bottomland woodlands, edges of soggy thickets, river bottom prairies, stream banks, and calcareous fens (including sandy fens). The disturbance of occasional floods along rivers and streams may play an important role in maintaining populations of this species. Such disturbance may reduce competition from less flood-tolerant plants and create areas of exposed topsoil that can be colonized. Sweet Indian Plantain is found in both high quality habitats and more disturbed habitats in floodplain areas.
Faunal Associations: Very little is known about floral-faunal relationships for Sweet Indian Plantain. The nectar and pollen of the flowerheads probably attract a variety of insects, including bees, wasps, flies, small to medium-sized butterflies, skippers, and moths. An aphid (Uroleucon sp.) has been reported to feed on the foliage and plant juices of this plant (Blackman & Eastop, 2013). White-tailed Deer also browse on the foliage (Sharp, 2001).
Photographic Location: A prairie in Fayette County, Illinois. The photographs were taken by Keith & Patty Horn (Copyright © 2015).
Comments: Sweet Indian Plantain (Hasteola suaveolens) has striking triangular-shaped leaves. Because this plant is uncommon throughout its range, it should be cultivated more often. In the past, this plant has been assigned such scientific names as Cacalia suaveolens and Synosma suaveolens. Another common name of this species is False Indian Plantain. It is similar in appearance to some Arnoglossum spp. (Indian Plantain species), including Pale Indian Plantain (Arnoglossum atriplicifolium) and Prairie Indian Plantain (Arnoglossum tuberosum). Sweet Indian Plantain can be distinguished from these species by its deltate and hastate leaves; its flowerheads also have conspicuous spreading bractlets at their bases that these other species lack.
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