文章
Miss Chen
2018年05月29日
Description: This herbaceous perennial plant is ½-1¼' tall and unbranched. The erect central stem is light green to reddish purple, terete, rather stout, and glabrous. At the apex of this stem, there are 3 spreading leaves surrounding a single sessile flower. Immature plants, however, produce only leaves without the flower. The leaves are 3-6" long and 1½-3½" across; they are ovate in shape and smooth along their margins, tapering into distinct petioles. The upper leaf surface is medium green and heavily mottled with patches of light green and dark green; it is glabrous. The lower leaf surface is pale green and unmottled; it is also glabrous. On rare occasions, some plants will have leaves with solid green upper surfaces. Leaf venation is parallel with occasional interconnecting secondary veins.
The flower has 3 maroon petals, 3 green sepals, 6 stamens with long black anthers, and an ovary with 3 stigmata. The petals are 1–1¼" long and rhombic-elliptic in shape; they curve inward toward their tips. The sepals are ¾–1" long, lanceolate-triangular in shape, and smooth along their often purplish margins; they hang downward from the base of the flower. The stamens are about ½" long, curving inward toward the other stamens. The blooming period is mid- to late spring, lasting about 3-4 weeks. Individual flowers are relatively long-lived. There is no noticeable floral scent. Afterwards, each flower is replaced by a single fruit (technically a berry). These fruits are a little less than ½" (10 mm.) long, rhomboid-ovoid in shape, 6-angled, and pale green to purplish green. Each fruit contains several small seeds; they are dark brown with white food appendages. The main rootstock is thickened and elongated, with numerous feeder roots. Rhizomes are also produced, causing this plant to form clonal colonies.
Cultivation: The preference is medium shade to dappled sunlight, moist to dry-mesic conditions, and soil containing loam or clay-loam. The foliage is rarely bothered by pests or disease. Trilliums are slow to develop because of the short period of active growth during the spring, and up to 10 years may be required before a plant reaches flowering size in the wild.
Range & Habitat: The native Prairie Trillium is a common plant that occurs in every county of Illinois (see Distribution Map). It is found primarily in rich woodlands, open woodlands, and savannas, where deciduous trees are dominant (including oak-hickory woodlands and maple-dominated woodlands). Sometimes this species survives degradation of woodland habitats, and it can be found along fence rows with woody vegetation, overgrown areas near railroads, and miscellaneous waste areas with partial or light shade.
Faunal Associations: The maroon flowers of the Prairie Trillium may attract carrion beetles and flesh flies, although little is known about the insect pollinators of this trillium (Trillium sp.) because floral visitors are rare. Only pollen is available as a floral reward. The caterpillars of two polyphagous moths, Clepsis melaleucana (Black-patched Clepsis) and Euplexia benesimilis (American Angle Shades) feed on trilliums (Covell, 1984/2005). The seeds of these plants are often distributed by ants because of their food appendages. Among mammalian herbivores, White-tailed Deer are especially known to eat the flowers and foliage of trilliums. There is also some evidence that the seeds of trilliums can pass through their digestive tracts and remain viable. Therefore, White-tailed Deer may help to distribute the seeds across long distances (Vellend et al., 2003). Where White-tailed Deer are too abundant, however, they may destroy local populations of these plants. It is possible that the mottled pattern of the foliage of the Prairie Trillium is an adaptation to deer predation as this type of pattern may help to camoflage the plant with the surrounding forest floor.
Photographic Location: A mesic woodland at Busey Woods in Urbana, Illinois, and an upland savanna in McLean County, Illinois.
Comments: The common name is misleading because the Prairie Trillium occurs in woodlands like other trilliums (Trillium spp.), rather than prairies. However, it is especially common in Illinois and the surrounding states where prairies occur. This trillium species is relatively easy to identify for the following reasons: 1) its sepals hang downward from the flower, whereas in other Trillium spp. the sepals are usually spreading to ascending; 2) its flowers are sessile against the central stem and leaves, whereas the flowers of some trilliums (e.g., Trillium erectum) are held above the foliage on short stalks; and 3) the leaves taper gradually at their bases into short petioles, whereas the leaves of some trilliums are sessile and quite rounded at their bases. There are different forms of the Prairie Trillium that have yellow or maroon flowers, yellow or black anthers, and mottled or solid green leaves. The form described here, Trillium recurvatum recurvatum, is by far the most common.
The flower has 3 maroon petals, 3 green sepals, 6 stamens with long black anthers, and an ovary with 3 stigmata. The petals are 1–1¼" long and rhombic-elliptic in shape; they curve inward toward their tips. The sepals are ¾–1" long, lanceolate-triangular in shape, and smooth along their often purplish margins; they hang downward from the base of the flower. The stamens are about ½" long, curving inward toward the other stamens. The blooming period is mid- to late spring, lasting about 3-4 weeks. Individual flowers are relatively long-lived. There is no noticeable floral scent. Afterwards, each flower is replaced by a single fruit (technically a berry). These fruits are a little less than ½" (10 mm.) long, rhomboid-ovoid in shape, 6-angled, and pale green to purplish green. Each fruit contains several small seeds; they are dark brown with white food appendages. The main rootstock is thickened and elongated, with numerous feeder roots. Rhizomes are also produced, causing this plant to form clonal colonies.
Cultivation: The preference is medium shade to dappled sunlight, moist to dry-mesic conditions, and soil containing loam or clay-loam. The foliage is rarely bothered by pests or disease. Trilliums are slow to develop because of the short period of active growth during the spring, and up to 10 years may be required before a plant reaches flowering size in the wild.
Range & Habitat: The native Prairie Trillium is a common plant that occurs in every county of Illinois (see Distribution Map). It is found primarily in rich woodlands, open woodlands, and savannas, where deciduous trees are dominant (including oak-hickory woodlands and maple-dominated woodlands). Sometimes this species survives degradation of woodland habitats, and it can be found along fence rows with woody vegetation, overgrown areas near railroads, and miscellaneous waste areas with partial or light shade.
Faunal Associations: The maroon flowers of the Prairie Trillium may attract carrion beetles and flesh flies, although little is known about the insect pollinators of this trillium (Trillium sp.) because floral visitors are rare. Only pollen is available as a floral reward. The caterpillars of two polyphagous moths, Clepsis melaleucana (Black-patched Clepsis) and Euplexia benesimilis (American Angle Shades) feed on trilliums (Covell, 1984/2005). The seeds of these plants are often distributed by ants because of their food appendages. Among mammalian herbivores, White-tailed Deer are especially known to eat the flowers and foliage of trilliums. There is also some evidence that the seeds of trilliums can pass through their digestive tracts and remain viable. Therefore, White-tailed Deer may help to distribute the seeds across long distances (Vellend et al., 2003). Where White-tailed Deer are too abundant, however, they may destroy local populations of these plants. It is possible that the mottled pattern of the foliage of the Prairie Trillium is an adaptation to deer predation as this type of pattern may help to camoflage the plant with the surrounding forest floor.
Photographic Location: A mesic woodland at Busey Woods in Urbana, Illinois, and an upland savanna in McLean County, Illinois.
Comments: The common name is misleading because the Prairie Trillium occurs in woodlands like other trilliums (Trillium spp.), rather than prairies. However, it is especially common in Illinois and the surrounding states where prairies occur. This trillium species is relatively easy to identify for the following reasons: 1) its sepals hang downward from the flower, whereas in other Trillium spp. the sepals are usually spreading to ascending; 2) its flowers are sessile against the central stem and leaves, whereas the flowers of some trilliums (e.g., Trillium erectum) are held above the foliage on short stalks; and 3) the leaves taper gradually at their bases into short petioles, whereas the leaves of some trilliums are sessile and quite rounded at their bases. There are different forms of the Prairie Trillium that have yellow or maroon flowers, yellow or black anthers, and mottled or solid green leaves. The form described here, Trillium recurvatum recurvatum, is by far the most common.
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文章
Miss Chen
2018年05月29日
Description: This perennial plant is 2½–6" tall and unbranched. It produces a single glabrous stem that terminates in a whorl of 3 leaves. The stem is light green, sometimes with reddish brown tints. The leaves are up to 2½" long; they are green or olive green, oval to ovate, hairless, and smooth along the margins. Their leaf venation is parallel. The base of each leaf is more rounded than its tip; it has a short petiole. Mature plants produce a single flower on a short peduncle about ½" long that is straight or arching (usually the latter).
The flower is up to 2" across, consisting of 3 white petals, 3 green sepals, 6 yellow stamens, and a a tripartite style. The petals are oval-ovate and often slightly undulate along their margins. The recurved sepals are lanceolate and often slightly reddish or yellowish on the outer surface. The blooming period occurs during early to mid-spring and lasts about 2 weeks. Each fertilized flower is replaced by a 3-lobed fruit that is about ½" long. The root system consists of a thickened rootstock, secondary feeder roots, and rhizomes. Snow Trillium can reseed itself, but it more often produces vegetative clones from the rhizomes. At favorable sites, colonies are often formed.
Cultivation: The preference is filtered sunlight during the spring (before the trees leaf out), and light shade during the summer. The soil should be mesic to dry, and loamy or rocky with a shallow layer of decaying leaves. There should not be too much competition from other ground layer plants during the late spring or the summer. The foliage withers away by the end of summer.
Range & Habitat: The native Snow Trillium occurs in central and northern Illinois, where it is rather uncommon (see Distribution Map). However, it is locally common at a few high quality sites. Habitats include thinly wooded bluffs, upper slopes of bluffs (especially along rivers), and upper banks of rivers. This is an indicator species of high quality woodlands. It grows where the layer of decaying leaves is not too thick.
Faunal Associations: Very few insects visit the early-blooming flowers for nectar or pollen. Most likely, the flowers are pollinated by Andrenid bees (Andrena spp.), queen bumblebees, and other bees that become active early in the spring. The caterpillars of two polyphagous moths, Clepsis melaleucana (Black-Patched Clepsis) and Euplexia benesimilis (American Angle Shades), feed on trilliums (Trillium spp.) occasionally. The fruits are probably eaten by small mammals and birds, although there is a lack of information regarding the particular species that do this. Such animals can help to introduce the seeds into new areas. Deer are very partial to the foliage of trilliums, although the Snow Trillium may be less vulnerable to their browsing than others because of its small size and strong tendency to grow on inaccessible slopes.
Photographic Location: The slope of a bluff in Vermilion County, Illinois, and a river bank at Allerton Park in Piatt County, Illinois.
Comments: This is one of the earliest wildflowers to bloom in woodlands and it is the smallest trillium (Trillium sp.). The Snow Trillium can be distinguished from other white-flowered Trilliums by considering the following features: 1) It is only 2-4" tall while in bloom, 2) it blooms earlier in the spring than other trilliums, 3) it has white flowers on a short stalk that is erect or arching, and 4) each fruit has 3 conspicuous lobes. The common name refers to the fact that snow can be found on the ground when the flowers bloom. This cute little trillium should be protected wherever it is found.
The flower is up to 2" across, consisting of 3 white petals, 3 green sepals, 6 yellow stamens, and a a tripartite style. The petals are oval-ovate and often slightly undulate along their margins. The recurved sepals are lanceolate and often slightly reddish or yellowish on the outer surface. The blooming period occurs during early to mid-spring and lasts about 2 weeks. Each fertilized flower is replaced by a 3-lobed fruit that is about ½" long. The root system consists of a thickened rootstock, secondary feeder roots, and rhizomes. Snow Trillium can reseed itself, but it more often produces vegetative clones from the rhizomes. At favorable sites, colonies are often formed.
Cultivation: The preference is filtered sunlight during the spring (before the trees leaf out), and light shade during the summer. The soil should be mesic to dry, and loamy or rocky with a shallow layer of decaying leaves. There should not be too much competition from other ground layer plants during the late spring or the summer. The foliage withers away by the end of summer.
Range & Habitat: The native Snow Trillium occurs in central and northern Illinois, where it is rather uncommon (see Distribution Map). However, it is locally common at a few high quality sites. Habitats include thinly wooded bluffs, upper slopes of bluffs (especially along rivers), and upper banks of rivers. This is an indicator species of high quality woodlands. It grows where the layer of decaying leaves is not too thick.
Faunal Associations: Very few insects visit the early-blooming flowers for nectar or pollen. Most likely, the flowers are pollinated by Andrenid bees (Andrena spp.), queen bumblebees, and other bees that become active early in the spring. The caterpillars of two polyphagous moths, Clepsis melaleucana (Black-Patched Clepsis) and Euplexia benesimilis (American Angle Shades), feed on trilliums (Trillium spp.) occasionally. The fruits are probably eaten by small mammals and birds, although there is a lack of information regarding the particular species that do this. Such animals can help to introduce the seeds into new areas. Deer are very partial to the foliage of trilliums, although the Snow Trillium may be less vulnerable to their browsing than others because of its small size and strong tendency to grow on inaccessible slopes.
Photographic Location: The slope of a bluff in Vermilion County, Illinois, and a river bank at Allerton Park in Piatt County, Illinois.
Comments: This is one of the earliest wildflowers to bloom in woodlands and it is the smallest trillium (Trillium sp.). The Snow Trillium can be distinguished from other white-flowered Trilliums by considering the following features: 1) It is only 2-4" tall while in bloom, 2) it blooms earlier in the spring than other trilliums, 3) it has white flowers on a short stalk that is erect or arching, and 4) each fruit has 3 conspicuous lobes. The common name refers to the fact that snow can be found on the ground when the flowers bloom. This cute little trillium should be protected wherever it is found.
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文章
Miss Chen
2018年05月28日
Description: This herbaceous perennial plant is about 2-3½' tall and unbranched. The central stem is glabrous, glaucous, and terete (circular) in circumference; it leans over to one side. The alternate leaves are up to 6" long and 3½" across; they are spaced fairly close together along the stem. These leaves are pale green, elliptic to ovate in shape, smooth (entire) along their margins, and glabrous; they have parallel veins and clasp the stem. From the axils of the middle and upper leaves, there are nodding umbels of 2-5 flowers (rarely more than this). A typical plant will have 12-20 of these umbels, which hang below the leaves. The peduncles (about 1¼" in length) and pedicels (about ½" in length) of the umbels are slender, green, and glabrous. The flowers are about ½-¾" (13-18 mm.) in length. Each flower has a narrow tubular corolla that is whitish green or pale yellowish green. Along the outer rim of this corolla, there are 6 small lobes that are slightly recurved. Within the interior of the corolla, there is a pistil with a single style and 6 stamens.
The blooming period occurs from late spring to early summer, lasting about 3 weeks. Each flower is replaced by a globoid berry that is about 8-10 mm. across at maturity. The berries are initially green, but they eventually become dark blue-violet. The root system produces rhizomes that are rather stout and knobby; on the upper surface of these rhizomes, there are circular scars. This plant often forms clonal colonies.
Cultivation: This plant prefers light shade to partial sun, mesic levels of moisture, and fertile loamy soil. It is fairly rugged and tolerates less than ideal conditions. The foliage persists all summer and it is rarely bothered by disease.
Range & Habitat: The native Solomon's Seal is a common plant that occurs in every county of Illinois (see Distribution Map). Habitats include moist to slightly dry deciduous woodlands, lower wooded slopes, edges of shady seeps, young flatwoods, woodland borders, and fence rows that are overgrown with shrubs or trees. Less often, Solomon's Seal may occur in meadows near woodlands and open prairies, especially cemetery prairies. Solomon's Seal occurs in both high quality and degraded woodlands.
Faunal Associations: The nectar and pollen of the flowers attract various bees, including bumblebees, Anthophorid bees (Anthophora spp.), and Halictid bees (Lasioglossum spp.). The Ruby-Throated Hummingbird also feeds on nectar from the flowers. Other insects feed destructively on the foliage and other parts of Solomon's Seal. These species include the aphid, Catamergus kickapoo, which sucks sap from the leaf undersides; adults of a thrips, Ctenothrips bridwelli, which are found on the foliage; leaf-rolling larvae of the moth, Clepsis melaleucana (Black-Patched Clepsis), which feed on foliage or flowers; and larvae of the sawflies, Phymatocera racemosa and Phymatocera smilacinae, which feed on the foliage. The berries are eaten by the Greater Prairie Chicken and various woodland birds. White-Tailed Deer are quite fond of the foliage and will chomp off the tops of plants to about 6" above the ground.
Photographic Location: Along a shady fence row near the webmaster's apartment complex in Urbana, Illinois, and a shaded wildflower garden at the University of Illinois in the same city.
Comments: The foliage of Solomon's Seal (Polygonatum commutatum) is attractive, while the flowers aren't very showy. Other Polygonatum spp. in Illinois have a similar appearance, but they are far less common. One species, Polygonatum pubescens (Pubescent Solomon's Seal) is pubescent on the undersides of its leaves (particularly along the veins), while the undersides of the leaves of Solomon's Seal are hairless. Another species, Polygonatum biflorum (Small Solomon's Seal), is slightly smaller in size with sessile leaves, while the leaves of Solomon's Seal clasp the central stem. There is an uncommon polyploid variant of Solomon's Seal that produces leafy stems about 3½-6' tall (or long) and its umbels often have more than 5 flowers. This variant is sometimes referred to as Giant Solomon's Seal. It prefers moist wooded areas, such as floodplain woodlands. Another group of plants with similar foliage, Smilacina spp. (False Solomon's Seal species), produce terminal panicles of flowers, while Polygonatum spp. (Solomon's Seal species) produce non-terminal umbels of flowers from the axils of their leaves.
The blooming period occurs from late spring to early summer, lasting about 3 weeks. Each flower is replaced by a globoid berry that is about 8-10 mm. across at maturity. The berries are initially green, but they eventually become dark blue-violet. The root system produces rhizomes that are rather stout and knobby; on the upper surface of these rhizomes, there are circular scars. This plant often forms clonal colonies.
Cultivation: This plant prefers light shade to partial sun, mesic levels of moisture, and fertile loamy soil. It is fairly rugged and tolerates less than ideal conditions. The foliage persists all summer and it is rarely bothered by disease.
Range & Habitat: The native Solomon's Seal is a common plant that occurs in every county of Illinois (see Distribution Map). Habitats include moist to slightly dry deciduous woodlands, lower wooded slopes, edges of shady seeps, young flatwoods, woodland borders, and fence rows that are overgrown with shrubs or trees. Less often, Solomon's Seal may occur in meadows near woodlands and open prairies, especially cemetery prairies. Solomon's Seal occurs in both high quality and degraded woodlands.
Faunal Associations: The nectar and pollen of the flowers attract various bees, including bumblebees, Anthophorid bees (Anthophora spp.), and Halictid bees (Lasioglossum spp.). The Ruby-Throated Hummingbird also feeds on nectar from the flowers. Other insects feed destructively on the foliage and other parts of Solomon's Seal. These species include the aphid, Catamergus kickapoo, which sucks sap from the leaf undersides; adults of a thrips, Ctenothrips bridwelli, which are found on the foliage; leaf-rolling larvae of the moth, Clepsis melaleucana (Black-Patched Clepsis), which feed on foliage or flowers; and larvae of the sawflies, Phymatocera racemosa and Phymatocera smilacinae, which feed on the foliage. The berries are eaten by the Greater Prairie Chicken and various woodland birds. White-Tailed Deer are quite fond of the foliage and will chomp off the tops of plants to about 6" above the ground.
Photographic Location: Along a shady fence row near the webmaster's apartment complex in Urbana, Illinois, and a shaded wildflower garden at the University of Illinois in the same city.
Comments: The foliage of Solomon's Seal (Polygonatum commutatum) is attractive, while the flowers aren't very showy. Other Polygonatum spp. in Illinois have a similar appearance, but they are far less common. One species, Polygonatum pubescens (Pubescent Solomon's Seal) is pubescent on the undersides of its leaves (particularly along the veins), while the undersides of the leaves of Solomon's Seal are hairless. Another species, Polygonatum biflorum (Small Solomon's Seal), is slightly smaller in size with sessile leaves, while the leaves of Solomon's Seal clasp the central stem. There is an uncommon polyploid variant of Solomon's Seal that produces leafy stems about 3½-6' tall (or long) and its umbels often have more than 5 flowers. This variant is sometimes referred to as Giant Solomon's Seal. It prefers moist wooded areas, such as floodplain woodlands. Another group of plants with similar foliage, Smilacina spp. (False Solomon's Seal species), produce terminal panicles of flowers, while Polygonatum spp. (Solomon's Seal species) produce non-terminal umbels of flowers from the axils of their leaves.
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Miss Chen
2018年05月27日
Description: This herbaceous perennial wildflower is ¾–1½' tall and unbranched. It consists of a central stem with 3 terminal leaves; a mature plant will produce a single stalked flower. The central stem is terete, glabrous, and pale green or pale reddish-green. The terminal leaves are arranged in a whorl at the apex of this stem. Each leaf is up to 6" long and 5" across; it is oval-ovate or oval in shape, medium green, and glabrous. Each leaf has smooth margins and parallel primary veins.
The single flower spans about 3-4" across on a stalk about 1-3" long. This stalk is ascending or erect; the flower is held above the leaves and usually leans to the side (but doesn't droop downward). Each flower consists of 3 white petals, 3 green sepals, a central white ovary, 6 stamens, and 3 stigmas. The petals are ovate-obovate, widely spreading, and usually longer than the sepals; they often become light pink with age. The sepals are lanceolate and widely spreading. The dull yellow stigmas are slender and either straight or slightly recurved. The blooming period occurs from mid- to late spring and lasts about 3 weeks. Each flower is replaced by a 6-angled seed capsule that becomes dark with age; it eventually splits open to release the seeds. The root system consists of a vertical rootstock with fibrous roots; spreading rhizomes are also produced. Occasionally, thisDistribution Map wildflower forms loose colonies of variable size.
Cultivation: Dappled sunlight or light shade is preferred during the spring; later in the year, more shade is tolerated. The soil should be rich, loamy, rather loose, and evenly moist; a surface layer of leaves and other decaying organic material is desirable. This wildflower develops very slowly from seed (several years to maturity). It is also possible to propagate this species from vegetative offsets of the rhizomes, but this takes time to develop as well.
Range & Habitat: The native Large-Flowered Trillium is occasional in NE Illinois, while in other areas of the state it is uncommon or absent. Populations of this species are stagnant or declining in Illinois; it is somewhat more common further to the east and northeast of the state. Habitats include rich deciduous woodlands, swamps, and shaded riverbanks. Occasionally, Large-Flowered Trillium is cultivated in shade gardens, but it is expensive and difficult to obtain; wild-collected plants should be avoided.
Faunal Associations: As showy as they are, the flowers are rarely visited by insects; Graenicher observed a single species, Ceratina dupla (Little Carpenter Bee), sucking nectar and collecting pollen from them. Another small bee, Andrena geranii, was observed to seek shelter in a flower from the rain. The caterpillars of two moths, Euplexia benesimilis (American Angle Shades) and Clepsis melaleucana (Black-Patched Clepsis), occasionally feed on Trillium spp. (trilliums); the latter species is polyphagous. The seeds of this and other trilliums are distributed by ants because of their elaisomes (food appendages). White-Tailed Deer readily browse on the foliage and flowers of trilliums, and they appear to be attracted to Large-Flowered Trillium in particular (possibly because they can easily see the flowers). Where this trillium is abundant, its large leaves can provide significant cover for small mammals.
Photographic Location: A deciduous woodland in Piatt County, Illinois.
Comments: Among the various species of trilliums, this one is probably the most attractive and charismatic. The flowers are very showy and the leaves have a nice glossy surface. The only other species that is similar, Trillium flexipes (White Trillium), has flowers that are a little smaller and more nodding; usually its flowers hang a little above or a little below the leaves. Large-Flowered Trillium has slender stigmas that are straight or slightly recurved, while White Trillium has stout stigmas that are strongly recurved. While there are other white-petaled trilliums in Illinois, their flowers are much smaller in size (2" across or less).
The single flower spans about 3-4" across on a stalk about 1-3" long. This stalk is ascending or erect; the flower is held above the leaves and usually leans to the side (but doesn't droop downward). Each flower consists of 3 white petals, 3 green sepals, a central white ovary, 6 stamens, and 3 stigmas. The petals are ovate-obovate, widely spreading, and usually longer than the sepals; they often become light pink with age. The sepals are lanceolate and widely spreading. The dull yellow stigmas are slender and either straight or slightly recurved. The blooming period occurs from mid- to late spring and lasts about 3 weeks. Each flower is replaced by a 6-angled seed capsule that becomes dark with age; it eventually splits open to release the seeds. The root system consists of a vertical rootstock with fibrous roots; spreading rhizomes are also produced. Occasionally, thisDistribution Map wildflower forms loose colonies of variable size.
Cultivation: Dappled sunlight or light shade is preferred during the spring; later in the year, more shade is tolerated. The soil should be rich, loamy, rather loose, and evenly moist; a surface layer of leaves and other decaying organic material is desirable. This wildflower develops very slowly from seed (several years to maturity). It is also possible to propagate this species from vegetative offsets of the rhizomes, but this takes time to develop as well.
Range & Habitat: The native Large-Flowered Trillium is occasional in NE Illinois, while in other areas of the state it is uncommon or absent. Populations of this species are stagnant or declining in Illinois; it is somewhat more common further to the east and northeast of the state. Habitats include rich deciduous woodlands, swamps, and shaded riverbanks. Occasionally, Large-Flowered Trillium is cultivated in shade gardens, but it is expensive and difficult to obtain; wild-collected plants should be avoided.
Faunal Associations: As showy as they are, the flowers are rarely visited by insects; Graenicher observed a single species, Ceratina dupla (Little Carpenter Bee), sucking nectar and collecting pollen from them. Another small bee, Andrena geranii, was observed to seek shelter in a flower from the rain. The caterpillars of two moths, Euplexia benesimilis (American Angle Shades) and Clepsis melaleucana (Black-Patched Clepsis), occasionally feed on Trillium spp. (trilliums); the latter species is polyphagous. The seeds of this and other trilliums are distributed by ants because of their elaisomes (food appendages). White-Tailed Deer readily browse on the foliage and flowers of trilliums, and they appear to be attracted to Large-Flowered Trillium in particular (possibly because they can easily see the flowers). Where this trillium is abundant, its large leaves can provide significant cover for small mammals.
Photographic Location: A deciduous woodland in Piatt County, Illinois.
Comments: Among the various species of trilliums, this one is probably the most attractive and charismatic. The flowers are very showy and the leaves have a nice glossy surface. The only other species that is similar, Trillium flexipes (White Trillium), has flowers that are a little smaller and more nodding; usually its flowers hang a little above or a little below the leaves. Large-Flowered Trillium has slender stigmas that are straight or slightly recurved, while White Trillium has stout stigmas that are strongly recurved. While there are other white-petaled trilliums in Illinois, their flowers are much smaller in size (2" across or less).
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Miss Chen
2018年05月27日
Description: This herbaceous perennial plant is about 1½–2' tall; it consists of a central stalk with 3 spreading terminal leaves. The stalk is light green and hairless. The leaves are up to 6½" long and across; they are broadly obovate or broadly rhombic-oval, smooth along the margins, and hairless. The base of each leaf is wedge-shaped, while the terminal end tapers to a blunt tip. The major veins of each leaf are parallel; there are also branching side veins. A mature plant produces a single flower on a nodding peduncle about 1–2½" long. This flower is about 2" across, consisting of 3 white spreading petals, 3 green sepals, 6 stamens (anthers & filaments), and a creamy central ovary. The pale yellow anthers are twice as long as their filaments. At the tip of the ovary, there are 3 recurved stigmas. Only rarely are the petals of the flowers brownish purple. The flower hangs from its peduncle a little above or a little below the leaves.
The blooming period occurs from mid- to late spring. The seed capsule that replaces the flower is 6-angled; it splits open at maturity to release the seeds. The foliage withers away during the summer. The vertical central root is slightly swollen near the base of the plant; it branches into secondary fibrous roots. Small vegetative colonies are occasionally produced from spreading rhizomes.
Cultivation: The preference is dappled sunlight during the spring, followed by light to medium shade. The soil should be evenly moist, fertile, and loamy, with a layer of decaying leaves on its surface to protect the plant from drying out. Trilliums are slow to develop from seed and take many years to reach maturity. Most growth and development occurs during the spring before the canopy trees fully leaf out.
Range & Habitat: The native White Trillium is occasional in the northern half of Illinois, and uncommon or absent in the southern half of the state (see Distribution Map). Habitats include rich deciduous woodlands, wooded slopes, large shady ravines, and rocky bluffs. This species is found in high quality woodlands where the original ground flora is still intact.
Faunal Associations: Few insects visit the flowers of Trillium spp. (trilliums), even though their flowers are rather showy; records for this particular species have not been found. The caterpillars of the moths Clepsis melaleucana (Black-Patched Clepsis) and Euplexia benesimilis (American Angle Shades) occasionally feed on the foliage of Trilliums. The seeds are distributed by ants because of their food appendages. White-Tailed Deer readily graze on the foliage of trilliums; they seem to prefer it.
Photographic Location: Deciduous woodlands at Shades State Park, Pine Hills State Nature Preserve, and the Potholes in west-central Indiana.
Comments: Other common names for this species are the Declined Trillium and Drooping Trillium. This is one of the white-flowered trilliums (Trillium spp.) in Illinois. It is much larger and blooms later than Trillium nivale (Snow Trillium), and its flowers are less erect and somewhat smaller than those of Trillium grandiflorum (Large-Flowered Trillium). This latter species has straight stigmas, while the stigmas of White Trillium are recurved and spreading. It is easy to confuse this species with Trillium cernuum (Nodding Trillium), which also has white nodding flowers. This latter species has somewhat smaller leaves and flowers, and the peduncles of its flowers are usually shorter (less than 1¼" long). This latter species has anthers that are about the same length as their filaments, while White Trillium has anthers that are about twice as long as their filaments.
The blooming period occurs from mid- to late spring. The seed capsule that replaces the flower is 6-angled; it splits open at maturity to release the seeds. The foliage withers away during the summer. The vertical central root is slightly swollen near the base of the plant; it branches into secondary fibrous roots. Small vegetative colonies are occasionally produced from spreading rhizomes.
Cultivation: The preference is dappled sunlight during the spring, followed by light to medium shade. The soil should be evenly moist, fertile, and loamy, with a layer of decaying leaves on its surface to protect the plant from drying out. Trilliums are slow to develop from seed and take many years to reach maturity. Most growth and development occurs during the spring before the canopy trees fully leaf out.
Range & Habitat: The native White Trillium is occasional in the northern half of Illinois, and uncommon or absent in the southern half of the state (see Distribution Map). Habitats include rich deciduous woodlands, wooded slopes, large shady ravines, and rocky bluffs. This species is found in high quality woodlands where the original ground flora is still intact.
Faunal Associations: Few insects visit the flowers of Trillium spp. (trilliums), even though their flowers are rather showy; records for this particular species have not been found. The caterpillars of the moths Clepsis melaleucana (Black-Patched Clepsis) and Euplexia benesimilis (American Angle Shades) occasionally feed on the foliage of Trilliums. The seeds are distributed by ants because of their food appendages. White-Tailed Deer readily graze on the foliage of trilliums; they seem to prefer it.
Photographic Location: Deciduous woodlands at Shades State Park, Pine Hills State Nature Preserve, and the Potholes in west-central Indiana.
Comments: Other common names for this species are the Declined Trillium and Drooping Trillium. This is one of the white-flowered trilliums (Trillium spp.) in Illinois. It is much larger and blooms later than Trillium nivale (Snow Trillium), and its flowers are less erect and somewhat smaller than those of Trillium grandiflorum (Large-Flowered Trillium). This latter species has straight stigmas, while the stigmas of White Trillium are recurved and spreading. It is easy to confuse this species with Trillium cernuum (Nodding Trillium), which also has white nodding flowers. This latter species has somewhat smaller leaves and flowers, and the peduncles of its flowers are usually shorter (less than 1¼" long). This latter species has anthers that are about the same length as their filaments, while White Trillium has anthers that are about twice as long as their filaments.
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Miss Chen
2018年05月27日
Description: This perennial wildflower is ¾-2' tall, consisting of a single central stem and 3 widely spreading leaves at its apex. This stem is light green to purplish green, terete, and glabrous. Individual leaves are 3-8" long and similarly across; they are oval-rhombic in shape, smooth along their margins, and sessile (or nearly so). The upper leaf surface is medium green and glabrous, while the lower surface is more pale; both surfaces are glabrous. Primary veins of the leaves are parallel, while secondary veins form an interlacing network. A flowering plant produces an erect to ascending peduncle about 1½-3" long, terminating in a single nodding flower that is held above the leaves. The peduncle is light green and glabrous. The flower is about 2" across, consisting of 3 maroon petals (reddish purple), 3 light green to greenish maroon sepals, 6 stamens, and a dark maroon ovary with 3 small recurved stigmata.
When the flower is open, both petals and sepals are widely spreading; they are about the same length and similar shape, although the sepals are more narrow. The petals and sepals are lanceolate to ovate in shape and glabrous. The relatively small stamens have anthers and filaments that are about the same length; the anthers have light gray to yellowish pollen. The blooming period occurs from mid- to late spring for about 2-3 weeks. The flowers often have an unpleasant scent. Afterwards, the ovary matures into a dark maroon fruit that is broadly ovoid, 6-angled, and about ½" long. This fruit contains several seeds. The root system is fibrous and rhizomatous. Clonal colonies of plants are often produced from the rhizomes.
Cultivation: The preference is dappled sunlight or light shade during the spring, followed by shade during the summer. The soil should be more or less moist and contain loam with decaying organic matter. Some protection from prevailing winds is also desirable. It takes a long time for this trillium to mature from seed (typically 5-10 years). The foliage dies down later in the summer.
Range & Habitat: The native Red Trillium is a rare wildflower in Illinois, where it is state-listed as 'endangered.' It is restricted to a few counties in the northern section of the state (see Distribution Map). Habitats consist of rich deciduous woodlands that are more or less mesic and wooded slopes. In such woodlands, Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum), American Basswood (Tilia americana), or oaks (Quercus spp.) are often dominant canopy trees. Further to the east, where it is more common, Red Trillium is associated with woodlands that are dominated by Sugar Maple and American Beech (Fagus grandifolia). This wildflower is sometimes cultivated in shaded gardens.
Faunal Associations: Because the petals of the flowers have the color of rotting flesh and often exude a similar odor, they probably attract flesh flies, carrion beetles, and similar insects. The polyphagous larvae of two moth species, Clepsis melaleucana (Black-Patched Clepsis) and Euplexia benesimilis (American Angle Shades), have been observed to feed on the leaves of Trillium spp. The foliage is also vulnerable to browsing by White-tailed Deer: This has caused the decline of trillium populations in some parts of Illinois. Food-appendages of the seeds are designed to attract ants and possibly other insects. As a result, the seeds of Trillium spp. can be carried several feet from the mother plant by these insects, thereby helping to spread these flowering plants into neighboring areas.
Photographic Location: A flower garden in Urbana, Illinois.
Comments: This wildflower lacks a dominant common name: It has been referred to as Red Trillium, Purple Trillium, Ill-Scented Trillium, Stinking Benjamin, Stinking Willie, and Birthwort. In addition to maroon (reddish purple), the flowers of this species can be white, pink, yellow, or green. Some of these variations may be the result of hybridization with other Trillium spp. In Illinois, only plants with maroon-colored flowers have been encountered in the wild. Red Trillium is fairly easy to identify because it is the only maroon-flowered trillium within the state that holds its flower above the leaves on a more or less erect peduncle (flowering stalk). Two other species in Illinois, Trillium recurvatum (Prairie Trillium) and Trillium sessile (Sessile Trillium), also have maroon-colored flowers, but they are sessile. The white-flowered form of Red Trillium can be distinguished from other white-flowered Trillium spp. by its dark maroon ovary.
When the flower is open, both petals and sepals are widely spreading; they are about the same length and similar shape, although the sepals are more narrow. The petals and sepals are lanceolate to ovate in shape and glabrous. The relatively small stamens have anthers and filaments that are about the same length; the anthers have light gray to yellowish pollen. The blooming period occurs from mid- to late spring for about 2-3 weeks. The flowers often have an unpleasant scent. Afterwards, the ovary matures into a dark maroon fruit that is broadly ovoid, 6-angled, and about ½" long. This fruit contains several seeds. The root system is fibrous and rhizomatous. Clonal colonies of plants are often produced from the rhizomes.
Cultivation: The preference is dappled sunlight or light shade during the spring, followed by shade during the summer. The soil should be more or less moist and contain loam with decaying organic matter. Some protection from prevailing winds is also desirable. It takes a long time for this trillium to mature from seed (typically 5-10 years). The foliage dies down later in the summer.
Range & Habitat: The native Red Trillium is a rare wildflower in Illinois, where it is state-listed as 'endangered.' It is restricted to a few counties in the northern section of the state (see Distribution Map). Habitats consist of rich deciduous woodlands that are more or less mesic and wooded slopes. In such woodlands, Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum), American Basswood (Tilia americana), or oaks (Quercus spp.) are often dominant canopy trees. Further to the east, where it is more common, Red Trillium is associated with woodlands that are dominated by Sugar Maple and American Beech (Fagus grandifolia). This wildflower is sometimes cultivated in shaded gardens.
Faunal Associations: Because the petals of the flowers have the color of rotting flesh and often exude a similar odor, they probably attract flesh flies, carrion beetles, and similar insects. The polyphagous larvae of two moth species, Clepsis melaleucana (Black-Patched Clepsis) and Euplexia benesimilis (American Angle Shades), have been observed to feed on the leaves of Trillium spp. The foliage is also vulnerable to browsing by White-tailed Deer: This has caused the decline of trillium populations in some parts of Illinois. Food-appendages of the seeds are designed to attract ants and possibly other insects. As a result, the seeds of Trillium spp. can be carried several feet from the mother plant by these insects, thereby helping to spread these flowering plants into neighboring areas.
Photographic Location: A flower garden in Urbana, Illinois.
Comments: This wildflower lacks a dominant common name: It has been referred to as Red Trillium, Purple Trillium, Ill-Scented Trillium, Stinking Benjamin, Stinking Willie, and Birthwort. In addition to maroon (reddish purple), the flowers of this species can be white, pink, yellow, or green. Some of these variations may be the result of hybridization with other Trillium spp. In Illinois, only plants with maroon-colored flowers have been encountered in the wild. Red Trillium is fairly easy to identify because it is the only maroon-flowered trillium within the state that holds its flower above the leaves on a more or less erect peduncle (flowering stalk). Two other species in Illinois, Trillium recurvatum (Prairie Trillium) and Trillium sessile (Sessile Trillium), also have maroon-colored flowers, but they are sessile. The white-flowered form of Red Trillium can be distinguished from other white-flowered Trillium spp. by its dark maroon ovary.
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Miss Chen
2018年05月27日
Description: This herbaceous perennial plant is 1½-3' tall and sparingly branched. The central stem is medium green, terete, and glabrous to slightly hairy, becoming somewhat broader where the bases of leaves wrap around it. On some plants, the central stem has a tendency to zigzag slightly between the alternate leaves. These leaves are up to 12" long, 2" across, and linear-lanceolate or elliptic-lanceolate in shape; they are smooth (entire) and sometimes slightly ciliate along their margins. Because of their length, the leaves have a tendency to arch downward from their bases. The upper leaf surface is dark green and glabrous to short-hairy, while the lower leaf surface is medium green and glabrous to short-pubescent (sometimes there are only minute hairs along the undersides of the veins). Leaf venation is parallel.
Sometimes secondary stems and leaves develop from the axils of the primary leaves. The central stem terminates in a floppy umbel of flowers on slender pedicels. Sometimes umbels of flowers are produced from the axils of the upper leaves or on short secondary stalks. Each flower is about 1" across when it is fully open, consisting of 3 light violet petals (rarely white), 3 medium green sepals, 6 stamens with yellow anthers, and a pistil with a single style. The petals are oval or broadly ovate, while the smaller sepals are ovate and usually hairy. The filaments of the stamens are pale violet; they are densely covered with spidery hairs. The pedicels of the flowers are about ½" long, medium green or reddish purple, and glabrous to hairy. At the base of each umbel of flowers, there is a leafy bract that is opposite from the alternate leaf; this bract is somewhat smaller in size.
The blooming period occurs during the summer, lasting about 1½ months. The flowers are diurnal, opening up during the morning and closing at about noon (although they may remain open longer on cloudy days). Each flower lasts only a single day. Because only a few flowers are in bloom at the same time, the blooming period is fairly long. Afterwards, the flowers are replaced by 3-chambered seed capsules (up to ¼" long); each of these capsules contain several seeds. The seeds are 2-3 mm. long and flattened-ovoid in shape; they have slightly indented centers, from which several fine grooves radiate outward in all directions toward their outer margins. The root system consists of a mass of fleshy fibrous roots, from which clonal offsets are occasionally produced.
Cultivation: The preference is partial sun to medium shade, moist to mesic conditions, and a fertile loamy soil with decaying organic matter. Like other spiderworts (Tradescantia spp.), this plant is little bothered by insect pests and foliar disease. It adapts well to flower gardens in areas where there is some shade.
Range & Habitat: The native Zigzag Spiderwort occurs occasionally in the southern half of Illinois, while it is rare or absent in the northern half of the state (see Distribution Map). Habitats include rich deciduous woodlands, woodland borders, bases of bluffs, bottoms of large ravines, and shaded areas along streams. Sometimes this plant can be found in more disturbed areas, such as shaded areas along railroads, roads, and corners of yards when they are adjacent to woodlands.
Faunal Associations: The flowers are cross-pollinated by bumblebees primarily. Halictid bees, including green metallic bees, collect pollen from the flowers, while Syrphid flies feed on pollen. Insects that feed destructively on Zigzag Spiderwort include the leaf beetles Paratriarius dorsatus, Oulema collaris, and other Oulema spp.; the stink bugs Acrosternum hilaris, Mormidea lugens, Proxys punctulatus, and Euschistus spp.; and the thrips Frankliniella fusca. The mucilaginous foliage of spiderworts (Tradescantia spp.) is eaten occasionally by the Woodland Box Turtle, Cottontail Rabbit, and White-tailed Deer.
Photographic Location: Underneath the shade of a tree in a flower garden at Urbana, Illinois.
Comments: Of the several spiderwort species (Tradescantia spp.) in Illinois, Zigzag Spiderwort has the broadest leaves (up to 2" across) and they are typically dark green. Other spiderworts within the state have leaves ¾" across or less. Zigzag Spiderwort is better adapted to shady woodland areas than these other species. Another woodland species, Commelina virginica (Virginia Dayflower), has similar leaves, but the petals of its flowers are blue, rather than light violet, and its lower petal is noticeably smaller in size than the upper two. In contrast, the petals of Spiderworts are the same size. Like plant species in the Lily (Liliaceae) and Iris (Iridaceae) families, both spiderworts and dayflowers (Commelina spp.) are monocots, rather than dicots.
Sometimes secondary stems and leaves develop from the axils of the primary leaves. The central stem terminates in a floppy umbel of flowers on slender pedicels. Sometimes umbels of flowers are produced from the axils of the upper leaves or on short secondary stalks. Each flower is about 1" across when it is fully open, consisting of 3 light violet petals (rarely white), 3 medium green sepals, 6 stamens with yellow anthers, and a pistil with a single style. The petals are oval or broadly ovate, while the smaller sepals are ovate and usually hairy. The filaments of the stamens are pale violet; they are densely covered with spidery hairs. The pedicels of the flowers are about ½" long, medium green or reddish purple, and glabrous to hairy. At the base of each umbel of flowers, there is a leafy bract that is opposite from the alternate leaf; this bract is somewhat smaller in size.
The blooming period occurs during the summer, lasting about 1½ months. The flowers are diurnal, opening up during the morning and closing at about noon (although they may remain open longer on cloudy days). Each flower lasts only a single day. Because only a few flowers are in bloom at the same time, the blooming period is fairly long. Afterwards, the flowers are replaced by 3-chambered seed capsules (up to ¼" long); each of these capsules contain several seeds. The seeds are 2-3 mm. long and flattened-ovoid in shape; they have slightly indented centers, from which several fine grooves radiate outward in all directions toward their outer margins. The root system consists of a mass of fleshy fibrous roots, from which clonal offsets are occasionally produced.
Cultivation: The preference is partial sun to medium shade, moist to mesic conditions, and a fertile loamy soil with decaying organic matter. Like other spiderworts (Tradescantia spp.), this plant is little bothered by insect pests and foliar disease. It adapts well to flower gardens in areas where there is some shade.
Range & Habitat: The native Zigzag Spiderwort occurs occasionally in the southern half of Illinois, while it is rare or absent in the northern half of the state (see Distribution Map). Habitats include rich deciduous woodlands, woodland borders, bases of bluffs, bottoms of large ravines, and shaded areas along streams. Sometimes this plant can be found in more disturbed areas, such as shaded areas along railroads, roads, and corners of yards when they are adjacent to woodlands.
Faunal Associations: The flowers are cross-pollinated by bumblebees primarily. Halictid bees, including green metallic bees, collect pollen from the flowers, while Syrphid flies feed on pollen. Insects that feed destructively on Zigzag Spiderwort include the leaf beetles Paratriarius dorsatus, Oulema collaris, and other Oulema spp.; the stink bugs Acrosternum hilaris, Mormidea lugens, Proxys punctulatus, and Euschistus spp.; and the thrips Frankliniella fusca. The mucilaginous foliage of spiderworts (Tradescantia spp.) is eaten occasionally by the Woodland Box Turtle, Cottontail Rabbit, and White-tailed Deer.
Photographic Location: Underneath the shade of a tree in a flower garden at Urbana, Illinois.
Comments: Of the several spiderwort species (Tradescantia spp.) in Illinois, Zigzag Spiderwort has the broadest leaves (up to 2" across) and they are typically dark green. Other spiderworts within the state have leaves ¾" across or less. Zigzag Spiderwort is better adapted to shady woodland areas than these other species. Another woodland species, Commelina virginica (Virginia Dayflower), has similar leaves, but the petals of its flowers are blue, rather than light violet, and its lower petal is noticeably smaller in size than the upper two. In contrast, the petals of Spiderworts are the same size. Like plant species in the Lily (Liliaceae) and Iris (Iridaceae) families, both spiderworts and dayflowers (Commelina spp.) are monocots, rather than dicots.
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Miss Chen
2018年05月26日
Description: This herbaceous perennial plant is 2–3½' tall, branching occasionally in the upper half. It is more or less erect, although the weight of the inflorescence often causes the entire plant to lean sideways. The slender stems are light green, terete, and either glabrous, sparsely pubescent, or hairy in lines. The alternate leaves are up to 6" long and 2" across, becoming gradually smaller as they ascend the stems. The petioles are very slender and about 1" long on the lower leaves, while the upper leaves are nearly sessile. The petioles are light green and often hairy. The lower to middle leaves are lanceolate-ovate with indented bases, while the upper leaves are lanceolate with rounded bases. All leaves taper gradually into slender acute tips, while their margins are smooth and often slightly ciliate. The upper leaf surface is medium green and glabrous (or nearly so), while the lower leaf surface is light green and either sparsely pubescent, hairy along the central vein, or glabrous. The lower leaf surface also has a reticulated network of fine secondary veins. The central stem (and any upper lateral stems) terminates in a panicle of flowerheads up to 1½' long and ¾' across.
Each flowerhead is about ¾–1" across, consisting of 10-20 ray florets that surround a similar number of disk florets. The petaloid rays of these flowerheads are lavender or pale blue-violet (rarely white), and they are individually linear-oblong in shape. The corollas of the disk florets are short-tubular with 5 minute lobes at their apices. Initially, these corollas are yellow, but they become reddish purple with age. On unusual specimens, these corollas are light pink to nearly white. At the base of each flowerhead, the overlapping phyllaries (scaly floral bracts) are linear-lanceolate and glabrous to finely pubescent. Depending on the stage of their maturity, the phyllaries have patches of dark green that are diamond-shaped near their tips, or they have central veins that are dark green. Otherwise, the phyllaries are light green. The blooming period occurs from late summer through the fall, lasting about 1–1½ months. Both the ray and disk florets can produce fertile achenes. These achenes are 2-3 mm. long and oblongoid in shape; they have small tufts of light brown hair at their apices. As a result, the achenes are distributed primarily by the wind. The root system is fibrous and rhizomatous; older plants sometimes develop a small caudex. Clonal colonies of plants can develop from the rhizomes.
Cultivation: The preference is partial sun, mesic to dry-mesic conditions, and soil that contains loam or some rocky material with decaying organic matter. Calcareous ground with a higher than normal pH is tolerated. Like many other asters (Symphyotrichum spp.), the foliage can be attacked by many kinds of insects and disease organisms. The plants have a tendency to flop over while in bloom.
Range & Habitat: The native Short's Aster is a fairly common species that occurs in the majority of counties in Illinois. However, it is less common in some southern areas of the state (see Distribution Map). Habitats include mesic to upland woodlands, rocky open woodlands and slopes, limestone bluffs, woodland borders, and areas along woodland paths. Short's Aster occurs in both oak-hickory woodlands and maple-basswood woodlands. This aster often occurs in areas where limestone is close to the surface of the ground; it is usually found in higher quality natural areas. Wildfires and other kinds of disturbance can be beneficial if they reduce excessive shade from overhead canopy trees, or they reduce competition from invasive shrubs.
Faunal Associations: The flowerheads of asters (Symphyotrichum spp.) attract many kinds of insects, especially long-tongued bees, small-tongued bees, butterflies, skippers, and flies. These insects obtain nectar or pollen from the flowerheads. Some bees are specialist pollinators of asters and sometimes goldenrods (Solidago spp.); these species include the plasterer bee Colletes simulans armata, and such Andrenid bees as Andrena asteris, Andrena asteroides, Andrena hirticincta, Andrena nubecula, Andrena simplex, and Andrena solidaginis. The caterpillars of two butterflies, Chlosyne nycteis (Silvery Checkerspot) and Phyciodes tharos (Pearl Crescent), feed on the foliage of asters. In addition, the caterpillars of such moths as Cucullia asteroides (The Asteroid), Carmenta corni (Aster Borer Moth), and many others feed on various parts of asters (see Moth Table). Other insect feeders include Exema canadensis and other leaf beetles, larvae of Calycomyza humeralis (Aster Leafminer Fly), larvae of several fruit flies, many aphids (especially Uroleucon spp.), Macrosteles fascifrons (Aster Leafhopper), the plant bug Plagiognathus cuneatus, and Corythucha marmorata (Goldenrod Lace Bug). Among birds, the Wild Turkey and Ruffed Grouse occasionally eat the seeds and foliage of these plants in woodland areas. Among mammals, both the White-tailed Deer and Cottontail Rabbit undoubtedly feed on the rather smooth foliage of Short's Aster and similar asters.
Photographic Location: A woodland edge near Busey Woods in Urbana, Illinois.
Comments: This is one of the more attractive woodland asters with flowers that are larger than average in size. Short's Aster (Symphyotrichum shortii) can be distinguished from other asters (Symphyotrichum spp.) by carefully considering the appearance of the foliage and flowerheads. The lower to middle leaves of Short's Aster are indented at the base with narrow petioles. Some asters, such as Symphyotrichum sagittifolium (Arrow-Leaved Aster), have winged petioles on their lower to middle leaves, while other asters have rounded or wedge-shaped bases on their lower to middle leaves. The margins of leaves in Short's Aster are devoid of teeth (or nearly so), while other woodland asters, such as Symphyotrichum cordifolium (Blue Wood Aster), have leaf margins with conspicuous teeth. Similarly, the upper leaf surface in Short's Aster is hairless (or nearly so), while the upper leaf surface of Symphyotrichum drummondii (Drummond's Aster) is pubescent. Finally, the flowerheads of Short's Aster are usually ¾" across or more, while the flowerheads of other woodland asters are usually less than ¾" across. A scientific synonym of this species is Aster shortii.
Each flowerhead is about ¾–1" across, consisting of 10-20 ray florets that surround a similar number of disk florets. The petaloid rays of these flowerheads are lavender or pale blue-violet (rarely white), and they are individually linear-oblong in shape. The corollas of the disk florets are short-tubular with 5 minute lobes at their apices. Initially, these corollas are yellow, but they become reddish purple with age. On unusual specimens, these corollas are light pink to nearly white. At the base of each flowerhead, the overlapping phyllaries (scaly floral bracts) are linear-lanceolate and glabrous to finely pubescent. Depending on the stage of their maturity, the phyllaries have patches of dark green that are diamond-shaped near their tips, or they have central veins that are dark green. Otherwise, the phyllaries are light green. The blooming period occurs from late summer through the fall, lasting about 1–1½ months. Both the ray and disk florets can produce fertile achenes. These achenes are 2-3 mm. long and oblongoid in shape; they have small tufts of light brown hair at their apices. As a result, the achenes are distributed primarily by the wind. The root system is fibrous and rhizomatous; older plants sometimes develop a small caudex. Clonal colonies of plants can develop from the rhizomes.
Cultivation: The preference is partial sun, mesic to dry-mesic conditions, and soil that contains loam or some rocky material with decaying organic matter. Calcareous ground with a higher than normal pH is tolerated. Like many other asters (Symphyotrichum spp.), the foliage can be attacked by many kinds of insects and disease organisms. The plants have a tendency to flop over while in bloom.
Range & Habitat: The native Short's Aster is a fairly common species that occurs in the majority of counties in Illinois. However, it is less common in some southern areas of the state (see Distribution Map). Habitats include mesic to upland woodlands, rocky open woodlands and slopes, limestone bluffs, woodland borders, and areas along woodland paths. Short's Aster occurs in both oak-hickory woodlands and maple-basswood woodlands. This aster often occurs in areas where limestone is close to the surface of the ground; it is usually found in higher quality natural areas. Wildfires and other kinds of disturbance can be beneficial if they reduce excessive shade from overhead canopy trees, or they reduce competition from invasive shrubs.
Faunal Associations: The flowerheads of asters (Symphyotrichum spp.) attract many kinds of insects, especially long-tongued bees, small-tongued bees, butterflies, skippers, and flies. These insects obtain nectar or pollen from the flowerheads. Some bees are specialist pollinators of asters and sometimes goldenrods (Solidago spp.); these species include the plasterer bee Colletes simulans armata, and such Andrenid bees as Andrena asteris, Andrena asteroides, Andrena hirticincta, Andrena nubecula, Andrena simplex, and Andrena solidaginis. The caterpillars of two butterflies, Chlosyne nycteis (Silvery Checkerspot) and Phyciodes tharos (Pearl Crescent), feed on the foliage of asters. In addition, the caterpillars of such moths as Cucullia asteroides (The Asteroid), Carmenta corni (Aster Borer Moth), and many others feed on various parts of asters (see Moth Table). Other insect feeders include Exema canadensis and other leaf beetles, larvae of Calycomyza humeralis (Aster Leafminer Fly), larvae of several fruit flies, many aphids (especially Uroleucon spp.), Macrosteles fascifrons (Aster Leafhopper), the plant bug Plagiognathus cuneatus, and Corythucha marmorata (Goldenrod Lace Bug). Among birds, the Wild Turkey and Ruffed Grouse occasionally eat the seeds and foliage of these plants in woodland areas. Among mammals, both the White-tailed Deer and Cottontail Rabbit undoubtedly feed on the rather smooth foliage of Short's Aster and similar asters.
Photographic Location: A woodland edge near Busey Woods in Urbana, Illinois.
Comments: This is one of the more attractive woodland asters with flowers that are larger than average in size. Short's Aster (Symphyotrichum shortii) can be distinguished from other asters (Symphyotrichum spp.) by carefully considering the appearance of the foliage and flowerheads. The lower to middle leaves of Short's Aster are indented at the base with narrow petioles. Some asters, such as Symphyotrichum sagittifolium (Arrow-Leaved Aster), have winged petioles on their lower to middle leaves, while other asters have rounded or wedge-shaped bases on their lower to middle leaves. The margins of leaves in Short's Aster are devoid of teeth (or nearly so), while other woodland asters, such as Symphyotrichum cordifolium (Blue Wood Aster), have leaf margins with conspicuous teeth. Similarly, the upper leaf surface in Short's Aster is hairless (or nearly so), while the upper leaf surface of Symphyotrichum drummondii (Drummond's Aster) is pubescent. Finally, the flowerheads of Short's Aster are usually ¾" across or more, while the flowerheads of other woodland asters are usually less than ¾" across. A scientific synonym of this species is Aster shortii.
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Miss Chen
2018年05月26日
Description: This perennial wildflower is 2-3½' tall, sending up one or more leafy stems during the late spring. Initially, these stems are erect to ascending, but later in the year they sometimes sprawl across the ground. These stems are unbranched below and occasionally branched above; they are light green to reddish brown, terete, glabrous below, and lined with short hairs above. The alternate leaves are up to 4" long and 2½" across, becoming smaller as they ascend the stems. The lower leaves are cordate to cordate-ovate in shape and coarsely serrated to crenate-serrate along their margins. The upper leaves are cordate-ovate to ovate in shape and crenate-serrate to slightly crenate-serrate along their margins. The petioles are up to one-half the length of the blades, becoming relatively shorter as they ascend the stems; these petioles are conspicuously winged along their margins and they are often ciliate or slightly pubescent. The upper surfaces of the leaves are glabrous to sparsely covered with short hairs, while their lower surfaces are usually glabrous, except for some fine hairs along the major veins. However, some young leaves may have sparse short-pubescence on their lower surfaces. The central stem and upper lateral stems (if any) terminate in panicles of flowerheads that are ¾-1¾' long and about one-half as much across. The lateral branches of these panicles are ascending; the peduncles of the flowerheads are short (up to ½" in length). The central stalk, lateral branches, and peduncles are light green to reddish brown, terete, and either glabrous, short-pubescent, or lined with short hairs.
Each flowerhead is about ½" across, consisting of about 8-15 ray florets that surround 8-12 disk florets. The petaloid rays of the flowerheads are lavender, light blue-violet, or white. The corollas of the disk florets are initially cream-colored or yellow, but they later become reddish purple. Around the base of each flowerhead, there are phyllaries (scale-like floral bracts) in several overlapping series; individual phyllaries are 2-5 mm. in length. Individual phyllaries are linear-lanceolate to narrowly lanceolate, appressed together or slightly spreading, and they have dark green patches near their tips that are diamond-shaped. Leafy bracts up to 1" long occur along the central stalks and lateral branches of panicles; they are linear-oblong or elliptic in shape and entire (smooth) along their margins. The blooming period occurs from late summer into the autumn and lasts about 1-3 months. Afterwards, the florets are replaced by achenes with small tufts of hair; they are distributed by the wind. The achenes are 2.0-2.5 mm. long, oblongoid-oblanceoloid in shape, and brown to purplish brown. The root system is fibrous and short-rhizomatous; an older plant may develop a small woody caudex. This wildflower spreads by reseeding itself and by forming clonal offsets from the rhizomes. A rosette of semi-evergreen basal leaves is created during the autumn that can persist until the spring. These basal leaves are ¾-3" long, cordate-ovate in shape, and crenate-serrated along their margins. Their upper surfaces are medium green and glabrous, while their lower surfaces are pale green and glabrous to finely hairy along the major veins. The petioles are about the same length as the corresponding basal leaves; they are narrow or slightly winged.
Cultivation: The preference is partial sun, mesic to dry conditions, and soil that contains loam, clay-loam, or rocky-loam. The leaves may become yellowish green when they are exposed to bright sunlight; the lower leaves may become wilted and fall off their stems during hot dry weather. Sometimes powdery mildew attacks the leaves during the late summer or fall when moisture is abundant.
Range & Habitat: The native Arrow-Leaved Aster is common in most areas of Illinois, except some counties in the south-central area of the state (see Distribution Map). Habitats include upland woodlands, rocky woodlands, wooded slopes, thinly wooded bluffs, woodland edges, savannas, rocky glades, grassy thickets, small meadows in wooded areas, and edges of yards. This aster tolerates disturbance to some extent.
Faunal Associations: The nectar and pollen of the flowerheads attract many kinds of insects, including long-tongued bees, short-tongued bees, Syrphid flies, bee flies, wasps, and occasional butterflies or skippers. Caterpillars of the butterflies Chlosyne nycteis (Silvery Checkerspot) and Phyciodes tharos (Pearl Crescent) feed on the foliage of asters (Symphyotrichum spp.), while the caterpillars of many moths feed on the foliage, flowerheads, developing seeds, stems, or roots (see Moth Table). Other insect feeders include leaf beetles, lace bugs, plant bugs, stink bugs, aphids, leafhoppers, and the larvae of leaf-mining flies and fruit flies (see Insect Table for a list of these species). Among vertebrate animals, the Wild Turkey and Ruffed Grouse occasionally eat the seeds and young foliage of asters, while such mammalian herbivores as deer, rabbits, groundhogs, and livestock browse on the foliage.
Photographic Location: Border of a wooded area at Crystal Lake Park in Urbana, Illinois.
Comments: Arrow-Leaved Aster (Symphyotrichum sagittifolium) is one of several woodland asters with relatively small flowerheads that have cordate or cordate-ovate lower leaves. While the leaves can become rather coarse, the panicles of abundant flowerheads are often showy. This species has an appearance that is similar to Drummond's Aster (Symphyotrichum drummondii), Heart-Leaved Aster (Symphyotrichum cordifolium), and White Arrowleaf Aster (Symphyotrichum urophyllum), which occur in similar habitats. Drummond's Aster has stems and leaf undersides that are evenly pubescent, while the stems of Arrow-Leaved Aster are either glabrous or they are lined with hairs, and the undersides of its leaves are either glabrous or they have fine hairs along the major veins. Heart-Leaved Aster can be distinguished by the narrow petioles of its alternate leaves, while those of Arrow-Leaved Aster are conspicuously winged. Sometimes the latter is considered a variety of Heart-Leaved Aster, or Symphyotrichum cordifolium sagittifolium (Jones, 1989). Finally, Arrow-Leaved Aster and White Arrowleaf Aster are regarded as the same species by some authorities (e.g., efloras, USDA, and ITIS), while Mohlenbrock (2014) considers them to be distinct. An argument for the latter point-of-view can be made as, compared to Arrow-Leaved Aster, White Arrowleaf Aster has more narrow upper leaves (typically ovate to lanceolate), the margins of its leaves are less strongly toothed or they lack teeth, and its phyllaries have green central stripes, rather than diamond-shaped patches of dark green toward their tips. In addition, the petaloid rays of this latter aster are almost always white. All species in this complex of asters were assigned orginally to the Aster genus.
Each flowerhead is about ½" across, consisting of about 8-15 ray florets that surround 8-12 disk florets. The petaloid rays of the flowerheads are lavender, light blue-violet, or white. The corollas of the disk florets are initially cream-colored or yellow, but they later become reddish purple. Around the base of each flowerhead, there are phyllaries (scale-like floral bracts) in several overlapping series; individual phyllaries are 2-5 mm. in length. Individual phyllaries are linear-lanceolate to narrowly lanceolate, appressed together or slightly spreading, and they have dark green patches near their tips that are diamond-shaped. Leafy bracts up to 1" long occur along the central stalks and lateral branches of panicles; they are linear-oblong or elliptic in shape and entire (smooth) along their margins. The blooming period occurs from late summer into the autumn and lasts about 1-3 months. Afterwards, the florets are replaced by achenes with small tufts of hair; they are distributed by the wind. The achenes are 2.0-2.5 mm. long, oblongoid-oblanceoloid in shape, and brown to purplish brown. The root system is fibrous and short-rhizomatous; an older plant may develop a small woody caudex. This wildflower spreads by reseeding itself and by forming clonal offsets from the rhizomes. A rosette of semi-evergreen basal leaves is created during the autumn that can persist until the spring. These basal leaves are ¾-3" long, cordate-ovate in shape, and crenate-serrated along their margins. Their upper surfaces are medium green and glabrous, while their lower surfaces are pale green and glabrous to finely hairy along the major veins. The petioles are about the same length as the corresponding basal leaves; they are narrow or slightly winged.
Cultivation: The preference is partial sun, mesic to dry conditions, and soil that contains loam, clay-loam, or rocky-loam. The leaves may become yellowish green when they are exposed to bright sunlight; the lower leaves may become wilted and fall off their stems during hot dry weather. Sometimes powdery mildew attacks the leaves during the late summer or fall when moisture is abundant.
Range & Habitat: The native Arrow-Leaved Aster is common in most areas of Illinois, except some counties in the south-central area of the state (see Distribution Map). Habitats include upland woodlands, rocky woodlands, wooded slopes, thinly wooded bluffs, woodland edges, savannas, rocky glades, grassy thickets, small meadows in wooded areas, and edges of yards. This aster tolerates disturbance to some extent.
Faunal Associations: The nectar and pollen of the flowerheads attract many kinds of insects, including long-tongued bees, short-tongued bees, Syrphid flies, bee flies, wasps, and occasional butterflies or skippers. Caterpillars of the butterflies Chlosyne nycteis (Silvery Checkerspot) and Phyciodes tharos (Pearl Crescent) feed on the foliage of asters (Symphyotrichum spp.), while the caterpillars of many moths feed on the foliage, flowerheads, developing seeds, stems, or roots (see Moth Table). Other insect feeders include leaf beetles, lace bugs, plant bugs, stink bugs, aphids, leafhoppers, and the larvae of leaf-mining flies and fruit flies (see Insect Table for a list of these species). Among vertebrate animals, the Wild Turkey and Ruffed Grouse occasionally eat the seeds and young foliage of asters, while such mammalian herbivores as deer, rabbits, groundhogs, and livestock browse on the foliage.
Photographic Location: Border of a wooded area at Crystal Lake Park in Urbana, Illinois.
Comments: Arrow-Leaved Aster (Symphyotrichum sagittifolium) is one of several woodland asters with relatively small flowerheads that have cordate or cordate-ovate lower leaves. While the leaves can become rather coarse, the panicles of abundant flowerheads are often showy. This species has an appearance that is similar to Drummond's Aster (Symphyotrichum drummondii), Heart-Leaved Aster (Symphyotrichum cordifolium), and White Arrowleaf Aster (Symphyotrichum urophyllum), which occur in similar habitats. Drummond's Aster has stems and leaf undersides that are evenly pubescent, while the stems of Arrow-Leaved Aster are either glabrous or they are lined with hairs, and the undersides of its leaves are either glabrous or they have fine hairs along the major veins. Heart-Leaved Aster can be distinguished by the narrow petioles of its alternate leaves, while those of Arrow-Leaved Aster are conspicuously winged. Sometimes the latter is considered a variety of Heart-Leaved Aster, or Symphyotrichum cordifolium sagittifolium (Jones, 1989). Finally, Arrow-Leaved Aster and White Arrowleaf Aster are regarded as the same species by some authorities (e.g., efloras, USDA, and ITIS), while Mohlenbrock (2014) considers them to be distinct. An argument for the latter point-of-view can be made as, compared to Arrow-Leaved Aster, White Arrowleaf Aster has more narrow upper leaves (typically ovate to lanceolate), the margins of its leaves are less strongly toothed or they lack teeth, and its phyllaries have green central stripes, rather than diamond-shaped patches of dark green toward their tips. In addition, the petaloid rays of this latter aster are almost always white. All species in this complex of asters were assigned orginally to the Aster genus.
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Miss Chen
2018年05月26日
Description: This perennial wildflower is 1½–3' tall. Each plant has a central stem that develops from the rootstock (less often, there are 2-3 such stems), which branches from below the middle. During the flowering period, short secondary stems develop from the axils of the leaves. These stems are terete, mostly light green, and pubescent; sometimes they have longitudinal ridges. The alternate leaves are up to 3½" long and 1" across; they are lanceolate, oblanceolate, or narrowly ovate with margins that are slightly toothed or smooth. The upper surface of each leaf is medium green and hairless, while the lower surface is light green and finely short-pubescent. Sometimes there are longer hairs along the central vein on the underside of each leaf. The leaves are sessile against their stems and their outer tips are somewhat blunt.
The upper stems terminate in elongated panicles of flowerheads. Each flowerhead spans about ½" across, consisting of 15-25 white ray florets and a similar number of disk florets. The disk florets are initially pale yellow, but they later become reddish purple; each disk floret is tubular in shape with 5 spreading lobes along its upper rim. Surrounding the base of each flowerhead, there is an overlapping series of small floral bracts (phyllaries). These floral bracts are linear in shape, evenly green from top to bottom, and appressed or slightly spreading. Each flowerhead has a short peduncle up to 1" long. In addition to the flowerheads, the branches of the panicle have numerous leafy bracts. These leafy bracts are similar in appearance to the leaves, except smaller in size. The blooming period occurs from late summer into the fall and lasts about 1-2 months. Each flowerhead is replaced by a dense cluster of small achenes. Each achene is bullet-shaped with a small tuft of white hairs at its apex. The achenes are distributed by the wind. The root system is fibrous and long-rhizomatous. Small colonies of plants are occasionally formed.
Cultivation: The preference is partial or dappled sunlight, moist to mesic conditions, and a fertile loamy soil. Other kinds of soil are also tolerated.
Range & Habitat: The native Ontario Aster is occasional to locally common throughout Illinois (see Distribution Map). Habitats include open woodlands, woodland openings, woodland borders, partially shaded cliffs, areas along woodland paths, powerline clearances in wooded areas, low areas along woodland streams, savannas, moist meadows, and abandoned fields. This aster benefits from disturbance if it reduces excessive shade from canopy trees.
Faunal Associations: The nectar and/or pollen attract various insects, including bumblebees, little carpenter bees (Ceratina spp.), leaf-cutting bees (Megachile spp.), Halictid bees, Syrphid flies, and butterflies. A long-horned bee, Melissodes dentriventris, is an oligolectic floral visitor of this and other asters (Symphyotrichum spp.). These insects cross-pollinate the flowers. Other insects, including aphids, plant bugs, leaf beetles, etc., feed destructively on asters (see Insect Table); there are also a large number of moth caterpillars that feed on various parts of asters (see Moth Table). The Ruffed Grouse and Wild Turkey feed on the leaves and seeds of these plants to a limited extent; White-Tailed Deer and Cottontail Rabbits also feed on the foliage to a limited extent.
Photographic Location: A powerline clearance at Busey Woods in Urbana, Illinois.
Comments: This aster has a rather ordinary appearance and it is often omitted in many wildflower guides. Ontario Aster (Symphyotrichum ontarionis) resembles several other asters (Symphyotrichum spp.) with small white flowerheads and they often occur in the same or similar habitats. In general, Ontario Aster can be distinguished from these other species by the even pubescence of its stems and the even canescence (short fine pubescence) on the underside of its leaves. Other similar asters have stems with lines of hair and the undersides of their leaves are either hairy along the major veins or hairless. The flowerheads of Ontario Aster have 15-25 ray florets and its floral bracts are evenly green from top to bottom. Other similar asters have fewer ray florets (10-15) or their floral bracts have a diamond-shaped pattern near their tips that is dark green. Ontario Aster also has an abundance of leafy green bracts along the branches of its panicles, while the bracts of other asters are smaller in size and more scale-like in appearance. Sometimes Ontario Aster hybridizes with similar species of asters, which increases the difficulty of identification. A scientific synonym of this species is Aster ontarionis.
The upper stems terminate in elongated panicles of flowerheads. Each flowerhead spans about ½" across, consisting of 15-25 white ray florets and a similar number of disk florets. The disk florets are initially pale yellow, but they later become reddish purple; each disk floret is tubular in shape with 5 spreading lobes along its upper rim. Surrounding the base of each flowerhead, there is an overlapping series of small floral bracts (phyllaries). These floral bracts are linear in shape, evenly green from top to bottom, and appressed or slightly spreading. Each flowerhead has a short peduncle up to 1" long. In addition to the flowerheads, the branches of the panicle have numerous leafy bracts. These leafy bracts are similar in appearance to the leaves, except smaller in size. The blooming period occurs from late summer into the fall and lasts about 1-2 months. Each flowerhead is replaced by a dense cluster of small achenes. Each achene is bullet-shaped with a small tuft of white hairs at its apex. The achenes are distributed by the wind. The root system is fibrous and long-rhizomatous. Small colonies of plants are occasionally formed.
Cultivation: The preference is partial or dappled sunlight, moist to mesic conditions, and a fertile loamy soil. Other kinds of soil are also tolerated.
Range & Habitat: The native Ontario Aster is occasional to locally common throughout Illinois (see Distribution Map). Habitats include open woodlands, woodland openings, woodland borders, partially shaded cliffs, areas along woodland paths, powerline clearances in wooded areas, low areas along woodland streams, savannas, moist meadows, and abandoned fields. This aster benefits from disturbance if it reduces excessive shade from canopy trees.
Faunal Associations: The nectar and/or pollen attract various insects, including bumblebees, little carpenter bees (Ceratina spp.), leaf-cutting bees (Megachile spp.), Halictid bees, Syrphid flies, and butterflies. A long-horned bee, Melissodes dentriventris, is an oligolectic floral visitor of this and other asters (Symphyotrichum spp.). These insects cross-pollinate the flowers. Other insects, including aphids, plant bugs, leaf beetles, etc., feed destructively on asters (see Insect Table); there are also a large number of moth caterpillars that feed on various parts of asters (see Moth Table). The Ruffed Grouse and Wild Turkey feed on the leaves and seeds of these plants to a limited extent; White-Tailed Deer and Cottontail Rabbits also feed on the foliage to a limited extent.
Photographic Location: A powerline clearance at Busey Woods in Urbana, Illinois.
Comments: This aster has a rather ordinary appearance and it is often omitted in many wildflower guides. Ontario Aster (Symphyotrichum ontarionis) resembles several other asters (Symphyotrichum spp.) with small white flowerheads and they often occur in the same or similar habitats. In general, Ontario Aster can be distinguished from these other species by the even pubescence of its stems and the even canescence (short fine pubescence) on the underside of its leaves. Other similar asters have stems with lines of hair and the undersides of their leaves are either hairy along the major veins or hairless. The flowerheads of Ontario Aster have 15-25 ray florets and its floral bracts are evenly green from top to bottom. Other similar asters have fewer ray florets (10-15) or their floral bracts have a diamond-shaped pattern near their tips that is dark green. Ontario Aster also has an abundance of leafy green bracts along the branches of its panicles, while the bracts of other asters are smaller in size and more scale-like in appearance. Sometimes Ontario Aster hybridizes with similar species of asters, which increases the difficulty of identification. A scientific synonym of this species is Aster ontarionis.
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Miss Chen
2018年05月26日
Description: This perennial wildflower consists of a small rosette of basal leaves about 3-8" across, persisting from autumn to spring. These basal leaves are semi-evergreen, ¾-2½" long, and ½-2" across; they are oval-cordate in shape and their margins are crenate-serrate. The upper surfaces of basal leaves are medium green and sparsely to moderately short-pubescent, while their lower surfaces are light green and moderately to densely short-pubescent. Exposure to near-freezing temperatures sometimes causes the basal leaves to turn purple. The petioles of basal leaves are up to 2" long, slender, and short-pubescent. This wildflower bolts during the late spring to produce one or more leafy stems about 1½-3¼' long that are initially erect or ascending, although tending to sprawl across the ground later in the year. These stems are light green to purple, terete, and short-pubescent to pubescent throughout; this pubescence is not restricted to longitudinal lines. The stems are unbranched below, while they are sparingly to occasionally branched above.
Alternate leaves occur along these stems that are 1-4" long and ½-3" across (becoming smaller in size as they ascend the stems); they are cordate below, becoming cordate-ovate to lanceolate above. The margins of these alternate leaves are coarsely serrated below, becoming serrated to slightly crenate-serrate above. The upper surfaces of these leaves are moderate green and sparsely short-pubescent to densely short-pubescent, while their lower surfaces are light green and moderately to densely short-pubescent or pubescent throughout; this pubescence is not restricted to the major veins. When these leaves are exposed to bright sunlight, they may become yellowish green. Leaf texture tends to be stiff and rough. The petioles of alternate leaves are ½-2" long and their margins are more or less winged; they are moderately to densely short-pubescent. Sometimes small secondary leaves appear in the axils of these leaves. Each leafy stem terminates in a panicle of flowerheads about ½-2' long and about one-half as much across. In addition to the central stalk of the panicle, there are several ascending lateral branches along which most of the flowerheads occur on short peduncles (less than ½" long). The central stalk, branches and peduncles are light green to purple, terete, and evenly short-pubescent to pubescent.
Each flowerhead is about ½" across, consisting of 10-15 ray florets that surround 10-15 congested disk florets. The petaloid rays of these flowerheads are usually lavender or light violet (less often white) and linear-oblong in shape. The short-tubular disk florets are initially cream-colored to yellow, but they later become reddish purple. Each disk floret has 5 short lobes that are erect. Around the base of each flowerhead, the scale-like phyllaries (floral bracts) are arranged in several overlapping series; these phyllaries are appressed together, or nearly so. Individual phyllaries are 4-6 mm. in length, linear-lanceolate in shape, and light green, except for diamond-shaped patches of dark green near their apices. Leafy bracts occur along central stalk and lateral branches of the panicle that are up to 1" long and elliptic to linear-oblong in shape; they are slightly toothed to entire (smooth) along their margins. The blooming period occurs from late summer into autumn for 1-3 months. Afterwards, the florets are replaced by achenes with small tufts of white hair. The achenes are 2-3 mm. long, oblongoid-oblanceoloid in shape, slightly ribbed, and light to medium brown (sometimes with reddish or purplish tints). They are distributed by the wind. The root system is fibrous and short-rhizomatous. On older plants, a small woody caudex may develop. Clonal offsets are often produced from the rhizomes.
Cultivation: The preference is partial sun, mesic to dry-mesic conditions, and soil containing loam, clay-loam, or some rocky material. This wildflower is usually easy to cultivate. The foliage may become discolored with age; lower leaves may wither away in response to hot dry conditions. There is a tendency for the flowering stems to sprawl across the ground during the autumn.
Range & Habitat: The native Drummond's Aster is common in central and northern Illinois, while in the southern section of the state it is occasional to locally common (see Distribution Map). Habitats include upland woodlands, rocky woodlands, woodland openings, woodland borders, areas along woodland paths, disturbed open woodlands, upland savannas, thinly wooded bluffs, powerline clearances through wooded areas, thickets, partially shaded riverbanks, burnt-over vacant lots, edges of yards, and partially shaded areas along roadsides. Drummond's Aster can be found in both high quality natural areas and degraded sites. Occasional wildfires are beneficial when they reduce excessive shade from overhead canopy trees. The woodlands where this aster occurs are dominated by various deciduous trees, especially oaks (Quercus spp.).
Faunal Associations: The flowers are cross-pollinated by honeybees, bumblebees, Halictid bees (including green metallic bees), Andrenid bees, miscellaneous wasps, Syrphid flies, Tachinid flies, Muscid flies, butterflies, skippers, moths, and other insects. Both nectar and pollen are available as floral awards to such visitors. The following bees are oligolectic visitors (pollinator specialists) of aster flowers: Andrena asteris, Andrena asteroides, Andrena hirticincta, Andrena nubecula, Andrena solidaginis, and Colletes simulans armata. Some of these oligoleges also visit goldenrod flowers. Other insects that are associated with Drummond's Aster and other asters (Symphyotrichum spp.) include leaf beetles, larvae of fruit flies and leaf-mining flies, plant bugs, lace bugs, stink bugs, aphids, leafhoppers, walkingsticks, caterpillars of butterflies, and caterpillars of many moths. These insects feed destructively on the leaves, flowers, developing seeds, stems, roots, or plant juices (see the Insect Table and Moth Table for more information about these species). In general, asters are less important to vertebrate animals. However, such upland gamebirds as the Ruffed Grouse and Wild Turkey feed occasionally on the foliage and seeds; such mammals as deer, rabbits, groundhogs, and livestock also feed on the foliage.
Photographic Location: Edge of a wooded area at Crystal Lake Park in Urbana, Illinois.
Comments: Drummond's Aster (Symphyotrichum drummondii) is part of a complex of similar species involving Arrow-Leaved Aster (Symphyotrichum sagittifolium), Heart-leaved Aster (Symphyotrichum cordifolium), and White Arrowleaf Aster (Symphyotrichum urophyllum). There has been a history of taxonomic instability involving the interrelationships between these 4 species. Some of these species are considered varieties of each other by some taxonomists, or they have been merged with other species within this complex. Drummond's Aster can be distinguished from other species (or varieties) in this complex by the evenly distributed pubescence along its stems and by the evenly distributed pubescence on the lower sides of its leaves. The abundance and conspicuousness of this pubescence can vary across different populations of plants in Illinois. Drummond's Aster also differs from Heart-leaved Aster by its winged petioles; this is a trait that it shares with the remaining species of this complex. Relatively recently, all of these species have been assigned to the Symphyotrichum genus; Drummond's Aster was referred to previously as Aster drummondii. While the individual flowerheads are relatively small, the inflorescence of this aster is often quite large and showy during the autumn.
Alternate leaves occur along these stems that are 1-4" long and ½-3" across (becoming smaller in size as they ascend the stems); they are cordate below, becoming cordate-ovate to lanceolate above. The margins of these alternate leaves are coarsely serrated below, becoming serrated to slightly crenate-serrate above. The upper surfaces of these leaves are moderate green and sparsely short-pubescent to densely short-pubescent, while their lower surfaces are light green and moderately to densely short-pubescent or pubescent throughout; this pubescence is not restricted to the major veins. When these leaves are exposed to bright sunlight, they may become yellowish green. Leaf texture tends to be stiff and rough. The petioles of alternate leaves are ½-2" long and their margins are more or less winged; they are moderately to densely short-pubescent. Sometimes small secondary leaves appear in the axils of these leaves. Each leafy stem terminates in a panicle of flowerheads about ½-2' long and about one-half as much across. In addition to the central stalk of the panicle, there are several ascending lateral branches along which most of the flowerheads occur on short peduncles (less than ½" long). The central stalk, branches and peduncles are light green to purple, terete, and evenly short-pubescent to pubescent.
Each flowerhead is about ½" across, consisting of 10-15 ray florets that surround 10-15 congested disk florets. The petaloid rays of these flowerheads are usually lavender or light violet (less often white) and linear-oblong in shape. The short-tubular disk florets are initially cream-colored to yellow, but they later become reddish purple. Each disk floret has 5 short lobes that are erect. Around the base of each flowerhead, the scale-like phyllaries (floral bracts) are arranged in several overlapping series; these phyllaries are appressed together, or nearly so. Individual phyllaries are 4-6 mm. in length, linear-lanceolate in shape, and light green, except for diamond-shaped patches of dark green near their apices. Leafy bracts occur along central stalk and lateral branches of the panicle that are up to 1" long and elliptic to linear-oblong in shape; they are slightly toothed to entire (smooth) along their margins. The blooming period occurs from late summer into autumn for 1-3 months. Afterwards, the florets are replaced by achenes with small tufts of white hair. The achenes are 2-3 mm. long, oblongoid-oblanceoloid in shape, slightly ribbed, and light to medium brown (sometimes with reddish or purplish tints). They are distributed by the wind. The root system is fibrous and short-rhizomatous. On older plants, a small woody caudex may develop. Clonal offsets are often produced from the rhizomes.
Cultivation: The preference is partial sun, mesic to dry-mesic conditions, and soil containing loam, clay-loam, or some rocky material. This wildflower is usually easy to cultivate. The foliage may become discolored with age; lower leaves may wither away in response to hot dry conditions. There is a tendency for the flowering stems to sprawl across the ground during the autumn.
Range & Habitat: The native Drummond's Aster is common in central and northern Illinois, while in the southern section of the state it is occasional to locally common (see Distribution Map). Habitats include upland woodlands, rocky woodlands, woodland openings, woodland borders, areas along woodland paths, disturbed open woodlands, upland savannas, thinly wooded bluffs, powerline clearances through wooded areas, thickets, partially shaded riverbanks, burnt-over vacant lots, edges of yards, and partially shaded areas along roadsides. Drummond's Aster can be found in both high quality natural areas and degraded sites. Occasional wildfires are beneficial when they reduce excessive shade from overhead canopy trees. The woodlands where this aster occurs are dominated by various deciduous trees, especially oaks (Quercus spp.).
Faunal Associations: The flowers are cross-pollinated by honeybees, bumblebees, Halictid bees (including green metallic bees), Andrenid bees, miscellaneous wasps, Syrphid flies, Tachinid flies, Muscid flies, butterflies, skippers, moths, and other insects. Both nectar and pollen are available as floral awards to such visitors. The following bees are oligolectic visitors (pollinator specialists) of aster flowers: Andrena asteris, Andrena asteroides, Andrena hirticincta, Andrena nubecula, Andrena solidaginis, and Colletes simulans armata. Some of these oligoleges also visit goldenrod flowers. Other insects that are associated with Drummond's Aster and other asters (Symphyotrichum spp.) include leaf beetles, larvae of fruit flies and leaf-mining flies, plant bugs, lace bugs, stink bugs, aphids, leafhoppers, walkingsticks, caterpillars of butterflies, and caterpillars of many moths. These insects feed destructively on the leaves, flowers, developing seeds, stems, roots, or plant juices (see the Insect Table and Moth Table for more information about these species). In general, asters are less important to vertebrate animals. However, such upland gamebirds as the Ruffed Grouse and Wild Turkey feed occasionally on the foliage and seeds; such mammals as deer, rabbits, groundhogs, and livestock also feed on the foliage.
Photographic Location: Edge of a wooded area at Crystal Lake Park in Urbana, Illinois.
Comments: Drummond's Aster (Symphyotrichum drummondii) is part of a complex of similar species involving Arrow-Leaved Aster (Symphyotrichum sagittifolium), Heart-leaved Aster (Symphyotrichum cordifolium), and White Arrowleaf Aster (Symphyotrichum urophyllum). There has been a history of taxonomic instability involving the interrelationships between these 4 species. Some of these species are considered varieties of each other by some taxonomists, or they have been merged with other species within this complex. Drummond's Aster can be distinguished from other species (or varieties) in this complex by the evenly distributed pubescence along its stems and by the evenly distributed pubescence on the lower sides of its leaves. The abundance and conspicuousness of this pubescence can vary across different populations of plants in Illinois. Drummond's Aster also differs from Heart-leaved Aster by its winged petioles; this is a trait that it shares with the remaining species of this complex. Relatively recently, all of these species have been assigned to the Symphyotrichum genus; Drummond's Aster was referred to previously as Aster drummondii. While the individual flowerheads are relatively small, the inflorescence of this aster is often quite large and showy during the autumn.
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文章
权问薇
2018年05月26日
一、、播种步骤
1、准备一个盆口较浅的容器，底部留有排水口，陶土盆最佳；
2、准备松软稀疏的砂质腐叶土，进行消毒处理。
3、将消毒后的土放入盆里，放上春羽的种子，覆一层薄土。
4、种下种子后的盆土要保持湿润，喷洒的方式进行给水，不要用大水，容易冲刷掉种子，也容易造成过涝，影响种子成活率。
5、将盆栽放到温暖湿润的环境中，春夏季节室温就可以，控制到23℃到26℃之间最佳。
6、种下保持正确的养护方法，大约两周后节能发芽。
二、后期养护
1、换盆
幼芽长成小苗，当苗高长到五公分的时候可以进行分盆，在春季进行。准备好要移植的容器，放入泥炭土、河沙、腐殖土等材料混合形成，并施加少量氨肥。
换盆后小苗会进行自我缓解，进入快速成长时期。这个时候保证水分的充足，除了适量浇水之后要从叶面喷撒式浇水，保证空气湿度，避免叶子干枯失去观赏价值。冬季浇水要控制次数，盆土表面变干在给水即可。
2、春羽耐阴，正常放在室内半个月左右也能生长，但是夏季空气温度高、蒸腾作用比较强，应该进行遮光处理，放置在半阴、通风的状态下，这样做也是为了避免叶面被强光灼伤。
3、生长期约一个月左右使用一次肥料补充营养。可以选择有机液肥，薄肥就可以。也可以浇淘米水、浓度较低的鱼血水。
4、冬天温度过低，为防止冻坏，要转移到室内，放置在向阳的窗边。
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