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Miss Chen
2017年08月06日
Description: This perennial plant is about ½–1½' and unbranched, except for some upper side stems near the inflorescence. Often, several stems will emerge from the same rootstock; they remain reasonably erect. The basal leaves have long petioles, and are about 1" across. They are usually cordate or orbicular and their margins are bluntly dentate. The basal leaves often wither away by flowering time. Along the slender central stem are alternate leaves. These leaves are linear and about ½–2" long. They usually angle upward from the stem, and then curve outward. Usually the foliage and stems are without hairs, although sometimes they are slightly pubescent.
The central stem (and some of the side stems) terminates in either a solitary flower, or a short raceme of 2-3 flowers. These flowers are violet and bell-shaped. A typical flower is about ¾" long, and tends to hang toward from a slender pedicel. The corolla has 5 short lobes that curve outward. The interior of a flower is white or pale violet near the base, while a long violet style projects slightly beyond the outer rim of the corolla. This style terminates into a tripartite white stigma. The green calyx divides into 5 slender segments that are slightly recurved. The blooming period occurs from early to late summer, and lasts about 2-3 months. There is no noticeable floral scent. The flowers are replaced by ovoid capsules that contain numerous tiny seeds. These seeds are easily dispersed by gusts of wind. The root system consists of a taproot.
Cultivation: This little plant prefers full sunlight and moist to dry conditions. It typically grows in shallow rocky soil, but will flourish in ordinary garden soil if taller, more aggressive plants are kept away. Harebell is surprisingly easy to grow, notwithstanding its delicate appearance. It tolerates alkaline soil.
Range & Habitat: The native Harebell is an uncommon plant that occurs primarily in northern Illinois (see Distribution Map). It is more common in areas to the north and east of Illinois. Habitats include sandy Black Oak savannas, hill prairies, crevices of sandstone, limestone, or dolomite cliffs, and shallow rocky soil along streams. It also occurs along roadsides in neighboring states. Generally, Harebell is found in high quality habitats where there are rocky slopes. It also cultivated in gardens.
Faunal Associations: Various bees often visit the flowers, where they seek nectar. While the foliage is potentially edible to mammalian herbivores, only the basal leaves are sufficiently large to attract much attention from them. The seeds are too small to be of any interest to birds.
Photographic Location: The photographs of the flowers were taken at the webmaster's wildflower garden in Urbana, Illinois, while the photograph of the basal leaves was taken at the Japan House of the University of Illinois in the same city.
Comments: This is a charming little plant. Harebell is distributed in both the Old World and New World, and may be variable across its large range. The native Campanula aparinoides (Marsh Bellflower) has smaller flowers and is found in wetland areas. Sometimes non-native bellflowers escape into the wild, such as Campanula rapunculoides (Creeping Bellflower), but they have broader foliage and larger flowers.
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Miss Chen
2017年08月06日
Description: This perennial wildflower consists of a low rosette of basal leaves up to 1½' across and a flowering stalk about 1½–2' tall. The floppy basal leaves are 6-12" long and 1/3" (8 mm.) across; they are medium to dark green, linear in shape, parallel-veined, glabrous, and smooth along their margins. Along the underside of each basal leaf, there is a prominent mid-rib. The erect central stalk is slender, light to medium green, and glabrous; it terminates in a spike-like raceme of flowers that is several inches in length. Underneath the floral spike, there are usually 1-3 bracts along the stalk. These bracts are green, linear to linear-lanceolate in shape, and up to ¾" long. Each flower is ¾–1" across, consisting of 6 tepals, 6 stamens with bright yellow anthers, and a green central ovary with a slender style. The tepals are light blue-violet to nearly white; they are oblong in shape and spread widely from the center of the flower. Each tepal (petal or petal-like sepal) has 1-3 poorly defined veins along its length.
At the base of each flower, there is a single linear bract up to ¾" long that is early-deciduous. The slender pedicel of each flower is about the same length as the bract. The flowers begin to bloom from the bottom of the raceme and continue to bloom upward toward the apex; each flower lasts only 2-3 days. The blooming period occurs from mid- to late spring and lasts about 2-3 weeks. Each fertilized flower is replaced by a 3-celled seed capsule that is about 1/3" in length and nearly as much across. Each seed capsule contains many small seeds that are black and shiny. The basal leaves turn yellow and wither away by mid-summer. The root system consists of a bulb with fibrous roots. This wildflower reproduces by reseeding itself.
Cultivation: The preference is full sun to light shade, moist conditions, and rich loamy soil. Wild Hyacinth is slow to develop, but fairly long-lived. Vegetative growth and development occurs during the cool weather of spring, when adequate moisture is essential.
Range & Habitat: Wild Hyacinth is found occasionally throughout Illinois (see Distribution Map), where it is native. Habitats include moist black soil prairies, moist savannas, moist open woodlands (particularly along the banks of streams), rocky wooded slopes, and limestone glades. This species is typically found in high quality habitats, whether prairies or woodlands.
Faunal Associations: The flowers attract their fair share of insects, including many bees and flies, and occasional butterflies and wasps. Most of these insects seek nectar from the flowers, although some short-tongued bees also collect pollen. Bee visitors include honeybees, bumblebees, Cuckoo bees (Nomada spp.), and Halictid bees (Halictus spp., Lasioglossum spp., etc.). Other floral-faunal relationships are poorly understood. White-Tailed Deer occasionally chomp off the tops of the basal leaves. Both the foliage and bulbs are not known to be toxic to mammalian herbivores.
Photographic Location: Along a woodland stream in Douglas or Coles County in east-central Illinois.
Comments: Wild Hyacinth has attractive flowers that are conspicuous during the spring. It is usually found in woodland habitats, but also occurs in prairies. Wild Hyacinth differs from the less common Camassia angusta (Prairie Hyacinth) in several ways, among them: 1) It has slightly larger flowers than the latter, 2) its flowers are usually a slightly lighter shade of blue-violet, 3) its seed capsules are about as broad as long, while Prairie Hyacinth has seed capsules that are slightly longer than broad, 4) the bracts of its flowering stalk are less persistent than those of Prairie Hyacinth, and 5) it blooms earlier in the spring.
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Miss Chen
2017年08月06日
Description: This perennial plant consists of a rosette of basal leaves up to 1½' across and one or more flowering stalks up to 2½' tall. The strap-shaped basal leaves are up to 14" long and 1" across; they are linear, smooth along the margins, and glabrous. Their veins are parallel. These basal leaves are rather floppy and they often arch downward or sprawl across the ground in the absence of support from other vegetation. The basal leaves wither away by mid-summer. The flowering stalks are erect, slender, hairless, and leafless. Each stalk terminates in a raceme of about 20-80 flowers. Each flower consists of 6 lavender to pale blue-violet tepals, 6 stamens with golden yellow anthers, and a light green pistil with a short slender style. Each flower spans about ¾" across when it is fully open. The pedicels of the flowers are slender, green, and deciduous, unless the flower is successfully cross-pollinated. Underneath each flower, there is often a persistent bract about ¾" long that is thread-like in appearance. After the flowers begin blooming on the raceme, there can be 3-20 (or more) of these bracts underneath. Several flowers bloom in a ring at the same time, which forms at the bottom of the raceme and moves upward. The blooming period occurs from late spring to early summer and can last up to 1 month for a colony of plants. The flowers that are successfully cross-pollinated form seed capsules that are ovoid-oblongoid in shape. Each capsule contains several seeds. The root system consists of a bulb with secondary fibrous roots at the bottom. This plant reproduces by forming offsets from the bulbs and by reseeding itself.
Cultivation: The preference is full or partial sun, moist to mesic conditions, and a fertile loamy soil. This plant is rarely bothered by disease and insect pests. It is somewhat slow to develop, especially from seeds.
Range & Habitat: In Illinois, Prairie Hyacinth is a rare plant that has been observed in Macon and Peoria counties only (see Distribution Map). At the present time, only one population of plants is known to exist within the state at a railroad prairie. Apparently, the other population has been extirpated. In neighboring states, Prairie Hyacinth has been observed in prairies and thinly-wooded areas. This native species is state-listed as 'endangered' in Illinois.
Faunal Associations: The flowers attract both long-tongued and short-tongued bees, which suck nectar or collect pollen. Other visitors of the flowers include various flies, butterflies, skippers, wasps, and beetles, which suck nectar or feed on pollen. Aside from these flower-visiting insects, little information is available about floral-faunal relations for this wildflower.
Photographic Location: The webmaster's wildflower garden in Urbana, Illinois.
Comments: This little-known species is sometimes confused with Camassia scilloides (Wild Hyacinth), which is more common within the state. Both species are attractive wildflowers with similar habitat preferences. Their appearance is quite similar, which can make them difficult to tell apart. Prairie Hyacinth begins to flower about a month later than Wild Hyacinth and there is little overlap in their blooming periods; this is one good reason why they should be considered separate species. The flowering stalk of Prairie Hyacinth has 3-20 (or more) persistent bracts underneath the blooming flowers, while Wild Hyacinth has 0-2 deciduous bracts underneath the flowers of its stalks. The seed capsules of Prairie Hyacinth are longer than they are wide, while the seed capsules of Wild Hyacinth are about as long as they are wide. The flowers of Prairie Hyacinth tend to have shorter styles, shorter stamens, and tepals that are a little shorter and more deeply colored, but these distinctions are less reliable, or they require the careful use of a ruler or measuring tape in the field.
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Miss Chen
2017年08月06日
Description: This perennial plant is ¾-1½' tall and unbranched. It is usually erect, but sometimes sprawls across the ground. The central stem is light green and hairy; it rarely twines about the stems of adjacent plants, fences, or other objects. Alternate leaves about 1½-3" long and about one-half as much across occur along the central stem. They are yellowish green to dull green, oblong-cordate in shape, smooth along their margins, and slightly to moderately hairy. The leaf bases are usually cordate (less often truncate or rounded), while their tips are blunt or pointed. Each leaf usually has a short petiole about ½" long or less; sometimes the upper leaves are sessile. Occasionally, individual flowers develop from the axils of the leaves; there are 1-4 flowers per plant. Each flower is about 2-3" long and 2" across, consisting of a white (rarely pink) funnelform corolla with 5 shallow lobes, 5 light green sepals, several stamens, and a pistil with 2 white stigmata. At the base of the flower, 2 sepal-like bracts surround the sepals; these bracts are light green and ovate. The pedicel is 1" long or less.
The blooming period occurs from late spring to mid-summer and lasts about 1-2 months. On any given day, only 0-1 flowers are in bloom per plant. Each large flower opens up during the early morning and closes at around noon; it lasts only a single day. Fertilized flowers are replaced by globoid seed capsules; each capsule is 2-celled and about 1/3" across. Each cell of the capsule contains a single large seed. The root system is rhizomatous, occasionally forming vegetative offsets.
Cultivation: The preference is full sun, dry conditions, and soil containing sand, rocky material, or clay.
Range & Habitat: The native Erect Bindweed is found primarily in central and northern Illinois, where it is uncommon (see Distribution Map). Populations of this species have declined across the state. Habitats consist of upland sand prairies, gravel prairies, hill prairies, open rocky woodlands, limestone glades, and roadside embankments. Erect Bindweed tends to increase in response to occasional wildfires as this reduces woody vegetation and excess debris. This is an indicator plant of high quality prairies.
Faunal Associations: Little is known about floral-faunal relationships for Erect Bindweed, although there is some information available about its more weedy relatives, e.g. Calystegia sepium (Hedge Bindweed). The flowers are cross-pollinated primarily by miscellaneous long-tongued bees. The caterpillars of Agrius cingulatus (Pink-Spotted Hawk Moth) require bindweed as a food source; the caterpillars of Emmelina monodactyla (Common Plume Moth) and Bedellia somnulentella (Morning Glory Leafminer) also feed on the foliage of species in the Bindweed family. Several beetles feed on the foliage and other parts of these same species: Typophorus nigritus (Sweet Potato Leaf Beetle), Strongylocassis atripes and other tortoise beetles, Chaetocnema confinis (Sweet Potato Flea Beetle), the stem-boring beetle Phaea monostigma, and the seed weevil Megacerus discoidus. One insect, Charidotella sexpunctata (Golden Tortoise Beetle), has been found on the foliage of Erect Bindweed specifically. There are also records of upland gamebirds eating the seeds of bindweed species: the Bobwhite, Ring-Necked Pheasant, and Prairie Chicken.
Photographic Location: The Coneflower Hill Prairie near Lake Shelbyville in Moultrie County, Illinois. The flowers are mostly closed because the photograph was taken after the blooming period during the morning.
Comments: Unlike Erect Bindweed, most species in the Bindweed family are long twining vines that are adapted to thickets, overgrown meadows, and similar habitats. Most of these species are weedy annuals, although Ipomoea pandurata (Wild Sweet Potato) is a perennial with a tuberous swollen root. Species that are twining vines produce large showy flowers in abundance. While the flowers of Erect Bindweed are also large and showy, they are sparingly produced. All of these species have short-lived flowers that remain open during the morning of a single day. Other common names of Calystegia spithamaea are Dwarf Bindweed, Low Bindweed, and Low False Bindweed. An older scientific name of this species is Convolvulus spithamaeus.
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Miss Chen
2017年08月06日
Description: This perennial wildflower is up to 1' tall and sprawls across the ground, producing several vine-like stems up to 4' long from a central taproot. These angular stems are light green to dull reddish purple and covered with spreading white hairs. The alternate leaves are up to 4" long, 4" across, and more or less orbicular in outline; they are palmate, usually with 5 major lobes that are cleft (sharply divided), as well as some secondary lobes and margins with coarse teeth. The leaves have hairy petioles that can easily exceed 4" in length. A pair of conspicuous green stipules are located at the base of each petiole. Each stipule has a shape that is half-ovate.
From the axils of the leaves, individual flowers develop from pedicels up to 6" long. The flowers are about 1½–2½" across, consisting of 5 broad magenta petals, a columnar reproductive structure, and a whitish green to reddish green calyx. At maturity, the columnar structure expands outward slightly, revealing numerous white stamens and pinkish style-branches. The petals often become white near the center of the flower. The calyx is divided into 5 lanceolate lobes that have light-colored ridges and are quite hairy; these lobes are shorter than the petals. Underneath the calyx, there are 3 floral bracts that are similar in appearance to the calyx lobes. The blooming period occurs from late spring to late summer and lasts about 1-2½ months. There is no noticeable floral scent. The flowers are replaced by carpels that are arranged together like a ring. These carpels are flattened and reniform (kidney-shaped) with short hairy beaks. The flattened sides of the carpels are reticulated, rather than smooth. Each carpel contains a single seed. This wildflower spreads by reseeding itself.
Cultivation: The preference is full sun and mesic to dry conditions. In Illinois, this plant often grows in poor soil that contains sand, gravel, or clay. In rich cultivated soil, it will become longer than it normally does in the wild. After mid-summer, this plant gradually withers away.
Range & Habitat: This non-native wildflower has naturalized in only a few scattered counties in the northern two-thirds of Illinois (see Distribution Map), where it is uncommon. It is adventive from areas further to the west or southwest of the state. Habitats include dry prairies, areas along railroads and roadsides, and abandoned fields. In these habitats, the ground vegetation is relatively low and sparse. In Illinois, Purple Poppy Mallow is often planted in flower gardens because of its attractive flowers.
Faunal Associations: The flowers are cross-pollinated primarily by bees. The caterpillars of Pyrgus communis (Checkered Skipper) sometimes feed on Callirhoe spp. (Poppy Mallows). The foliage is readily consumed by mammalian herbivores, including groundhogs, deer, rabbits, and livestock. This could make the survival of local populations of this plant difficult where there is a preponderance of such animals. The taproot is edible and can be used as emergency food by humans, which means that it is probably edible to pocket gophers and other small rodents as well.
Photographic Location: A flower garden in Urbana, Illinois.
Comments: Purple Poppy Mallow has attractive foliage and very showy flowers that bloom for a fairly long period of time. It can be distinguished from other Callirhoe spp. in Illinois by the shape of its leaves, sprawling hairy stems, and the color of its flowers. For example, Callirhoe alceoides (Pink Poppy Mallow) has smaller flowers that are pink, rather than magenta. Another species, Callirhoe triangulata (Clustered Poppy Mallow), has leaves with a more triangular shape. A third species that is occasionally found within the state, Callirhoe digitata (Fringed Poppy Mallow), has a more erect habit with hairless stems and leaves. It is also useful to examine the carpels: While the flattened sides of the carpels of Purple Poppy Mallow have a reticulated surface, the sides of the carpels of other species in this genus are often smooth.
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Miss Chen
2017年08月06日
Description: This perennial plant is 1-3½' tall and unbranched, except near the apex where the flowering stems occur. The stems are round and covered with fine white hairs. They are initially green, but often become brown with age. The alternate leaves are up to 4" long and 1½" across. They are sessile against the stem toward the top, but have short petioles near the bottom. These leaves are lanceolate, smooth or sparingly dentate, grey- or yellow-green, and finely pubescent. The smaller leaves near the flowerheads are much reduced in size and linear. Sometimes there are small leaves appearing in the upper axils of the larger leaves along the central stem.
The upper stems terminate in small corymbs of flowerheads. These flowerheads consist of 7-21 small creamy white florets. A floret is narrowly tubular with 5 small lobes and a protruding divided style. Each flowerhead is subtended by a cylinder of narrow green bracts; it is a little less than ½" long. The blooming period occurs during late summer or early fall, and lasts about a month. The achenes are long and cylindrical, grey or light brown, and have tufts of white hair (or sometimes tawny hair). These tufts of hair are often more striking in appearance than the flowers. Seed distribution is provided by the wind. The root system consists of a central taproot that can run deep into the ground. Sometimes, this plant will tiller at the base, sending up multiple stems from the taproot. However, it doesn't reproduce vegetatively by means of rhizomes, unlike many other prairie plants.
Cultivation: The preference is full sun and dry conditions; a little shade is also tolerated. This plant prefers poor soil that contains too much clay, sand, or gravel, and it can thrive on slopes. Its toleration of drought is better than most plants in the tallgrass prairie. The leaves may turn yellow and start to shrivel away toward the end of the year, but this is normal. This plant doesn't spread aggressively.
Range & Habitat: The native False Boneset occurs occasionally in central and northern Illinois; in many areas of southern Illinois, it is uncommon or absent (see Distribution Map). Habitat includes dry upland areas of black soil prairies, gravel prairies, dolomite prairies, clay prairies, hill prairies, bluffs, limestone glades, open woodlands, and sandy savannas. False Boneset doesn't form large colonies, but is more likely to occur as sporadic plants. In moist areas with rich soil, it has trouble competing with taller, more aggressive forbs and grasses.
Faunal Associations: Bumblebees, leaf-cutting bees (Megachile spp.), Halictid bees, and other bees visit the flowerheads for nectar and pollen (Mitchell, 1960/1962; Moure & Hurd, 1987). Butterflies, skippers, and probably other insects visit the flowerheads for nectar and/or pollen too. The caterpillars of some flower moths feed destructively on the flowerheads and developing seeds; they include such species as Schinia trifascia (Three-lined Flower Moth), Schinia oleagina (Oleagina Flower Moth), and Schinia grandimedia (False Boneset Flower Moth). The last moth occurs in areas that lie mostly west of Illinois. Other insects feeders include Lygus lineolaris (Tarnished Plant Bug) and other polyphagous stink bugs, Aphis coreopsidis (an aphid), and larvae of a Noctuid moth, Dichagyris grotei (Panzer, 2000; Vestal, 1913; Hottes & Frison, 1931). In addition, such grasshoppers as Melanoplus confusus (Little Pasture Grasshopper), Melanoplus differentialis (Differential Grasshopper), Melanoplus keeleri (Keeler's Grasshopper), and Melanoplus discolor (Contrasting Spur-throated Grasshopper) feed on False Boneset. The last grasshopper is monophagous on this plant, although it occurs in areas that lie west of Illinois (Campbell et al., 1974; Joern, 1985; Brust et al., 2008). Mammalian herbivores browse on False Boneset occasionally when little else is available, but its foliage is bitter and overall food value is low. In pastures, False Boneset is considered an 'increaser' because livestock are not particularly fond of it.
Photographic Location: The photographs were taken at Meadowbrook Park in Urbana, Illinois.
Comments: False Boneset is similar in appearance to Tall Boneset (Eupatorium altissimum). However, the former plant has alternate leaves along its stems with only one conspicuous vein, while the latter has opposite leaves with three conspicuous veins. An older scientific name for False Boneset is Kuhnia eupatorioides.
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Miss Chen
2017年08月06日
Description: This is an unbranched perennial plant about 1-2' tall. Side stems may develop from upper leaf axils if the central stem is damaged. This stout central stem is 4-angled and it is covered with short white hairs that are usually appressed. The opposite leaves are up to 3½" long and 1½" across. They are broadly oblong to lanceolate in shape, and have smooth, slightly ciliate margins. The lower leaves have short stout petioles, while the upper leaves are sessile. They have deep pinnate venation and are covered with a white pubescence. The upper half of the central stem is perforated by whorled clusters of flowers. Each cluster of flowers is about 2-3" across and in the shape of a flattened sphere, with the flowers arranged in circular rows. The flowers are white, light pink, or lavender, and individually slightly less than ½" long. There are two prominent lips, with small purple spots on the lower one, and fine hairs in the back. The blooming period occurs during early summer and lasts about a month. Neither the flowers nor the leaves have a noticeable scent. The root system consists of a taproot, which forms offshoots occasionally by means of short rhizomes. The seeds are quite small, and distributed by the wind to some extent.
Cultivation: The preference is full or partial sun, and mesic to dry conditions. The soil can contain significant amounts of loam, clay, or gravel; limestone and a high pH are tolerated. The foliage can be affected by the usual diseases that attack other mints, and often appear rather ragged by mid-summer. This plant has greater tolerance to drought than most other members of Mint family.
Range & Habitat: Downy Wood Mint occurs occasionally in scattered counties in Illinois – it has been reported most often from counties in the NE and west-central areas of the state (see Distribution Map). This plant is native to Illinois. Habitats include mesic to dry black soil prairies, dolomite prairies, thickets, savannas, limestone bluffs, and limestone glades.
Faunal Associations: The flowers attract long-tongued and short-tongued bees, bee flies, Syrphid flies, butterflies, and skippers. The numerous bee visitors include honeybees, bumblebees, Anthophorine bees, little carpenter bees, leaf-cutting bees, Halictine bees, masked bees, and others. The small seeds are unlikely to be of much interest to birds, nor is the foliage an attractive source of food to mammalian herbivores.
Photographic Location: The photographs were taken at Loda Cemetery Prairie in Iroquois County, Illinois.
Comments: This plant can be easily confused with some of the weedier Eurasian mints, but should not be destroyed because it is not particularly common in Illinois. Notwithstanding its common name, Downy Wood Mint occurs in open areas more often than woodlands, unlike other members of the genus, such as Blephilia hirsuta (Hairy Wood Mint). The stems of the latter species have long spreading hairs, while the stems of Downy Wood Mint usually have short appressed hairs. Other common names for Blephilia ciliata are 'Ohio Horsemint' and 'Pagoda Plant.'
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Miss Chen
2017年08月06日
Description: This wildflower consists of a low rosette of basal leaves up to 6" across; a mature plant will produce one or more flowering stalks about ½–1' tall. The blades of the basal leaves are up to 3" long and 2½" across; they have stout hairy petioles up to 1½" long. The basal leaves are more or less oval in shape, crenate along their margins, palmately veined, and hairy on both their upper and lower surfaces; the upper surface of each leaf is medium green, while the lower surface is pale green or pale purplish green. Each flowering stalk is stout, erect, terete, light green, and very hairy; it has small alternate leaves up to 1¼" long and ½" across, which become gradually smaller as they ascend toward the inflorescence. The alternate leaves are similar to the basal leaves, except they are ovate in shape and smaller in size. Each alternate leaf is sessile or it clasps the stalk.
The inflorescence consists of a stout spike of small flowers about 2-6" long. These flowers are densely clustered along the spike, facing in all directions. Underneath each flower, there is a small leafy bract that is lanceolate. Each flower has a 2-lipped corolla that is cream-colored or pale yellow, and a calyx consisting of 4 green sepals that are elliptic and hairy. The corolla is about 5 mm. long and slightly longer than the calyx; the upper lip of the corolla is unlobed, while the irregular lower lip is unlobed or divided into 2-3 lobes. Each flower has a pair of exserted stamens and a slender white style. The blooming period occurs from mid-spring to early summer, lasting about 3 weeks for a colony of plants. The flowers bloom gradually from the bottom of the spike to its apex. Afterwards, the flowers are replaced by small 2-celled seed capsules; each capsule contains several seeds. The root system consists of a cluster of coarse fibrous roots; an older plant may form a small caudex. This wildflower occasionally forms colonies at favorable sites.
Cultivation: The preference is full sun, dry conditions, and a barren acidic soil that is sandy or gravelly. Partial sun is also acceptable. This wildflower grows slowly and doesn't tolerate competition from taller, more aggressive plants. It is adaptable to sunny rock gardens and there are few problems with pests and disease.
Range & Habitat: The native Kittentails is restricted to the west-central and northwest sections of Illinois, where it is rare (see Distribution Map). This wildflower is state-listed as 'threatened.' Habitats include dry sand prairies, dry gravel prairies, hill prairies, barren savannas, thinly wooded bluffs, and sandy or gravelly riverbanks. This species is restricted to high quality habitats in natural areas; it is endemic to the Midwest and uncommon throughout its range.
Faunal Associations: The flowers are cross-pollinated by small bees, especially Halictid bees that seek nectar and/or pollen. The following Halictid bees have been observed to visit the flowers of Kittentails: Auglochlorella striata, Lasioglossum anomalum, and Lasioglossum vierecki (McKone et al., 1995; Moure & Hurd, 1987). Additional information about floral-faunal relationships is unavailable.
Photographic Location: The wildflower garden of the webmaster in Urbana, Illinois.
Comments: While not particularly showy, Kittentails is an unusual little plant. It resembles some broad-leaved Plantago spp. (Plantains), but the floral spike of Kittentails is more stout and its flowers are insect-pollinated. The closest relatives (either Besseya spp. or Synthyris spp.) are found in mountainous areas of the western states. These latter species usually have flowers (or floral bracts) that are purple, otherwise they are similar in appearance to their eastern counterpart. Another scientific name of Kittentails is Wulfenia bullii.
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Miss Chen
2017年08月06日
Description: This perennial plant is up to 1½' tall and 3' across. One or more stems originate from the root system of each plant; these stems branch occasionally and they are ascending to widely spreading. The stems are light green to light purple and terete; for var. bracteata they are either pubescent or hairy, while for var. glabrescens they are glabrous. Alternate trifoliate leaves occur at intervals along these stems. Individual leaflets are 1–3" long and ½–1" across; they are usually oblanceolate in shape, but sometimes they are broadly elliptic or rhombic-elliptic. Leaf margins are smooth (entire). The leaf surfaces are grayish green; for var. bracteata they are appressed-hairy, while for var. glabrescens they are glabrous (Mohlenbrock, 2002). Leaf venation is pinnate. The trifoliate leaves are usually sessile or nearly so; less often, they have pedicels up to 1½" long. At the base of each trifoliate leaf (or its pedicel), there is a pair of leafy stipules; sometimes these stipules are early-deciduous and absent. These stipules can be highly variable in size (less than ¼" to 1½" long); they are sessile and usually lanceolate in shape with smooth margins. Like the leaflets, the stipules are grayish green and appressed hairy to glabrous, depending on the variety. The upper and outer stems of this plant often terminate in racemes of flowers about 3-9" long. These racemes are widely spreading and they are either held above the ground or they sprawl across it. The pedicellate flowers of these racemes face upward toward the light.
Individual flowers are about 1" long and a little less across; they have a typical pea-like floral structure consisting of an upright banner (1 petal) and a pair of wings (2 petals) that enclose the keel (2 petals). These petals are white to pale yellow (more or less cream-colored) and hairless. In addition to a corolla consisting of 5 petals, each flower has a short-tubular calyx with 4-5 triangular teeth, 10 stamens, and a pistil with a single style. The calyx is light green to light purple and less than ½" long; depending on the variety of this plant, it is either appressed-hairy or glabrous. The pedicels of the flowers are about ¾–1½" long, light green to light purple, and either hairy or glabrous. At the bases of these pedicels, there occurs solitary floral bracts that are about ½–1" long, lanceolate in shape, smooth along their margins, and sessile; they are similar to the stipules. The blooming period occurs during mid- to late spring for about 3 weeks. Afterwards, fertile flowers are replaced by seedpods that are 1-2" long, short-oblongoid in shape, slightly flattened, and mostly hollow inside. These seedpods have conspicuous beaks at their tips. Immature seedpods are light green and short-pubescent to glabrous; they become black at maturity. Later in the year, an entire plant may break off at its base, and roll around in the wind as a means of dispersing its seeds. Each seedpod divides into 2 parts to release its seeds; typically there are 5-20 seeds per seedpod. Individual seeds are about 4 mm. long, light brown to black, reniform (kidney-shaped), and glabrous. The root system consists of a stout taproot.
Cultivation: The preference is full sun, mesic to dry conditions, and soil containing some sand or loam. Cream Wild Indigo prefers open areas where there is reduced competition from taller vegetation. While it is possible to cultivate this plant in the garden using seeds or transplants, it develops slowly as most vegetative growth occurs during the cool weather of spring after the danger of hard frost has passed. Mature plants can be difficult to transplant because of their deep taproots.
Range & Habitat: The native Cream Wild Indigo occurs in scattered locations throughout Illinois (see Distribution Map), but it is uncommon, except at high quality sites. The typical variety, Baptisia bracteata bracteata, is more common in Illinois than Baptisia bracteata glabrescens. Natural habitats include mesic to dry black soil prairies, sand prairies, cemetery prairies, railroad prairies, open rocky woodlands, and sandy savannas. Occasional wildfires are beneficial in maintaining populations of this plant.
Faunal Associations: This plant is cross-pollinated primarily by queen bumblebees after they emerge from hibernation during the spring. Worker bumblebees appear somewhat later. Other long-tongued bees that have been observed to visit the flowers include a digger bee (Synhalonia speciosa) and mason bee (Osmia bucephala bucephala). These insects usually seek nectar from the flowers, although they sometimes collect pollen (Robertson, 1929). Other insects feed on the leaves, seeds, and other parts of Cream Wild Indigo and other Baptisia spp. These species include the larvae of such skippers as the Wild Indigo Duskywing (Erynnis baptisiae) and Hoary Edge (Achalarus lyciades), the larvae of such moths as the Three-lined Grapholita (Grapholita tristrigana) and Black-spotted Prominent (Dasylophia anguina), and the larvae of such butterflies as the Frosted Elfin (Callophrys irus), Orange Sulphur (Colias eurytheme), and Marine Blue (Leptotes marina); see Bouseman et al. (2006), Miller (1987), Wagner (2005), and Bouseman & Sternburg (2001). Another insect feeder is the Wild Indigo Weevil (Apion rostrum); the adults feed destructively on the flowers and leaves, while the larvae feed on the seeds (Sauer, 2005). Other insects that use Cream Wild Indigo and other Baptisia spp. as host plants include a leaf beetle (Pachybrachis luridus), seed-eating broad-headed bugs (Alydus spp.), oligophagous thrips (Neohydatothrips baptisiae), Keeler's Grasshopper (Melanoplus keeleri luridus), and other grasshoppers (Melanoplus spp., etc.); see Clark et al. (2004), Schaefer (1980), Stannard (1968), and Campbell et al. (1974). Cream Wild Indigo is not normally bothered by mammalian herbivores because its foliage is toxic. When horses and cattle eat sufficient quantities of this plant, as well as other Baptisia spp. that may be present, they can become seriously poisoned.
Photographic Location: The photographs were taken at the Loda Cemetery Prairie in Iroquois County, Illinois. The photographed plants are the typical variety of Cream Wild Indigo.
Comments: This is one of the earliest plants to bloom in the prairie, and it is quite showy and attractive. With the exception of the Blue Wild Indigo (Baptisia australis), other Baptisia spp. that occur in Illinois bloom later in the year. This latter species is rare in natural areas of the state, although it is relatively common in cultivation because of the showy blue flowers. Another species, White Wild Indigo (Baptisia alba macrophylla), is a taller plant with white flowers. It differs from Cream Wild Indigo by having erect racemes of flowers, rather than racemes that are widely spreading or sprawl across the ground. The foliage of this latter species is glabrous. Yellow Wild Indigo (Baptisia tinctoria) is also rare in natural areas of the state, occurring in sand prairies and sandy savannas in Kankakee County. This species is about the same height as Cream Wild Indigo, but its flowers are smaller in size and more yellow, while its foliage is glabrous. Unlike the preceding species of this genus, Yellow Wild Indigo doesn't produce flowers in elongated racemes. Another scientific name of Cream Wild Indigo is Baptisia leucophaea.
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Miss Chen
2017年08月06日
Description: This perennial plant is 1½–3½' tall, branching occasionally. The ridged stems are pubescent. The alternate compound leaves are odd pinnate, and 5-9" long, with about 21-31 leaflets. The oblong leaflets are about 1½" long and 3/8" across, with smooth edges. From the upper axils of the compound leaves there occasionally develops a whorled raceme of flowers from a stout stalk. A raceme (including the stalk) is usually about 1-2" longer than the compound leaves subtending it, or about 7-11" long. A typical raceme is crowded with about 75 creamy flowers, which may have yellow or green tints. Each flower is about ¾" long and tubular-shaped, although jutting slightly upward toward the outer tip. It consists of five petals, including a curved upper hood, a lower keel, and close-fitting side petals. The blooming period occurs during the summer and lasts about 2-3 months. There is no noticeable floral scent. The flowers are replaced by stout oval pods with long pointed tips, which are held nearly erect on the stalk. The root system consists of a taproot.
Cultivation: The preference is full or partial sun and mesic conditions. Canada Milkvetch grows well on most kinds of soil, and probably fixes some nitrogen. It's a robust plant, although the foliage sometimes turns prematurely yellow. This plant has a tendency to sprawl, unless it receives support from adjacent vegetation.
Range & Habitat: The native Canada Milkvetch occurs occasionally in the northern half of Illinois, but it is rather uncommon in most areas of southern Illinois (see Distribution Map). Habitats include moist to slightly dry black soil prairies, sand prairies, typical and sandy savannas, thickets and woodland borders, moist meadows near rivers, and abandoned fields.
Faunal Associations: Primarily bumblebees visit the flowers for nectar. Other long-tongued bee visitors include honeybees and Megachile spp. (Large Leaf-Cutting Bees). Insects with shorter mouthparts have trouble reaching the nectar, nor is the pollen easy to access. Unlike many milkvetches of the Western states, the foliage of Canada Milkvetch is non-toxic and palatable to mammalian herbivores, including deer, groundhogs, rabbits, and livestock. This plant may be difficult to establish where these animals occur in abundance. The seeds may be eaten occasionally by the Wild Turkey and other upland gamebirds, as well as small rodents, such as the Thirteen-Lined Ground Squirrel; however, such observations are confined largely to the Western states, where Astragalus spp. are more abundant.
Photographic Location: The wildflower garden of the webmaster in Urbana, Illinois.
Comments: There are very few Astragalus spp. that occur in Illinois. Canada Milkvetch has a distinctive appearance on account of its size (up to 3½' tall) and abundant creamy flowers (about 75 per raceme). Some pale-flowered vetches are superficially similar in appearance, such as Vicia carolina (Carolina Vetch). However, vetches are vine-like plants with tendrils, while Canada Milkvetch is a semi-erect plant without tendrils (although it may clamber over adjacent vegetation, nonetheless). Another difference is the inflorescence: the raceme of Canada Milkvetch is whorled with about 75 flowers, while Vicia spp. have one- or two-sided racemes with fewer flowers.
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Miss Chen
2017年08月06日
Description: This perennial plant is 1½–2' tall and unbranched. The central stem is light green to light purplish green and more or less pubescent. Several pairs of opposite leaves occur along the entire length of the stem; they are more or less ascending. The leaves are often folded upward along their margins, where they are often wavy (up and down). Individual leaves are up to 5" long and 1½" across; they are linear-lanceolate to lanceolate in shape and smooth (entire) along their margins. The upper leaf surface is medium green, while the lower leaf surface is light green; both surfaces are short-pubescent to nearly glabrous. The petioles are about 3 mm. (1/8") long, light green to light reddish green, and pubescent. The primary veins of the leaves are pinnate, while their secondary veins form a reticulated network that is visible on their undersides. From the axils of middle to upper leaves, there are nodding umbels of flowers spanning 1–1¾" across (only one umbel per pair of leaves). These umbels have short pubescent peduncles up to 6 mm. (¼") long. A typical plant will have 1-4 umbels; each umbel has 15-45 flowers on hairy pedicels about ½" long. Individual umbels are broadly obconic to half-globoid in shape and dome-shaped in front, rather than flat-headed.
Each flower is about 8 mm. long and 3 mm. across, consisting of 5 erect hoods, 5 deflexed petals, 5 deflexed sepals, and the reproductive organs. The flowers are light green to green, becoming yellowish green or purplish green as they age. Individual hoods are lanceolate-oblong in shape; they are without horns. The hoods surround a central reproductive column on all sides; this column contains masses of winged pollinia (packets of pollen). The deflexed petals are lanceolate in shape; when the flower is fully open, they hide the shorter sepals. The sepals are linear-lanceolate in shape, light green to purplish green, and hairy. The blooming period occurs during early summer, lasting about 3 weeks. Afterwards, the flowers that have been cross-pollinated successfully (if any) are replaced by follicles (seedpods that open along one side). The follicles are up to 3½–5" long and ½–¾" across; they are narrowly lanceoloid and usually short-pubescent. During the autumn, these follicles split open to release their seeds. The seeds are dark brown, flattened-ovoid in shape, and winged along their margins. At their apices, the seeds have tufts of white hair; they are distributed by the wind. The root system consists of a central taproot. This plant usually occurs as scattered individuals, rarely forming colonies.
Cultivation: The preference is full sun and dry-mesic to dry conditions. This plant will also tolerate partial sun and mesic conditions. If anything, poor soil is preferred, containing gravelly or sandy material, as this reduces competition from taller plants. However, rich loam is tolerated if it is well-drained. After the blooming period and during the development of seedpods, this plant gradually deteriorates.
Range & Habitat: The native Short Green Milkweed is widely distributed in Illinois, but it is absent from some eastern and central counties (see Distribution Map). In areas where it occurs, this plant is rare to occasional. Habitats include openings in upland forests that are rocky or sandy; upland black soil prairies, sand prairies, gravel prairies, and hill prairies; barrens, limestone glades, and sand dunes; and abandoned fields. Short Green Milkweed usually occurs in high quality habitats, rather than degraded areas. Occasional wildfires are probably beneficial by reducing competition from woody vegetation.
Faunal Associations: The nectar of the flowers attracts primarily bumblebees, which are the primary pollinators (Robertson, 1929). Ants are also attracted to the nectar, but they are not effective at cross-pollination. Some insects feed destructively on Short Green Milkweed and other milkweeds (Asclepias spp.). For example, larvae of a long-horned beetle, Tetraopes texanus (Texas Milkweed Beetle), bore through the stems of Short Green Milkweed, while caterpillars of a butterfly, Danaus plexippus (Monarch), occasionally feed on the leaves. Other insects that feed on milkweeds are listed in the Insect Table. Mammalian herbivores avoid consumption of the foliage because its milky latex contains toxic cardiac glycosides and it is bitter-tasting. Because caterpillars of the Monarch butterfly are able to sequester these toxic chemicals, the adults of this insect are usually avoided by birds.
Photographic Location: The photographs were taken at the Prospect Cemetery Prairie in Ford County, Illinois, and the Coneflower Hill Prairie in Shelby County, Illinois.
Comments: This non-showy plant is unlikely to receive favor from the mass market in horticulture, but it is nonetheless quite interesting to examine. This milkweed species is rather variable across different localities; there is a variety with narrow leaves that occurs in sandy areas near Lake Michigan. Short Green Milkweed (Asclepias viridiflora) can be distinguished from many species of milkweeds by its nodding umbels of greenish flowers. The rare Mead's Milkweed (Asclepias meadii) has this characteristic, but its flowers are more wide (about 6 mm. across) and the hoods of its flowers have horns. Another milkweed species, Tall Green Milkweed (Asclepias hirtella), produces nodding umbels of greenish flowers, but its umbels are more fully globoid in shape, and its leaves are usually more linear and narrow than those of Short Green Milkweed.
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Miss Chen
2017年08月06日
Description: This herbaceous perennial plant is 1-2½' tall. Young plants develop from a single central stem, while older plants tiller at the base, sending up multiple erect to ascending stems from a large taproot. These stems are unbranched below, becoming branched above where the flowers occur. The stems are light green to dull reddish purple, terete, and more or less covered with spreading hairs. Densely distributed along these stems, are alternate leaves that differ little in size. These leaves are 2½–3½" long and ½–¾" across; they are linear-oblong to lanceolate-oblong in shape, while their margins are entire (toothless). The tips of the leaves are acute, while their bases are slightly cordate, truncate, or rounded. The leaves are sessile, or they have short petioles up to 3 mm. long. The upper leaf surface is medium to dark green and glabrous to sparsely short-pubescent, while the lower leaf surface is light to light-medium green and mostly short-pubescent. Along the lower sides of the major veins, this pubescence is somewhat longer. The foliage of this plant lacks a milky latex. Usually several umbels of flowers develop from the upper stems and the axils of upper leaves. These umbels span 1–2½" across, consisting of 8-25 flowers each; they are slightly dome-shaped and often horizontally adjacent to each other.
Each flower consists of 5 sepals, 5 petals, 5 hoods with horns, and a central reproductive column that is white to light green and short. The sepals are light green, hairy, and lanceolate in shape; they are largely hidden when the flowers open. The petals are more or less orange, lanceolate in shape, and declined (bent downward). The hoods are more or less orange, erect, and curved-ovate, forming open oblique tubes. The horns are more or less orange, sickle-shaped, incurved, and exserted from the hoods (one horn per hood). Usually the petals, hoods, and horns are orange, but sometimes they are reddish orange or yellowish orange. The pedicels are ¾–1½" long, light green or light reddish purple, terete, and more or less covered with spreading hairs. At the base of these pedicels, there are several spreading bracts up to 8 mm. long; they are green, linear-lanceolate in shape, and pubescent. The peduncles of the umbels are ½–2½" long, light green to dull reddish purple, terete, and hairy. The flowers bloom during early to mid-summer and sometimes a second time during late summer to early autumn. The flowers are relatively long-lasting, but they have no noticeable fragrance. Flowers that have been successfully cross-pollinated are replaced by follicles (seedpods that open along one side). These follicles are 4-6" long and ½–¾" across at maturity; they are initially light green, but later turn brown. The follicle surface is smooth and short-pubescent. These follicles eventually split open to release their seeds to the wind. Mature seeds are about 4 mm. long, flattened-oval in shape, brown, and narrowly winged along their margins; the apices of these seeds have large tufts of white hair. The root system consists of a woody taproot that is thick and knobby. This taproot can extend several feet below the ground surface.
Cultivation: The preference is full sun, mesic to dry conditions, and an acidic soil that is sandy or rocky. However, this plant will adapt to other kinds of soil, including those that contain loam or clay, if they are well-drained. Although this plant develops somewhat slowly, it is easy to cultivate in open sunny areas once it becomes established. Tolerance to hot dry weather is excellent. If the taproot of a young plant is planted too close to the soil surface, it may become damaged by frost due to heaving of the soil.
Range & Habitat: The native Butterfly Milkweed is occasional to locally common in Illinois, except for the western section of the state, where it is less common (see Distribution Map). Habitats include upland sand prairies, hill prairies, cemetery prairies, sandy savannas, open rocky woodlands, shale and sandstone glades (in southern Illinois), abandoned sandy fields, roadside embankments, and areas along railroads. Because of the showy orange flowers, Butterfly Milkweed is often cultivated in gardens. This milkweed is found in both disturbed areas and high quality natural areas. Occasional wildfires are probably beneficial in maintaining populations of this plant as this reduces competition from woody vegetation and taller herbaceous vegetation.
Faunal Associations: The flower nectar attracts honeybees, digger bees (Melissodes spp.), leaf-cutting bees (Megachile spp.), Halictid bees (including green metallic bees), thread-waisted wasps (Ammophila spp.) and other Sphecid wasps, and butterflies, including Fritillaries (Speyeria spp.), Swallowtails (Papilio spp.), and the Monarch (Danaus plexippus); see Robertson (1929). The Ruby-throated Hummingbird is also attracted to the flowers. Some insects feed destructively on the leaves, flowers and buds, seedpods, and other parts of Butterfly Milkweed. These insects include larvae of the Blackened Milkweed Beetle (Tetraopes melanurus), the Small Milkweed Bug (Lygaeus kalmii), the Large Milkweed Bug (Oncopeltus fasciatus), larvae of a butterfly, the Monarch (Danaus plexippus), and larvae of a moth, the Unexpected Cycnia (Cycnia inopinatus). Butterfly Milkweed is the preferred host plant of the preceding moth (see Yanega, 1996; Betz et al., 1997; Wagner, 2005). A polyphagous insect, the Curve-tailed Bush Katydid (Scudderia curvicauda), was observed to feed on the leaves of this milkweed (Gangwere, 1961); it may also feed on the flowers. While the foliage of Butterfly Milkweed lacks the toxic milky latex that is typical of other milkweeds (Asclepias spp.), mammalian herbivores nonetheless appear to avoid it.
Photographic Location: The above photographs were taken at the webmaster's wildflower garden, Urbana, Illinois, and a flower garden at the Anita Purvis Nature Center of the same city.
Comments: This is perhaps the showiest of the milkweeds (Asclepias spp.) because of the long-lasting and colorful flowers. Because Butterfly Milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa) is the only milkweed in Illinois that has orange flowers, it is easy to identify. This species is also unusual for a milkweed because its leaves are alternate and its foliage lacks a milky latex. Because of the absence of milky latex, it is often referred to as Butterfly Weed, rather than Butterfly Milkweed. The thick and bitter-tasting roots were used for various medicinal purposes in the past, including the treatment of pleurisy. As a result, another common name for this species is Pleurisy Root.
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