plant第169页 - 绿手指 - 养花技巧、花生病了怎么办、花园打理和设计

BOTANICAL NAME: Origanum
PLANT TYPE: Herb
SUN EXPOSURE: Full Sun
SOIL TYPE: Loamy
Oregano is a perennial herb with rose-purple or white flowers and a taste reminiscent of thyme. Here’s how to grow oregano plants in your garden—plus, delicious recipes using oregano.
Oregano’s taste is zesty and strong and is commonly used in Italian dishes. It is a hardy plant and makes for a good ground cover.

PLANTING
Oregano loves the sun, so ensure that your placement has full, strong sun for strong flavor. Some folks plant later in the season for assured warm weather.
However, for a head start, plant the seeds/cuttings 6 to 10 weeks before the last spring frost. (See local frost dates.)
Oregano can easily be started from seeds, though you can also use cuttings from an established plant.
Plant the seeds/cuttings in well-drained soil anytime after the last spring frost. The soil should be around 70ºF.
For thin plants, plant 8 to 10 inches apart. The plants will grow 1 to 2 feet tall and spread about 18 inches.
Oregano makes a good companion plant for any vegetable in the garden.

CARE
Allow oregano plants to grow to about 4 inches tall and then pinch or trim lightly to encourage a denser and bushier plant.
Regular trimming will not only cause the plant to branch again, but also avoid legginess.
Oregano doesn’t need quite as much water as most herbs. As the amount of watering depends on many variables, just water when the soil feels dry to the touch. Remember that it’s better to water thoroughly and less often.
If you have a container, water until the water comes out of the drainage holes in the bottom of the container.
To ensure the best-quality plants, thin out plants that are 3 or 4 years old in the early spring. Oregano is self-seeding, so the plants will easily grow back.
You can divide the plants in late spring if you want to put one indoors.

PESTS/DISEASES
Root and stem rots
Aphids
Spider mites

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BOTANICAL NAME: Mentha
PLANT TYPE: Herb
SUN EXPOSURE: Full Sun
SOIL TYPE: Loamy
Mint is a perennial with very fragrant, toothed leaves and tiny purple, pink, or white flowers. It has a fruity, aromatic taste.
There are many varieties of mint—all fragrant, whether shiny or fuzzy, smooth or crinkled, bright green or variegated. However, you can always tell a member of the mint family by its square stem. Rolling it between your fingers, you’ll notice a pungent scent and think of candy, sweet teas, or maybe even mint juleps.

As well as kitchen companions, mints are used as garden accents, ground covers, air fresheners, and herbal medicines. They’re as beautiful as they are functional, and they’re foolproof to grow, thriving in sun and shade all over North America. In fact, mint can be vigorous spreaders, so be careful where you plant it.

PLANTING
Mints are vigorous perennials that thrive in light soil with good drainage.
Ideally, they prefer a moist but well-drained site, something like their native habitat along stream banks.
Most will tolerate some shade, and the variegated types may require some protection from direct sun.
For growing outdoors, plant one or two purchased plants (or one or two cuttings from a friend) about 2 feet apart in moist soil. One or two plants will easily cover the ground. Mint should grow to be 1 or 2 feet tall.
For the best growth in confined areas such as containers, topdress plants with a thin layer of compost or organic fertilizer every few months. Aboveground pots will need winter protection in cold climates.
In the garden, plant mint near cabbage and tomatoes.

CARE
Minimal care is needed for mint. For outdoor plants, use a light mulch. This will help keep the soil moist and keep the leaves clean.
For indoor plants, be sure to water them regularly to keep the soil evenly moist.
At first, mints develop into well-behaved–looking, bushy, upright clumps, but they soon set out to conquer new territory with horizontal runners and underground rhizomes. Unless you block the advance, a pert peppermint plant can turn into a sprawling 4-foot giant in just 1 year. It’s not the stuff of horror movies, however. Mints benefit from picking and pruning. They are shallow-rooted and easy to pull out, so there’s no reason to worry, as long as you provide physical barriers such as walls, walkways, or containers.
PESTS/DISEASES
Powdery mildew
Rust
Leaf spot
Anthracnose
Stem canker
Mice dislike the smell of peppermint. Spread it liberally where you suspect the critters. Mint is also considered a deer-resistant plant.

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BOTANICAL NAME: Anethum graveolens
PLANT TYPE: Herb
SUN EXPOSURE: Full Sun
SOIL TYPE: Loamy
Dill is an annual, self-seeding plant with feathery green leaves. It is used most commonly in soups and stews and for pickling. Dill weed is easy to grow and attracts beneficial insects such as wasps and other predatory insects to your garden.
If you’re planting dill for pickling, plant every few weeks into midsummer to ensure a constant supply!
To create a permanent dill weed patch, allow some of the seeds to self-sow each year—you’ll have plenty of early dill to start the season.

PLANTING
Sow dill seeds about ¼-inch deep and 18 inches apart in rich soil, then gently rake the seeds into the soil. The soil should be between 60 and 70ºF for best results.
Dill weed does not grow well when transplanted, so start the seeds fresh in the garden in early summer. Make sure to shelter the plants from strong winds.
After 10 to 14 days, the plants should appear in the soil. Wait another 10 to 14 days, then thin the plants to about 12 to 18 inches apart.
In your garden, plant dill next to cabbage or onions, but keep it away from carrots.

CARE
Water the plants freely during the growing season.
In order to ensure a season-long fresh supply of dill, continue sowing seeds every few weeks. For an extended harvest, do not allow flowers to grow on the plants.
If the soil remains undisturbed throughout the growing season, more dill plants will grow the next season.

PESTS/DISEASES
Leaf spot and occasionally a few other types of fungal leaf and root diseases

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BOTANICAL NAME: Coriandrum sativum
PLANT TYPE: Herb
SUN EXPOSURE: Full SunPart Sun
SOIL TYPE: Loamy
BLOOM TIME: Spring
Coriander/cilantro is a fast-growing, aromatic, annual herb that grows best in the cooler weather of spring and fall. Here’s how to grow coriander and cilantro in your garden.
This herb is used to flavor many recipes and the entire plant is edible, though the leaves and seeds are used most often.
CORIANDER VS CILANTRO
Cilantro and coriander are in fact different parts of the same plant. Cilantro refers to the leaves of the plant, which are used as an herb, while coriander refers to the seeds, which are typically ground and used as a spice. Here’s the difference between an herb and a spice.

PLANTING
Plant cilantro in the spring after the last frost date or in the fall. In the Southwestern US, a fall planting may last through spring until the weather heats up again.
Do not grow in summer heat as the plants will bolt (such that it will be past harvesting). The leaves that grow on bolted plants tend to be bitter in flavor.
It is best to choose a sunny site that will allow cilantro to self-seed as it is ought to do. Plant in an herb garden or the corner of a vegetable garden. When the weather gets warm, the plant will quickly finish its life cycle and send up a long stalk which will produce blossoms and later seeds. Little plants will sprout during the season and the next spring.
Plant the seeds in light, well-drained soil and space them 1 to 2 inches apart. Sow the seeds at 3-week intervals for continued harvest.
Space rows about 12 inches apart.
It is important to keep the seeds moist during their germination, so remember to water the plants regularly.

CARE
Water the seedlings regularly throughout the growing season. They require about 1 inch of water per week for best growth.
Thin seedlings to 6 inches apart so that they have room to develop healthy leaves.
Once the plants are established, they do not need as much water per week. Keep them moist, but be careful not to overwater them.
Fertilize once or twice during the growing season with nitrogen fertilizer. Apply ¼ cup of fertilizer per 25 feet of row. Be sure not to over-fertilizer the plants.
To help prevent weeds, mulch around the plants as soon as they are visible above the soil. You can also till shallowly to help prevent root damage from weeds.

PESTS/DISEASES
Fungal wilt
Leaf hoppers
Aphids
Mildew
To control for insects, use insecticidal soap once they are spotted under leaves.
Clean up debris and spent plants to avoid wilt and mildew.
A common problem with cilantro is its fast growing cycle. As mentioned above, it will not grow properly in the heat of summer. Grow so that you harvest in spring, fall, or winter (in mild climates).

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BOTANICAL NAME:
Allium schoenoprasum
PLANT TYPE: Herb
SUN EXPOSURE: Full Sun
SOIL TYPE: LoamySandy
FLOWER COLOR: Purple
Chives are a perennial member of the onion family that sport beautiful purple flowers. Here’s how to grow chives in your garden!
Chives are cool-season, cold-tolerant perennials that are planted in early spring.
Be mindful when planting this herb, as it will take over your garden if the flowers are left to ripen (the flowers scatter the seeds). However, this plant is easy to dig up and moved if it overwhelms your garden.

PLANTING
Chives prefer full sun.
Soil needs to be moist, fertile, rich, and well-draining. Before planting, incorporate 4 to 6 inches of well-composted organic matter. Apply 2 to 3 tablespoons of all-purpose fertilizer (16-16-8) per square foot of planting area. Work compost and fertilizer into the soil to a depth of 6 to 8 inches. (Read more about soil amendments and preparing soil for planting.)
For a head start, start the seeds indoors 8 to 10 weeks before the last spring frost. (See local frost dates.) Transplants need good growth before being set in the garden.
If you are growing from seed, sow as soon as the soil is workable in the spring. For the best growth, the soil should be around 60º to 70ºF.
Plant seeds ¼ inch deep and final plant spacing should be 4 to 6 inches apart in all directions.

CARE
It is important to give chives consistent watering throughout the growing season for high yields. Moisten the soil thoroughly when watering.
Use mulch to conserve moisture and keep the weeds down.
For good production, sidedress with fertilizer in May and July with 1 teaspoon of 21-0-0 per square foot.
Minimal care is needed for fully grown plants.
After the flowers bloom, be sure to remove them so that the seeds aren’t spread throughout your garden.
Plants grow to be 12 to 24 inches tall and may spread a foot across.
Remember to divide the plants every 3 to 4 years in the spring. Chives are much more productive if divided regularly. Allow divided plants to grow for several weeks before harvesting.

PESTS/DISEASES
Bulb rots (caused by soilborne fungi)
White rot
Mildew
Rust
Smut
Various fungal leaf spots (such as purple blotch and gray mold)
Onion fly
Thrips

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BOTANICAL NAME:
Ocimum basilicum
PLANT TYPE: Herb
SUN EXPOSURE: Full Sun
SOIL TYPE: Loamy
Basil is a warm-weather, fragrant herb that tastes great in Italian dishes—and let’s not forget homemade pesto! When growing basil, be sure to keep harvesting the leaves to keep the plant going strong.

The most common type of basil is sweet basil; other types include purple basil (less sweet than common basil), Lemon basil (lemon flavor), and Thai basil (licorice flavor).
Basil is easy to grow but it only grows outdoors in the summer—and only once the soil has warmed up nicely—so plan accordingly.
If you’re planning on making pesto, grow several plants. Otherwise one or two basil plants yields plenty.

PLANTING
To get a head start, start the seeds indoors 6 weeks before the last spring frost. (See local frost dates.)
To plant outside, wait until the soil is at least 50 degrees—preferably around 70ºF for best growth. Don’t rush basil. Without heat, the plant won’t grow.
Basil needs to be in a location that gets 6 to 8 hours of full Sun daily; soil should be moist and well-drained.
Plant seeds/seedlings about ¼-inch deep and 10 to 12 inches apart. They should grow to about 12 to 24 inches in height. For smaller plants, plant farther apart (about 16 to 24 inches).
During the dry periods in summer, water the plants freely.
Remember to pinch out the flower heads as soon as they appear to make sure that the leaves will continue growing.
If you’re planning on cooking with these plants, plant in clean soil (don’t use fertilizers that leave harmful residues) and grow them away from driveways and busy streets so that exhaust won’t settle on the plants.
Tomatoes make great neighbors for basil plants in the garden.

CARE
Make sure that the soil is moist. Basil plants like moisture. If you live in a hot area, use mulch around the basil plants (the mulch will help keep the soil moist).
After the seedlings have their first six leaves, prune to above the second set.
Every time a branch has six to eight leaves, repeat pruning the branches back to their first set of leaves.
After 6 weeks, pinch off the center shoot to prevent early flowering. If flowers do grow, just cut them off.
If the weather is going to be cold, be sure to harvest your basil beforehand, as the cold weather will destroy your plants.
PESTS/DISEASES
Aphids
Variety of bacterial and fungal leaf, stem, and root diseases

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求助

Paul Baker

Would like to identify this plant Our dogs like to eat these

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Carrie.zhu：This is Lv cao.

Camden Crace：These might be Japanese hops. But I could be wrong.

成长记

riverrun

I broke of one small branch by accident about two weeks ago and put it in earth and watered it. i have no idea if one can propagate this plant like that but at least it looks ok so far.

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Description: This perennial plant becomes about 2-3' tall when it is mature, branching occasionally in the upper half. The stems are covered in a dense mat of short white hairs. The alternate leaves are up to 3½" long and 1" across. They are usually oblanceolate, narrowly ovate, or linear. The lower leaves may have a few lobes or coarse teeth towards their tips, while the upper leaves have smooth margins. Like the stems, the leaves have a dense mat of short white hairs, especially on the lower surface. This variety of White Sage has dense white hairs on the upper surface of the leaves as well, except for the oldest leaves toward the bottom of the plant. The leaves are sessile against the stem, or have short petioles. Some of the upper stems terminate in elongated spikes or narrow racemes of compound flowers. Each flowerhead is only 1/8" (3 mm.) across, and contains numerous whitish green disk florets that are inconspicuous. The blooming period is late summer to early fall, and lasts about 2-3 weeks. There is no floral scent, although the foliage of this plant is quite aromatic. Pollination is by wind, rather than insects. The tiny seeds are without tufts of hair, but are small enough to be distributed by the wind. The root system is rhizomatous, and can form a dense mat of roots near the surface of the ground. As a result, this plant has a strong tendency to form clonal colonies that exclude other plants.

Cultivation: The preference is full sun and dry conditions. Poor soil containing hardpan clay, rocky material, or sand is actually preferred as a medium for growth, as this reduces competition from other plants. The foliage is very attractive and doesn't have significant problems with disease. This plant can spread aggressively in some situations.

Range & Habitat: White Sage is occasional in northern and western Illinois, but rare or absent in other parts of the state (see Distribution Map). Some authorities think this plant is native to Illinois (e.g., Britton & Brown), while others believe it is adventive from the west (e.g., Mohlenbrock). It is usually found along railroads and roadsides, and sometimes in dry upland areas of prairies. Cultivated forms of this plant can be found in flower gardens because of the attractive foliage. If this plant is native, Illinois would be at the eastern boundary of its distribution.

Faunal Associations: The flowers don't attract insects because they are wind-pollinated. White Sage has the potential to cause allergies in humans because of this pollen, but this species isn't very common within the state. Several grasshopper species feed on the foliage of White Sage (see Grasshopper Table), including an uncommon oligolectic grasshopper, Hypochlora alba (Cudweed Grasshopper), which often feeds hides in the foliage during the day. Other insect feeders include Ophraella artemisiae (Leaf Beetle sp.), Macrosiphoniella ludovicianae (Aphid sp.), and the larvae of Phaneta argenticostana (Tortricid Moth sp.); the moth larvae feed on the seedheads. Mammalian herbivores don't consume this plant because the aromatic foliage has a bitter taste. The seeds are too small to be of much interest to birds.

Photographic Location: The photographs were taken at Meadowbrook Park in Urbana, Illinois, where a small colony of plants was located in a restored prairie. The plants were not in bloom.

Comments: This variety of White Sage has striking foliage. The typical variety, Artemisia ludoviciana ludoviciana, has greener foliage with fewer white hairs. The leaves of this latter variety are supposed to be broader and more likely to have lobes or serrated margins toward the leaf tips. However, the hairiness and shape of the leaves can be rather variable for this species, regardless of the variety. Other Artemisia spp. have foliage that is more green and pinnately lobed. A few species, such as the introduced Artemisia vulgaris (Mugwort), have silvery hairs on the lower surface of the leaves, but their upper surface is predominantly green.

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Description: This plant is a biennial or short-lived perennial. During the 1st year, a rosette of basal leaves is produced. The basal leaves are up to 4" long and 3" across; they are deeply pinnatifid or bipinnatifid with narrow linear lobes (up to 2" long and less than 3 mm. across). The upper surface of basal leaves is grayish blue and canescent; the petioles of these leaves are variable in length. During the 2nd and later years (if any), this plant bolts to become 1½-3½' tall, while the rosette of basal leaves withers away. The central stem and ascending lateral stems are light green to dark red and terete. Usually the young tips of stems are tomentose (with short white cobwebby pubescence), otherwise they are mostly glabrous. The cauline leaves alternate along these stems; they are more common along the lower half of the central stem and lower lateral stems. The lower cauline leaves resemble the basal leaves, except they are more green. Middle cauline leaves are smaller in size and less divided into linear lobes, while the upper cauline leaves are short (less than 1" long) and linear in shape. The upper surface of these leaves is green to whitish green, flat, and tomentose, becoming more glabrous with age. The lower surface of these leaf leaves is green, rounded (convex), and glabrous. The foliage is not strongly aromatic.

The central stem (and upper lateral stems, if any) terminates in a panicle of flowerheads that is about 4-18" long and about one-half as much across. Leafy linear bracts occur along the rachis (central stalk) and lateral branches of this panicle. The rachis and lateral branches are light green to dark red and glabrous to canescent. The rachis of the panicle is more or less erect, while its primary lateral branches are ascending. Individual flowerheads are whitish green or yellowish green and 2-4 mm. long and similarly across. Each flowerhead has 8-30 inner disk florets that are perfect and 5-20 outer disk florets that are pistillate. Each inner floret consists of a narrow tubular corolla with 5 teeth along its upper rim, some fertile stamens, and an abortive ovary that is sterile. Each outer floret consists of a narrow tubular corolla with 2-3 teeth along its upper rim and a fertile ovary with a divided style. The base of each flowerhead is surrounded by appressed overlapping bracts (phyllaries); individual bracts are lanceolate to ovate, mostly green, and up to 2 mm. long. At maturity, the flowerheads droop from short pedicels. The blooming period occurs from mid-summer to early autumn, lasting about 2-3 weeks. The florets are cross-pollinated primarily by the wind. Afterwards, the outer florets of the flowerheads are replaced by bullet-shaped achenes that are up to 1.0 mm. in length. These achenes are without tufts of hair or a crown of scales; they are usually distributed only a short distance from the mother plant by the wind. The root system consists of a woody taproot or caudex with fibrous roots. This plant reproduces by reseeding itself.

Cultivation: The preference is full sun, dry conditions, and sandy soil. During hot dry periods, it is not uncommon for the lower leaves to wither away. This plant has some tolerance to road salt.

Range & Habitat: The native Beach Wormwood is occasional in northern Illinois, and it is also occasional in the central section of the state along the Illinois River, otherwise it is rare or absent (see Distribution Map). Only ssp. caudata occurs within the state; the typical subspecies is found in Europe. Habitats include semi-stabilized sand dunes along Lake Michigan, dry areas of beaches, dry sand prairies, openings in sandy savannas, rocky glades, ledges along cliffs, sand bars and gravel bars along major rivers, abandoned sandy fields, and sandy roadsides. Beach Wormwood prefers sandy areas where there has been some disturbance from wind or wildfires.

Faunal Associations: To a limited extent, Beach Wormwood may be cross-pollinated by small bees and flies seeking pollen from the flowerheads. Other insects feed destructively on Beach Wormwood and other wormwood species (Artemisia spp.). Two plant bugs, Europiella bakeri and Lygus atritibialis, have been observed to feed on Beach Wormwood specifically (Knight, 1941). Other insects that feed on wormwood species in open areas include such grasshoppers as Hesperotettix viridis (Snakeweed Grasshopper), Hypochlora alba (Cudweed Grasshopper), and Melanoplus angustipennis (Narrow-winged Sand Grasshopper); see Vickery & Kevan (1985). The caterpillars of several butterflies and moths feed on the foliage and/or flowerheads of these plants, including Vanessa cardui (Painted Lady), Vanessa virginiensis (American Painted Lady), Scrobipalpula artemisiella (Wormseed Webworm), Phaneta argenticostana (Tortricid moth sp.), and Protoschinia nuchalis (Wormseed Flower Moth); see Marcovitch (1916), Marshall (2006), and various internet websites. Several aphids (Macrosiphoniella spp.) suck plant juices from the stems, leaves, and/or flowerheads of wormseed species (Hottes & Frison, 1931; Blackman & Eastop, 2013). Because of the bitter taste of the foliage and its mild toxicity, cattle and other mammalian herbivores in the Midwestern region usually avoid consumption of Beach Wormwood and similar species. However, vertebrate wildlife in the Western region of the United States utilize these plants as sources of food to a greater extent (Martin et al., 1951/1961).

Photographic Location: Sand dunes along Lake Michigan at Indiana Dunes State Park in NW Indiana.

Comments: Beach Wormwood is the primary host of a rare parasitic plant, Orobanche fasciculata (Clustered Broomrape). The pale flowering stalk of this parasitic plant can be observed near Beach Wormwood during late spring or summer. A similar species, Orobanche ludoviciana (Prairie Broomrape), is also parasitic on Beach Wormwood, but this latter species is parasitic on a variety of other species in the Asteraceae. Among the several Artemisia spp. in Illinois, Beach Wormwood can be identified by the toothless linear lobes (less than 3 mm. across) of its deeply divided leaves. It is also unusual in having perfect florets with sterile ovaries, which are normally fertile in other Artemisia spp. Another common name of Artemisia campestris caudata is Field Sagewort. A scientific synonym of this species is Artemisia caudata.

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Description: This perennial plant initially forms a tuft of low basal leaves. The basal leaves are very similar in appearance to the lower cauline leaves (to be described shortly), except their petioles are somewhat longer. During the spring, this plant bolts, becoming 3-4' tall and unbranched, except near the inflorescence. The stout central stem is light green, terete, and glabrous; it has conspicuous longitudinal veins that are red. The cauline leaves are alternate, becoming smaller and less abundant as they ascend the central stem. The lower cauline leaves are up to 7" long and 4" across; they are broadly elliptic in shape and their margins are smooth to coarsely dentate. The upper cauline leaves are up to 4" long and 3" across; they are broadly ovate to elliptic in shape and their margins are smooth to coarsely dentate. The leaves are medium green, except along their margins, where they are often greenish white to reddish green. The leaves are glabrous and their texture is somewhat succulent (thick and rubbery); their primary veins are usually parallel. The petioles of the leaves are stout, glabrous, and greenish white to reddish green. The petioles of basal leaves are up to 4" long, while the petioles of cauline leaves are up to 2" long, becoming shorter as they ascend the central stem. The uppermost cauline leaves are often sessile.

The central stem terminates in a flat-headed panicle of flowerheads spanning 3-10" across. The structure of this panicle is relatively irregular and loose. The branches of the panicle are greenish white to white, more or less terete, glabrous, and sometimes glaucous. At maturity, these flowerheads are about 8-10 mm. long, 4-5 mm. across, broadly oblongoid-ellipsoid, and 5-keeled. The sides of each flowerhead consist of 5 phyllaries (floral bracts) in a single series; these phyllaries are greenish white to white, broadly elliptic in shape, glabrous, and strongly keeled. The keels of these phyllaries have white-membranous wings. Within the interior of each flowerhead, there are 5 perfect disk florets; these florets are slightly exserted from the phyllaries. The corollas of these disk florets are greenish white to reddish white, narrowly cylindrical in shape, and 5-lobed. The corolla lobes are linear-lanceolate and strongly recurved. The blooming period occurs from early to mid-summer, lasting about 3-4 weeks for a colony of plants. There is no noticeable floral scent. Afterwards, the florets are replaced by achenes about 4-5 mm. long that are dark brown, narrowly bullet-shaped, and longitudinally ribbed. At their apices, these achenes have spreading tufts of white hair; they are distributed to some extent by the wind. The root system consists of a shallow crown with coarse fibrous roots. This plant spreads by reseeding itself.

Cultivation: The preference is full to partial sun, moist conditions, and soil containing some decaying organic matter. This plant tolerates occasional periods of standing water. Soil with either a high or low pH is tolerated. Foliar disease doesn't appear to be troublesome.

Range & Habitat: This uncommon plant occurs primarily in NE Illinois, and scattered counties elsewhere (see Distribution Map), where it is native. At one time, large populations of Prairie Indian Plantain occurred in wetland areas, particularly in the Chicago region, but they have been largely destroyed by modern development. This plant still occurs in such habitats as moist black soil prairies, dolomite prairies, moist meadows along rivers, savannas, thickets, marshes, fens, remnant bogs, and calcareous seeps. In developed areas, it may occur along ditches near railroads and roadsides. This is an indicator plant of high quality habitat.

Faunal Associations: The flowers of Prairie Indian Plantain appear to attract only a few insect visitors. Those that have been observed include the parasitoid Halictid bee Sphecodes dichrous, Myzinum quinquecinctum (Five-banded Tiphiid Wasp), the butterfly Lycaena hyllus (Bronze Copper), and Lygaeus turcicus (False Milkweed Bug). These insects were feeding on nectar (Robertson, 1929). Both the adults and larvae of an oligophagous Lizard beetle, Languria bicolor, feed destructively on species of Indian Plantain (Arnoglossum); the adults chew holes in the leaves, while the larvae live in the stems (Vaurie, 1948). The larvae of a Gracillariid moth, Phyllocnistis insignis, form serpentine mines in the leaves of Indian Plantain and other genera in the Aster family (Microleps website, 2010). At the present time, information about this plant's relationships to vertebrate animals is unavailable.

Photographic Location: The photographs were taken at Loda Cemetery Prairie in Iroquois County, Illinois.

Comments: While the flowerheads are not particularly showy, the thick rubbery leaves provide Prairie Indian Plantain with a presence that is quite interesting and different. This is the only Arnoglossum species in Illinois that has basal leaves and lower cauline leaves that are shaped like the leaves of broad-leaved plantains (e.g., Plantago major and Plantago rugelii). Other species of this genus have basal leaves and lower cauline leaves that are more broad and more deeply lobed or toothed – this is probably an accommodation to the lower light levels of the woodland habitats in which they are more likely to occur. While Prairie Indian Plantain is often regarded as a wetland species, it also occurs in moist meadows and prairies.

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Description: This herbaceous perennial plant forms a rosette of spreading to ascending basal leaves. The basal leaves are up to 12" long and 4" across, although they are usually less than two-thirds of the maximum size; they are simple-pinnate with 5-11 pairs of sessile opposite leaflets and a sessile terminal leaflet. The petioles of basal leaves are relatively stout and more or less long-hairy, especially toward their bases; they are light green, whitish yellow, or red. The leaflets become gradually larger toward the tips of the compound leaves; they are up to 2" long and ¾" across. The leaflets are elliptic-oblong or oblanceolate-oblong in shape and coarsely serrated along their margins; the teeth of the margins have narrow bristly tips. The upper leaflet surface is yellowish green to dark green, glabrous to sparsely hairy, and more or less shiny. The lower leaflet surface is white-canescent from dense minute hairs, and some longer white hairs may be present. Interspersed between these leaflets, there are often much smaller secondary leaflets with similar characteristics.

The rachises of the compound leaves are similar to their petioles, except there are grooved above and tend to be less hairy. From the center of the rosette of basal leaves, one or more widely spreading stolons are produced that are 1-3' long. At intervals along these stolons, there are leafy-bracted nodes about 4-6" apart. The stolons are red, terete, and glabrous to sparsely long-hairy. The leafy bracts of the nodes are simple-pinnate; they resemble the basal leaves, except they are much smaller in size (up to 4" long and 1" across). When the nodes have contact with moist ground, they are able to develop new roots, from which new rosettes of basal leaves can develop. Solitary flowers are produced from the nodes of the stolons on long naked pedicels (floral stalks) about 2-6" long. These ascending to erect pedicels are light green to red, terete, and nearly glabrous to long-hairy. Each flower spans about ¾" across, consisting of 5 spreading yellow petals, 5 light green sepals, a ring of 20-25 yellow stamens, and a central head of 20-100+ yellow pistils. The petals are obovate or broadly elliptic in shape, while the hairy sepals are ovate, and often cuspidate (abruptly tapering into narrow pointed tips).

Directly underneath the sepals, there are 5 floral bractlets; these bractlets are similar to the sepals, except they are usually lanceolate and sometimes sparingly toothed. Both the sepals and bractlets are joined together at the base, and they are both shorter than the petals. The blooming period occurs during the summer and early autumn for 2-3 months. Flowering is more abundant during periods of active growth. Cross-pollination of the flowers is required for the production of fertile seeds. The seedheads are cupped along their sides by the persistent sepals and floral bractlets. Individual seeds are 2–2.5 mm. long, compressed-ovoid in shape, and grooved along the upper surface. Because the outer seed coat is somewhat corky from enclosed air pores, the seeds are able to float on water; they can also be blown about by the wind. The primary root system consists of a taproot that often branches. This plant forms clonal colonies by means of its stolons.

Cultivation: The preference is full sun, wet to mesic conditions, and calcareous soil containing gravel or sand. This plant doesn't tolerate much competition from taller vegetation.

Range & Habitat: The native Silverweed is uncommon in NE Illinois, while in the rest of the state it is absent (see Distribution Map). Silverweed has a wide distribution in boreal areas of North America, and it also occurs in Eurasia. Habitats include sand prairies, moist sand flats (pannes), borders of interdunal swales, low areas along sandy ponds, small sand dunes, middle to upper beach areas, and gravelly or sandy areas along mowed paths. In Illinois, this plant occurs primarily along Lake Michigan. It is usually found in high quality habitats where there is some natural disturbance from water or wind, although it can also colonize open degraded areas that are moist, sandy, or gravelly. This is one of the pioneer plant species that helps to stabilize the sand in wetlands, low dunes, and beach areas.

Faunal Associations: The flowers are usually cross-pollinated by various bees and flies, including bumblebees, cuckoo bees (Stelis spp.), Andrenid bees, and Syrphid flies (Miyanishi et al., 1991; Krombein et al., 1979; Discover Life, 2015). Both nectar and pollen are available as floral rewards. A small number of insects have been reported to feed on the foliage, sap, or roots of Silverweed in North America. These species include a flea beetle (Altica browni) and several aphids (Chaetosiphon fragaefolii, Macrosiphum potentillae, and Rhopalosiphoninus latisiphon); see Clark et al, (2004) and Blackman & Eastop (2013). Foliage and flowers of Silverweed are occasionally browsed by White-tailed Deer and other hoofed mammalian herbivores, although they are not eaten by the granivorous American Bison. By surviving the passage through their digestive tracts, the seeds of this plant may be spread to new locations by these mammals.

Photographic Location: A moist gravelly area along a path and a low area along a sandy pond at Illinois Beach State Park in NE Illinois.

Comments: A scientific synonym of Silverweed is Potentilla anserina. The description of this plant refers to the typical subspecies, Argentina anserina anserina. This is the only subspecies that occurs in Illinois. Other subspecies have been described that vary in such characteristics as the hairiness of the foliage, the general size of individual plants, the presence or absence of an upper groove on the seeds, the relative size of the sepals versus the floral bractlets, and other characteristics. It is relatively easy to distinguish Silverweed from similar species (mainly Potentilla spp.). Compared to these other species, Silverweed can be distinguished by the greater number of leaflets per compound leaf, brilliant white undersides on its leaflets, sharp bristly teeth along the margins of its leaflets, and conspicuous red stolons.

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Description: This herbaceous perennial plant becomes about 2½–5' tall at maturity. Initially, this plant develops an erect central stem with opposite leaves during the late spring, but during early to mid-summer it branches abundantly. The stems are light green to red, terete, glabrous, and sometimes glaucous. At intervals along these stems, there are pairs of opposite leaves. These leaves are 1½–3½" long and about one-third as much across; they are broadly elliptic to broadly elliptic-oblong in shape and smooth (entire) along their margins. The upper leaf surface is medium green or yellowish green and glabrous, while the lower leaf surface is light green, glabrous, and sometimes glaucous. Leaf venation is pinnate. When petioles are present, they are up to ¼" long, light green, and glabrous; otherwise, the leaves are sessile. Plants with sessile leaves are sometimes referred to as Apocynum sibericum. The stems and leaves contain a milky latex that is bitter-tasting and toxic. The upper stems and some lateral stems terminate in panicles of flowers spanning 1–3" across; these panicles are flat-headed to dome-shaped.

Each small flower is about 2-3 mm. across and 3-5 mm. long, consisting of 5 white petals, a light green calyx, 5 stamens, and a pistil. The petals are ovate to oval in shape and they are erect to slightly spreading; the calyx is glabrous and it has 5 triangular teeth. The branches and pedicels of the panicles are light green or light yellowish green, terete, and glabrous; individual pedicels are 2-6 mm. long. The blooming period usually occurs during the summer for about 1 month. The flowers are sweetly fragrant. Afterwards, cross-pollinated flowers are replaced by pairs of follicles (seedpods that open along one side). Mature follicles are 4-8" long, narrowly cylindrical in shape, and dark brown. These follicles eventually split open to release their seeds to the wind. Individual seeds are 4-6 mm. long, linear in shape, and brown; they have tufts of white hair at their apices that help to carry them aloft. The root system is long-rhizomatous, often producing clonal colonies of plants.

Cultivation: The preference is full sun and wet to mesic conditions. This weedy plant adapts to mildly acidic to alkaline soil containing loam, clay-loam, or clay-gravel. It readily tolerates flooded conditions during the spring, while tolerating drought later in the year. By late summer, the lower leaves of this plant turn yellow and begin to fall off as its condition steadily deteriorates. In moist open areas, clonal colonies can spread aggressively from underground rhizomes.

Range & Habitat: The native Common Dogbane occurs in every county of Illinois, where it is quite common (see Distribution Map). Habitats include wet prairies, prairie swales, soggy thickets, moist meadows along rivers, edges of swamps, seasonal wetlands in open areas, abandoned fields, poorly drained areas along fence rows, poorly drained areas in vacant lots, poorly drained areas in junkyards, roadside ditches, and gravelly depressions along railroads. Common Dogbane is usually found in degraded wetlands that have a history of disturbance. It is a pioneer species of such habitats.

Faunal Associations: The abundant nectar of the flowers attracts many kinds of insects, including cuckoo bees (Nomada spp.), Halictid bees, plasterer bees (Colletes spp.), masked bees (Hylaeus spp.), Sphecid wasps, Syrphid flies, bee flies (Bombyliidae), Tachinid flies, Calliphorid flies, butterflies, skippers, and beetles (Robertson, 1929). These insects vary in how effectively they cross-pollinate the flowers. The larvae of several moths feed on Common Dogbane, including the Delicate Cycnia (Cycnia tenera), Oregon Cycnia (Cycnia oregonensis), Six-spotted Gray (Spargaloma sexpunctata), and a Gracillariid moth (Marmara apocynella); see Wagner (2005), Covell (1984/2005), and Needham et al. (1928). Larvae of the last moth bore through the stems of this plant. Other insect feeders include larvae and adults of the Dogbane Beetle (Chrysochus auratus), larvae of the Red Milkweed Beetle (Tetraopes tetrophthalmus), larvae of the Dogbane Flower Midge (Clinodiplosis apocyni), the Large Milkweed Bug (Oncopeltus fasciatus), and an aphid (Aphis asclepiadis); see Clark et al. (2004), Yanega (1996), Felt (1917), Hoffman (1996), and Hottes & Frison (1931). Mammalian herbivores usually avoid the consumption of Common Dogbane because the bitter foliage contains cardiac glycosides and other toxic compounds.

Photographic Location: A fence row near Urbana, Illinois, and a remnant prairie along a railroad in Savoy, Illinois.

Comments: Another common name for this plant is Indian Hemp, because native Amerindians obtained strong silky fibers from the stems. These fibers were used as twine in basketry, mats, netting, rope, and other artifacts. Some early French explorers remarked upon the abundance of this plant in the original prairie, which they referred to as 'hemp' in their writings. Common Dogbane (Apocynum cannabinum) can be distinguished from a similar species, Spreading Dogbane (Apocynum androsaemifolium), by its smaller flowers with more erect petals. The flowers are Spreading Dogbane are about 6-8 mm. long and similarly across; their petals are ascending, rather than erect, and the tips of their petals are recurved, rather than straight. Unlike Common Dogbane, Spreading Dogbane is typically found in upland habitats where the soil is more sandy and/or acidic.

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Description: This perennial herbaceous plant is up to 1' tall, but more commonly ½' or less. It consists of a rosette of basal leaves, which sometimes produces an inflorescence on a short stalk during the spring. The basal leaves are up to 2" long and ½" across; they are oblanceolate, with smooth margins. There is a single prominent vein on the upper surface of each basal leaf, while the lower surface is white and hairy. There are small alternate leaves along the pubescent flowering stalk; they are narrowly lanceolate or linear.

At the top of each stalk, a plant produces a few flowerheads about 1/3" (8 mm.) long that are either staminate or pistillate. These flowerheads resemble compact tufts of white hair. The blooming period occurs from mid- to late spring and lasts about 3 weeks. There is no noticeable floral scent. The flowerheads are quickly replaced by achenes with small tufts of white hair, which are distributed by the wind. Field Pussytoes spread by means of horizontal stolons that are hairy and have small alternate leaves that are narrowly lanceolate or linear. These stolons develop plantlets that root in the ground, and resemble the mother plant. The root system consists of a central taproot. This plant often forms small colonies.

Cultivation: The preference is partial or full sun, and mesic to dry conditions. This plant flourishes in soil that is rocky or contains clay; it also grows readily in fertile loam. Most of the growth and development occurs during the spring, before pests and disease become troublesome.

Range & Habitat: The native Field Pussytoes occurs occasionally in northern and central Illinois; it is less common in southern Illinois (see Distribution Map). Habitats include mesic to dry black soil prairies, clay prairies, slopes of open woodlands, dry meadows in woodland areas, savannas, shale glades, eroded clay banks, pastures, abandoned fields, and roadsides. This plant is allelopathic, and tends to reduce the height of neighboring grasses and forbs. It is more commonly found in prairies than Antennaria plantaginifolia (Plantain-leaved Pussytoes.

Faunal Associations: Some authorities state that this is primarily a wind-pollinated plant, while others emphasize the role of insects in promoting cross-pollination. Primarily small bees and flies visit the flowers, including Halictid bees, Andrenid bees, cuckoo bees (Nomada spp., Sphecodes spp.), Syrphid flies, Muscid flies, Calliphorid flies, and Tachinid flies (Graenicher, 1909). The caterpillars of a butterfly, Vanessa virginiensis (American Painted Lady), feed on the foliage (Bouseman & Sternburg, 2001). Other insect feeders that feed on the foliage and other parts of Field Pussytoes and other Antennaria spp. include the gall-forming larvae of two flies, Asphondylia antennariae (Everlasting Bud Midge) and Rhopalomyia antennariae, larvae of a moth, Tebenna gnaphaliella (Everlasting Tebenna Moth), a plant bug (Melanotrichus catulus), and an aphid (Pleotrichophorus antennarius); see Felt (1917), Needham et al. (1928), Wheeler et al. (1983), and Blackman & Eastop (2013). Among vertebrate animals, some upland gamebirds feed on the foliage and/or seedheads, including the Ruffed Grouse, Bobwhite Quail, and Greater Prairie Chicken; White-tailed Deer also feed on these plants, especially during the spring (Martin et al., 1951/1961; Korschgen, 1962).

Photographic Location: The photograph of the colony of blooming plants (both staminate & pistillate) was taken along a roadside in Vermilion County; the photograph of the basal leaves was taken at Prospect Cemetery Prairie in Ford County, Illinois; the photograph of of the blooming pistillate plants was taken at an upland savanna of the Champaign County Forest Preserve in Champaign County, Illinois.

Comments: Field Pussytoes is similar to Antennaria plantaginifolia (Plantain-Leaved Pussytoes), but the latter has wider basal leaves with 3 prominent parallel veins. These are both cute-looking little plants that could be grown in rock gardens; they are particularly attractive while blooming during the spring.

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