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Miss Chen
2018年05月19日
Description: This perennial wildflower is 2-8" tall. It is ascending to erect with either unbranched or sparingly branched stems. The slender stems are light green, terete, and usually short-pubescent. There are pairs of opposite leaves at intervals along these stems. The leaves are ½-1¼" long and about one-third as much across; they are medium green, glabrous above, and either glabrous or short-pubescent below. The leaves are oblong-elliptic to broadly oblong-elliptic in shape and smooth along their margins; they are either sessile or have short petioles (1 mm. in length). The stems terminate in small clusters of 2-5 flowers (less often individual flowers). In addition, axillary clusters of flowers may originate from the upper two pairs of leaves. Individual flowers are up to 1/3" across (8 mm.), consisting of 5 white petals, 5 light green sepals, a light green superior ovary with 3 styles, and 10 stamens. The widely spreading petals are oblong-elliptic in shape and about twice as long as the sepals. The sepals are lanceolate to ovate with blunt tips and either glabrous or short-pubescent. The very slender pedicels are up to 1" long and usually short-pubescent. The blooming period occurs during late spring to early summer and lasts about 1 month. Afterwards, the flowers are replaced by ovoid seed capsules about ¼" long. Along the upper rim of a mature seed capsule, there are 6 recurved teeth. Each seed capsule contains only a few seeds that are about 1 mm. in length, reniform and somewhat flattened in shape, and smooth along their outer surfaces. Attached to each seed, there is a spongy food appendage (elaisome). The root system is fibrous and rhizomatous. Clonal offsets often develop from the rhizomes, forming small colonies of plants.
Cultivation: The preference is partial sun to light shade, moist to dry-mesic conditions, and soil that is loamy, gravelly, or sandy with decaying organic matter.
Range & Habitat: The native Grove Sandwort is uncommon in the northern half of Illinois, while in the southern half of the state it is absent (see Distribution Map). Illinois lies along the southern range limit of this species, which has a circumboreal distribution that includes North America, Europe, and Asia. Habitats consist primarily of open woodlands, sandy oak woodlands, woodland borders, and gravelly or rocky borders of streams in wooded areas. Less often, this wildflower occurs in meadows and prairies as an understory plant.
Faunal Associations: The nectar and pollen of the flowers probably attract small bees (Halictid, Andrenid) and flies (Syrphid). Otherwise, little is known about floral-faunal relationships for this species.
Photographic Location: The wildflower garden of the webmaster in Urbana, Illinois.
Comments: This is a delicate and attractive small wildflower that can be easily overlooked. Across local populations of plants, there is some variability in hairiness of the foliage and width of the leaves. Grove Sandwort can be distinguished from similar species in the Pink family by the shape of its leaves, the characteristics of its flowers, and the number of teeth of its seed capsules. Unlike chickweeds (both Stellaria spp. & Cerastium spp.), Grove Sandwort has petals that are neither notched at their tips nor deeply bifurcated. Its flowers are similar to those of Minuartia spp. (Sandworts), but it has wider leaves than the latter and its seed capsules have 6 teeth, instead of 3. Grove Sandwort is also similar to Arenaria serpyllifolia (Thyme-Leaved Sandwort), but its leaves are more long and narrow in shape. Grove Sandwort differs from all of these species by the food appendages (elaisomes) that are attached to its seeds. This is a highly unusual characteristic for a species in the Pink family. A scientific synonym of Grove Sandwort is Arenaria lateriflora.
Cultivation: The preference is partial sun to light shade, moist to dry-mesic conditions, and soil that is loamy, gravelly, or sandy with decaying organic matter.
Range & Habitat: The native Grove Sandwort is uncommon in the northern half of Illinois, while in the southern half of the state it is absent (see Distribution Map). Illinois lies along the southern range limit of this species, which has a circumboreal distribution that includes North America, Europe, and Asia. Habitats consist primarily of open woodlands, sandy oak woodlands, woodland borders, and gravelly or rocky borders of streams in wooded areas. Less often, this wildflower occurs in meadows and prairies as an understory plant.
Faunal Associations: The nectar and pollen of the flowers probably attract small bees (Halictid, Andrenid) and flies (Syrphid). Otherwise, little is known about floral-faunal relationships for this species.
Photographic Location: The wildflower garden of the webmaster in Urbana, Illinois.
Comments: This is a delicate and attractive small wildflower that can be easily overlooked. Across local populations of plants, there is some variability in hairiness of the foliage and width of the leaves. Grove Sandwort can be distinguished from similar species in the Pink family by the shape of its leaves, the characteristics of its flowers, and the number of teeth of its seed capsules. Unlike chickweeds (both Stellaria spp. & Cerastium spp.), Grove Sandwort has petals that are neither notched at their tips nor deeply bifurcated. Its flowers are similar to those of Minuartia spp. (Sandworts), but it has wider leaves than the latter and its seed capsules have 6 teeth, instead of 3. Grove Sandwort is also similar to Arenaria serpyllifolia (Thyme-Leaved Sandwort), but its leaves are more long and narrow in shape. Grove Sandwort differs from all of these species by the food appendages (elaisomes) that are attached to its seeds. This is a highly unusual characteristic for a species in the Pink family. A scientific synonym of Grove Sandwort is Arenaria lateriflora.
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Miss Chen
2018年05月18日
Description: This small vine is slightly woody, forming a low mat of evergreen leaves up to 4" tall and 1' or more across. The stems are mostly light green to light brown and either glabrous or hairy; old stems become brown, smooth, and woody. Pairs of opposite leaves occur along these stems on short petioles up to ¼" long. The leaves are ¼-1" long and similarly across; they are oval to orbicular in shape and smooth to slightly undulate along their margins. The upper leaf surface is glabrous, shiny, and mostly dark green, although it is often nearly white along the central vein and some of the lateral veins. The lower leaf surface is glabrous and more pale.
Pairs of upright flowers occur at the tips of branches or from the axils of leaves. Each flower has a hairy white corolla about ½" long, 4 stamens, and a pistil with single style. Each pair of flowers share the same short-tubular calyx. The corolla is trumpet-shaped with 4 spreading lobes, while the calyx is light green with tiny teeth along its upper rim. There are 4 filiform stigmata per style. There are two types of flowers: those with long stamens and short styles, and those with short stamens and long styles. However, only one type of flower can be found on any individual plant. The blooming period occurs from late spring to mid-summer. The flowers are fragrant. As a result of the fusion of their ovaries, each pair of fertile flowers is replaced by a single berry. The berries are bright red, subgloboid inDistribution Map shape, and up to 1/3" (8 mm.) across. Toward the tip of each berry, there is a pair of shallow dimples. The berry interior is fleshy and rather tasteless, containing up to 8 seeds. The berries can persist throughout the winter and into the spring of the following year. The root system is fibrous. Adventitious fibrous roots can develop when the prostrate stems have contact with moist soil.
Cultivation: The preference is light shade to partial sun, moist to dry-mesic conditions, and an acidic soil containing sand or rocky material (e.g., sandstone). Partridge Berry is not aggressive and it can be difficult to establish. However, it can be cultivated in a partially shaded rock garden where the soil is shallow and competition from other plants is restricted. Flowers and fruits are sparingly produced.
Range & Habitat: The native Partridge Berry occurs occasionally in NE Illinois and southern Illinois, while in the rest of the state it is uncommon or absent. This small vine is distributed across a wide area of eastern North America. Habitats include rocky upland woodlands, sandy savannas, slopes of wooded sand dunes, sandstone cliffs, sandstone ledges along ravines, mossy boulders in wooded ravines, rocky river banks, edges of Red Maple swamps, and bogs. Partridge Berry is found in high quality natural areas.
Faunal Associations: The flowers are cross-pollinated by bumblebees (Hicks et al., 1985). The primary floral reward for these insects is nectar. Apparently very few insects feed on the foliage of Partridge Berry. Some upland gamebirds feed on the fruits of this vine, including such species as the Ruffed Grouse, Bobwhite Quail, Wild Turkey, and the now extinct Passenger Pigeon (Martin et al., 1951/1961; Bennetts, 1900; Schorger, 1955). Mammals that feed on the fruits include the Red Fox, Eastern Skunk, Eastern Chipmunk, White-Footed Mouse, and Woodland Deer Mouse (Martin et al., 1951/1961; Hamilton, 1941). These animals spread the seeds of the berries to new locations.
Photographic Location: A shaded sandstone ledge along a river at the The Potholes in west-central Indiana.
Comments: This is the only species of its genus in North America. Partridge Berry has ornamental foliage, flowers, and berries. It can distinguished from other woody vines by its small size, pairs of showy white flowers, and long-lasting red berries. Another common for this species is Twinberry.
Pairs of upright flowers occur at the tips of branches or from the axils of leaves. Each flower has a hairy white corolla about ½" long, 4 stamens, and a pistil with single style. Each pair of flowers share the same short-tubular calyx. The corolla is trumpet-shaped with 4 spreading lobes, while the calyx is light green with tiny teeth along its upper rim. There are 4 filiform stigmata per style. There are two types of flowers: those with long stamens and short styles, and those with short stamens and long styles. However, only one type of flower can be found on any individual plant. The blooming period occurs from late spring to mid-summer. The flowers are fragrant. As a result of the fusion of their ovaries, each pair of fertile flowers is replaced by a single berry. The berries are bright red, subgloboid inDistribution Map shape, and up to 1/3" (8 mm.) across. Toward the tip of each berry, there is a pair of shallow dimples. The berry interior is fleshy and rather tasteless, containing up to 8 seeds. The berries can persist throughout the winter and into the spring of the following year. The root system is fibrous. Adventitious fibrous roots can develop when the prostrate stems have contact with moist soil.
Cultivation: The preference is light shade to partial sun, moist to dry-mesic conditions, and an acidic soil containing sand or rocky material (e.g., sandstone). Partridge Berry is not aggressive and it can be difficult to establish. However, it can be cultivated in a partially shaded rock garden where the soil is shallow and competition from other plants is restricted. Flowers and fruits are sparingly produced.
Range & Habitat: The native Partridge Berry occurs occasionally in NE Illinois and southern Illinois, while in the rest of the state it is uncommon or absent. This small vine is distributed across a wide area of eastern North America. Habitats include rocky upland woodlands, sandy savannas, slopes of wooded sand dunes, sandstone cliffs, sandstone ledges along ravines, mossy boulders in wooded ravines, rocky river banks, edges of Red Maple swamps, and bogs. Partridge Berry is found in high quality natural areas.
Faunal Associations: The flowers are cross-pollinated by bumblebees (Hicks et al., 1985). The primary floral reward for these insects is nectar. Apparently very few insects feed on the foliage of Partridge Berry. Some upland gamebirds feed on the fruits of this vine, including such species as the Ruffed Grouse, Bobwhite Quail, Wild Turkey, and the now extinct Passenger Pigeon (Martin et al., 1951/1961; Bennetts, 1900; Schorger, 1955). Mammals that feed on the fruits include the Red Fox, Eastern Skunk, Eastern Chipmunk, White-Footed Mouse, and Woodland Deer Mouse (Martin et al., 1951/1961; Hamilton, 1941). These animals spread the seeds of the berries to new locations.
Photographic Location: A shaded sandstone ledge along a river at the The Potholes in west-central Indiana.
Comments: This is the only species of its genus in North America. Partridge Berry has ornamental foliage, flowers, and berries. It can distinguished from other woody vines by its small size, pairs of showy white flowers, and long-lasting red berries. Another common for this species is Twinberry.
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Miss Chen
2018年05月17日
Description: This perennial plant is about 1½–2½' tall, branching occasionally. The stems are light green and densely covered with white hairs. The alternate leaves are up to 5½" long and 2" across; they are lanceolate to ovate, smooth along the margins, and sessile. The upper surface of each leaf is dark green, sparsely covered with short hairs, and pinnately veined; the lower surface is light green and densely covered with short white hairs. The lateral veins are conspicuous on both sides of the leaves. The flowers bloom near the apex of the stems. They occur individually from the axils of the leaves; their pedicels are short. Each flower is about ¼" across, consisting of a hairy green calyx with 5 linear-lanceolate teeth and a pale yellow corolla with 5 spreading lobes and a narrow throat. The tube of the corolla is no longer than the teeth of the calyx. The reproductive organs are hidden within the corolla. The blooming period occurs from mid-spring to early summer. Only a few flowers are in bloom at the same time. They are replaced by ovoid-globoid nutlets with an outer coat that is white, smooth, and hard. The root system consists of a taproot, which may send up more than one stem.
Cultivation: The preference is dappled sunlight during the spring and light to medium shade during the remainder of the year. The soil should be moist to slightly dry, fertile and loamy, containing abundant organic matter. The hard white seeds are difficult to germinate.
Range & Habitat: The native American Gromwell is scattered across Illinois; it is an uncommon plant (see Distribution Map). Populations of this species within the state have probably declined. Habitats include rich deciduous woodlands, wooded slopes, and shaded riverbanks. This conservative species prefers high quality woodlands where the original ground flora is largely intact.
Faunal Associations: The structure of the flowers suggests that the pollinators are long-tongued bees and butterflies. More specific information about floral-faunal relationships is currently unavailable.
Photographic Location: Toward the bottom of a moist wooded slope in Vermilion County, Illinois.
Comments: American Gromwell is one of the woodland wildflowers that blooms during the spring, but it is often overlooked and many field guides fail to describe it, probably because its flowers are not very showy. American Gromwell resembles Lithospermum officinale (European Gromwell) in its overall appearance. This latter species produces flowers in flat-headed cymes and its leaves are more slender. In contrast, American Gromwell produces individual flowers from the axils of the leaves. Another European species, Buglossoides arvense (Corn Gromwell), produces individual flowers from the axils of the leaves, but these flowers are bright white and its leaves are smaller in size. Corn Gromwell produces nutlets that are brown and wrinkled, rather than smooth and white. Other Lithospermum spp. in Illinois are native prairie plants that also produce flowers in flat-headed cymes. The flowers of these latter species have longer corollas that are a brilliant yellow or orange-yellow.
Cultivation: The preference is dappled sunlight during the spring and light to medium shade during the remainder of the year. The soil should be moist to slightly dry, fertile and loamy, containing abundant organic matter. The hard white seeds are difficult to germinate.
Range & Habitat: The native American Gromwell is scattered across Illinois; it is an uncommon plant (see Distribution Map). Populations of this species within the state have probably declined. Habitats include rich deciduous woodlands, wooded slopes, and shaded riverbanks. This conservative species prefers high quality woodlands where the original ground flora is largely intact.
Faunal Associations: The structure of the flowers suggests that the pollinators are long-tongued bees and butterflies. More specific information about floral-faunal relationships is currently unavailable.
Photographic Location: Toward the bottom of a moist wooded slope in Vermilion County, Illinois.
Comments: American Gromwell is one of the woodland wildflowers that blooms during the spring, but it is often overlooked and many field guides fail to describe it, probably because its flowers are not very showy. American Gromwell resembles Lithospermum officinale (European Gromwell) in its overall appearance. This latter species produces flowers in flat-headed cymes and its leaves are more slender. In contrast, American Gromwell produces individual flowers from the axils of the leaves. Another European species, Buglossoides arvense (Corn Gromwell), produces individual flowers from the axils of the leaves, but these flowers are bright white and its leaves are smaller in size. Corn Gromwell produces nutlets that are brown and wrinkled, rather than smooth and white. Other Lithospermum spp. in Illinois are native prairie plants that also produce flowers in flat-headed cymes. The flowers of these latter species have longer corollas that are a brilliant yellow or orange-yellow.
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Miss Chen
2018年05月17日
Description: This herbaceous perennial plant is about 2-4' tall and either branched or unbranched. The stems are light to medium green and abundantly covered with stiff white hairs that have the capacity to sting when they are rubbed against. The lower to middle leaves are alternate, while the upper leaves are opposite. These leaves are up to 6" long and 4" across; they are medium to dark green, ovate-cordate to oval-ovate in shape, and coarsely serrated or serrated-crenate. Young leaves are densely hairy and wrinkled in appearance, while older leaves become less hairy and wrinkled with age. Leaf venation is pinnate. The petioles are up to 4" long and abundantly covered with stinging hairs, like the stems. The leaves may have a few stinging hairs as well, particularly along the central veins of their undersides. Some plants have a tendency to loose many of their stinging hairs as the season progresses. Individual plants are either monoecious (separate male and female flowers on the same plant) or unisexual.
The male flowers occur in branching cymes from the axils of the leaves. These cymes spread outward from the stem and they are about the same length as the petioles of the leaves. Each male flower is greenish white to white and less than 1/8" (3 mm.) across, consisting of 5 narrow sepals, 5 stamens, and no petals. The female flowers occur in branching cymes toward the apex of the plant. These cymes are erect to spreading and 4" or more in length. Each female flower is more or less green and about 1/8" (3 mm.) across, consisting of 4 sepals of unequal size (2 large and 2 small) and an ovary with a long style. The blooming period usually occurs during mid- to late summer. The flowers are wind-pollinated. Each female flower is replaced by a small dry fruit that is curved and ovoid in shape. This plant often forms colonies of variable size.
Cultivation: The preference is partial sun to medium shade, moist conditions, and a fertile loamy soil with abundant organic matter. Because of its stinging hairs and tendency to spread, you probably would not want to cultivate this plant near the house, except possibly as a privacy barrier.
Range & Habitat: The native Wood Nettle is common in central and northern Illinois, but it is uncommon or absent in parts of southern Illinois (see Distribution Map). Habitats include moist floodplain woodlands, moist bottomland woodlands, mesic woodlands, shady seeps, and other moist places in wooded areas. Various deciduous trees (e.g., elms, maples, or sycamore) dominate the habitats where the Wood Nettle occurs.
Faunal Associations: The caterpillars of the following butterflies feed on the foliage: Polygonia comma (Comma), Polygonia interrogationis (Question Mark), and Vanessa atalanta (Red Admiral). Other insect feeders include caterpillars of the moths Bomolocha edictalis (Large Bomolocha) and Bomolocha sordidula (Sordid Bomolocha), leaf-mining larvae of the fly Agromyza subnigripes, and the stink bug Proxys punctulatus. White-tailed Deer also browse on the foliage of Wood Nettle occasionally, notwithstanding the stinging hairs. When this plant forms dense colonies in wooded areas, it provides valuable cover for wildlife.
Photographic Location: A floodplain woodland in Vermilion County, Illinois. The Wood Nettle in the photographs wasn't in bloom.
Comments: This native plant is often mistaken for the introduced Urtica dioica (Stinging Nettle). Both species have stinging hairs and a similar appearance. However, the Wood Nettle has some alternate leaves, while Stinging Nettle has pairs of opposite leaves only. There are also differences in the characteristics of their flowers. Another similar species, Boehmeria cylindrica (False Nettle), also has opposite leaves, but it lacks stinging hairs altogether. Like other members of the Nettle family, the Wood Nettle lacks showy flowers because they are wind-pollinated, rather than pollinated by insects. Some people may regard this species as an undesirable woodland weed because of its stinging hairs and unassuming appearance, but it is an important host plant of some native butterflies.
The male flowers occur in branching cymes from the axils of the leaves. These cymes spread outward from the stem and they are about the same length as the petioles of the leaves. Each male flower is greenish white to white and less than 1/8" (3 mm.) across, consisting of 5 narrow sepals, 5 stamens, and no petals. The female flowers occur in branching cymes toward the apex of the plant. These cymes are erect to spreading and 4" or more in length. Each female flower is more or less green and about 1/8" (3 mm.) across, consisting of 4 sepals of unequal size (2 large and 2 small) and an ovary with a long style. The blooming period usually occurs during mid- to late summer. The flowers are wind-pollinated. Each female flower is replaced by a small dry fruit that is curved and ovoid in shape. This plant often forms colonies of variable size.
Cultivation: The preference is partial sun to medium shade, moist conditions, and a fertile loamy soil with abundant organic matter. Because of its stinging hairs and tendency to spread, you probably would not want to cultivate this plant near the house, except possibly as a privacy barrier.
Range & Habitat: The native Wood Nettle is common in central and northern Illinois, but it is uncommon or absent in parts of southern Illinois (see Distribution Map). Habitats include moist floodplain woodlands, moist bottomland woodlands, mesic woodlands, shady seeps, and other moist places in wooded areas. Various deciduous trees (e.g., elms, maples, or sycamore) dominate the habitats where the Wood Nettle occurs.
Faunal Associations: The caterpillars of the following butterflies feed on the foliage: Polygonia comma (Comma), Polygonia interrogationis (Question Mark), and Vanessa atalanta (Red Admiral). Other insect feeders include caterpillars of the moths Bomolocha edictalis (Large Bomolocha) and Bomolocha sordidula (Sordid Bomolocha), leaf-mining larvae of the fly Agromyza subnigripes, and the stink bug Proxys punctulatus. White-tailed Deer also browse on the foliage of Wood Nettle occasionally, notwithstanding the stinging hairs. When this plant forms dense colonies in wooded areas, it provides valuable cover for wildlife.
Photographic Location: A floodplain woodland in Vermilion County, Illinois. The Wood Nettle in the photographs wasn't in bloom.
Comments: This native plant is often mistaken for the introduced Urtica dioica (Stinging Nettle). Both species have stinging hairs and a similar appearance. However, the Wood Nettle has some alternate leaves, while Stinging Nettle has pairs of opposite leaves only. There are also differences in the characteristics of their flowers. Another similar species, Boehmeria cylindrica (False Nettle), also has opposite leaves, but it lacks stinging hairs altogether. Like other members of the Nettle family, the Wood Nettle lacks showy flowers because they are wind-pollinated, rather than pollinated by insects. Some people may regard this species as an undesirable woodland weed because of its stinging hairs and unassuming appearance, but it is an important host plant of some native butterflies.
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Miss Chen
2018年05月17日
Description: This herbaceous perennial plant is 1-3' tall, branching sparingly. It is relatively short-lived. The foliage consists of basal leaves and bolting stems with alternate leaves; most vegetative growth occurs during the spring. The stems are light to medium green, glabrous, and terete; sometimes they are slightly angular or slightly furrowed. The leaves are up to 5" long and 2" across, becoming smaller as they ascend the stems. They are usually more or less ovate, serrated or dentate along their margins, medium green, and glabrous. The basal leaves and lower alternate leaves are often pinnately lobed (pinnatifid); these lobes occur in 1-4 pairs near the base of each leaf. The upper stems terminate in erect racemes of flowers about 6-18" in length. Sometimes shorter racemes of flowers also develop from the axils of the upper leaves.
Each flower is about ¼" (6 mm.) across, consisting of 4 petals that are pale violet to nearly white, 4 pale gray or pale violet sepals, 6 stamens with violet anthers, and a pistil with a stout style. The petals are oblanceolate in shape and longer than the sepals. The sepals are oblong in shape and usually glabrous, although the tips of sepals on young flowers are sometimes finely hairy. The pedicels of the flowers are about 6-8 mm. long, ascending, and glabrous; they are green, greenish violet, or violet. The rachises (central stalks) and peduncles (basal stalks) of the racemes are green or purplish green and glabrous. The blooming period occurs during the early summer and lasts about 3 weeks. The flowers are often fragrant, particularly in sunny locations. The flowers are replaced by glabrous siliques (narrowly cylindrical seedpods) that become about ½–1" long at maturity. Each silique contains a single row of oblongoid seeds. Immature siliques are green to dark violet. The root system consists of a taproot. This plant spreads by reseeding itself.
Cultivation: The preference is partial sun to medium shade, wet to moist conditions, and rich loamy soil with abundant organic matter. This plant is able to tolerate temporary flooding.
Range & Habitat: The native Purple Rocket occurs occasionally in east central and NE Illinois, while in other areas of the state it is uncommon or absent (see Distribution Map). Habitats include wet to mesic deciduous woodlands, particularly in floodplain areas along rivers and low-lying areas that are prone to occasional flooding. This plant also occurs in soggy meadows near wooded areas, including sunny areas that are adjacent to small streams and drainage ditches. Purple Rocket is a non-weedy member of the Mustard family that usually occurs in higher quality natural areas, less often at degraded sites.
Faunal Associations: There is very little information about floral-faunal relationships for this species. In sunny areas, the nectar of the flowers attracts bees and butterflies; in particular, the butterfly Pieris rapae (Cabbage White) is strongly attracted to the flowers. In shady areas, the flowers appear to attract about the same number of bees, but fewer butterflies.
Photographic Location: Along a drainage ditch in a moist meadow at Judge Webber Park in Urbana, Illinois. This meadow is rather weedy and located near a wooded area. Purple Rocket also occurs in damp shady areas at Busey Woods in the same city.
Comments: This is one of the more unusual members of the Mustard family because it is native, non-weedy, and has pale violet flowers. As these flowers become older, their color fades to white. In sunny areas, the elongated racemes of flowers can become exceptionally long – often comprising the upper half of the plant, if not more. However, they tend to be a little shorter and less showy in shady areas. Purple Rocket (Iodanthus pinnatifidus) is fairly easy to identify in the field because it doesn't closely resemble any other member of the Mustard family. Perhaps the most similar species is Blue Mustard (Chorispora tenella). This introduced species is rare in Illinois; it differs from Purple Rocket in having pink or purplish pink flowers and glandular hairs on its stems and pedicels. The siliques of Blue Mustard curve upward and they have longer beaks. Another member of the Mustard family, the introduced Dame's Rocket (Hesperis matronalis), has much larger flowers that are rosy pink. The petals of its flowers are well-rounded and overlapping, while the petals of Purple Rocket are more narrow and don't overlap.
Each flower is about ¼" (6 mm.) across, consisting of 4 petals that are pale violet to nearly white, 4 pale gray or pale violet sepals, 6 stamens with violet anthers, and a pistil with a stout style. The petals are oblanceolate in shape and longer than the sepals. The sepals are oblong in shape and usually glabrous, although the tips of sepals on young flowers are sometimes finely hairy. The pedicels of the flowers are about 6-8 mm. long, ascending, and glabrous; they are green, greenish violet, or violet. The rachises (central stalks) and peduncles (basal stalks) of the racemes are green or purplish green and glabrous. The blooming period occurs during the early summer and lasts about 3 weeks. The flowers are often fragrant, particularly in sunny locations. The flowers are replaced by glabrous siliques (narrowly cylindrical seedpods) that become about ½–1" long at maturity. Each silique contains a single row of oblongoid seeds. Immature siliques are green to dark violet. The root system consists of a taproot. This plant spreads by reseeding itself.
Cultivation: The preference is partial sun to medium shade, wet to moist conditions, and rich loamy soil with abundant organic matter. This plant is able to tolerate temporary flooding.
Range & Habitat: The native Purple Rocket occurs occasionally in east central and NE Illinois, while in other areas of the state it is uncommon or absent (see Distribution Map). Habitats include wet to mesic deciduous woodlands, particularly in floodplain areas along rivers and low-lying areas that are prone to occasional flooding. This plant also occurs in soggy meadows near wooded areas, including sunny areas that are adjacent to small streams and drainage ditches. Purple Rocket is a non-weedy member of the Mustard family that usually occurs in higher quality natural areas, less often at degraded sites.
Faunal Associations: There is very little information about floral-faunal relationships for this species. In sunny areas, the nectar of the flowers attracts bees and butterflies; in particular, the butterfly Pieris rapae (Cabbage White) is strongly attracted to the flowers. In shady areas, the flowers appear to attract about the same number of bees, but fewer butterflies.
Photographic Location: Along a drainage ditch in a moist meadow at Judge Webber Park in Urbana, Illinois. This meadow is rather weedy and located near a wooded area. Purple Rocket also occurs in damp shady areas at Busey Woods in the same city.
Comments: This is one of the more unusual members of the Mustard family because it is native, non-weedy, and has pale violet flowers. As these flowers become older, their color fades to white. In sunny areas, the elongated racemes of flowers can become exceptionally long – often comprising the upper half of the plant, if not more. However, they tend to be a little shorter and less showy in shady areas. Purple Rocket (Iodanthus pinnatifidus) is fairly easy to identify in the field because it doesn't closely resemble any other member of the Mustard family. Perhaps the most similar species is Blue Mustard (Chorispora tenella). This introduced species is rare in Illinois; it differs from Purple Rocket in having pink or purplish pink flowers and glandular hairs on its stems and pedicels. The siliques of Blue Mustard curve upward and they have longer beaks. Another member of the Mustard family, the introduced Dame's Rocket (Hesperis matronalis), has much larger flowers that are rosy pink. The petals of its flowers are well-rounded and overlapping, while the petals of Purple Rocket are more narrow and don't overlap.
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Miss Chen
2018年05月17日
Description: This herbaceous perennial plant is 1-2' tall, branching sparingly. The stems are green, reddish green, or reddish brown, and they are glabrous to slightly hairy. When they are present, these hairs are curved or appressed against their stems. The alternate leaves are up to 6" long and 4" across (excluding the petioles); they are pinnately divided into 3-5 leaflets or deep lobes, and their margins are coarsely toothed or shallowly cleft. The lobes of these leaves are relatively narrow and they have acute tips. The earliest leaves in spring have small patches of white that are scattered across their upper surfaces; these white patches don't develop in later leaves. The petioles are up to 2" long, light green to reddish brown, and glabrous to short-pubescent; they are flat or furrowed along their upper sides and convex below. Each upper stem terminates in 1 or 2 cymes of flowers. The flowering stalks (or peduncles) of these cymes are up to 4" long; they are terete and glabrous to short-pubescent.
The stalks terminate in dense cymes of flowers about 1-2" across; each cyme contains about 8-20 flowers. Each flower is about 8-12 mm. long, consisting of a corolla with 5 lobes, a hairy green calyx with 5 linear teeth, 5 stamens, and a slender white style that is divided at its tip. The corolla is white, pink, or light lavender; its oblong lobes spread apart only slightly when the flower is fully open. The stamens are strongly exerted from the corolla and quite conspicuous; they have hairy white filaments and brownish anthers. The pedicels of the flowers are up to 12 mm. (½") in length; they are terete and glabrous to short-pubescent. The blooming period occurs during late spring to early summer, lasting about 3-4 weeks; some plants may bloom a little earlier or later than this. Each flower is replaced by a seed capsule that splits open to release its seeds. The root system consists of a tuft of fibrous roots and rhizomes. Occasionally, this plant forms colonies.
Cultivation: The preference is partial sun to light shade, moist to dry-mesic conditions, and a rich loamy soil with decaying leaves. This plant can be cultivated in gardens where there is some shade from deciduous trees.
Range & Habitat: The native Virginia Waterleaf is occasional to locally common in central and northern Illinois, while in southern Illinois it is uncommon or absent (see Distribution Map). Habitats include deciduous woodlands, savannas, areas along woodland paths, wooded slopes along rivers, bluffs, edges of clearings in wooded areas, and powerline clearances in wooded areas. This wildflower benefits from occasional disturbance if it removes excessive woody vegetation, and populations of this species decline in response to invasion from Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata).
Faunal Associations: The nectar and pollen of the flowers attract bumblebees, long-horned bees (Synhalonia spp.), cuckoo bees (Nomada spp.), mason bees (Osmia spp.), Halictid bees (Lasioglossum spp., Augochlorella spp., etc.), Andrenid bees (Andrena spp.), and bee flies (Bombyliidae). An Andrenid bee, Andrena geranii, is a specialist pollinator of Hydrophyllum spp. Syrphid flies sometimes feed on the pollen of the flowers, but they are less effective at cross-pollination. The foliage is browsed by White-tailed Deer occasionally.
Photographic Location: Busey Woods in Urbana, Illinois.
Comments: This is probably the most common Hydrophyllum sp. in Illinois. Virginia Waterleaf has attractive flowers and foliage; it blooms a little later than most spring-blooming wildflowers in woodlands. The following characteristics distinguish this species from other Hydrophyllum spp. that occur in the state: 1) There are no curved appendages between the teeth of the calyx, 2) the stems are hairless, or they have lines of hairs that are curved or appressed against the stem, 3) the leaves are pinnately lobed and they are usually a little longer than wide, 4) the lobes of the corolla spread apart only a little, 5) the stamens and styles are longer than their corollas, and 6) the lobes of the leaves have acute tips. Other Hydrophyllum spp. have little appendages between the teeth of their calyxes, or they have stems with abundant spreading hairs, or they have palmately lobed leaves that are as wide as they are long, or the lobes of their corollas spread widely apart, or their stamens and styles are no longer than their corollas, or the lobes of their leaves have blunt tips. While this set of distinctions may sound complicated, it is usually easy to identify Virginia Waterleaf in the field.
The stalks terminate in dense cymes of flowers about 1-2" across; each cyme contains about 8-20 flowers. Each flower is about 8-12 mm. long, consisting of a corolla with 5 lobes, a hairy green calyx with 5 linear teeth, 5 stamens, and a slender white style that is divided at its tip. The corolla is white, pink, or light lavender; its oblong lobes spread apart only slightly when the flower is fully open. The stamens are strongly exerted from the corolla and quite conspicuous; they have hairy white filaments and brownish anthers. The pedicels of the flowers are up to 12 mm. (½") in length; they are terete and glabrous to short-pubescent. The blooming period occurs during late spring to early summer, lasting about 3-4 weeks; some plants may bloom a little earlier or later than this. Each flower is replaced by a seed capsule that splits open to release its seeds. The root system consists of a tuft of fibrous roots and rhizomes. Occasionally, this plant forms colonies.
Cultivation: The preference is partial sun to light shade, moist to dry-mesic conditions, and a rich loamy soil with decaying leaves. This plant can be cultivated in gardens where there is some shade from deciduous trees.
Range & Habitat: The native Virginia Waterleaf is occasional to locally common in central and northern Illinois, while in southern Illinois it is uncommon or absent (see Distribution Map). Habitats include deciduous woodlands, savannas, areas along woodland paths, wooded slopes along rivers, bluffs, edges of clearings in wooded areas, and powerline clearances in wooded areas. This wildflower benefits from occasional disturbance if it removes excessive woody vegetation, and populations of this species decline in response to invasion from Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata).
Faunal Associations: The nectar and pollen of the flowers attract bumblebees, long-horned bees (Synhalonia spp.), cuckoo bees (Nomada spp.), mason bees (Osmia spp.), Halictid bees (Lasioglossum spp., Augochlorella spp., etc.), Andrenid bees (Andrena spp.), and bee flies (Bombyliidae). An Andrenid bee, Andrena geranii, is a specialist pollinator of Hydrophyllum spp. Syrphid flies sometimes feed on the pollen of the flowers, but they are less effective at cross-pollination. The foliage is browsed by White-tailed Deer occasionally.
Photographic Location: Busey Woods in Urbana, Illinois.
Comments: This is probably the most common Hydrophyllum sp. in Illinois. Virginia Waterleaf has attractive flowers and foliage; it blooms a little later than most spring-blooming wildflowers in woodlands. The following characteristics distinguish this species from other Hydrophyllum spp. that occur in the state: 1) There are no curved appendages between the teeth of the calyx, 2) the stems are hairless, or they have lines of hairs that are curved or appressed against the stem, 3) the leaves are pinnately lobed and they are usually a little longer than wide, 4) the lobes of the corolla spread apart only a little, 5) the stamens and styles are longer than their corollas, and 6) the lobes of the leaves have acute tips. Other Hydrophyllum spp. have little appendages between the teeth of their calyxes, or they have stems with abundant spreading hairs, or they have palmately lobed leaves that are as wide as they are long, or the lobes of their corollas spread widely apart, or their stamens and styles are no longer than their corollas, or the lobes of their leaves have blunt tips. While this set of distinctions may sound complicated, it is usually easy to identify Virginia Waterleaf in the field.
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Miss Chen
2018年05月16日
Description: This herbaceous perennial plant is about 1½–3' tall, branching occasionally. The stems are green, terete to angular, and either glabrous or sparsely hairy along two opposite lines. The opposite leaves are up to 5" long and 3" across; they are lanceolate to ovate in shape and smooth or slightly undulate along their margins. The upper leaf surface is yellowish green to dark green and glabrous (or nearly so), while the lower leaf surface is pale to medium green and glabrous to sparsely hairy along the undersides of the veins. The petioles are ¼–½" long. From the axils of the middle to upper leaves, there develops 1-3 flowers that are nearly sessile. Less often, such flowers will terminate a lateral stem that is up to 6" long, directly above a pair of leaves.
Each flower is about 2" long and 1½" across, consisting of a funnelform corolla that is pinkish lavender to bluish violet (rarely white, except at its base), a green short-tubular calyx with long slender teeth, 4 inserted stamens, and a pistil with an inserted style. The corolla is narrowly tubular at the base, but it spreads outward to form 5 rounded lobes. The lobes of the corolla have undulate edges and a delicate appearance. At the throat of the corolla, there are several fine veins that are purple and somewhat reticulated; they function as nectar guides for visiting insects. The tubular portion of the calyx is about ¼" long or a little less, while its teeth are ½–1" long, linear-lanceolate in shape, strongly ciliate along their margins, and 2-3 mm. across.
The blooming period occurs during the summer for 2-3 months. Each diurnal flower lasts only a single day; a single mature plant will have about 0-2 flowers in bloom during a typical summer day. The flowers are often partially hidden by the foliage. Afterwards, the flowers are replaced by glabrous seed capsules that are up to ¾" long. Each of these capsules contains several seeds that are released explosively. Individual seeds are about 3 mm. (1/8") across, flattened-globoid in shape, and brown to dark brown. There is a less common form of this plant that produces non-showy cleistogamous flowers (f. cleistantha); it usually has more narrow leaves than the typical form (f. strepens).
Cultivation: The preference is light shade or partial sun, moist to mesic conditions, and either loamy or rocky soil containing some organic matter. This plant is not often bothered by either disease and insect pests. It may fail to flower in areas with medium to dense shade.
Range & Habitat: The native Smooth Wild Petunia occurs occasionally in southern and central Illinois, while it is absent in the northern section of the state (see Distribution Map). Habitats include moist to mesic open woodlands, woodland edges, areas along woodland paths, thickets, thinly wooded slopes along rivers, and rocky banks of streams. In woodlands where there is an absence of fire or other disturbance, populations of this plant may decline because of excessive shade, particularly when those woodlands have become dominated by Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum) and other woody vegetation that cast heavy shade.
Faunal Associations: The flowers have few visitors, although their nectar and pollen occasionally attract the smaller long-tongued bees (personal observation). Robertson (1929) observed the long-horned bee, Synhalonia speciosa, visiting the flowers of Smooth Wild Petunia. According to MacRae (1991), the adults of some metallic wood-boring beetles (Acmaeodera spp.) also visit the flowers. Sometimes pieces of the corolla are used by leaf-cutting bees (Megachile spp.) in the construction of their brood nests; these bees may also visit the flowers for nectar and pollen. The caterpillars of a butterfly, Junonia coenia (Buckeye), have been observed feeding on the foliage of Ruellia spp. (Wild Petunias). Otherwise, little is known about floral-faunal relationships for plants in this genus.
Photographic Location: Along a path in a mesic area of Busey Woods, Urbana, Illinois, and along the rocky bank of a stream in southern Illinois.
Comments: The flowers of Ruellia spp. (Wild Petunias) have a striking resemblance to the flowers of the cultivated Petunia (Petunia × hybrida), which has been introduced from South America and belongs to a different family of plants (Solanaceae). However, the flowers of Wild Petunias have less diversity of color. Mohlenbrock (2003) describes 4 Ruellia spp. in Illinois; some of these are restricted to the southern one-third of the state. Smooth Wild Petunia (Ruellia strepens) is very similar in appearance to Carolina Wild Petunia (Ruellia caroliniensis) and Stalked Wild Petunia (Ruellia pedunculata). Its calyx teeth are wider (2.0–3.0 mm. across), whereas the latter two species have linear calyx teeth that are only 1.0–1.5 mm. across. Stalked Wild Petunia also differs by producing terminal flowers on long lateral stems only, rather than non-terminal flowers from the axils of leaves, and its stems are more hairy. Some authors regard Smooth Wild Petunia and Carolina Wild Petunia as variants of the same species. The remaining species of this genus in Illinois, Hairy Wild Petunia Smooth (Ruellia humilis), is a shorter plant with much hairier stems and leaves than Smooth Wild Petunia. Hairy Wild Petunia also prefers habitats that are more sunny and dry, such as prairies.
Each flower is about 2" long and 1½" across, consisting of a funnelform corolla that is pinkish lavender to bluish violet (rarely white, except at its base), a green short-tubular calyx with long slender teeth, 4 inserted stamens, and a pistil with an inserted style. The corolla is narrowly tubular at the base, but it spreads outward to form 5 rounded lobes. The lobes of the corolla have undulate edges and a delicate appearance. At the throat of the corolla, there are several fine veins that are purple and somewhat reticulated; they function as nectar guides for visiting insects. The tubular portion of the calyx is about ¼" long or a little less, while its teeth are ½–1" long, linear-lanceolate in shape, strongly ciliate along their margins, and 2-3 mm. across.
The blooming period occurs during the summer for 2-3 months. Each diurnal flower lasts only a single day; a single mature plant will have about 0-2 flowers in bloom during a typical summer day. The flowers are often partially hidden by the foliage. Afterwards, the flowers are replaced by glabrous seed capsules that are up to ¾" long. Each of these capsules contains several seeds that are released explosively. Individual seeds are about 3 mm. (1/8") across, flattened-globoid in shape, and brown to dark brown. There is a less common form of this plant that produces non-showy cleistogamous flowers (f. cleistantha); it usually has more narrow leaves than the typical form (f. strepens).
Cultivation: The preference is light shade or partial sun, moist to mesic conditions, and either loamy or rocky soil containing some organic matter. This plant is not often bothered by either disease and insect pests. It may fail to flower in areas with medium to dense shade.
Range & Habitat: The native Smooth Wild Petunia occurs occasionally in southern and central Illinois, while it is absent in the northern section of the state (see Distribution Map). Habitats include moist to mesic open woodlands, woodland edges, areas along woodland paths, thickets, thinly wooded slopes along rivers, and rocky banks of streams. In woodlands where there is an absence of fire or other disturbance, populations of this plant may decline because of excessive shade, particularly when those woodlands have become dominated by Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum) and other woody vegetation that cast heavy shade.
Faunal Associations: The flowers have few visitors, although their nectar and pollen occasionally attract the smaller long-tongued bees (personal observation). Robertson (1929) observed the long-horned bee, Synhalonia speciosa, visiting the flowers of Smooth Wild Petunia. According to MacRae (1991), the adults of some metallic wood-boring beetles (Acmaeodera spp.) also visit the flowers. Sometimes pieces of the corolla are used by leaf-cutting bees (Megachile spp.) in the construction of their brood nests; these bees may also visit the flowers for nectar and pollen. The caterpillars of a butterfly, Junonia coenia (Buckeye), have been observed feeding on the foliage of Ruellia spp. (Wild Petunias). Otherwise, little is known about floral-faunal relationships for plants in this genus.
Photographic Location: Along a path in a mesic area of Busey Woods, Urbana, Illinois, and along the rocky bank of a stream in southern Illinois.
Comments: The flowers of Ruellia spp. (Wild Petunias) have a striking resemblance to the flowers of the cultivated Petunia (Petunia × hybrida), which has been introduced from South America and belongs to a different family of plants (Solanaceae). However, the flowers of Wild Petunias have less diversity of color. Mohlenbrock (2003) describes 4 Ruellia spp. in Illinois; some of these are restricted to the southern one-third of the state. Smooth Wild Petunia (Ruellia strepens) is very similar in appearance to Carolina Wild Petunia (Ruellia caroliniensis) and Stalked Wild Petunia (Ruellia pedunculata). Its calyx teeth are wider (2.0–3.0 mm. across), whereas the latter two species have linear calyx teeth that are only 1.0–1.5 mm. across. Stalked Wild Petunia also differs by producing terminal flowers on long lateral stems only, rather than non-terminal flowers from the axils of leaves, and its stems are more hairy. Some authors regard Smooth Wild Petunia and Carolina Wild Petunia as variants of the same species. The remaining species of this genus in Illinois, Hairy Wild Petunia Smooth (Ruellia humilis), is a shorter plant with much hairier stems and leaves than Smooth Wild Petunia. Hairy Wild Petunia also prefers habitats that are more sunny and dry, such as prairies.
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Miss Chen
2018年05月16日
Description: This herbaceous perennial plant is about 6" tall, although its stems can extend up to 1' long. Both basal leaves and stems with alternate leaves are produced; the latter usually sprawl across the ground. The stems are light green, reddish green, or brownish green, and glabrous to sparsely pubescent. The basal and alternate leaves are up to 3" long and across (excluding the petioles); they are yellowish green to dark green, trifoliate, and glabrous. The leaflets are obovate, broadly obovate, or rhombic in outline and their margins are shallowly to deeply cleft and coarsely dentate. The terminal leaflet has a longer petiolule (basal stalklet at its base) than either of the lateral leaflets. There is some variability in how broad and deeply cleft the leaflets are across different populations of plants. The petioles are up to 3" long, light green to reddish green, and glabrous to sparsely pubescent; they are grooved above and convex below.
Occasionally, individual flowers develop from unbranched stalks about 2-5" long. These stalks are ascending to erect, green, and glabrous to pubescent. Each flower spans about ¾" across, consisting of 5 yellow petals, 5 light green sepals, numerous yellow stamens, and a cluster of pistils in the center of the flower. The petal bases are often pale yellow with fine veins functioning as nectar guides; the remainder of the petals are bright yellow and shiny. The petals are obovate with rounded tips; they are longer than the sepals. The blooming period occurs from mid-spring to early summer and lasts about 1½ months. After the petals fall away, the pistils are replaced by a cluster of flattened achenes with long beaks; these achenes are 2.5-3.5 mm. in length. The root system consists of a tuft of fibrous roots. The sprawling stems are able to form rootlets when their nodes establish contact with moist ground. Swamp Buttercup sometimes forms loose colonies of plants at favorable sites.
Cultivation: The preference is partial sun to light shade, wet to mesic conditions, and a fertile loamy soil with some decaying leaf mould. Standing water from spring rainfall is tolerated if it is temporary.
Range & Habitat: Swamp Buttercup is a common plant that occurs in most counties of Illinois (see Distribution Map), where it is native. Habitats include moist to mesic deciduous woodlands, soggy areas along vernal pools, swamps, partially shaded areas of seeps, and areas along springs in woodlands. This species often grows in soggy areas of woodlands that are too wet for some invasive species, such as Alliaria petiolata (Garlic Mustard). Therefore, populations of Swamp Buttercup remain reasonably secure. This plant is also able to tolerate some degradation of its habitat from other causes.
Faunal Associations: The flowers attract their fair share of flower visitors, including little carpenter bees (Ceratina spp.), mason bees (Osmia spp.), Halictid bees (Halictus spp., Lasioglossum spp.), Andrenid bees (Andrena spp.), Syrphid flies, bee flies (Bombylius spp.), Muscid flies, Anthomyiid flies, skippers, and miscellaneous beetles. The bees suck nectar or collect pollen, while the flies and beetles suck nectar or feed on pollen. Other insects feed destructively on the foliage, roots, and other parts of Swamp Buttercup and other buttercups (Ranunculus spp.). These species include the leaf beetles Prasocuris ovalis and Prasocuris vittata, larvae of the sawflies Monophadnus pallescens and Stethomostus fuliginosus, Thecabius affinis (Poplar-Buttercup Aphid) and Thecabius gravicornis (Folded-Leaf Balsam Aphid), and larvae of the moth Sparganothis sulfureana (Sparganothis Leafroller). The foliage of buttercups is more or less toxic and it is avoided by mammalian herbivores. However, the seeds of these plants are eaten to a limited extent by the Wild Turkey, Cottontail Rabbit, Fox Squirrel, Gray Squirrel, Eastern Chipmunk, and Meadow Vole. The Wild Turkey reportedly browses on the foliage of buttercups, notwithstanding its toxicity (Martin et al., 1951/1961).
Photographic Location: A moist deciduous woodland at Busey Woods in Urbana, Illinois.
Comments: With the exception of the weedy Ranunculus abortivus (Small-Flowered Buttercup), this is probably the most common buttercup (Ranunculus spp.) in Illinois. It is possible to confuse Swamp Buttercup with similar species, especially Ranunculus hispidus (Hispid Buttercup), Ranunculus carolinianus (Carolina Buttercup), and the introduced Ranunculus repens (Creeping Buttercup). Unlike Swamp Buttercup, the stems of Hispid Buttercup have abundant spreading hairs and they are usually more erect. Carolina Buttercup is supposed to have longer achenes (3.5–5.0 mm. in length) than the preceding two species, however its status as a separate species is debatable. Some authorities consider Swamp Buttercup and Carolina Buttercup to be different varieties of Ranunculus hispidus (Duncan & Duncan, 1999; Yatskievych, 2000), although Mohlenbrock (2002) doesn't. The leaves of Creeping Buttercup are less deeply cleft and they are often splotched with pale green or white patterns. In addition, its achenes are less flattened than those of Swamp Buttercup.
Occasionally, individual flowers develop from unbranched stalks about 2-5" long. These stalks are ascending to erect, green, and glabrous to pubescent. Each flower spans about ¾" across, consisting of 5 yellow petals, 5 light green sepals, numerous yellow stamens, and a cluster of pistils in the center of the flower. The petal bases are often pale yellow with fine veins functioning as nectar guides; the remainder of the petals are bright yellow and shiny. The petals are obovate with rounded tips; they are longer than the sepals. The blooming period occurs from mid-spring to early summer and lasts about 1½ months. After the petals fall away, the pistils are replaced by a cluster of flattened achenes with long beaks; these achenes are 2.5-3.5 mm. in length. The root system consists of a tuft of fibrous roots. The sprawling stems are able to form rootlets when their nodes establish contact with moist ground. Swamp Buttercup sometimes forms loose colonies of plants at favorable sites.
Cultivation: The preference is partial sun to light shade, wet to mesic conditions, and a fertile loamy soil with some decaying leaf mould. Standing water from spring rainfall is tolerated if it is temporary.
Range & Habitat: Swamp Buttercup is a common plant that occurs in most counties of Illinois (see Distribution Map), where it is native. Habitats include moist to mesic deciduous woodlands, soggy areas along vernal pools, swamps, partially shaded areas of seeps, and areas along springs in woodlands. This species often grows in soggy areas of woodlands that are too wet for some invasive species, such as Alliaria petiolata (Garlic Mustard). Therefore, populations of Swamp Buttercup remain reasonably secure. This plant is also able to tolerate some degradation of its habitat from other causes.
Faunal Associations: The flowers attract their fair share of flower visitors, including little carpenter bees (Ceratina spp.), mason bees (Osmia spp.), Halictid bees (Halictus spp., Lasioglossum spp.), Andrenid bees (Andrena spp.), Syrphid flies, bee flies (Bombylius spp.), Muscid flies, Anthomyiid flies, skippers, and miscellaneous beetles. The bees suck nectar or collect pollen, while the flies and beetles suck nectar or feed on pollen. Other insects feed destructively on the foliage, roots, and other parts of Swamp Buttercup and other buttercups (Ranunculus spp.). These species include the leaf beetles Prasocuris ovalis and Prasocuris vittata, larvae of the sawflies Monophadnus pallescens and Stethomostus fuliginosus, Thecabius affinis (Poplar-Buttercup Aphid) and Thecabius gravicornis (Folded-Leaf Balsam Aphid), and larvae of the moth Sparganothis sulfureana (Sparganothis Leafroller). The foliage of buttercups is more or less toxic and it is avoided by mammalian herbivores. However, the seeds of these plants are eaten to a limited extent by the Wild Turkey, Cottontail Rabbit, Fox Squirrel, Gray Squirrel, Eastern Chipmunk, and Meadow Vole. The Wild Turkey reportedly browses on the foliage of buttercups, notwithstanding its toxicity (Martin et al., 1951/1961).
Photographic Location: A moist deciduous woodland at Busey Woods in Urbana, Illinois.
Comments: With the exception of the weedy Ranunculus abortivus (Small-Flowered Buttercup), this is probably the most common buttercup (Ranunculus spp.) in Illinois. It is possible to confuse Swamp Buttercup with similar species, especially Ranunculus hispidus (Hispid Buttercup), Ranunculus carolinianus (Carolina Buttercup), and the introduced Ranunculus repens (Creeping Buttercup). Unlike Swamp Buttercup, the stems of Hispid Buttercup have abundant spreading hairs and they are usually more erect. Carolina Buttercup is supposed to have longer achenes (3.5–5.0 mm. in length) than the preceding two species, however its status as a separate species is debatable. Some authorities consider Swamp Buttercup and Carolina Buttercup to be different varieties of Ranunculus hispidus (Duncan & Duncan, 1999; Yatskievych, 2000), although Mohlenbrock (2002) doesn't. The leaves of Creeping Buttercup are less deeply cleft and they are often splotched with pale green or white patterns. In addition, its achenes are less flattened than those of Swamp Buttercup.
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Miss Chen
2018年05月16日
Description: This herbaceous perennial plant is about 1-2' tall, consisting of some basal leaves, branched stems with alternate leaves, and flowers. The basal leaves are up to 5" long and 5" across; they have long hairy petioles. Each basal leaf is palmately cleft into 3-5 lobes; these lobes are often divided again into smaller lobes. The alternate leaves are similar to the basal leaves, except they become smaller as they ascend the stems and their petioles are shorter. The upper leaves are more slender and divided into fewer lobes. The margins of the leaves are crenate or dentate. The upper surface of each leaf is medium to dark green and glabrous. The stems are light green, terete, and covered with long hairs; they are erect to ascending, rather than sprawling across the ground.
The upper stems terminate in loose clusters of flowers. Each flower is about 1/3" (8 mm.) across, consisting of 5-6 yellow petals, 5 light green sepals, a dense green cluster of pistils, and a ring of surrounding stamens with yellow anthers. The petals are oblong-elliptic and a little shorter than the sepals; the latter tend to hang downward while the flowers are blooming. The pedicels of the flowers are pubescent. The blooming period occurs from mid-spring to early summer and lasts about 1 month. Both sepals and petals are deciduous and they soon fall to the ground. The pistils become transformed into a dense cluster of flat-sided achenes with slender hooked beaks; this fruit is globoid in shape. Eventually, the fruit changes in color from green to nearly black. Each achene is about 2-3 mm. long. The root system consists of a cluster of fibrous roots and occasional rhizomes. Sometimes, small clonal colonies of plants are produced.
Cultivation: The preference is light to medium shade, wet to moist conditions, and soil with abundant organic material.
Range & Habitat: The native Hooked Buttercup is widely distributed in Illinois, but it is found only occasional in most areas (see Distribution Map). Habitats include damp depressions in upland woodlands, floodplain woodlands, shaded areas along streams, bottoms of rocky ravines, areas along woodland paths, swamps, forested bogs, and shady seeps. This species prefers damp woodlands and shaded wetlands.
Faunal Associations: The nectar of the flowers attracts primarily small bees. These include Cuckoo bees (Nomada spp.), Halictid bees (Augochlorella spp., Lasioglossum spp.), and Andrenid bees (Andrena spp.). Among vertebrate animals, the Wood Duck, Ruffed Grouse, and Wild Turkey feed on the seeds and foliage of Ranunculus spp. (Buttercups) in woodlands. The Eastern Chipmunk also eats the seeds of these plants. Hoofed mammalian herbivores usually avoid the consumption of buttercups because the toxic foliage contains a blistering agent that can irritate the mouth and gastrointestinal tract.
Photographic Location: Along a stream at the bottom of a rocky ravine at The Portland Arch in west-central Indiana.
Comments: This buttercup has achenes with unusually long hooked beaks; this provides its fruit with a slightly spiny appearance. While its foliage is reasonably attractive, the flowers are not very showy. Other similar buttercups include Ranunculus abortivus (Small-Flowered Buttercup) and Ranunculus pensylvanicus (Bristly Buttercup), which can be found in wet woodlands as well. Small-Flowered Buttercup has lower leaves that are kidney-shaped and lack lobes, while the palmately cleft leaves of Bristly Buttercup have more narrow lobes. The latter species also blooms later in the year (during the summer) than Hooked Buttercup. Other similar buttercups have larger flowers (at least ½" across) or their fruits (seedheads) are more elongated (ovoid or oblongoid) in shape.
The upper stems terminate in loose clusters of flowers. Each flower is about 1/3" (8 mm.) across, consisting of 5-6 yellow petals, 5 light green sepals, a dense green cluster of pistils, and a ring of surrounding stamens with yellow anthers. The petals are oblong-elliptic and a little shorter than the sepals; the latter tend to hang downward while the flowers are blooming. The pedicels of the flowers are pubescent. The blooming period occurs from mid-spring to early summer and lasts about 1 month. Both sepals and petals are deciduous and they soon fall to the ground. The pistils become transformed into a dense cluster of flat-sided achenes with slender hooked beaks; this fruit is globoid in shape. Eventually, the fruit changes in color from green to nearly black. Each achene is about 2-3 mm. long. The root system consists of a cluster of fibrous roots and occasional rhizomes. Sometimes, small clonal colonies of plants are produced.
Cultivation: The preference is light to medium shade, wet to moist conditions, and soil with abundant organic material.
Range & Habitat: The native Hooked Buttercup is widely distributed in Illinois, but it is found only occasional in most areas (see Distribution Map). Habitats include damp depressions in upland woodlands, floodplain woodlands, shaded areas along streams, bottoms of rocky ravines, areas along woodland paths, swamps, forested bogs, and shady seeps. This species prefers damp woodlands and shaded wetlands.
Faunal Associations: The nectar of the flowers attracts primarily small bees. These include Cuckoo bees (Nomada spp.), Halictid bees (Augochlorella spp., Lasioglossum spp.), and Andrenid bees (Andrena spp.). Among vertebrate animals, the Wood Duck, Ruffed Grouse, and Wild Turkey feed on the seeds and foliage of Ranunculus spp. (Buttercups) in woodlands. The Eastern Chipmunk also eats the seeds of these plants. Hoofed mammalian herbivores usually avoid the consumption of buttercups because the toxic foliage contains a blistering agent that can irritate the mouth and gastrointestinal tract.
Photographic Location: Along a stream at the bottom of a rocky ravine at The Portland Arch in west-central Indiana.
Comments: This buttercup has achenes with unusually long hooked beaks; this provides its fruit with a slightly spiny appearance. While its foliage is reasonably attractive, the flowers are not very showy. Other similar buttercups include Ranunculus abortivus (Small-Flowered Buttercup) and Ranunculus pensylvanicus (Bristly Buttercup), which can be found in wet woodlands as well. Small-Flowered Buttercup has lower leaves that are kidney-shaped and lack lobes, while the palmately cleft leaves of Bristly Buttercup have more narrow lobes. The latter species also blooms later in the year (during the summer) than Hooked Buttercup. Other similar buttercups have larger flowers (at least ½" across) or their fruits (seedheads) are more elongated (ovoid or oblongoid) in shape.
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Miss Chen
2018年05月16日
Description: This perennial wildflower is up to 1' tall; it has a tendency to sprawl with age. The stems are light green to pale reddish brown and more or less covered with long spreading hairs. Both basal and alternate leaves are produced; like the stems, their petioles are covered with long spreading hairs. Sometimes, the petioles are as long or longer than the compound blades of the leaves. The leaf blades are usually trifoliate (divided into 3 leaflets). The leaflets are up to 4" long and across andClose-up of Flower usually cleft into 3 lobes. The margins of the leaflets are irregularly dentate. The terminal leaflet has a short petiolule (short stalk) at its base, while the lateral leaflets are either sessile or they have even shorter petiolules. The upper surface of each leaflet is more or less medium green with scattered appressed hairs, while the lower surface has spreading hairs along the major veins. The upper leaves are smaller in size than the basal leaves and their leaflets are often lack lobes. Occasionally, solitary flowers are produced on long hairy stalks. These flowers are about ¾–1" across, consisting of 5 shiny yellow petals, 5 light green sepals, a dense cluster of pale yellowish green pistils, and a ring of numerous stamens with yellow anthers. Toward the center of each flower, the petals become semi-translucent and each petal has several fine lines that function as nectar guides. The sepals are hairy and lanceolate in shape; they are shorter than the petals. The blooming period occurs from mid- to late spring and lasts about a month. Each flower produces several flattened achenes with long beaks; these achenes are up to 3.5 mm. in length. The root system is fibrous. This wildflower reproduces by reseeding itself.
Cultivation: The preference is dappled sunlight during the spring, followed by light shade during the summer. This buttercup prefers mesic to dry conditions and a rich loamy soil with some decaying leaves.
Range & Habitat: The native Hispid Buttercup occurs occasionally throughout Illinois; its distribution is somewhat patchy (see Distribution Map). Habitats include upland woodlands, wooded slopes, and bluffs where oak trees are often present; unlike Ranunculus septentrionalis (Swamp Buttercup), this species is rarely found in damp habitats.
Faunal Associations: Buttercups are the summer hosts of the aphid Thecabius gravicornis. The seeds and foliage of woodland buttercups are eaten by such upland gamebirds as the Wild Turkey and Ruffed Grouse; the Eastern Chipmunk also eats the seeds. The foliage is toxic to mammalian herbivores and usually avoided by such animals.
Photographic Location: An upland area of Warbler Woods in Coles County, Illinois.
Comments: Hispid Buttercup and Ranunculus septentrionalis (Swamp Buttercup) are very similar to each other. Hispid Buttercup differs primarily by the long spreading hairs on its stems and petioles, and its preference for drier habitats than Swamp Buttercup. Swamp Buttercup is either hairless or it has short appressed hairs along its stems and petioles. Some authorities regard these two buttercups as different varieties of the same species. For spring wildflowers, they bloom longer than average.
Cultivation: The preference is dappled sunlight during the spring, followed by light shade during the summer. This buttercup prefers mesic to dry conditions and a rich loamy soil with some decaying leaves.
Range & Habitat: The native Hispid Buttercup occurs occasionally throughout Illinois; its distribution is somewhat patchy (see Distribution Map). Habitats include upland woodlands, wooded slopes, and bluffs where oak trees are often present; unlike Ranunculus septentrionalis (Swamp Buttercup), this species is rarely found in damp habitats.
Faunal Associations: Buttercups are the summer hosts of the aphid Thecabius gravicornis. The seeds and foliage of woodland buttercups are eaten by such upland gamebirds as the Wild Turkey and Ruffed Grouse; the Eastern Chipmunk also eats the seeds. The foliage is toxic to mammalian herbivores and usually avoided by such animals.
Photographic Location: An upland area of Warbler Woods in Coles County, Illinois.
Comments: Hispid Buttercup and Ranunculus septentrionalis (Swamp Buttercup) are very similar to each other. Hispid Buttercup differs primarily by the long spreading hairs on its stems and petioles, and its preference for drier habitats than Swamp Buttercup. Swamp Buttercup is either hairless or it has short appressed hairs along its stems and petioles. Some authorities regard these two buttercups as different varieties of the same species. For spring wildflowers, they bloom longer than average.
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Miss Chen
2018年05月13日
Description: This wildflower is a summer annual about 4-12" tall that is branched or unbranched. The stems are light green, terete, and pubescent. The opposite leaves are about 1" long and ¼" across; they are elliptic, oblong-lanceolate, or oblong-oblanceolate in shape. The margins of the leaves are smooth or they have a few blunt teeth toward their tips. The petioles of the leaves are short and slender. The foliage of American Pennyroyal has a strong medicinal-mint scent. Small axillary clusters of 1-4 flowers are produced from the base of each middle to upper leaf. Each flower is about ¼" long and half as much across, consisting of a 2-lipped tubular corolla, a tubular calyx with 5 teeth, 2 stamens, and a 4-celled ovary with a single style. The corolla is white or blue-violet with a contrasting color near its throat. Along the outer rim of the corolla, there is an upper lobe, 2 lateral lobes, and a lower lobe; they are short and rounded (although not always well-defined). The hairy ridged calyx has 3 upper triangular teeth and 2 lower teeth that are slender-lanceolate. At the base of each flower, there is a pair of a leafy bracts; these bracts are at least as long as the flower. The blooming period occurs from mid-summer to early fall and lasts 1-3 months; individual flowers are short-lived. At maturity, each fertile flower is replaced by 4 nutlets. This wildflower reproduces by reseeding itself. It occasionally forms colonies at favorable sites.
Cultivation: The preference is full sun to light shade, mesic to dry conditions, and soil that is rocky or loamy. Plants that are grown in sunny locations require more moisture than those growing in shade. Barren or disturbed locations that are largely devoid of ground vegetation are preferred, as this reduces competition from taller plants.
Range & Habitat: The native American Pennyroyal is occasional to locally common throughout Illinois, except the NW section of the state, where it is less common (see Distribution Map). Habitats include dry upland woodlands, rocky woodlands, areas along woodland trails, rocky glades, areas along railroads, roadsides, pastures, and fallow fields. This species prefers areas (whether sunny or shaded) that have been subjected to some disturbance.
Faunal Associations: Small bees pollinate the flowers, where they seek nectar and pollen. These visitors include little carpenter bees (Ceratina spp.), Halictid bees (Augochlorella spp., Halictus spp., & Lasioglossum spp.), and the dagger bee Calliopsis andreniformis. Syrphid flies may visit the flowers occasionally, but they feed on the pollen and are less effective at pollination. The strong scent of the foliage protects this plant from mammalian herbivores.
Photographic Location: An upland area of Busey Woods in Urbana, Illinois.
Comments: The most remarkable thing about this little plant is the strong scent of the foliage. Otherwise, it is rather easy to overlook. The only other species in this genus that occurs in Illinois, Hedeoma hispida (Rough Pennyroyal), has linear leaves and a milder scent; it also prefers sunnier habitats. American Pennyroyal superficially resembles Gratiola neglecta (Clammy Hedge Hyssop), but this latter species lacks any fragrance and its prefers soggy habitats (e.g., damp depressions in woodlands). Native pennyroyal species (Hedeoma spp.) have only 2 stamens per flower, while other similar species in the Mint family often have 4 stamens per flower. Because the flowers are so small, this requires a 10x hand lens to see clearly.
Cultivation: The preference is full sun to light shade, mesic to dry conditions, and soil that is rocky or loamy. Plants that are grown in sunny locations require more moisture than those growing in shade. Barren or disturbed locations that are largely devoid of ground vegetation are preferred, as this reduces competition from taller plants.
Range & Habitat: The native American Pennyroyal is occasional to locally common throughout Illinois, except the NW section of the state, where it is less common (see Distribution Map). Habitats include dry upland woodlands, rocky woodlands, areas along woodland trails, rocky glades, areas along railroads, roadsides, pastures, and fallow fields. This species prefers areas (whether sunny or shaded) that have been subjected to some disturbance.
Faunal Associations: Small bees pollinate the flowers, where they seek nectar and pollen. These visitors include little carpenter bees (Ceratina spp.), Halictid bees (Augochlorella spp., Halictus spp., & Lasioglossum spp.), and the dagger bee Calliopsis andreniformis. Syrphid flies may visit the flowers occasionally, but they feed on the pollen and are less effective at pollination. The strong scent of the foliage protects this plant from mammalian herbivores.
Photographic Location: An upland area of Busey Woods in Urbana, Illinois.
Comments: The most remarkable thing about this little plant is the strong scent of the foliage. Otherwise, it is rather easy to overlook. The only other species in this genus that occurs in Illinois, Hedeoma hispida (Rough Pennyroyal), has linear leaves and a milder scent; it also prefers sunnier habitats. American Pennyroyal superficially resembles Gratiola neglecta (Clammy Hedge Hyssop), but this latter species lacks any fragrance and its prefers soggy habitats (e.g., damp depressions in woodlands). Native pennyroyal species (Hedeoma spp.) have only 2 stamens per flower, while other similar species in the Mint family often have 4 stamens per flower. Because the flowers are so small, this requires a 10x hand lens to see clearly.
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Miss Chen
2018年05月13日
Description: This biennial plant forms a rosette of leaves during the first year. During the second year, it becomes a rather lanky plant about 2-4' tall that branches occasionally. The stems have abundant white hairs; the lower central stem is often ribbed. The basal and lower leaves are up to 6" long and 3½" across; they are cordate-ovate or ovate with petioles up to 2" long. The upper leaves are lanceolate to elliptic and sessile, otherwise they are similar to the lower leaves. All leaves have smooth (entire) and slightly ciliate margins. The upper leaf surface is dark green and sparsely covered with short stiff hairs, while the lower leaf surface is medium green and more hairy, especially along the major veins. Both the lower and upper leaves alternate along the stems. The upper stems terminate in flowering racemes about 4-12" long; sometimes shorter racemes or individual flowers develop from the axils of the upper leaves. The stalks (peduncles) of these racemes are pubescent or hairy, and small leafy bracts may develop underneath some of the flowers. The pedicels of the flowers are pubescent or hairy and up to ¼" (6 mm.) in length.
Each flower is about 1/8" (3 mm.) across, consisting of 5 petals and a pubescent green calyx with 5 slender teeth. The petals are white and well-rounded; less often, they are light blue. The blooming period occurs during the summer, lasting about 2-3 months. Only a few flowers are in bloom at the same time and they are fairly inconspicuous. The flowers are replaced by prickly subgloboid fruits (about 4-6 mm. across) that hang downward from short slender pedicels (one fruit per flower). Hooked prickles densely cover the surfaces of these fruits. The fruits are initially whitish green, but later they later become brown. Each fruit contains 4 nutlets. The root system consists of a taproot. This plant spreads by reseeding itself; it occasionally forms colonies.
Cultivation: The preference is partial sun to medium shade, mesic conditions, and a fertile loamy soil. However, this plant tolerates different kinds of soil and moisture conditions and it is quite adaptable.
Range & Habitat: The native Stickseed is common in central and northern Illinois, and locally common to absent in the southern section of the state (see Distribution Map). Habitats include moist to slightly dry deciduous woodlands, woodland borders, powerline clearances in wooded areas, thickets, and shady fence rows. Stickseed prefers disturbed wooded areas and it is rather weedy. This plant sometimes occurs in wooded areas where there has been a recent fire, as well as degraded wooded areas that are subjected to occasional grazing by cattle.
Faunal Associations: The nectar of the flowers attracts Halictid bees (Halictus spp., Lasioglossum spp.) and Syrphid flies, particularly Syritta pipiens. A flea beetle, Longitarsus melanurus, feeds on the leaves of Stickseed and other members of the Borage family. The bitter foliage is avoided by deer and other mammalian herbivores. When there is an overpopulation of deer in wooded areas, Stickseed often becomes more common. The bur-covered fruits can cling to the fur of mammals and clothing of humans; by this means, they are introduced into new areas.
Photographic Location: Edge of a wooded area at Busey Woods in Urbana, Illinois.
Comments: This is another woodland wildflower with small white flowers that blooms during the summer in shaded areas. The most distinctive characteristic of Stickseed (Hackelia virginiana) are the prickly fruits that hang downward from its slender racemes. Another species in the Borage family, European Stickseed (Lappula squarrosa), has similar racemes of prickly fruits. However, the prickles of its fruits are arranged in columns with spaces in-between. In contrast, the fruits of Stickseed are densely covered with prickles throughout. European Stickseed is shorter than Stickseed and its leaves are more slender. This introduced species prefers sunny areas, while the native Stickseed prefers wooded areas with some shade. An older scientific name for Stickseed is Lappula virginiana.
Each flower is about 1/8" (3 mm.) across, consisting of 5 petals and a pubescent green calyx with 5 slender teeth. The petals are white and well-rounded; less often, they are light blue. The blooming period occurs during the summer, lasting about 2-3 months. Only a few flowers are in bloom at the same time and they are fairly inconspicuous. The flowers are replaced by prickly subgloboid fruits (about 4-6 mm. across) that hang downward from short slender pedicels (one fruit per flower). Hooked prickles densely cover the surfaces of these fruits. The fruits are initially whitish green, but later they later become brown. Each fruit contains 4 nutlets. The root system consists of a taproot. This plant spreads by reseeding itself; it occasionally forms colonies.
Cultivation: The preference is partial sun to medium shade, mesic conditions, and a fertile loamy soil. However, this plant tolerates different kinds of soil and moisture conditions and it is quite adaptable.
Range & Habitat: The native Stickseed is common in central and northern Illinois, and locally common to absent in the southern section of the state (see Distribution Map). Habitats include moist to slightly dry deciduous woodlands, woodland borders, powerline clearances in wooded areas, thickets, and shady fence rows. Stickseed prefers disturbed wooded areas and it is rather weedy. This plant sometimes occurs in wooded areas where there has been a recent fire, as well as degraded wooded areas that are subjected to occasional grazing by cattle.
Faunal Associations: The nectar of the flowers attracts Halictid bees (Halictus spp., Lasioglossum spp.) and Syrphid flies, particularly Syritta pipiens. A flea beetle, Longitarsus melanurus, feeds on the leaves of Stickseed and other members of the Borage family. The bitter foliage is avoided by deer and other mammalian herbivores. When there is an overpopulation of deer in wooded areas, Stickseed often becomes more common. The bur-covered fruits can cling to the fur of mammals and clothing of humans; by this means, they are introduced into new areas.
Photographic Location: Edge of a wooded area at Busey Woods in Urbana, Illinois.
Comments: This is another woodland wildflower with small white flowers that blooms during the summer in shaded areas. The most distinctive characteristic of Stickseed (Hackelia virginiana) are the prickly fruits that hang downward from its slender racemes. Another species in the Borage family, European Stickseed (Lappula squarrosa), has similar racemes of prickly fruits. However, the prickles of its fruits are arranged in columns with spaces in-between. In contrast, the fruits of Stickseed are densely covered with prickles throughout. European Stickseed is shorter than Stickseed and its leaves are more slender. This introduced species prefers sunny areas, while the native Stickseed prefers wooded areas with some shade. An older scientific name for Stickseed is Lappula virginiana.
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Miss Chen
2018年05月12日
Description: This is a herbaceous perennial plant about ½–2' tall that branches occasionally. The stems are light green to pale red, terete, slightly hairy, and shiny. Both basal and alternate leaves are produced. Basal leaves are compound or simple with long petioles; compound leaves are odd-pinnate with 3-7 leaflets. Simple leaves are orbicular, shallowly cleft, and dentate; the leaflets of compound leaves are ovate, shallowly or deeply cleft, and dentate. Alternate leaves are usually trifoliate with short petioles; their leaflets are narrowly ovate, cleft, and dentate. The upper surfaces of these leaves are medium to dark green and hairless to hairy. At the base of each leaf, there is a pair of large leafy stipules; these stipules are deeply cleft and dentate along their margins.
Flowers develop from the upper stems on long branching stalks; each stalk terminates in an individual flower about ¼" across. Individual flowers also develop from the axils of the upper leaves on long unbranched stalks. These flowering stalks are slightly hairy, shiny, and terete like the stems. Each flower has 5 yellow petals, 5 light green sepals, and a dense cluster of pistils and stamens in the middle. The petals are about the same length as the sepals (less than 1/8" or 3 mm.); the sepals are ovate and hang downward from the rest of the flower. The blooming period occurs from mid- to late spring and lasts about 3 weeks; only a few flowers are in bloom at the same time. Each flower is replaced by dense cluster of bristly achenes; the receptacle of this clustered fruit is exerted from the calyx on a short stout stalk. The individual achenes are ellipsoid in shape and hairless to pubescent; the hooked bristles at their tips are persistent styles. The root system is fibrous and rhizomatous.
Cultivation: The preference is dappled sunlight to light shade, moist to mesic conditions, and a rich loamy soil. Most growth and development occurs during the spring.
Range & Habitat: The native Spring Avens is common in the southern half of Illinois, while in the northern half of the state it is occasional, uncommon, or absent (see Distribution Map). Habitats include rich deciduous woodlands, open woodlands, areas along woodland paths, shaped seeps, woodland borders, and fence rows with woody vegetation. Spring Avens can be found in both disturbed and undisturbed areas that receive some shade.
Faunal Associations: The flowers attract small bees primarily, including little carpenter bees, Halictid bees, cuckoo bees (Nomada spp.), and masked bees (Hylaeus spp.); these small bees suck mostly nectar, although some of the Halictid bees collect pollen for their larvae. Occasionally, Syrphid flies, Tachinid flies, and other flies also visit the flowers. The leaves of Spring Avens and other woodland Geum spp. (Avens) are grazed sparingly by White-tailed Deer. The bristly achenes can cling to the fur of mammals, feathers of birds, and clothing of humans. By this means, they are distributed into new areas.
Photographic Location: A floodplain woodland in Vermilion County, Illinois.
Comments: This is the first woodland Geum sp. (Avens) to bloom in Illinois. Because the yellow petals of its flowers are quite small and short-lived, Spring Avens is not very showy. In contrast, its leaves are moderately attractive and variable in shape. Other woodland species in this genus include Geum canadensis (White Avens) and Geum laciniatum (Rough Avens). These species have flowers with white or cream petals and they bloom a little latter in the year (late spring to early summer). Unlike other species in the genus, the bristly fruits of Spring Avens are exserted from their calyces on short stout stalks. The fruits of other Avens lack these stalks. Thus, Spring Avens is easily identified by this peculiar characteristic.
Flowers develop from the upper stems on long branching stalks; each stalk terminates in an individual flower about ¼" across. Individual flowers also develop from the axils of the upper leaves on long unbranched stalks. These flowering stalks are slightly hairy, shiny, and terete like the stems. Each flower has 5 yellow petals, 5 light green sepals, and a dense cluster of pistils and stamens in the middle. The petals are about the same length as the sepals (less than 1/8" or 3 mm.); the sepals are ovate and hang downward from the rest of the flower. The blooming period occurs from mid- to late spring and lasts about 3 weeks; only a few flowers are in bloom at the same time. Each flower is replaced by dense cluster of bristly achenes; the receptacle of this clustered fruit is exerted from the calyx on a short stout stalk. The individual achenes are ellipsoid in shape and hairless to pubescent; the hooked bristles at their tips are persistent styles. The root system is fibrous and rhizomatous.
Cultivation: The preference is dappled sunlight to light shade, moist to mesic conditions, and a rich loamy soil. Most growth and development occurs during the spring.
Range & Habitat: The native Spring Avens is common in the southern half of Illinois, while in the northern half of the state it is occasional, uncommon, or absent (see Distribution Map). Habitats include rich deciduous woodlands, open woodlands, areas along woodland paths, shaped seeps, woodland borders, and fence rows with woody vegetation. Spring Avens can be found in both disturbed and undisturbed areas that receive some shade.
Faunal Associations: The flowers attract small bees primarily, including little carpenter bees, Halictid bees, cuckoo bees (Nomada spp.), and masked bees (Hylaeus spp.); these small bees suck mostly nectar, although some of the Halictid bees collect pollen for their larvae. Occasionally, Syrphid flies, Tachinid flies, and other flies also visit the flowers. The leaves of Spring Avens and other woodland Geum spp. (Avens) are grazed sparingly by White-tailed Deer. The bristly achenes can cling to the fur of mammals, feathers of birds, and clothing of humans. By this means, they are distributed into new areas.
Photographic Location: A floodplain woodland in Vermilion County, Illinois.
Comments: This is the first woodland Geum sp. (Avens) to bloom in Illinois. Because the yellow petals of its flowers are quite small and short-lived, Spring Avens is not very showy. In contrast, its leaves are moderately attractive and variable in shape. Other woodland species in this genus include Geum canadensis (White Avens) and Geum laciniatum (Rough Avens). These species have flowers with white or cream petals and they bloom a little latter in the year (late spring to early summer). Unlike other species in the genus, the bristly fruits of Spring Avens are exserted from their calyces on short stout stalks. The fruits of other Avens lack these stalks. Thus, Spring Avens is easily identified by this peculiar characteristic.
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Miss Chen
2018年05月12日
Description: This herbaceous perennial plant is 1-2½' tall, consisting of a loose cluster of basal leaves and flowering stems that develop directly from the creeping rootstock. On the lower portion of each flowering stem, there is a pair of opposite leaves. Both the basal leaves and the lower opposite leaves of the flowering stems have a similar appearance. They are up to 5" long and across, and palmately cleft with 5 deep lobes. Each of these lobes is wedge-shaped at the base. The leaf margins have a few secondary lobes and coarse teeth. The upper pairs of leaves on the flowering stems are like the lower leaves, except they are smaller in size and they usually have 3 primary lobes, rather than 5. The upper leaf surface is medium green with fine appressed hairs. The long petioles of these leaves are light green, terete, and coarsely hairy. The flowering stalks (peduncles) are up to 6" long and ascending to erect; like the stems with opposite leaves, they are light green to reddish brown, terete, and coarsely hairy.
Each flowering stalk terminates in a floppy corymb or umbel of 2-5 flowers; sometimes only a single flower is produced. Each flower is about 1–1¼" across, consisting of 5 rounded petals, 5 green sepals, 10 stamens with pale yellow anthers, and a single pistil with 5 carpels. The petals are pale purplish pink and obovate with rounded tips; they have fine veins radiating across their surfaces that function as nectar guides. The sepals are light green, hairy, lanceolate-oblong or elliptic-oblong in shape, and cuspidate (tapering abruptly into short narrow tips); they are shorter than the petals. Both the flowering stalks (peduncles) and pedicels have non-glandular hairs. The blooming period occurs during the late spring to early summer, lasting about 1 month. The pistil of the flower elongates into a beak-like fruit about 1–1½" long. As it matures, the 5 slender carpels of this fruit curl upward and backward to fling the seeds from the mother plant. The seed surface is reticulated. The root system consists of a dark stout rootstock that produces rhizomes; it is high in tannins. This plant often forms colonies.
Cultivation: The preference is light shade to partial sunlight, moist to slightly dry conditions, and rich loamy soil with abundant organic matter. This plant also tolerates full sunlight if there is sufficient moisture in the soil. It is one of the easier woodland species to cultivate.
Range & Habitat: The native Wild Geranium is a common plant of woodlands that occurs in all counties of Illinois (see Distribution Map). Habitats include both floodplain and upland woodlands, savannas, meadows in wooded areas, semi-shaded seeps, and rocky glades. Sometimes it invades hill prairies from adjacent wooded areas. Wild Geranium is a typical species of mesic deciduous woodlands.
Faunal Associations: The nectar and pollen of the flowers attract bumblebees, mason bees (Osmia spp.), cuckoo bees (Nomada spp.), long-horned bees (Synhalonia spp.), Halictid bees (Lasioglossum spp., etc.), Andrenid bees (Andrena spp.), and other bees. An Andrenid bee, Andrena distans, is a specialist pollinator (oligolege) of Wild Geranium (Geranium maculatum). The flowers also attract Syrphid flies, dance flies (Empis spp.), butterflies, and skippers. Other insects feed on the leaves and other parts of Wild Geranium. This includes leaf-mining larvae of the beetle Pachyschelus purpureus, Acyrthosiphon malvae (Geranium Aphid) and Macrosiphum geranii (Wild Geranium Aphid), Metriorrhynchomiris dislocatus (Yellow Plant Bug), burrowing bugs (Sehirus spp.), stink bugs (Euschistus spp.), and ebony bugs (Corimelaena spp.). The caterpillars of some moths species also feed on Wild Geranium and other Geranium spp., including Lacinipolia lorea (Bridled Arches), Heliothis virescens (Geranium Budworm Moth, Tobacco Budworm Moth), and Archips purpurana (Omnivorous Leafroller Moth). Among vertebrate animals, the Eastern Chipmunk sometimes eats the seeds, while the White-tailed Deer occasionally browses on the foliage.
Photographic Location: A flower garden at Crystal Lake Park in Urbana, Illinois, and Busey Woods in the same city.
Comments: The Wild Geranium (Geranium maculatum) is the showiest of the native geraniums in Illinois with flowers at least 1" across. All of the others are far less showy because they have smaller flowers. There is a European species, Geranium pratense (Meadow Geranium), with equally large flowers, but it has not been observed in the wild in Illinois. This species has a similar appearance to the Wild Geranium, except that the hairs on its flowering stalks and pedicels are sticky-glandular, and its leaves are more divided and finely cut. Another European species, Geranium sanguineum (Long-Stalked Geranium), is rarely observed as a naturalized plant in Illinois. It has flowers with notched petals and its leaves are smaller in size.
Each flowering stalk terminates in a floppy corymb or umbel of 2-5 flowers; sometimes only a single flower is produced. Each flower is about 1–1¼" across, consisting of 5 rounded petals, 5 green sepals, 10 stamens with pale yellow anthers, and a single pistil with 5 carpels. The petals are pale purplish pink and obovate with rounded tips; they have fine veins radiating across their surfaces that function as nectar guides. The sepals are light green, hairy, lanceolate-oblong or elliptic-oblong in shape, and cuspidate (tapering abruptly into short narrow tips); they are shorter than the petals. Both the flowering stalks (peduncles) and pedicels have non-glandular hairs. The blooming period occurs during the late spring to early summer, lasting about 1 month. The pistil of the flower elongates into a beak-like fruit about 1–1½" long. As it matures, the 5 slender carpels of this fruit curl upward and backward to fling the seeds from the mother plant. The seed surface is reticulated. The root system consists of a dark stout rootstock that produces rhizomes; it is high in tannins. This plant often forms colonies.
Cultivation: The preference is light shade to partial sunlight, moist to slightly dry conditions, and rich loamy soil with abundant organic matter. This plant also tolerates full sunlight if there is sufficient moisture in the soil. It is one of the easier woodland species to cultivate.
Range & Habitat: The native Wild Geranium is a common plant of woodlands that occurs in all counties of Illinois (see Distribution Map). Habitats include both floodplain and upland woodlands, savannas, meadows in wooded areas, semi-shaded seeps, and rocky glades. Sometimes it invades hill prairies from adjacent wooded areas. Wild Geranium is a typical species of mesic deciduous woodlands.
Faunal Associations: The nectar and pollen of the flowers attract bumblebees, mason bees (Osmia spp.), cuckoo bees (Nomada spp.), long-horned bees (Synhalonia spp.), Halictid bees (Lasioglossum spp., etc.), Andrenid bees (Andrena spp.), and other bees. An Andrenid bee, Andrena distans, is a specialist pollinator (oligolege) of Wild Geranium (Geranium maculatum). The flowers also attract Syrphid flies, dance flies (Empis spp.), butterflies, and skippers. Other insects feed on the leaves and other parts of Wild Geranium. This includes leaf-mining larvae of the beetle Pachyschelus purpureus, Acyrthosiphon malvae (Geranium Aphid) and Macrosiphum geranii (Wild Geranium Aphid), Metriorrhynchomiris dislocatus (Yellow Plant Bug), burrowing bugs (Sehirus spp.), stink bugs (Euschistus spp.), and ebony bugs (Corimelaena spp.). The caterpillars of some moths species also feed on Wild Geranium and other Geranium spp., including Lacinipolia lorea (Bridled Arches), Heliothis virescens (Geranium Budworm Moth, Tobacco Budworm Moth), and Archips purpurana (Omnivorous Leafroller Moth). Among vertebrate animals, the Eastern Chipmunk sometimes eats the seeds, while the White-tailed Deer occasionally browses on the foliage.
Photographic Location: A flower garden at Crystal Lake Park in Urbana, Illinois, and Busey Woods in the same city.
Comments: The Wild Geranium (Geranium maculatum) is the showiest of the native geraniums in Illinois with flowers at least 1" across. All of the others are far less showy because they have smaller flowers. There is a European species, Geranium pratense (Meadow Geranium), with equally large flowers, but it has not been observed in the wild in Illinois. This species has a similar appearance to the Wild Geranium, except that the hairs on its flowering stalks and pedicels are sticky-glandular, and its leaves are more divided and finely cut. Another European species, Geranium sanguineum (Long-Stalked Geranium), is rarely observed as a naturalized plant in Illinois. It has flowers with notched petals and its leaves are smaller in size.
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文章
Miss Chen
2018年05月12日
Description: This sub-shrub is 3–8" (5–20 cm.) tall. It has ascending semi-woody stems that are sparingly branched. These stems are light green to bright red and more or less terete; they are sparsely to moderately covered with appressed white hairs. Alternate evergreen leaves occur along these stems. The leaves are ¾–2" (2–5 cm.) long and about one-third to one-half as much across; they are elliptic, ovate, obovate, or oval in shape. The margins of the leaves are sparsely serrated with bristly teeth. The upper leaf surface is medium to dark green, hairless, and shiny, while the lower leaf surface is light green, hairless to sparsely appressed-hairy, and dull. Leaf texture is somewhat stiff and leathery, while leaf venation is pinnate. The petioles of the leaves are light green to bright red and less than ¼" (6 mm.) long; they are sparsely to moderately covered with appressed white hairs. The foliage of this sub-shrub has a minty (or wintergreen) fragrance, especially when it is crushed. Either solitary or short racemes of 2-5 nodding flowers develop from the upper leaf axils.
Each flower is about 1/3" (8 mm.) in length, consisting of a white bell-shaped corolla (sometimes tinted pink) with 5 short outwardly curled lobes, a white calyx with 5 ovate-oval lobes, 5 inserted stamens, and a pistil with a single stout style. The calyx is much shorter than the corolla. At the base of each flower, there is a pair of tiny ovate to heart-shaped bracts; these bracts can be light green, white, or red, and they have membranous margins. The pedicels of the flowers are up to 1/3" (8 mm.) in length, light green to red, and more or less terete; they are sparsely to moderately covered with appressed white hairs. The blooming period occurs from early to mid-summer, lasting about 3 weeks. The flowers are reported to be fragrant. Afterwards, fertile flowers are replaced by berry-like fruits that become mature during late summer or early autumn. Mature fruits are about 1/3" (8 mm.) or slightly more across, bright red, and globoid in shape; they have a fleshy interior that is slightly sweet and minty (wintergreen) in flavor. Each fruit contains many tiny seeds. The root system has shallow rhizomes, from which clonal subshrubs develop. The evergreen foliage becomes reddish or purplish during the autumn.
Cultivation: The preference is partial sun to light shade, moist to dry-mesic conditions, relatively cool temperatures, and somewhat acidic soil containing either sand or loam with decaying organic matter. Growth and development are relatively slow. Flowers and fruits are more likely to be produced in brighter locations. The seeds are difficult to germinate.
Range & Habitat: Wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens) is native to northern Illinois, where it is rare and state-listed as 'endangered' (see Distribution Map). Elsewhere within the state, it is absent from natural areas. Wintergreen occurs primarily in the Great Lakes region, northeastern USA, and adjacent areas of Canada; it also occurs in the Appalachian mountains in high-altitude areas. In Illinois, the habitats of this sub-shrub are largely restricted to upland oak woodlands, wooded hillsides, forested bogs, and shrubby bogs. In more northern areas, it is often found in coniferous woodlands, mixed woodlands, and shrubby meadows. Wintergreen occurs in high quality natural areas in Illinois. It is easily topkilled by wildfires, although the thinning of the tree canopy and reduction of taller shrubs can cause populations of this sub-shrub to increase.
Faunal Associations: Bumblebees are the primary pollinators of the flowers. Other floral visitors include cuckoo bumblebees (Psithyrus spp.) and the honeybee. Nectar is the primary floral reward for these insect visitors (Mirick & Quin, 1981; Reader, 1977; Lovell, 1898). Other insects feed on the plant sap or foliage of Wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens). These species include an aphid (Illinoia borealis) and larvae of two moths, Cameraria gaultheriella and Rhopobota naevana (Blackman & Eastop, 2013; Ferguson, 1975; Needham et al., 1928). Birds and mammals also use Wintergreen as a source of food. The Ruffed Grouse eats the buds, leaves, and fruits; the Bobwhite Quail, Ring-necked Pheasant, and the extinct Passenger Pigeon eat (or ate) the fruits (Bennetts, 1900; Martin et al., 1951/1961; Coladonato, 1994; Schorger, 1955). This sub-shrub provides protective cover for the nests of the rare Kirtland's Warbler in Jack Pine barrens in the state of Michigan (Buech, 1980). Mammals feeding on this sub-shrub include the American Black Bear (leaves & fruits), Red Fox (fruits), Eastern Chipmunk (leaves & fruits), Elk (leaves & twigs), White-tailed Deer (leaves & twigs), Deer Mouse (fruits), and White-footed Mouse (fruits); see Coladonato (1994), Martin et al. (1951/1961), Schneider et al. (2006), Hamilton (1941), and Schloyer (1976) for more information. Fruit-eating birds and mammals spread the seeds to new locations.
Photographic Location: A flower garden at the Urbana Free Library in Urbana, Illinois, and a wooded hillside at the Pine Hills Nature Preserve in west-central Indiana.
Comments: The most striking characteristic of this plant is the mint (or wintergreen) fragrance of its crushed leaves, from which oil of wintergreen is made. Even without flowers or fruits, Wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens) can be identified by the size, shape, and fragrance of its leathery evergreen leaves. Another species in this genus, Creeping Snowberry (Gaultheria hispidula), is found north of Illinois in more boreal areas. Its crushed leaves have the same wintergreen fragrance, but Creeping Snowberry differs from Wintergreen by its prostrate habit of growth, white berry-like fruits, and smaller leaves. Other similar species in the Heath family (Ericaceae) are either larger shrubs or their leaves lack the wintergreen fragrance. Other common names of Gaultheria procumbens are Teaberry and Checkerberry.
Each flower is about 1/3" (8 mm.) in length, consisting of a white bell-shaped corolla (sometimes tinted pink) with 5 short outwardly curled lobes, a white calyx with 5 ovate-oval lobes, 5 inserted stamens, and a pistil with a single stout style. The calyx is much shorter than the corolla. At the base of each flower, there is a pair of tiny ovate to heart-shaped bracts; these bracts can be light green, white, or red, and they have membranous margins. The pedicels of the flowers are up to 1/3" (8 mm.) in length, light green to red, and more or less terete; they are sparsely to moderately covered with appressed white hairs. The blooming period occurs from early to mid-summer, lasting about 3 weeks. The flowers are reported to be fragrant. Afterwards, fertile flowers are replaced by berry-like fruits that become mature during late summer or early autumn. Mature fruits are about 1/3" (8 mm.) or slightly more across, bright red, and globoid in shape; they have a fleshy interior that is slightly sweet and minty (wintergreen) in flavor. Each fruit contains many tiny seeds. The root system has shallow rhizomes, from which clonal subshrubs develop. The evergreen foliage becomes reddish or purplish during the autumn.
Cultivation: The preference is partial sun to light shade, moist to dry-mesic conditions, relatively cool temperatures, and somewhat acidic soil containing either sand or loam with decaying organic matter. Growth and development are relatively slow. Flowers and fruits are more likely to be produced in brighter locations. The seeds are difficult to germinate.
Range & Habitat: Wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens) is native to northern Illinois, where it is rare and state-listed as 'endangered' (see Distribution Map). Elsewhere within the state, it is absent from natural areas. Wintergreen occurs primarily in the Great Lakes region, northeastern USA, and adjacent areas of Canada; it also occurs in the Appalachian mountains in high-altitude areas. In Illinois, the habitats of this sub-shrub are largely restricted to upland oak woodlands, wooded hillsides, forested bogs, and shrubby bogs. In more northern areas, it is often found in coniferous woodlands, mixed woodlands, and shrubby meadows. Wintergreen occurs in high quality natural areas in Illinois. It is easily topkilled by wildfires, although the thinning of the tree canopy and reduction of taller shrubs can cause populations of this sub-shrub to increase.
Faunal Associations: Bumblebees are the primary pollinators of the flowers. Other floral visitors include cuckoo bumblebees (Psithyrus spp.) and the honeybee. Nectar is the primary floral reward for these insect visitors (Mirick & Quin, 1981; Reader, 1977; Lovell, 1898). Other insects feed on the plant sap or foliage of Wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens). These species include an aphid (Illinoia borealis) and larvae of two moths, Cameraria gaultheriella and Rhopobota naevana (Blackman & Eastop, 2013; Ferguson, 1975; Needham et al., 1928). Birds and mammals also use Wintergreen as a source of food. The Ruffed Grouse eats the buds, leaves, and fruits; the Bobwhite Quail, Ring-necked Pheasant, and the extinct Passenger Pigeon eat (or ate) the fruits (Bennetts, 1900; Martin et al., 1951/1961; Coladonato, 1994; Schorger, 1955). This sub-shrub provides protective cover for the nests of the rare Kirtland's Warbler in Jack Pine barrens in the state of Michigan (Buech, 1980). Mammals feeding on this sub-shrub include the American Black Bear (leaves & fruits), Red Fox (fruits), Eastern Chipmunk (leaves & fruits), Elk (leaves & twigs), White-tailed Deer (leaves & twigs), Deer Mouse (fruits), and White-footed Mouse (fruits); see Coladonato (1994), Martin et al. (1951/1961), Schneider et al. (2006), Hamilton (1941), and Schloyer (1976) for more information. Fruit-eating birds and mammals spread the seeds to new locations.
Photographic Location: A flower garden at the Urbana Free Library in Urbana, Illinois, and a wooded hillside at the Pine Hills Nature Preserve in west-central Indiana.
Comments: The most striking characteristic of this plant is the mint (or wintergreen) fragrance of its crushed leaves, from which oil of wintergreen is made. Even without flowers or fruits, Wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens) can be identified by the size, shape, and fragrance of its leathery evergreen leaves. Another species in this genus, Creeping Snowberry (Gaultheria hispidula), is found north of Illinois in more boreal areas. Its crushed leaves have the same wintergreen fragrance, but Creeping Snowberry differs from Wintergreen by its prostrate habit of growth, white berry-like fruits, and smaller leaves. Other similar species in the Heath family (Ericaceae) are either larger shrubs or their leaves lack the wintergreen fragrance. Other common names of Gaultheria procumbens are Teaberry and Checkerberry.
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