文章
Miss Chen
2018年01月03日
Description: This herbaceous perennial plant is 2-3½' tall. Sometimes it is slender and little branched, while at other times it branches frequently, creating a bushy appearance. The slender stems usually have lines of fine white hairs. The alternate leaves are linear and have smooth margins. The larger leaves have 3 conspicuous veins, although the smaller ones usually have only a single conspicuous vein. They are up to 4" long and 3/8" across, or slightly wider. Sometimes there are a few white hairs near the base of the leaves and along the central vein on the underside. There are clusters of small composite flowers at the apex of the plant and many of the upper side stems. These flower clusters are usually rather flat-headed, but they sometimes assume a round-headed appearance. Each composite flower is yellow, consisting of about 21-35 disk florets and ray florets (when considered together). It is only about 1/8" across – smaller than the composite flowers of other goldenrods.
These compound flowers often bloom gradually, rather than simultaneously, with older flowers turning brown while younger flowers are still in the bud stage. The blooming period is late summer to early fall, and lasts about 1 month. Sometimes there is a mild floral scent. The root system is fibrous, and new plants develop vegetatively from rhizomes. Overall, Grass-Leaved Goldenrod is rather variable across different localities.
Cultivation: The preference is full sun and moist conditions. However, this plant tolerates drier conditions, and can be surprisingly drought tolerant. The soil should contain high amounts of organic matter; some varieties of this plant also grow in moist sandy soil. Powdery mildew seems to bother this goldenrod less often than many others. It is easy to grow, but can spread aggressively in moist sunny places.
Range & Habitat: Grass-Leaved Goldenrod occurs occasionally in most counties of Illinois (see Distribution Map), where this plant is native. However, it can be locally common in some wetlands areas. Habitats include moist black soil prairies, edges of marshes, sandy pannes between dunes, calcareous seeps, borders of lakes, abandoned fields, and ditches along railroads. Grass-Leaved Goldenrod occasionally occurs in drier habitats, but it has greater trouble competing with other forbs, such as Solidago canadensis (Canada Goldenrod), in such places.
Faunal Associations: The small flowers attract many kinds of insects, including long-tongued bees, short-tongued bees, wasps, flies, butterflies, moths, and beetles. Various wasps and a few beetle species, such as Chauliognathus pennsylvanicus (Goldenrod Soldier Beetle) and Epicauta pensylvanica (Black Blister Beetle), seem to be especially attracted to the flowers. The caterpillars of several species of moths eat various parts of this and other goldenrods (see Moth Table). The seeds are eaten by the Eastern Goldfinch and Swamp Sparrow to a limited extent, while the foliage is occasionally consumed in limited amounts by the Greater Prairie Chicken, Cottontail Rabbit, and White-Tailed Deer.
Photographic Location: The photographs were taken at Meadowbrook Park in Urbana, Illinois.
Comments: Grass-Leaved Goldenrod has more slender leaves than other goldenrods in Illinois, except for Euthamia gymnospermoides (Plains Grass-Leaved Goldenrod). However, there is only a single conspicuous vein in the largest leaves of this latter species, its stems are hairless, it has only 12-20 disk and ray florets in a compound flower (when considered together), and it is usually more branched and bushy in appearance. Grass-Leaved Goldenrod also differs from the latter species by preferring more soggy habitats.
These compound flowers often bloom gradually, rather than simultaneously, with older flowers turning brown while younger flowers are still in the bud stage. The blooming period is late summer to early fall, and lasts about 1 month. Sometimes there is a mild floral scent. The root system is fibrous, and new plants develop vegetatively from rhizomes. Overall, Grass-Leaved Goldenrod is rather variable across different localities.
Cultivation: The preference is full sun and moist conditions. However, this plant tolerates drier conditions, and can be surprisingly drought tolerant. The soil should contain high amounts of organic matter; some varieties of this plant also grow in moist sandy soil. Powdery mildew seems to bother this goldenrod less often than many others. It is easy to grow, but can spread aggressively in moist sunny places.
Range & Habitat: Grass-Leaved Goldenrod occurs occasionally in most counties of Illinois (see Distribution Map), where this plant is native. However, it can be locally common in some wetlands areas. Habitats include moist black soil prairies, edges of marshes, sandy pannes between dunes, calcareous seeps, borders of lakes, abandoned fields, and ditches along railroads. Grass-Leaved Goldenrod occasionally occurs in drier habitats, but it has greater trouble competing with other forbs, such as Solidago canadensis (Canada Goldenrod), in such places.
Faunal Associations: The small flowers attract many kinds of insects, including long-tongued bees, short-tongued bees, wasps, flies, butterflies, moths, and beetles. Various wasps and a few beetle species, such as Chauliognathus pennsylvanicus (Goldenrod Soldier Beetle) and Epicauta pensylvanica (Black Blister Beetle), seem to be especially attracted to the flowers. The caterpillars of several species of moths eat various parts of this and other goldenrods (see Moth Table). The seeds are eaten by the Eastern Goldfinch and Swamp Sparrow to a limited extent, while the foliage is occasionally consumed in limited amounts by the Greater Prairie Chicken, Cottontail Rabbit, and White-Tailed Deer.
Photographic Location: The photographs were taken at Meadowbrook Park in Urbana, Illinois.
Comments: Grass-Leaved Goldenrod has more slender leaves than other goldenrods in Illinois, except for Euthamia gymnospermoides (Plains Grass-Leaved Goldenrod). However, there is only a single conspicuous vein in the largest leaves of this latter species, its stems are hairless, it has only 12-20 disk and ray florets in a compound flower (when considered together), and it is usually more branched and bushy in appearance. Grass-Leaved Goldenrod also differs from the latter species by preferring more soggy habitats.
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文章
Miss Chen
2017年12月26日
Description: This herbaceous perennial plant is ½–3' tall, producing one or more stems that are unbranched, except at their apices, where the inflorescences occur. Each stem is light green, terete, glabrous, and sometimes glaucous (rarely it is pubescent). Alternate leaves occur along the entire length of each stem, except at the apex underneath an inflorescence, where the uppermost leaves occur in a whorl of 3 or more. They are widely spreading to ascending. Individual leaves are up to 2½" long and ½" across; they are linear-oblong to oblong in shape and their margins are entire (toothless). The tips of these leaves are blunt, while their bases are sessile or nearly so. The upper and lower leaf surfaces are light gray-green to medium green and glabrous (rarely the lower leaf surface is pubescent). Leaf venation is pinnate with prominent central veins. The foliage of this plant contains a toxic white latex.
Each mature stem terminates in a panicle of flowers up to ¾' long and 1' across. This panicle is somewhat flat-headed and it has an open airy appearance. Individual flowers span about ¼" across (including their petaloid bracts). Each flower has a tiny cup-like cyathium containing the reproductive organs, 5 white petaloid bracts, and 5 green glandular appendages at the bases of these bracts. Because Flowering Spurge is monoecious, separate male (staminate) and female (pistillate) flowers are produced on the same plant. Each male flower has several stamens, while each female flower has an ovary with a tripartite style. The petaloid bracts are obovate in shape; sometimes they are slightly notched at their tips. The branches and pedicels of the inflorescence are light green, glabrous, and terete; pairs of small leafy bracts up to ½" long occur at the bases of pedicels and where the branches divide. The blooming period occurs from early summer to early autumn, lasting about 1-2 months for a colony of plants. There is no floral fragrance. During this time, an entire plant may lean to one side because of the weight of its inflorescence. Afterwards, the female flowers are replaced by 3-celled capsules of seeds that are 3-4 mm. long, globoid, and 3-lobed in shape; there is one seed for each cell of a capsule. At maturity, these capsules split open to eject their seeds. The seeds are 2-3 mm. long, ovoid-obovoid in shape, and finely mottled. The root system consists of a taproot that becomes woody with age.
Cultivation: The preference is full sun and mesic to dry conditions. This plant will tolerate almost any kind of soil, including those that contain loam, clay, sand, gravel, or rocky material. Poor soil is actually preferred because of the reduction in competition from other plants. Drought resistance is excellent and disease is rarely a problem when the soil is well-drained.
Range & Habitat: The native Flowering Spurge occurs in every county of Illinois (see Distribution Map), where it is common. Habitats include black soil prairies, clay prairies, sand prairies, gravel prairies, dolomite prairies, various kinds of hill prairies, openings in rocky upland woodlands, opening in sandy upland woodlands, typical savannas and sandy savannas, thinly wooded bluffs, limestone glades, stabilized sand dunes, roadsides, areas along railroads, mined land, and agricultural land in various stages of abandonment or neglect. Flowering Spurge can be found in either disturbed areas or high quality natural areas.
Faunal Associations: The pollen and nectar of the flowers attract Halictid bees, masked bees (Hylaeus spp.), Crabronid wasps (Oxybelus spp. & others), paper wasps (Polistes spp.), the Five-banded Tiphiid Wasp (Myzinum quinquecinctum), Sphecid wasps, cuckoo wasps (Chrysididae), Syrphid flies, bee flies (Exoprosopa spp. & others), Tachinid flies, flesh flies (Sarcophagidae), Muscid flies, and small butterflies, including the endangered Karner Blue (Lycaeides melissa samulelis); see Robertson (1929) and others. Other insects feed on the sap, foliage, and other parts of Flowering Spurge. These species include the Euphorbia Bug (Chariesterus antennator), a flea beetle (Glyptina bicolor), and a monophagous aphid (Aphis pulchella); see Vestal (1913), Clark et al. (2004), and Hottes & Frison (1931). The polyphagous Potato Aphid (Macrosiphum euphorbiae) also feeds on spurges (Euphorbia spp.). The seeds are an attractive source of food to some birds, including the Wild Turkey, Greater Prairie Chicken, Bobwhite Quail, Mourning Dove, and Horned Lark (Martin et al., 1951/1961). Flowering Spurge is rarely eaten by mammalian herbivores because of the toxic white latex in its foliage.
Photographic Location: A remnant prairie along an abandoned railroad in Urbana, Illinois.
Comments: The typical variety of Flowering Spurge (Euphorbia corollata) has glabrous foliage, but there is an uncommon variety of this plant (var. mollis) with pubescent stems and pubescent leaf undersides. While the foliage is normally some shade of green, during the autumn it often becomes an attractive reddish color. For a species of the Spurge family (Euphorbiaceae), Flowering Spurge is more showy than most because of its relatively large inflorescence and the white petaloid bracts of its flowers. The flowers of most spurges in Illinois, whether native or naturalized, have either green to yellowish green floral bracts, or their floral bracts are tiny and easily overlooked.
Each mature stem terminates in a panicle of flowers up to ¾' long and 1' across. This panicle is somewhat flat-headed and it has an open airy appearance. Individual flowers span about ¼" across (including their petaloid bracts). Each flower has a tiny cup-like cyathium containing the reproductive organs, 5 white petaloid bracts, and 5 green glandular appendages at the bases of these bracts. Because Flowering Spurge is monoecious, separate male (staminate) and female (pistillate) flowers are produced on the same plant. Each male flower has several stamens, while each female flower has an ovary with a tripartite style. The petaloid bracts are obovate in shape; sometimes they are slightly notched at their tips. The branches and pedicels of the inflorescence are light green, glabrous, and terete; pairs of small leafy bracts up to ½" long occur at the bases of pedicels and where the branches divide. The blooming period occurs from early summer to early autumn, lasting about 1-2 months for a colony of plants. There is no floral fragrance. During this time, an entire plant may lean to one side because of the weight of its inflorescence. Afterwards, the female flowers are replaced by 3-celled capsules of seeds that are 3-4 mm. long, globoid, and 3-lobed in shape; there is one seed for each cell of a capsule. At maturity, these capsules split open to eject their seeds. The seeds are 2-3 mm. long, ovoid-obovoid in shape, and finely mottled. The root system consists of a taproot that becomes woody with age.
Cultivation: The preference is full sun and mesic to dry conditions. This plant will tolerate almost any kind of soil, including those that contain loam, clay, sand, gravel, or rocky material. Poor soil is actually preferred because of the reduction in competition from other plants. Drought resistance is excellent and disease is rarely a problem when the soil is well-drained.
Range & Habitat: The native Flowering Spurge occurs in every county of Illinois (see Distribution Map), where it is common. Habitats include black soil prairies, clay prairies, sand prairies, gravel prairies, dolomite prairies, various kinds of hill prairies, openings in rocky upland woodlands, opening in sandy upland woodlands, typical savannas and sandy savannas, thinly wooded bluffs, limestone glades, stabilized sand dunes, roadsides, areas along railroads, mined land, and agricultural land in various stages of abandonment or neglect. Flowering Spurge can be found in either disturbed areas or high quality natural areas.
Faunal Associations: The pollen and nectar of the flowers attract Halictid bees, masked bees (Hylaeus spp.), Crabronid wasps (Oxybelus spp. & others), paper wasps (Polistes spp.), the Five-banded Tiphiid Wasp (Myzinum quinquecinctum), Sphecid wasps, cuckoo wasps (Chrysididae), Syrphid flies, bee flies (Exoprosopa spp. & others), Tachinid flies, flesh flies (Sarcophagidae), Muscid flies, and small butterflies, including the endangered Karner Blue (Lycaeides melissa samulelis); see Robertson (1929) and others. Other insects feed on the sap, foliage, and other parts of Flowering Spurge. These species include the Euphorbia Bug (Chariesterus antennator), a flea beetle (Glyptina bicolor), and a monophagous aphid (Aphis pulchella); see Vestal (1913), Clark et al. (2004), and Hottes & Frison (1931). The polyphagous Potato Aphid (Macrosiphum euphorbiae) also feeds on spurges (Euphorbia spp.). The seeds are an attractive source of food to some birds, including the Wild Turkey, Greater Prairie Chicken, Bobwhite Quail, Mourning Dove, and Horned Lark (Martin et al., 1951/1961). Flowering Spurge is rarely eaten by mammalian herbivores because of the toxic white latex in its foliage.
Photographic Location: A remnant prairie along an abandoned railroad in Urbana, Illinois.
Comments: The typical variety of Flowering Spurge (Euphorbia corollata) has glabrous foliage, but there is an uncommon variety of this plant (var. mollis) with pubescent stems and pubescent leaf undersides. While the foliage is normally some shade of green, during the autumn it often becomes an attractive reddish color. For a species of the Spurge family (Euphorbiaceae), Flowering Spurge is more showy than most because of its relatively large inflorescence and the white petaloid bracts of its flowers. The flowers of most spurges in Illinois, whether native or naturalized, have either green to yellowish green floral bracts, or their floral bracts are tiny and easily overlooked.
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文章
Miss Chen
2017年12月26日
Description: This herbaceous perennial plant is 3-6' tall. It is largely unbranched below, but forms occasional side stems toward the apex. The stems have indistinct lines of white hairs, and are generally pubescent. The leaves are primarily opposite, although the upper leaves near the inflorescence sometimes alternate. These leaves are up to 7" long and 2½" across, with petioles up to 1" long. They are lanceolate, largely hairless, with coarse serration along the margins, and there are 5 veins that diverge from the base. These leaves tend to nod downward from their petioles, and are often dark green.
Inflorescence & Moths
The flat-topped inflorescence consists of numerous heads of white disk florets; there are no ray florets. Each flowerhead has about 12 disk florets. Each disk floret is about ¼" long, narrow and tubular, with 5 small triangular lobes at the top. There is also a long divided style that is white, which protrudes conspicuously from each floret. The blooming period occurs during late summer or early fall and lasts about a month. There is occasionally a mild floral scent. The small achenes develop flat tufts of hair and are dispersed by the wind. The root system is fibrous and rhizomatous. This plant often forms colonies by means of these rhizomes.
Cultivation: The preference is partial or full sun and moist conditions. The soil should be loamy and high in organic matter. Lower leaves sometimes discolor and fall off during a drought, otherwise this plant is subject to few problems. The size of this plant is significantly affected by moisture levels.
Range & Habitat: The native Late Boneset occurs in nearly all counties of Illinois, except for possibly three counties in the north (see Distribution Map). This is a common plant. Habitats include moist black soil prairies, moist meadows near rivers, swamps, areas near drainage ditches, low-lying areas along railroads and roadsides, pastures, and abandoned fields. This plant is often near sources of water, or where the water table is not far below the land surface. It is more common in disturbed areas.
Faunal Associations: The flowers are very popular with many kinds of insects, including long-tongued bees, short-tongued bees, wasps, flies, small to medium-sized butterflies, skippers, moths, and beetles. Most of these insects seek nectar, although bees may collect pollen and beetles may feed on it. In the upper photograph, are two Ailanthus Webworm Moths sucking nectar from the flowers. The caterpillars of various moths can be found feeding on various parts of this and other Bonesets, including Haploa clymene (Clymene Moth; eats foliage), Phragmatobia lineata (Lined Ruby Tiger Moth; eats foliage), Carmenta bassiformis (Eupatorium Borer Moth; bores into roots), Schinia trifascia (Three-Lined Flower Moth; eats flowers and seed capsules). Mammalian herbivores rarely consume this plant because of the bitter foliage. In overgrazed pastures, Late Boneset often becomes more common because of reduced competition from other plants.
Photographic Location: The photographs were taken along a drainage ditch in Judge Webber Park in Urbana, Illinois.
Comments: The delicate flowers of Late Boneset closely resemble the flowers of other Bonesets, such as Eupatorium altissimum (Tall Boneset) and Eupatorium perfoliatum (Common Boneset), in both color and structure. These Bonesets can be distinguished readily from each other by an examination and comparison of their leaves. Tall Boneset has leaves that are pubescent, more narrow, and less coarsely serrated than Late Boneset, while Common Boneset has leaves that wrap around the stem and are without petioles.
Inflorescence & Moths
The flat-topped inflorescence consists of numerous heads of white disk florets; there are no ray florets. Each flowerhead has about 12 disk florets. Each disk floret is about ¼" long, narrow and tubular, with 5 small triangular lobes at the top. There is also a long divided style that is white, which protrudes conspicuously from each floret. The blooming period occurs during late summer or early fall and lasts about a month. There is occasionally a mild floral scent. The small achenes develop flat tufts of hair and are dispersed by the wind. The root system is fibrous and rhizomatous. This plant often forms colonies by means of these rhizomes.
Cultivation: The preference is partial or full sun and moist conditions. The soil should be loamy and high in organic matter. Lower leaves sometimes discolor and fall off during a drought, otherwise this plant is subject to few problems. The size of this plant is significantly affected by moisture levels.
Range & Habitat: The native Late Boneset occurs in nearly all counties of Illinois, except for possibly three counties in the north (see Distribution Map). This is a common plant. Habitats include moist black soil prairies, moist meadows near rivers, swamps, areas near drainage ditches, low-lying areas along railroads and roadsides, pastures, and abandoned fields. This plant is often near sources of water, or where the water table is not far below the land surface. It is more common in disturbed areas.
Faunal Associations: The flowers are very popular with many kinds of insects, including long-tongued bees, short-tongued bees, wasps, flies, small to medium-sized butterflies, skippers, moths, and beetles. Most of these insects seek nectar, although bees may collect pollen and beetles may feed on it. In the upper photograph, are two Ailanthus Webworm Moths sucking nectar from the flowers. The caterpillars of various moths can be found feeding on various parts of this and other Bonesets, including Haploa clymene (Clymene Moth; eats foliage), Phragmatobia lineata (Lined Ruby Tiger Moth; eats foliage), Carmenta bassiformis (Eupatorium Borer Moth; bores into roots), Schinia trifascia (Three-Lined Flower Moth; eats flowers and seed capsules). Mammalian herbivores rarely consume this plant because of the bitter foliage. In overgrazed pastures, Late Boneset often becomes more common because of reduced competition from other plants.
Photographic Location: The photographs were taken along a drainage ditch in Judge Webber Park in Urbana, Illinois.
Comments: The delicate flowers of Late Boneset closely resemble the flowers of other Bonesets, such as Eupatorium altissimum (Tall Boneset) and Eupatorium perfoliatum (Common Boneset), in both color and structure. These Bonesets can be distinguished readily from each other by an examination and comparison of their leaves. Tall Boneset has leaves that are pubescent, more narrow, and less coarsely serrated than Late Boneset, while Common Boneset has leaves that wrap around the stem and are without petioles.
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Miss Chen
2017年12月26日
Description: This perennial plant is 2-4' tall and unbranched, except for some flowering side stems near the apex. The central stem and side stems are covered with long white hairs. The opposite leaves are up to 8" long and 2" across, and light or yellowish green. Their bases surround the central stem and merge together (perfoliate). In shape, they are lanceolate with long narrow tips and serrate margins. There is a conspicuous network of veins, particularly on the lower leaf surface. This lower surface is also pubescent. Some of the upper leaves near the inflorescence(s) are much smaller in size and sessile. The upper stems terminate in clusters of white flowerheads, spanning about 2-8" across. Each flowerhead is about 1/6" (4 mm.) across and consists of about 15 disk florets. Each disk floret has 5 spreading lobes and a long divided style, in the manner of other Eupatorium spp. The blooming period is late summer to early fall, which typically lasts about 1-2 months for a colony of plants. There is a pleasant floral scent. The florets are replaced by achenes with small tufts of hair – they are dispersed by the wind. The root system is fibrous and produces rhizomes in abundance. Common Boneset typically forms vegetative colonies.
Cultivation: The preference is full or partial sun, and wet to moist conditions. The soil should contain considerable organic material so that it can retain moisture. This plant can withstand flooded conditions for short periods of time, but it is not really aquatic. The foliage appears to be little bothered by pests and disease.
Range & Habitat: The native Common Boneset has been reported from most counties of Illinois, and it is fairly common (see Distribution Map). However, this plant appears to be somewhat less common than either Eupatorium serotinum (Late Boneset) and Eupatorium altissimum (Tall Boneset). Habitats include openings in floodplain forests, poorly drained areas of black soil prairies, and various kinds of wetlands, including marshes, bogs, fens, seeps, edges of rivers, and sand flats along Lake Michigan. This plant also occurs in or near roadside ditches. Generally, it doesn't stray far from wetland areas of one kind or another.
Faunal Associations: The nectar or pollen of the flowers attracts many kinds of insects, including bees, flies, wasps, butterflies, and beetles. In particular, many kinds of unusual flies and wasps are attracted to the flowers because of the accessibility of the nectar. The caterpillars of various moth species are known to feed on various parts of Common Boneset, including Haploa clymene (Clymene Moth), Phragmatobia lineata (Lined Ruby Tiger Moth), Papaipema cataphracta (Burdock Borer Moth), Schinia trifascia (Three-Lined Flower Moth), Chlorochlamys chloroleucaria (Blackberry Looper Moth), and Semiothisa continuata (Geometrid Moth sp.). The small seeds appear to be of little interest to birds and other fauna, although they are occasionally eaten by the Swamp Sparrow. Mammalian herbivores display little interest in Common Boneset as a food source because of the bitterness of the foliage.
Photographic Location: The photographed plants were growing at the bottom of a drainage ditch amid horsetails near the Windsor Road Prairie in Champaign, Illinois. This portion of the drainage ditch does not have standing water during dry weather (i.e., a seasonal wetland).
Comments: Common Boneset has interesting foliage and fragrant flowers. It tolerates flooded conditions better than many other Boneset species. It can be distinghished from these other species by the perfoliate leaves that surround the central stem. The other species have opposite leaves that are sessile or have distinct petioles. All of these species have spreading clusters of white flowers with a similar appearance. These flowers are quite popular with diverse kinds of insects.
Cultivation: The preference is full or partial sun, and wet to moist conditions. The soil should contain considerable organic material so that it can retain moisture. This plant can withstand flooded conditions for short periods of time, but it is not really aquatic. The foliage appears to be little bothered by pests and disease.
Range & Habitat: The native Common Boneset has been reported from most counties of Illinois, and it is fairly common (see Distribution Map). However, this plant appears to be somewhat less common than either Eupatorium serotinum (Late Boneset) and Eupatorium altissimum (Tall Boneset). Habitats include openings in floodplain forests, poorly drained areas of black soil prairies, and various kinds of wetlands, including marshes, bogs, fens, seeps, edges of rivers, and sand flats along Lake Michigan. This plant also occurs in or near roadside ditches. Generally, it doesn't stray far from wetland areas of one kind or another.
Faunal Associations: The nectar or pollen of the flowers attracts many kinds of insects, including bees, flies, wasps, butterflies, and beetles. In particular, many kinds of unusual flies and wasps are attracted to the flowers because of the accessibility of the nectar. The caterpillars of various moth species are known to feed on various parts of Common Boneset, including Haploa clymene (Clymene Moth), Phragmatobia lineata (Lined Ruby Tiger Moth), Papaipema cataphracta (Burdock Borer Moth), Schinia trifascia (Three-Lined Flower Moth), Chlorochlamys chloroleucaria (Blackberry Looper Moth), and Semiothisa continuata (Geometrid Moth sp.). The small seeds appear to be of little interest to birds and other fauna, although they are occasionally eaten by the Swamp Sparrow. Mammalian herbivores display little interest in Common Boneset as a food source because of the bitterness of the foliage.
Photographic Location: The photographed plants were growing at the bottom of a drainage ditch amid horsetails near the Windsor Road Prairie in Champaign, Illinois. This portion of the drainage ditch does not have standing water during dry weather (i.e., a seasonal wetland).
Comments: Common Boneset has interesting foliage and fragrant flowers. It tolerates flooded conditions better than many other Boneset species. It can be distinghished from these other species by the perfoliate leaves that surround the central stem. The other species have opposite leaves that are sessile or have distinct petioles. All of these species have spreading clusters of white flowers with a similar appearance. These flowers are quite popular with diverse kinds of insects.
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Miss Chen
2017年12月26日
Description: This perennial plant is 3-4' tall and unbranched, except for the upper flowering stems. The stems are covered with white hairs. The opposite leaves are up to 5" long and 1" across, occasionally with small teeth along the margins. They are usually dark green, lanceolate to narrowly ovate, and pubescent. There are three conspicuous veins that run along the length of each leaf. The rather flat inflorescence consists of numerous heads of small white flowers and their buds. These flowers are dull white and individually only 1/8" (3 mm.) across. There is little or no floral scent. The blooming period occurs from late summer to early fall, and lasts about 1-1½ months. The achenes develop small tufts of white or light brown hair; they are dispersed by the wind. This plant may spread vegetatively through rhizomes.
Cultivation: The preference is full or partial sun, and mesic to dry conditions. The soil can contain significant amounts of loam, clay, or gravel; soil with a high pH is tolerated. Drought tolerance is good, although the plant may wilt. Tall Boneset is very easy to grow, and competes well against other plants. It is usually not affected by foliar disease.
Range & Habitat: The native Tall Boneset occurs in most of Illinois, except some southern counties (see Distribution Map). It is a common plant. Habitats include mesic to slightly dry black soil prairies, clay prairies, gravel prairies, savannas, thickets, openings in upland forests, dry banks of lakes, limestone glades, pastures and abandoned fields, fence rows, vacant lots, and areas along railroads. This plant favors disturbed areas, where it may form large colonies.
Faunal Associations: The nectar of the flowers attracts many kinds of insects, including long-tongued bees, short-tongued bees, wasps, flies, small butterflies, skippers, beetles, and plant bugs. Among these, wasps and flies are particularly common visitors. The wasp visitors include Paper wasps, Thread-Waisted wasps, bee wolves (Philanthus spp.), Scoliid wasps, Larrine wasps, Sand wasps, Spider wasps, and others. Fly visitors include Syrphid flies, bee flies, Tachinid flies, Muscid flies, and others. The caterpillars of several moths feed on various parts of Tall Boneset and closely related plants, including Haploa clymene (Clymene Moth), Phragmatobia lineata (Lined Ruby Tiger Moth), Carmenta bassiformis (Eupatorium Borer Moth; bores into roots), and Schinia trifascia (Three-Lined Flower Moth; eats flowers & seed capsules). Mammalian herbivores, including livestock, shun the bitter-tasting leaves of this plant; consequently, it tends to flourish in pastures.
Photographic Location: The photographs were taken at a flower garden along a sidewalk in Urbana, Illinois, and in a vacant lot near the same city.
Comments: Tall Boneset often competes directly with Solidago canadensis (Canada Goldenrod) in disturbed areas, although it prefers slightly drier areas. The two plants appear similar to each other prior to bloom, although the former has darker leaves. This plant provides some white color to a fall landscape that is often dominated by forbs with yellow flowers and the brown color of dried-out grasses. This is the easiest boneset to grow in dry sunny areas. Some people may mistake this plant for a weed, which it is to some extent.
Cultivation: The preference is full or partial sun, and mesic to dry conditions. The soil can contain significant amounts of loam, clay, or gravel; soil with a high pH is tolerated. Drought tolerance is good, although the plant may wilt. Tall Boneset is very easy to grow, and competes well against other plants. It is usually not affected by foliar disease.
Range & Habitat: The native Tall Boneset occurs in most of Illinois, except some southern counties (see Distribution Map). It is a common plant. Habitats include mesic to slightly dry black soil prairies, clay prairies, gravel prairies, savannas, thickets, openings in upland forests, dry banks of lakes, limestone glades, pastures and abandoned fields, fence rows, vacant lots, and areas along railroads. This plant favors disturbed areas, where it may form large colonies.
Faunal Associations: The nectar of the flowers attracts many kinds of insects, including long-tongued bees, short-tongued bees, wasps, flies, small butterflies, skippers, beetles, and plant bugs. Among these, wasps and flies are particularly common visitors. The wasp visitors include Paper wasps, Thread-Waisted wasps, bee wolves (Philanthus spp.), Scoliid wasps, Larrine wasps, Sand wasps, Spider wasps, and others. Fly visitors include Syrphid flies, bee flies, Tachinid flies, Muscid flies, and others. The caterpillars of several moths feed on various parts of Tall Boneset and closely related plants, including Haploa clymene (Clymene Moth), Phragmatobia lineata (Lined Ruby Tiger Moth), Carmenta bassiformis (Eupatorium Borer Moth; bores into roots), and Schinia trifascia (Three-Lined Flower Moth; eats flowers & seed capsules). Mammalian herbivores, including livestock, shun the bitter-tasting leaves of this plant; consequently, it tends to flourish in pastures.
Photographic Location: The photographs were taken at a flower garden along a sidewalk in Urbana, Illinois, and in a vacant lot near the same city.
Comments: Tall Boneset often competes directly with Solidago canadensis (Canada Goldenrod) in disturbed areas, although it prefers slightly drier areas. The two plants appear similar to each other prior to bloom, although the former has darker leaves. This plant provides some white color to a fall landscape that is often dominated by forbs with yellow flowers and the brown color of dried-out grasses. This is the easiest boneset to grow in dry sunny areas. Some people may mistake this plant for a weed, which it is to some extent.
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文章
Miss Chen
2017年12月25日
Description: This annual or biennial plant is erect and 1-3' tall. It is unbranched along the lower half, while forming lateral stems above that are ascending. The central stem is light green to purplish green and longitudinally grooved along its sides. This stem often has spreading white hairs toward its base, while above these hairs become shorter and more appressed. The lateral stems are similar to the central stem above, except they are less grooved. Alternate leaves are up to 4" long and 16 mm. (2/3") across, becoming smaller in size and more sparse as they ascend the stems. The lowest leaves are oblanceolate in shape with long petioles, while the middle to upper leaves are elliptic to linear-elliptic in shape and they are either sessile or their petioles are short (less than ¼" in length). Some of the larger leaves have sparse coarse teeth along their outer margins. The upper leaf surface is medium green and hairless (or nearly so), while the lower leaf surface is light-medium green and short-pubescent along the central vein. The petioles, when they are present, are light green and more or less pubescent; the petioles of lower leaves are sometimes narrowly winged. The central stem and lateral stems terminate in cymes of flowerheads that collectively span up to 10" across for large plants. Individual cymes are dichotomously branched and somewhat flat-headed; as they mature, these cymes become more open and loose.
Individual flowerheads span about ½" across and they have a daisy-like appearance. Each flowerhead has 40-100 ray florets that surround numerous disk florets. The petaloid rays of the former florets are usually white and linear in shape; sometimes these rays are pink- or purple-tinted. The corollas of the disk florets are yellow, narrowly tubular in shape, 5-lobed, and minute in size; they are densely bunched together. Surrounding the base of each flowerhead, there are linear phyllaries (floral bracts) in 1-2 series. These phyllaries are light green, short-pubescent, and about 3 mm. in length. The branches of cymes and the peduncles of flowerheads are similar in appearance to the lateral stems. The branches of cymes have solitary leafy bracts where they dichotomously divide. These leafy bracts are up to 1" long and linear-elliptic in shape. The peduncles of the flowerheads are up to 4" long. The blooming period occurs primarily from late spring to mid-summer, lasting about 1-2 months for a colony of plants. However, some plants may bloom later in the year. In warm sunny weather, the flowerheads may have a mild pleasant fragrance. Afterwards, the florets are replaced by small achenes that have small tufts of bristly hairs at their apices; they are distributed to some extent by the wind. The bodies of the achenes are about 1 mm. long, light brown, oblong-oblanceoloid in shape, slightly flattened, and short-hairy. The root system consists of a shallow branching taproot with secondary fibrous roots. This plant spreads by reseeding itself, occasionally forming loose colonies.
Cultivation: The preference is full sun, mesic to dry conditions, and a somewhat alkaline soil containing clay or gravel. However, this plant can adapt to soil containing fertile loam if taller and more aggressive plants are kept away from it. After the blooming period, the foliage of this plant slowly withers away while releasing its seeds.
Range & Habitat: The native Daisy Fleabane is fairly common and it has been reported from almost all counties of Illinois (see Distribution Map). Habitats include black soil prairies, gravel prairies, hill prairies, limestone glades, dry savannas, eroding clay banks, pastures and abandoned fields, areas along railroads, and roadsides. While Daisy Fleabane is a pioneer species that prefers areas with a history of disturbance, it is more likely to be found in higher quality natural areas than the closely related Annual Fleabane (Erigeron annuus).
Faunal Associations: Primarily small bees and flies visit the flowerheads for nectar or pollen, including little carpenter bees (Ceratina spp.), cuckoo bees (Nomada spp., Stelis spp.), mason bees (Heriades spp.), plasterer bees (Colletes spp.), masked bees (Hylaeus spp.), Halictid bees (Halictus spp., Lasioglossum spp.), Halictid cuckoo bees (Sphecodes spp.), Syrphid flies, bee flies (Bombyliidae), Tachinid flies, flesh flies (Sarcophagidae), and Muscid flies (Robertson, 1929). Less common floral visitors include wasps, small butterflies, and beetles. Other insects feed destructively on the foliage, flowerheads, roots, and plant juices of Daisy Fleabane and other fleabanes (Erigeron spp.). These species include a plant bug (Polymerus basalis), a leafhopper (Empoasca alboneura), the Erigeron Root Aphid (Aphis middletonii) and Leafcurl Plum Aphid (Brachycaudus helichrysi), larvae of the Lynx Flower Moth (Schinia lynx) and other moths, the Meadow Purple-striped Grasshopper (Hesperotettix viridis) and other grasshoppers, and the Four-spotted Tree Cricket (Oecanthus quadripunctatus). For a more complete listing of these insects, see the Insect Table. Mammalian herbivores occasionally browse on the foliage and flowerheads of these plants. This includes deer, rabbits, groundhogs, sheep, and other livestock.
Photographic Location: The photographs were taken of plants at an eroding clay bank along a road near Urbana, Illinois.
Comments: Daisy Fleabane (Erigeron strigosus) resembles Annual Fleabane (Erigeron annuus), but robust specimens of these two species are fairly easy to distinguish. Daisy Fleabane has fewer and more slender leaves than Annual Fleabane, and the hairs along its middle to upper stems are short and appressed, rather than long and spreading. Another species, Marsh Fleabane (Erigeron philadelphicus), differs by having slightly larger flowerheads with more ray florets (100-300), and wider leaves that clasp the stems. In addition, Marsh Fleabane has only spreading hairs along its stems. While the fleabanes (Erigeron spp.) are often dismissed as 'weeds' because of their ubiquitousness during the summer, they are actually rather attractive plants that are beneficial to many small insects that have important roles in the functioning of the ecological system. As pioneer species, fleabanes are also useful in providing early cover for exposed ground, thereby reducing soil erosion.
Individual flowerheads span about ½" across and they have a daisy-like appearance. Each flowerhead has 40-100 ray florets that surround numerous disk florets. The petaloid rays of the former florets are usually white and linear in shape; sometimes these rays are pink- or purple-tinted. The corollas of the disk florets are yellow, narrowly tubular in shape, 5-lobed, and minute in size; they are densely bunched together. Surrounding the base of each flowerhead, there are linear phyllaries (floral bracts) in 1-2 series. These phyllaries are light green, short-pubescent, and about 3 mm. in length. The branches of cymes and the peduncles of flowerheads are similar in appearance to the lateral stems. The branches of cymes have solitary leafy bracts where they dichotomously divide. These leafy bracts are up to 1" long and linear-elliptic in shape. The peduncles of the flowerheads are up to 4" long. The blooming period occurs primarily from late spring to mid-summer, lasting about 1-2 months for a colony of plants. However, some plants may bloom later in the year. In warm sunny weather, the flowerheads may have a mild pleasant fragrance. Afterwards, the florets are replaced by small achenes that have small tufts of bristly hairs at their apices; they are distributed to some extent by the wind. The bodies of the achenes are about 1 mm. long, light brown, oblong-oblanceoloid in shape, slightly flattened, and short-hairy. The root system consists of a shallow branching taproot with secondary fibrous roots. This plant spreads by reseeding itself, occasionally forming loose colonies.
Cultivation: The preference is full sun, mesic to dry conditions, and a somewhat alkaline soil containing clay or gravel. However, this plant can adapt to soil containing fertile loam if taller and more aggressive plants are kept away from it. After the blooming period, the foliage of this plant slowly withers away while releasing its seeds.
Range & Habitat: The native Daisy Fleabane is fairly common and it has been reported from almost all counties of Illinois (see Distribution Map). Habitats include black soil prairies, gravel prairies, hill prairies, limestone glades, dry savannas, eroding clay banks, pastures and abandoned fields, areas along railroads, and roadsides. While Daisy Fleabane is a pioneer species that prefers areas with a history of disturbance, it is more likely to be found in higher quality natural areas than the closely related Annual Fleabane (Erigeron annuus).
Faunal Associations: Primarily small bees and flies visit the flowerheads for nectar or pollen, including little carpenter bees (Ceratina spp.), cuckoo bees (Nomada spp., Stelis spp.), mason bees (Heriades spp.), plasterer bees (Colletes spp.), masked bees (Hylaeus spp.), Halictid bees (Halictus spp., Lasioglossum spp.), Halictid cuckoo bees (Sphecodes spp.), Syrphid flies, bee flies (Bombyliidae), Tachinid flies, flesh flies (Sarcophagidae), and Muscid flies (Robertson, 1929). Less common floral visitors include wasps, small butterflies, and beetles. Other insects feed destructively on the foliage, flowerheads, roots, and plant juices of Daisy Fleabane and other fleabanes (Erigeron spp.). These species include a plant bug (Polymerus basalis), a leafhopper (Empoasca alboneura), the Erigeron Root Aphid (Aphis middletonii) and Leafcurl Plum Aphid (Brachycaudus helichrysi), larvae of the Lynx Flower Moth (Schinia lynx) and other moths, the Meadow Purple-striped Grasshopper (Hesperotettix viridis) and other grasshoppers, and the Four-spotted Tree Cricket (Oecanthus quadripunctatus). For a more complete listing of these insects, see the Insect Table. Mammalian herbivores occasionally browse on the foliage and flowerheads of these plants. This includes deer, rabbits, groundhogs, sheep, and other livestock.
Photographic Location: The photographs were taken of plants at an eroding clay bank along a road near Urbana, Illinois.
Comments: Daisy Fleabane (Erigeron strigosus) resembles Annual Fleabane (Erigeron annuus), but robust specimens of these two species are fairly easy to distinguish. Daisy Fleabane has fewer and more slender leaves than Annual Fleabane, and the hairs along its middle to upper stems are short and appressed, rather than long and spreading. Another species, Marsh Fleabane (Erigeron philadelphicus), differs by having slightly larger flowerheads with more ray florets (100-300), and wider leaves that clasp the stems. In addition, Marsh Fleabane has only spreading hairs along its stems. While the fleabanes (Erigeron spp.) are often dismissed as 'weeds' because of their ubiquitousness during the summer, they are actually rather attractive plants that are beneficial to many small insects that have important roles in the functioning of the ecological system. As pioneer species, fleabanes are also useful in providing early cover for exposed ground, thereby reducing soil erosion.
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Miss Chen：@bell stefani You can search for the name of the plant.：）
bell stefani：hi Miss Chen lovely article! I have a question off topic, I'm new and how do I find the articles I have favorited? sorry for the random question! hope you have a great evening, thanks :)
文章
Miss Chen
2017年12月25日
Description: This is a perennial plant up to 3½' tall that branches occasionally. The light green stems have small purple streaks and scattered white hairs. The alternate or opposite leaves are up to 6" long and 3" across, becoming smaller as they ascend the stems. The leaves are ovate to lanceolate in shape and their margins have widely spaced teeth (or less often, they lack teeth). The upper leaf surface is olive or dark green with minute appressed hairs. The petioles are short and slightly winged.
Upper stems terminate in individual flowerheads spanning about 2½-4" across. These flowerheads have long naked peduncles (flowering stalks) up to 8" long; the peduncles have scattered hairs like the stems. Each daisy-like flowerhead has 10-20 ray florets that surround a large central cone of numerous disk florets. The central cone is yellowish brown to reddish brown, somewhat flattened, and very prickly. The petaloid rays are purple, narrowly oblong, and they tend to droop downward with age. Around the base of each flowerhead, there are numerous floral bracts (phyllaries) that are arranged in several layers. These bracts are green, hairy, and narrowly lanceolate, becoming recurved when the flowerhead blooms. The blooming period begins in mid-summer and lasts about a month, after which there is a temporary dormancy. Later, some plants may bloom again during the early fall. In bright sunlight, the flowerheads are mildly fragrant. Afterwards, the disk florets are replaced by dark achenes that are narrow and flat; they lack tufts of hair. At this time, the seedhead is prickly and dark-colored. The root system is fibrous and short-rhizomatous. Small dense colonies of plants may form from the rhizomes.
Cultivation: The preference is full to partial sun and moist to mesic conditions. Growth is best in fertile loam, but the soil can contain some gravel or clay. Foliar disease is rarely troublesome. While there is some drought resistance, the entire plant will wilt if the soil becomes too dry, particularly in strong sunlight. This plant is very easy to grow if the preceding requirements are met.
Range & Habitat: The native Purple Coneflower occurs primarily in central and NE Illinois, and a few counties in southern Illinois (see Distribution Map). While often grown in gardens around homes and businesses, it is an uncommon plant in the wild. However, Purple Coneflower is often used in prairie restorations, where it may be locally common. Some populations, particularly in the Chicago area, are probably plants that have escaped from cultivation. Habitats include moist to mesic black soil prairies, edges and openings in woodlands, savannas, thickets, and limestone glades.
Faunal Associations: The flowers are cross-pollinated by long-tongued bees, bee flies, Halictid bees, butterflies, and skippers. Among long-tongued bees, are such visitors as honeybees, bumblebees, digger bees (Melissodes spp.), and leaf-cutting bees (Megachile spp.). Butterfly visitors include Monarchs, Fritillaries, Painted Ladies, Swallowtails, Sulfurs, and Whites. The caterpillars of the butterfly Chlosyne nycteis (Silvery Checkerspot) feed on the foliage, while the caterpillars of several moths feed on the flowerheads. These latter species include Chlorochlamys chloroleucaria (Blackberry Looper), Eupithecia miserulata (Common Eupithecia), Synchlora aerata (Wavy-Lined Emerald), and Homoeosoma electella (Sunflower Moth). A small songbird, the Eastern Goldfinch, occasionally eats the seeds during the summer and early fall.
Photographic Location: The photographs were taken at Meadowbrook Park in Urbana, Illinois, and the webmaster's wildflower garden in the same city.
Comments: This is a striking plant when it is in full bloom, as the flowers are large and colorful. There is a cultivated form, called 'White Swan,' that is often grown in flower gardens, but plants with white petaloid rays are very rare in the wild. Purple Coneflower seems to attract more than its fair share of butterflies, particularly in sunny, sheltered areas. It can be distinguished from the similar Echinacea pallida (Pale Purple Coneflower) by its broader leaves, bushier habit, and later blooming period.
Upper stems terminate in individual flowerheads spanning about 2½-4" across. These flowerheads have long naked peduncles (flowering stalks) up to 8" long; the peduncles have scattered hairs like the stems. Each daisy-like flowerhead has 10-20 ray florets that surround a large central cone of numerous disk florets. The central cone is yellowish brown to reddish brown, somewhat flattened, and very prickly. The petaloid rays are purple, narrowly oblong, and they tend to droop downward with age. Around the base of each flowerhead, there are numerous floral bracts (phyllaries) that are arranged in several layers. These bracts are green, hairy, and narrowly lanceolate, becoming recurved when the flowerhead blooms. The blooming period begins in mid-summer and lasts about a month, after which there is a temporary dormancy. Later, some plants may bloom again during the early fall. In bright sunlight, the flowerheads are mildly fragrant. Afterwards, the disk florets are replaced by dark achenes that are narrow and flat; they lack tufts of hair. At this time, the seedhead is prickly and dark-colored. The root system is fibrous and short-rhizomatous. Small dense colonies of plants may form from the rhizomes.
Cultivation: The preference is full to partial sun and moist to mesic conditions. Growth is best in fertile loam, but the soil can contain some gravel or clay. Foliar disease is rarely troublesome. While there is some drought resistance, the entire plant will wilt if the soil becomes too dry, particularly in strong sunlight. This plant is very easy to grow if the preceding requirements are met.
Range & Habitat: The native Purple Coneflower occurs primarily in central and NE Illinois, and a few counties in southern Illinois (see Distribution Map). While often grown in gardens around homes and businesses, it is an uncommon plant in the wild. However, Purple Coneflower is often used in prairie restorations, where it may be locally common. Some populations, particularly in the Chicago area, are probably plants that have escaped from cultivation. Habitats include moist to mesic black soil prairies, edges and openings in woodlands, savannas, thickets, and limestone glades.
Faunal Associations: The flowers are cross-pollinated by long-tongued bees, bee flies, Halictid bees, butterflies, and skippers. Among long-tongued bees, are such visitors as honeybees, bumblebees, digger bees (Melissodes spp.), and leaf-cutting bees (Megachile spp.). Butterfly visitors include Monarchs, Fritillaries, Painted Ladies, Swallowtails, Sulfurs, and Whites. The caterpillars of the butterfly Chlosyne nycteis (Silvery Checkerspot) feed on the foliage, while the caterpillars of several moths feed on the flowerheads. These latter species include Chlorochlamys chloroleucaria (Blackberry Looper), Eupithecia miserulata (Common Eupithecia), Synchlora aerata (Wavy-Lined Emerald), and Homoeosoma electella (Sunflower Moth). A small songbird, the Eastern Goldfinch, occasionally eats the seeds during the summer and early fall.
Photographic Location: The photographs were taken at Meadowbrook Park in Urbana, Illinois, and the webmaster's wildflower garden in the same city.
Comments: This is a striking plant when it is in full bloom, as the flowers are large and colorful. There is a cultivated form, called 'White Swan,' that is often grown in flower gardens, but plants with white petaloid rays are very rare in the wild. Purple Coneflower seems to attract more than its fair share of butterflies, particularly in sunny, sheltered areas. It can be distinguished from the similar Echinacea pallida (Pale Purple Coneflower) by its broader leaves, bushier habit, and later blooming period.
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文章
Miss Chen
2017年12月24日
Description: This herbaceous plant is a summer annual that has stems about ½–1' long. These stems are usually erect or ascending, although sometimes they sprawl across the ground. The stems are unbranched or sparingly branched, light green to red, bluntly 4-angled (at least above), and short-pubescent (var. teres) to hairy (var. setifera). Pairs of opposite leaves occur along the entire length of each stem. These leaves are up to 1½" long and ¼" across; they are linear, linear-lanceolate, or linear-oblong in shape, entire (toothless) and involute (rolled downward) along their margins, and sessile with prominent central veins. The upper leaf surface is medium green and appressed short-pubescent to glabrous, while the lower leaf surface is slightly more pale and short-pubescent primarily along the central vein. The leaf bases along each stem are joined with merged stipules that form shallow cup-like structures. The exterior of these stipules is green to whitish green and sparsely short-pubescent to hairy. Along the upper rim of each pair of merged stipules, there are long erect bristles up to ½" long; these bristles are light green, white, or red.
Either solitary or small clusters of 2-3 flowers are produced from the axils of the middle to upper leaves. Each flower is up to ¼" long, consisting of a tubular-funnelform corolla with 4 spreading lobes, 4 green sepals that are lanceolate in shape, 4 stamens with pale yellow to white anthers, and an inferior ovary with a single white style. The corolla is lilac, pink, or white; its exterior is often finely short-hairy. The sepals are sparsely short-pubescent to hairy; they are shorter than the corolla. The style has a knobby (capitate) tip. Both the stamens and style are included or only slightly exserted from the corolla. The blooming period occurs from mid-summer to early autumn, lasting about 1-2 months. There is no noticeable floral scent. Afterwards, the flowers are replaced by dry fruits (schizocarps) that are obovoid in shape with remnants of the persistent sepals at their apices. Immature fruits are green, while mature fruits are brown. These fruits are sparsely short-pubescent (var. teres) to hairy (var. setifera); their fine hairs are straight and ascending. Eventually, these fruits divide into 2 nutlets each. The nutlets are about 3Distribution Map mm. (1/8") long, half-obovoid in shape, brown, and more or less covered with persistent fine hairs. The root system consists of a slender taproot with secondary feeder roots. This plant often forms colonies by reseeding itself.
Cultivation: The preference is full sun, dry conditions, and poor soil containing an abundance of sand, gravel, or compacted clay. This plant will also tolerate partial sun and moister conditions with fertile soil, in which case it will be displaced by taller plants eventually. Drought tolerance is quite good because of the long taproot.
Range & Habitat: Rough Buttonweed occurs occasionally in the southern half of Illinois, where it is native, and a few counties in the northern half, where it is probably adventive. Illinois lies along the northern range limit of this species. Habitats include upland prairies where there is sparse vegetation, hill prairies, sand prairies, rocky glades, gravel bars along rivers, pathways with compacted soil, gravelly areas along roadsides, gravelly areas along railroads, and barren waste ground. Areas with a history of disturbance are preferred. Rough Buttonweed is regarded as a common weed in the southern states, but it is less ubiquitous in Illinois.
Faunal Associations: Limited information is available about this plant's relationships to various fauna. The nectar and pollen of the flowers probably attract small bees and flower flies (Syrphidae). It has been reported by Tietz (1972) that caterpillars of the Tersa Sphinx (Xylophanes tersa) feed on Rough Buttonweed. This moth has a southern distribution, but it is a strong flyer that migrates to the northern states during the summer. Another insect that feeds on this plant is a flea beetle, Strabala rufa (Clark et al., 2004). This flea beetle has a brownish orange to red carapace. The Greater Prairie Chicken eats the seeds, and possibly other gamebirds feed on them as well.
Photographic Location: The photographs were taken of plants growing on a little-used path with compacted soil. This path was located near an abandoned railroad in Champaign County, Illinois. Rather large colonies of Rough Buttonweed occurred in this area, primarily in sunny areas where Partridge Pea (Chamaecrista fasciculata) and Flowering Spurge (Euphorbia corollata) also occurred. The photographed plants are the less hairy variety of Rough Buttonweed, Diodia teres teres.
Comments: Rough Buttonweed (Diodia teres) is not particularly showy and it is easily overlooked. This plant resembles some of the other buttonweeds (Diodia spp.), but it has more narrow leaves and it prefers to grow in drier, sunnier places. Compared to Smooth Buttonweed (Diodia virginica), Rough Buttonweed has shorter flowers, undivided styles, and corollas that are often lilac or pink. Smooth Buttonweed has white flowers with slender divided styles. Other common names of Diodia teres are 'Poorjoe' and 'Poverty Weed.' These are primarily southern names that refer to this plant's preference for poor soil. There are two varieties of Rough Buttonweed: the typical variety (var. teres) and a more hairy variety (var. setifera). This latter variety occurs in southern Illinois.
Either solitary or small clusters of 2-3 flowers are produced from the axils of the middle to upper leaves. Each flower is up to ¼" long, consisting of a tubular-funnelform corolla with 4 spreading lobes, 4 green sepals that are lanceolate in shape, 4 stamens with pale yellow to white anthers, and an inferior ovary with a single white style. The corolla is lilac, pink, or white; its exterior is often finely short-hairy. The sepals are sparsely short-pubescent to hairy; they are shorter than the corolla. The style has a knobby (capitate) tip. Both the stamens and style are included or only slightly exserted from the corolla. The blooming period occurs from mid-summer to early autumn, lasting about 1-2 months. There is no noticeable floral scent. Afterwards, the flowers are replaced by dry fruits (schizocarps) that are obovoid in shape with remnants of the persistent sepals at their apices. Immature fruits are green, while mature fruits are brown. These fruits are sparsely short-pubescent (var. teres) to hairy (var. setifera); their fine hairs are straight and ascending. Eventually, these fruits divide into 2 nutlets each. The nutlets are about 3Distribution Map mm. (1/8") long, half-obovoid in shape, brown, and more or less covered with persistent fine hairs. The root system consists of a slender taproot with secondary feeder roots. This plant often forms colonies by reseeding itself.
Cultivation: The preference is full sun, dry conditions, and poor soil containing an abundance of sand, gravel, or compacted clay. This plant will also tolerate partial sun and moister conditions with fertile soil, in which case it will be displaced by taller plants eventually. Drought tolerance is quite good because of the long taproot.
Range & Habitat: Rough Buttonweed occurs occasionally in the southern half of Illinois, where it is native, and a few counties in the northern half, where it is probably adventive. Illinois lies along the northern range limit of this species. Habitats include upland prairies where there is sparse vegetation, hill prairies, sand prairies, rocky glades, gravel bars along rivers, pathways with compacted soil, gravelly areas along roadsides, gravelly areas along railroads, and barren waste ground. Areas with a history of disturbance are preferred. Rough Buttonweed is regarded as a common weed in the southern states, but it is less ubiquitous in Illinois.
Faunal Associations: Limited information is available about this plant's relationships to various fauna. The nectar and pollen of the flowers probably attract small bees and flower flies (Syrphidae). It has been reported by Tietz (1972) that caterpillars of the Tersa Sphinx (Xylophanes tersa) feed on Rough Buttonweed. This moth has a southern distribution, but it is a strong flyer that migrates to the northern states during the summer. Another insect that feeds on this plant is a flea beetle, Strabala rufa (Clark et al., 2004). This flea beetle has a brownish orange to red carapace. The Greater Prairie Chicken eats the seeds, and possibly other gamebirds feed on them as well.
Photographic Location: The photographs were taken of plants growing on a little-used path with compacted soil. This path was located near an abandoned railroad in Champaign County, Illinois. Rather large colonies of Rough Buttonweed occurred in this area, primarily in sunny areas where Partridge Pea (Chamaecrista fasciculata) and Flowering Spurge (Euphorbia corollata) also occurred. The photographed plants are the less hairy variety of Rough Buttonweed, Diodia teres teres.
Comments: Rough Buttonweed (Diodia teres) is not particularly showy and it is easily overlooked. This plant resembles some of the other buttonweeds (Diodia spp.), but it has more narrow leaves and it prefers to grow in drier, sunnier places. Compared to Smooth Buttonweed (Diodia virginica), Rough Buttonweed has shorter flowers, undivided styles, and corollas that are often lilac or pink. Smooth Buttonweed has white flowers with slender divided styles. Other common names of Diodia teres are 'Poorjoe' and 'Poverty Weed.' These are primarily southern names that refer to this plant's preference for poor soil. There are two varieties of Rough Buttonweed: the typical variety (var. teres) and a more hairy variety (var. setifera). This latter variety occurs in southern Illinois.
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文章
Miss Chen
2017年12月23日
Description: This herbaceous perennial plant is unbranched and ¾–3' tall. Older plants may tiller at the base and send up multiple stems, creating a bushy effect. The central stem is slightly ridged and hairless. The odd-pinnate compound leaves alternate as they ascend the stem. They consist of 3-7 leaflets and tend to be quite short, approximately 2-5" long. Each leaflet is dark green, linear in shape, and about 1" long and 1/8" (3 mm.) across. There are scattered translucent dots across the surface. At the top of the plant is a dense cylindrical spike of flowers about 1-2" long and about half as much or less across. Each purple flower is about ¼" across, with 5 small petals and 5 golden anthers that protrude outward. These flowers bloom together as a flowery wreath at the bottom of the spike, which gradually moves upward at the season progresses. There is no noticeable floral scent. The blooming period occurs from early to mid-summer, and lasts about 1–1½ months. The root system consists of a stout taproot that runs deep into the ground. The seeds travel only a short distance from the mother plant when the cylindrical spikes are shaken by the wind.
Flowering Plants
Cultivation: The preference is full sun and average to dry conditions. The soil can contain significant amounts of loam, clay, sand, or gravel – this plant is rather indifferent to the characteristics of the soil, to which it adds nitrogen. Foliar disease is not troublesome. Purple Prairie Clover is slow to develop, but is fairly easy to manage if the site is well-drained and there is plenty of sun.
Range & Habitat: The native Purple Prairie Clover occurs occasionally in central and northern Illinois, but is rare or absent in southern Illinois (see Distribution Map). It is not common in areas that have been disturbed by modern development. Habitats include mesic to dry black soil prairies, gravel prairies, sand prairies, hill prairies, typical savannas and sandy savannas, limestone glades, and sandy hills or dunes near Lake Michigan. Recovery from occasional wildfires is good.
Faunal Associations: The nectar and pollen of the flowers attract many kinds of insects, including honeybees, bumblebees, cuckoo bees (Triepeolus spp., Coelioxys spp.), long-horned bees (Melissodes spp.), leafcutter bees (Megachile spp.), Halictid bees (including green metallic bees), plasterer bees (Colletes spp.), Sphecid wasps, Tiphiid wasps, Syrphid flies, bee flies (Bombyliidae), thick-headed flies (Conopidae), small butterflies, skippers, and beetles (Robertson, 1929; Reed, 1993, 1995). The following plasterer bees are oligoleges (specialist pollinators) of Dalea spp. (prairie clovers): Colletes albescens, Colletes robertsonii, Colletes susannae, and Colletes wilmattae. Other insects feed destructively on the seeds, foliage, and other parts of Purple Prairie Clover and other prairie clovers. These species include seed-eating larvae of some weevils (Apion reconditum, Apion tenuirostrum, Apion capitone), seed-eating larvae of a beetle (Acanthoscelides seminulum), a plant bug (Lopidea minor), Three-spotted Treehopper (Vanduzea triguttata), Little Pasture Grasshopper (Melanoplus confusus), and larvae of two butterflies, the Dogface Sulphur (Colias cesonia) and Reakirt's Blue (Hemiargus isola); see Sauer (2005), Boe & Johnson (2014), Kingsolver (2004), Knight (1941), Haarstad (2002), Campbell et al. (1974), and Opler & Krizek (1984). Purple Prairie Clover is palatable and high in protein, therefore mammalian herbivores of all kinds eat this plant readily. It can be difficult to establish in some areas if there is an abundance of these animals. It is possible that small rodents carry the seeds to their dens, which may aid in the distribution of this plant.
Photographic Location: The photographs were taken at the Lincoln Book Bindery in Urbana, Illinois.
Comments: A mature plant that tillers at the base is very attractive when it is in full bloom. Also, the foliage is somewhat ornamental and remains attractive throughout the growing season. This plant is not easily confused with any other species, perhaps the most similar being Dalea candida (White Prairie Clover), which has white flowers and foliage that is lighter-colored and somewhat longer. In the past, the scientific name for this plant was Petalostemum purpureum.
Flowering Plants
Cultivation: The preference is full sun and average to dry conditions. The soil can contain significant amounts of loam, clay, sand, or gravel – this plant is rather indifferent to the characteristics of the soil, to which it adds nitrogen. Foliar disease is not troublesome. Purple Prairie Clover is slow to develop, but is fairly easy to manage if the site is well-drained and there is plenty of sun.
Range & Habitat: The native Purple Prairie Clover occurs occasionally in central and northern Illinois, but is rare or absent in southern Illinois (see Distribution Map). It is not common in areas that have been disturbed by modern development. Habitats include mesic to dry black soil prairies, gravel prairies, sand prairies, hill prairies, typical savannas and sandy savannas, limestone glades, and sandy hills or dunes near Lake Michigan. Recovery from occasional wildfires is good.
Faunal Associations: The nectar and pollen of the flowers attract many kinds of insects, including honeybees, bumblebees, cuckoo bees (Triepeolus spp., Coelioxys spp.), long-horned bees (Melissodes spp.), leafcutter bees (Megachile spp.), Halictid bees (including green metallic bees), plasterer bees (Colletes spp.), Sphecid wasps, Tiphiid wasps, Syrphid flies, bee flies (Bombyliidae), thick-headed flies (Conopidae), small butterflies, skippers, and beetles (Robertson, 1929; Reed, 1993, 1995). The following plasterer bees are oligoleges (specialist pollinators) of Dalea spp. (prairie clovers): Colletes albescens, Colletes robertsonii, Colletes susannae, and Colletes wilmattae. Other insects feed destructively on the seeds, foliage, and other parts of Purple Prairie Clover and other prairie clovers. These species include seed-eating larvae of some weevils (Apion reconditum, Apion tenuirostrum, Apion capitone), seed-eating larvae of a beetle (Acanthoscelides seminulum), a plant bug (Lopidea minor), Three-spotted Treehopper (Vanduzea triguttata), Little Pasture Grasshopper (Melanoplus confusus), and larvae of two butterflies, the Dogface Sulphur (Colias cesonia) and Reakirt's Blue (Hemiargus isola); see Sauer (2005), Boe & Johnson (2014), Kingsolver (2004), Knight (1941), Haarstad (2002), Campbell et al. (1974), and Opler & Krizek (1984). Purple Prairie Clover is palatable and high in protein, therefore mammalian herbivores of all kinds eat this plant readily. It can be difficult to establish in some areas if there is an abundance of these animals. It is possible that small rodents carry the seeds to their dens, which may aid in the distribution of this plant.
Photographic Location: The photographs were taken at the Lincoln Book Bindery in Urbana, Illinois.
Comments: A mature plant that tillers at the base is very attractive when it is in full bloom. Also, the foliage is somewhat ornamental and remains attractive throughout the growing season. This plant is not easily confused with any other species, perhaps the most similar being Dalea candida (White Prairie Clover), which has white flowers and foliage that is lighter-colored and somewhat longer. In the past, the scientific name for this plant was Petalostemum purpureum.
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Miss Chen
2017年12月22日
Description: This plant is a summer annual about ½-2½' tall that is abundantly branched; robust specimens can be as wide as they are tall, resembling a tumbleweed. The stems are are erect to widely spreading, terete to angular, and pale green; young stems are covered with appressed woolly hairs, often becoming less hairy with age. Along the stems, there are alternate leaves 1-3" long and ¼-¾" across; they are pale green, narrowly ovate to oblong in shape, and shallowly lobed, coarsely toothed, or undulate along their margins. Some upper leaves may have smooth margins. When lobes are present on the leaves, they are usually triangular-shaped with pointed tips. Young leaves have appressed woolly hairs on both the upper and lower sides, although they often become less hairy with age. Leaves are either sessile or they have short pedicels up to ½" long. During the fall, the deciduous foliage of this plant becomes red or purple.
The upper stems terminate in either spikes or panicles of whitish green flowers. The length of these spikes or panicles is 2-12" long; their branches are frequently curved or crooked. Sessile flowers occur individually along these branches and they are widely separated from each other. Individual flowers are about 5 mm. (1/6"), consisting of 5 green sepals that curve inward, 5 stamens, and a flattened ovary with 2-3 styles. Except for its apex, the ovary of each flower is covered by the sepals. Each sepal is lanceolate-ovate, slightly keeled in the center, and membranous along its margins. The flowers lack petals and there are no bracts. Flowers are sometimes pistillate; such flowers lack stamens. The blooming period occurs from late summer into the fall for 2-3 months. The flowers are cross-pollinated by the wind. Each flower is replaced by a single horizontal seed that is covered by the persistent sepals (except at the apex). Surrounding each group of sepals and the seed, there is a pale membranous wing (wider than 0.5 mm.) that is circular and slightly fringed along its outer margin. Individual seeds are covered with translucent membranes that are chaffy. Individual seeds are about 1.5 mm. across, circular and flattened in shape, black, and smooth. During the fall or winter, the entire plant may break off at the base, becoming a tumbleweed that is blown about by the wind. As a result, the seeds are scattered across the landscape. The root system consists of a taproot.
Cultivation: The preference is full sun, mesic to dry conditions, and very sandy soil. The size of individual plants is variable.
Range & Habitat: The native Winged Pigweed is occasional in northern and west-central Illinois, otherwise it is rare or absent (see Distribution Map). Habitats include dry sand prairies, dry sandy savannas, sandy areas along major rivers, beaches and sand dunes along Lake Michigan, sandy fields, and barren areas along railroads. This plant typically occurs in sandy habitats with sparse ground vegetation and loose sand. It is a pioneer species that plays a minor role in stabilizing loose sand in wind-tossed areas.
Faunal Associations: Very little is known specifically about floral-faunal relationships for this species. An unidentified scale insect (Lecanium sp.) and an aphid (Macrosiphum gei) have been observed to suck juices from the foliage. Many insects that feed on Chenopodium spp. (Lamb's Quarters) undoubtedly feed on Winged Pigweed as well. Some upland gamebirds and granivorous songbirds probably eat the seeds, while mammalian herbivores probably feed occasionally on the foliage. Because the small seeds of species in the Goosefoot family can pass through the digestive tracts of both songbirds and mammals, they may be partially distributed by these animals.
Photographic Location: A sandy beach along Lake Michigan at the Indiana Dunes State Park in NW Indiana. The photographs of the foliage were taken during late July, while the photograph of the winged seeds was taken during late September.
Comments: The odd-looking Winged Pigweed is the only species in its genus. It differs from other species in the Goosefoot family (Chenopodiaceae) by the appressed woolly hairs on its foliage and the winged membrane around its dry fruit. In contrast, other species in this family have foliage that is white-mealy, glandular-pubescent, or hairless. The flowers of Winged Pigweed occur individually on the branches of an inflorescence, whereas most species in the Goosefoot family have flowers that occur in clusters.
The upper stems terminate in either spikes or panicles of whitish green flowers. The length of these spikes or panicles is 2-12" long; their branches are frequently curved or crooked. Sessile flowers occur individually along these branches and they are widely separated from each other. Individual flowers are about 5 mm. (1/6"), consisting of 5 green sepals that curve inward, 5 stamens, and a flattened ovary with 2-3 styles. Except for its apex, the ovary of each flower is covered by the sepals. Each sepal is lanceolate-ovate, slightly keeled in the center, and membranous along its margins. The flowers lack petals and there are no bracts. Flowers are sometimes pistillate; such flowers lack stamens. The blooming period occurs from late summer into the fall for 2-3 months. The flowers are cross-pollinated by the wind. Each flower is replaced by a single horizontal seed that is covered by the persistent sepals (except at the apex). Surrounding each group of sepals and the seed, there is a pale membranous wing (wider than 0.5 mm.) that is circular and slightly fringed along its outer margin. Individual seeds are covered with translucent membranes that are chaffy. Individual seeds are about 1.5 mm. across, circular and flattened in shape, black, and smooth. During the fall or winter, the entire plant may break off at the base, becoming a tumbleweed that is blown about by the wind. As a result, the seeds are scattered across the landscape. The root system consists of a taproot.
Cultivation: The preference is full sun, mesic to dry conditions, and very sandy soil. The size of individual plants is variable.
Range & Habitat: The native Winged Pigweed is occasional in northern and west-central Illinois, otherwise it is rare or absent (see Distribution Map). Habitats include dry sand prairies, dry sandy savannas, sandy areas along major rivers, beaches and sand dunes along Lake Michigan, sandy fields, and barren areas along railroads. This plant typically occurs in sandy habitats with sparse ground vegetation and loose sand. It is a pioneer species that plays a minor role in stabilizing loose sand in wind-tossed areas.
Faunal Associations: Very little is known specifically about floral-faunal relationships for this species. An unidentified scale insect (Lecanium sp.) and an aphid (Macrosiphum gei) have been observed to suck juices from the foliage. Many insects that feed on Chenopodium spp. (Lamb's Quarters) undoubtedly feed on Winged Pigweed as well. Some upland gamebirds and granivorous songbirds probably eat the seeds, while mammalian herbivores probably feed occasionally on the foliage. Because the small seeds of species in the Goosefoot family can pass through the digestive tracts of both songbirds and mammals, they may be partially distributed by these animals.
Photographic Location: A sandy beach along Lake Michigan at the Indiana Dunes State Park in NW Indiana. The photographs of the foliage were taken during late July, while the photograph of the winged seeds was taken during late September.
Comments: The odd-looking Winged Pigweed is the only species in its genus. It differs from other species in the Goosefoot family (Chenopodiaceae) by the appressed woolly hairs on its foliage and the winged membrane around its dry fruit. In contrast, other species in this family have foliage that is white-mealy, glandular-pubescent, or hairless. The flowers of Winged Pigweed occur individually on the branches of an inflorescence, whereas most species in the Goosefoot family have flowers that occur in clusters.
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Miss Chen
2017年12月22日
Description: This parasitic vine is a summer annual up to several feet long that branches occasionally. The stems are yellow to orange, more or less terete, glabrous, and about 1 mm. across. These stems curl around the stems of suitable host plants, climbing upward and often smothering them. Sessile suckers (haustoria) occur along these stems at frequent intervals, causing them to have a warty or bumpy appearance. These suckers extract water and nutrients from the host plants. There are no leaves and this vine does not produce chlorophyll; it is totally dependent for survival on its host plants. As the vine continues to grow, dense clusters of 5-25 flowers are occasionally produced. Each flower is about 3 mm. across, consisting of a light green to yellowish green calyx with 5 lobes, a white corolla with 5 triangular or ovate-triangular lobes with incurved tips, 5 exserted stamens, and a light green to yellowish green ovary with a pair of short styles with knobby stigmas. The glabrous calyx is short-campanulate (bell-shaped) and each lobe either overlaps adjacent lobes slightly or it is non-overlapping. The circumference of the calyx is circular (round), rather than angled. Individual calyx lobes are usually oval in shape with obtuse or rounded tips. Fertile anthers are up to 0.5 mm. in length and bright yellow, becoming light brown as they wither away.
The pedicels of the flowers are light green to yellowish green, glabrous, and very short (0.5-2.0 mm. in length). These pedicels are initially terete and about 1 mm. across, but they may become swollen and angular as their flowers develop. Sometimes solitary bracts occur at the bases of flower clusters, or at the bases of individual pedicels. The blooming period occurs from mid-summer to early fall, lasting about 1 month. The flowers are either mildly fragrant or not noticeably fragrant; in the absence of cross-pollination, they are self-fertile. As the flowers continue to mature, their ovaries (developing seed capsules) swell in size, becoming 2-3.5 mm. across and subgloboid (depressed-globular) in shape. Immature seed capsules are light green, becoming yellowish orange as they begin to mature, and finally turning light brown to brown at full maturity. These capsules eventually split open irregularly to release their tiny seeds (up to 4 seeds per capsule). The seeds can spread to other areas by wind or water. Individual seeds are 1.0-1.5 mm. in length, ovoid-angular in shape, and dull yellow to brown. The seed surfaces are minutely pitted (requires 20x magnification or higher to see). While an elementary root system develops from a newly germinated seed, it soon withers away as the seedling becomes attached to a host plant.
Cultivation: This parasitic vine requires a suitable host plant in order to survive. Examples of such host plants include Baptisia australis (Blue Wild Indigo), Trifolium spp. (Clover), Medicago sativa (Alfalfa), Beta vulgaris (Sugar Beet), Solanum tuberosum (Potato), Polygonaceae (Smartweeds & Knotweeds), Allium cepa (Onion), and many others. Unsuitable host plants include Glycine max (Soybean), Equisteum arvense (Field Horsetail), and most grasses and sedges. Field Dodder occurs in drier habitats than many other Cuscuta spp. (Dodder species). It is typically found in either sandy or non-sandy areas where there is full sun or partial sun. The seeds can persist in the soil and remain viable for several years.
Range & Habitat: Field Dodder (Cuscuta campestris) is occasional throughout Illinois (see Distribution Map), where it is native. Field Dodder is one of the more common Dodder species in Illinois and it is widely distributed in North America. Habitats include banks of rivers, fields, croplands, neglected flower gardens, and waste areas. This dodder is considered a significant pest of several field crops. It is found primarily in disturbed areas.
Faunal Associations: Robertson (1929) observed small bees sucking nectar from the flowers of Cuscuta spp. (Dodder species), including Halictid bees (Lasioglossum) and plasterer bees (Colletes). Such floral visitors appear to be uncommon. Various aphids are able to suck juices from dodder vines and successfully reproduce, weakening them substantially (Harvey, 1966). Aphids that have adapted particularly well to these parasitic vines include Aphis craccivora (Cowpea Aphid), Macrosiphum euphorbiae (Potato Aphid), and Myzus persicae (Green Peach Aphid). Mammalian herbivores seem to avoid plants that are badly infested with dodder. These parasitic vines may be toxic to such animals if they are eaten in sufficient quantity. Nonetheless, should such animals consume these parasitic vines with their host plants, the seeds of dodder can pass through their digestive tracts and remain viable for several years. Because the tiny seeds of these vines become sticky when they are wet, they are probably spread to other areas by the feet or fur of mammals, the feet or feathers of birds, and the shoes of people. Agricultural machines may spread this vine into different fields through the use of contaminated crop-seed. Some materials that are used in gardens (e.g., contaminated mulch & soil) may also facilitate its spread.
Photographic Location: A flower garden at a city park in Champaign, Illinois, where this dodder infested Baptisia australis (Blue Wild Indigo).
Comments: Field Dodder (Cuscuta campestris) can be distinguished from some Dodder species (Cuscuta spp.) in Illinois by the 5-lobed corollas of its flowers: the lobes of these corollas have very acute tips that are incurved. A similar species, Common Dodder (Cuscuta gronovii), also has 5-lobed corollas, but the tips of its lobes are more blunt and they are less incurved. Field Dodder is also similar to Prairie Dodder (Cuscuta pentagona). This latter species has more angular calyces, while its seed capsules are slightly smaller in size and less depressed in shape. Prairie Dodder also has shorter anthers and shorter seeds. In the past, Field Dodder was considered a variety of Prairie Dodder (Cuscuta pentagona calycina), but they are now regarded as distinct (Costea et al., 2006; Costea et al., 2015). Other common names of Cuscuta campestris include Large-seeded Alfalfa Dodder and Golden Dodder, while another scientific synonym of this species is Cuscuta arvensis.
The pedicels of the flowers are light green to yellowish green, glabrous, and very short (0.5-2.0 mm. in length). These pedicels are initially terete and about 1 mm. across, but they may become swollen and angular as their flowers develop. Sometimes solitary bracts occur at the bases of flower clusters, or at the bases of individual pedicels. The blooming period occurs from mid-summer to early fall, lasting about 1 month. The flowers are either mildly fragrant or not noticeably fragrant; in the absence of cross-pollination, they are self-fertile. As the flowers continue to mature, their ovaries (developing seed capsules) swell in size, becoming 2-3.5 mm. across and subgloboid (depressed-globular) in shape. Immature seed capsules are light green, becoming yellowish orange as they begin to mature, and finally turning light brown to brown at full maturity. These capsules eventually split open irregularly to release their tiny seeds (up to 4 seeds per capsule). The seeds can spread to other areas by wind or water. Individual seeds are 1.0-1.5 mm. in length, ovoid-angular in shape, and dull yellow to brown. The seed surfaces are minutely pitted (requires 20x magnification or higher to see). While an elementary root system develops from a newly germinated seed, it soon withers away as the seedling becomes attached to a host plant.
Cultivation: This parasitic vine requires a suitable host plant in order to survive. Examples of such host plants include Baptisia australis (Blue Wild Indigo), Trifolium spp. (Clover), Medicago sativa (Alfalfa), Beta vulgaris (Sugar Beet), Solanum tuberosum (Potato), Polygonaceae (Smartweeds & Knotweeds), Allium cepa (Onion), and many others. Unsuitable host plants include Glycine max (Soybean), Equisteum arvense (Field Horsetail), and most grasses and sedges. Field Dodder occurs in drier habitats than many other Cuscuta spp. (Dodder species). It is typically found in either sandy or non-sandy areas where there is full sun or partial sun. The seeds can persist in the soil and remain viable for several years.
Range & Habitat: Field Dodder (Cuscuta campestris) is occasional throughout Illinois (see Distribution Map), where it is native. Field Dodder is one of the more common Dodder species in Illinois and it is widely distributed in North America. Habitats include banks of rivers, fields, croplands, neglected flower gardens, and waste areas. This dodder is considered a significant pest of several field crops. It is found primarily in disturbed areas.
Faunal Associations: Robertson (1929) observed small bees sucking nectar from the flowers of Cuscuta spp. (Dodder species), including Halictid bees (Lasioglossum) and plasterer bees (Colletes). Such floral visitors appear to be uncommon. Various aphids are able to suck juices from dodder vines and successfully reproduce, weakening them substantially (Harvey, 1966). Aphids that have adapted particularly well to these parasitic vines include Aphis craccivora (Cowpea Aphid), Macrosiphum euphorbiae (Potato Aphid), and Myzus persicae (Green Peach Aphid). Mammalian herbivores seem to avoid plants that are badly infested with dodder. These parasitic vines may be toxic to such animals if they are eaten in sufficient quantity. Nonetheless, should such animals consume these parasitic vines with their host plants, the seeds of dodder can pass through their digestive tracts and remain viable for several years. Because the tiny seeds of these vines become sticky when they are wet, they are probably spread to other areas by the feet or fur of mammals, the feet or feathers of birds, and the shoes of people. Agricultural machines may spread this vine into different fields through the use of contaminated crop-seed. Some materials that are used in gardens (e.g., contaminated mulch & soil) may also facilitate its spread.
Photographic Location: A flower garden at a city park in Champaign, Illinois, where this dodder infested Baptisia australis (Blue Wild Indigo).
Comments: Field Dodder (Cuscuta campestris) can be distinguished from some Dodder species (Cuscuta spp.) in Illinois by the 5-lobed corollas of its flowers: the lobes of these corollas have very acute tips that are incurved. A similar species, Common Dodder (Cuscuta gronovii), also has 5-lobed corollas, but the tips of its lobes are more blunt and they are less incurved. Field Dodder is also similar to Prairie Dodder (Cuscuta pentagona). This latter species has more angular calyces, while its seed capsules are slightly smaller in size and less depressed in shape. Prairie Dodder also has shorter anthers and shorter seeds. In the past, Field Dodder was considered a variety of Prairie Dodder (Cuscuta pentagona calycina), but they are now regarded as distinct (Costea et al., 2006; Costea et al., 2015). Other common names of Cuscuta campestris include Large-seeded Alfalfa Dodder and Golden Dodder, while another scientific synonym of this species is Cuscuta arvensis.
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Miss Chen
2017年12月21日
Description: This wildflower is a summer annual about 6-12" tall that branches occasionally; it is ascending to erect. The stems are light green, terete, and hairy. The alternate leaves are 1–2½" long and about one-third as much across; they are elliptic to oblong, flat, and smooth along their margins. Both the upper and lower sides are hairy. The upper surface is mediumPlant with Seedpods green, while the lower surface is gray-green. Each leaf has a single central vein that is prominent. The petioles are hairy and short (less than 1/8" or 3 mm. long). Occasionally, racemes of 1-4 flowers are produced oppositely from some of the leaves. The peduncle (central stalk) of each raceme is 1½–4" long, while the short pedicels of the flowers are about 1/8" long (except the pedicel of the terminal flower, which is often longer). Both peduncles and pedicels are hairy. At the base of each raceme, there is a pair of large persistent stipules about ½" long. These stipules are joined together, becoming gradually wider toward their pointed tips. Individual flowers are about 1/3" (8 mm.) long; they have a typical pea-like flower structure: the yellow petals form an upright banner and a projecting keel that is enclosed by a pair of lateral wings. Each calyx is light green and covered with long hairs; it has five long teeth. The blooming period occurs from mid-summer to early fall for about 2-3 months. Usually, only a few (if any) flowers are in bloom at the same time. The flowers are replaced by inflated seedpods that are short-oblongoid in shape. The seedpods are initially light green, but they later turn dark brown or black at maturity. Full-sized seedpods are 1–1½" long and about one-third as much across; each seedpod contains several seeds, which can rattle if it is shook. The seeds are distributed in part by the wind, which can blow the inflated seedpods across open ground. The root system consists of a taproot. This wildflower reproduces by reseeding itself.
Cultivation: The preference is full or partial sun, dry-mesic to dry conditions, and barren soil containing sand, gravel, or clay. This wildflower is intolerant of competition from taller ground vegetation.
Range & Habitat: The native Rattlebox is occasional in the southern half of Illinois, while in the northern half of the state it is uncommon or absent (see Distribution Map). Habitats include sand prairies, gravel prairies, clay prairies, sandy and rocky savannas, upland savannas, rocky glades, openings and small meadows in upland woodlands, fallow fields, and areas along railroads. Rattlebox prefers dry open areas with a history of disturbance.
Faunal Associations: The flowers are pollinated primarily by long-tongued bees, including bumblebees (Bombus spp.), Carder bees (Anthidium spp.), Cuckoo bees (Coelioxys spp.), and large Leaf-Cutting bees (Megachile spp.). Sometimes the flowers are visited by small butterflies or skippers, but they are less effective at cross-pollination. The caterpillars of Utetheisa bella (Bella Moth) feed on the foliage of Rattlebox. In addition, there have been reports of the butterfly caterpillars of Callophrys irus (Frosted Elfin) and the skipper caterpillars of Erynnis baptisiae (Wild Indigo Duskywing) feeding on the foliage. The foliage of Rattlebox is toxic to herbivorous mammals, particularly horses, and it is generally avoided by them as a food source. However, sometimes White-Tailed Deer chomp off the tops of individual plants.
Photographic Location: An upland woodland opening at Busey Woods in Urbana, Illinois.
Comments: This is the only Crotalaria sp. (Rattlebox) in Illinois. There are other species in this genus that are located in the southern and western states; they are often perennials with more showy flowers. Rattlebox is easy to identify when its inflated seedpods are present; they are large in size in relation to the rest of the plant and tend to stand out. There are other legumes that produce inflated seedpods (e.g., Baptisia spp.), but they usually have compound leaves.
Cultivation: The preference is full or partial sun, dry-mesic to dry conditions, and barren soil containing sand, gravel, or clay. This wildflower is intolerant of competition from taller ground vegetation.
Range & Habitat: The native Rattlebox is occasional in the southern half of Illinois, while in the northern half of the state it is uncommon or absent (see Distribution Map). Habitats include sand prairies, gravel prairies, clay prairies, sandy and rocky savannas, upland savannas, rocky glades, openings and small meadows in upland woodlands, fallow fields, and areas along railroads. Rattlebox prefers dry open areas with a history of disturbance.
Faunal Associations: The flowers are pollinated primarily by long-tongued bees, including bumblebees (Bombus spp.), Carder bees (Anthidium spp.), Cuckoo bees (Coelioxys spp.), and large Leaf-Cutting bees (Megachile spp.). Sometimes the flowers are visited by small butterflies or skippers, but they are less effective at cross-pollination. The caterpillars of Utetheisa bella (Bella Moth) feed on the foliage of Rattlebox. In addition, there have been reports of the butterfly caterpillars of Callophrys irus (Frosted Elfin) and the skipper caterpillars of Erynnis baptisiae (Wild Indigo Duskywing) feeding on the foliage. The foliage of Rattlebox is toxic to herbivorous mammals, particularly horses, and it is generally avoided by them as a food source. However, sometimes White-Tailed Deer chomp off the tops of individual plants.
Photographic Location: An upland woodland opening at Busey Woods in Urbana, Illinois.
Comments: This is the only Crotalaria sp. (Rattlebox) in Illinois. There are other species in this genus that are located in the southern and western states; they are often perennials with more showy flowers. Rattlebox is easy to identify when its inflated seedpods are present; they are large in size in relation to the rest of the plant and tend to stand out. There are other legumes that produce inflated seedpods (e.g., Baptisia spp.), but they usually have compound leaves.
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Miss Chen
2017年12月21日
Description: This plant is a summer annual about 6-20" tall that branches occasionally to frequently; it is usually ascending or erect. The central stem and any lateral stems are terete, slightly angular, or ribbed; they are pale to medium green and more or less pubescent with branched hairs, becoming more glabrous toward the base of the plant. Narrow alternate leaves are spaced moderately to widely along the stems; they are up to 2" long and 1/8" (3 mm.) across. The leaves are medium green, linear in shape, smooth along their margins, thick-textured, and sessile; they have a tendency to be slightly recurved, rather than straight. Similar to the stems, the leaves are slightly pubescent with branched hairs, becoming more glabrous toward the base of the plant. A single prominent vein extends along the length of each leaf. The upper stems terminate in floral spikes of flowers about 1-6" long and a little less than ½" across. Individual flowers are perfect, consisting of a single sepal, an ovary with a short bifurcated style, and 1-3 stamens; there are no petals. These tiny flowers are largely hidden by their ascending bracts, which are about ½" long, ovate to lanceolate in shape, pubescent, and membranous along their margins. The blooming period occurs from late summer into the fall. The flowers are wind-pollinated. They are replaced by flattened vertical achenes that are 2.5-4.5 mm. long and 2-3.5 mm. across. Each achene is ovate to obovate with a narrow winged margin about 0.2-0.3 mm. across; it contains a single seed. The achenes are distributed by the wind. The root system consists of a taproot. This plant spreads by reseeding itself.
Cultivation: The preference is full sun, mesic to dry conditions, and very sandy soil. Most growth and development occurs during the summer.
Range & Habitat: The native American Bugseed is a rare plant in Illinois; it is found along Lake Michigan and scattered localities elsewhere within the northern half of the state (see Distribution Map). Habitats include beaches and sand dunes along Lake Michigan, sand dunes along the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers, dry sand prairies, sandy hill prairies, sandy areas along railroads, and barren waste areas. This plant prefers disturbed sandy areas that are subject to wind erosion where vegetation is sparse.
Faunal Associations: Two grasshopper species, Melanoplus foedus (Foedus Grasshopper) and Melanoplus packardii (Packard's Grasshopper), sometimes feed on the foliage of bugseed (Corispermum). These grasshoppers are found in west-central and northwest Illinois. Information about floral-faunal relationships for this genus is very limited and more field work is needed.
Photographic Location: Sand dunes along Lake Michigan in Indiana Dunes State Park.
Comments: This is one of the typical beach plants along southern Lake Michigan. For a long time, most authorities regarded this plant as an introduced European species, Corispermum hyssopifolium (Hyssop-Leaved Bugseed), but there is growing archeological evidence that bugseed has been present in North America for thousands of years. Because of minor differences in the characteristics of North American herbarium specimens from their counterparts in Europe, several native species of bugseed have been described. One of these is the plant that is described here, Corispermum americanum (American Bugseed). Another species in this genus that is sometimes found in Illinois, Corispermum nitidum (Shiny Bugseed), has more narrow floral bracts that reveal its winged achenes. The bracts of American Bugseed, in contrast, hide most of its winged achenes from outside observation.
Cultivation: The preference is full sun, mesic to dry conditions, and very sandy soil. Most growth and development occurs during the summer.
Range & Habitat: The native American Bugseed is a rare plant in Illinois; it is found along Lake Michigan and scattered localities elsewhere within the northern half of the state (see Distribution Map). Habitats include beaches and sand dunes along Lake Michigan, sand dunes along the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers, dry sand prairies, sandy hill prairies, sandy areas along railroads, and barren waste areas. This plant prefers disturbed sandy areas that are subject to wind erosion where vegetation is sparse.
Faunal Associations: Two grasshopper species, Melanoplus foedus (Foedus Grasshopper) and Melanoplus packardii (Packard's Grasshopper), sometimes feed on the foliage of bugseed (Corispermum). These grasshoppers are found in west-central and northwest Illinois. Information about floral-faunal relationships for this genus is very limited and more field work is needed.
Photographic Location: Sand dunes along Lake Michigan in Indiana Dunes State Park.
Comments: This is one of the typical beach plants along southern Lake Michigan. For a long time, most authorities regarded this plant as an introduced European species, Corispermum hyssopifolium (Hyssop-Leaved Bugseed), but there is growing archeological evidence that bugseed has been present in North America for thousands of years. Because of minor differences in the characteristics of North American herbarium specimens from their counterparts in Europe, several native species of bugseed have been described. One of these is the plant that is described here, Corispermum americanum (American Bugseed). Another species in this genus that is sometimes found in Illinois, Corispermum nitidum (Shiny Bugseed), has more narrow floral bracts that reveal its winged achenes. The bracts of American Bugseed, in contrast, hide most of its winged achenes from outside observation.
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Miss Chen
2017年12月21日
Description: This perennial herbaceous plant is 3-8' tall and usually unbranched, except for flowering stems along the upper one-half of its length. The central stem and more slender upper stems are light green, terete, longitudinally veined, glabrous, and sometimes glaucous. Pairs of opposite leaves occur along the entire length of the plant, although they are more common and larger in size along the lower one-half of its length. A few solitary leaves or leafy bracts may occur alternately along the uppermost stems or flowering stalks. These leaves are ascending, widely spreading, or slightly drooping. Most leaves are odd-pinnate with 3 or 5 leaflets. Individual leaflets are up to 5" long and ¾" across; they are linear-elliptic to elliptic in shape, while their margins are entire (toothless) and often short-ciliate. The bases of leaflets are wedge-shaped, while their tips are acute. The lateral leaflets are sessile, while the terminal leaflets have petiolules (basal stalklets) less than ¼" long. The upper leaf surfaces are medium green and glabrous or nearly, while the lower leaf surfaces are light green and minutely pubescent. The petioles of leaves are up to 1½" long and light green.
The upper stems terminate in solitary to cyme-like clusters of flowerheads; flowering stalks also develop from the axils of upper leaves. Collectively, these flowerheads form a rather large and open compound inflorescence that is somewhat flat-headed. Peduncles of these flowerheads are up to 10" long, light green, terete, and glabrous. One or two leafy bracts may occur along the branches and peduncles of this inflorescence; these bracts are up to 1" long and linear-elliptic in shape. Each flowerhead spans about 1½–2" across, consisting of 8 sterile ray florets that surround a dense head of numerous fertile disk florets. The petaloid rays of the flowerheads are yellow, oblong-elliptic in shape, and widely spreading. The corollas of the disk florets are about 5 mm. long, tubular in shape, 4-5 lobed, and dark purple to maroon (reddish brown). The corolla lobes are triangular in shape and spreading to slightly recurved.
Surrounding the base of the flowerhead, there is a single series of 8 phyllaries (inner floral bracts). These phyllaries are 6-8 mm. long, ovate in shape with recurved tips, and brownish yellow during the blooming period. Below the phyllaries, there are about 8 outer floral bracts. These bracts are linear in shape and ascending; they are joined together at a shallow cup-like base. Both the bracts and cup-like base are green and glabrous (or nearly so). The blooming period occurs from mid-summer to early autumn, lasting about 1 month for a colony of plants. There is no noticeable floral scent. Afterwards, the disk florets are replaced by achenes. These achenes are 4-5 mm. long, brown, broadly oblong or oblanceolate-oblong in shape, flattened, and narrowly winged along their lateral sides. The apices of mature achenes are truncate, lacking tufts of hairs or persistent scales (immature achenes have paired scales that are early-deciduous). The root system is fibrous and long-rhizomatous, often forming loose colonies of clonal plants. Older plants may develop small woody caudices.
Cultivation: The preference is full to partial sun and moist to mesic conditions. This plant isn't particular about soil type, and can be found growing in soil containing substantial amounts of loam, clay-loam, gravel, or sand. Tall Coreopsis tolerates competition from other plants and it is easy to grow. In moist disturbed locations, it can become aggressive. Mature plants tolerate some drought, and foliar disease is rarely a significant problem.
Range & Habitat: The native Tall Coreopsis is occasional to fairly common in most counties of Illinois, but it is uncommon or absent in the NW and SE sections of the state (see Distribution Map). Habitats include black soil prairies, cemetery prairies, sand prairies, typical savannas and sandy savannas, thickets, edges of seeps, thinly wooded bluffs, meadows in wooded areas, limestone glades, abandoned fields, areas along railroads, and roadsides. Tall Coreopsis occurs in moderately disturbed to high quality habitats. It responds well to fire in areas that have been invaded by shrubby vegetation and trees.
Faunal Associations: The nectar and pollen of the flowerheads attract a variety of insects, including bumblebees, cuckoo bees (Triepeolus spp.), digger bees (Melissodes spp.), leaf-cutting bees (Megachile spp.), Halictid bees (Halictus spp., Lasioglossum spp.), dagger bees (Calliopsis spp., Heterosarus spp.), thread-waisted wasps (Ammophila spp.) and other wasps, Syrphid flies, bee flies (Bombyliidae), Tachinid flies, butterflies, skippers, and the Goldenrod Soldier Beetle (Chauliognathus pennsylvanicus); see Robertson (1929). Other insects feed destructively on the plant juices, flowerheads, and other parts of Tall Coreopsis and other Coreopsis spp. These species include the Ragweed Leaf Beetle (Calligrapha bidenticola) and Coreopsis Leaf Beetle (Calligrapha californica coreopsivora), the Red-spotted Aster Mirid (Polymerus basalis), an aphid (Uroleucon reynoldense), and the larvae of such moths as the Dimorphic Gray (Tornos scolopacinarius, Wavy-lined Emerald (Synchlora aerata), and Common Tan Wave (Pleuroprucha insulsaria). Larvae of the latter two moths feed on the flowerheads; see Clark et al. (2004), Knight (1941), Blackman & Eastop (2013), Covell (1984/2005), and Wagner (2005) for more information. Mammalian herbivores occasionally browse on the foliage of Tall Coreopsis, especially the tender growth of young plants earlier in the year.
Photographic Location: The photographs were taken at the Red Bison Railroad Prairie in Savoy, Illinois, and the Loda Cemetery Prairie in the southwest corner of Iroquois County, Illinois.
Comments: Tall Coreopsis (Coreopsis tripteris) is more impressive when it occurs in loose colonies, rather than as a stand-alone specimen. Each plant has a tendency to sway with the passage of every breeze during a sunny afternoon, exerting a hypnotic effect. Tall Coreopsis can be distinguished from other Coreopsis spp. in Illinois by its greater height, later period of bloom, and flowerheads with dark purple or maroon centers. In contrast, most Coreopsis spp. have flowerheads with yellow centers. Because of its greater height, Tall Coreopsis could be confused with one of the sunflowers (Helianthus spp.), but it is readily distinguished from them by its odd-pinnate leaves. In contrast, sunflowers have simple leaves.
The upper stems terminate in solitary to cyme-like clusters of flowerheads; flowering stalks also develop from the axils of upper leaves. Collectively, these flowerheads form a rather large and open compound inflorescence that is somewhat flat-headed. Peduncles of these flowerheads are up to 10" long, light green, terete, and glabrous. One or two leafy bracts may occur along the branches and peduncles of this inflorescence; these bracts are up to 1" long and linear-elliptic in shape. Each flowerhead spans about 1½–2" across, consisting of 8 sterile ray florets that surround a dense head of numerous fertile disk florets. The petaloid rays of the flowerheads are yellow, oblong-elliptic in shape, and widely spreading. The corollas of the disk florets are about 5 mm. long, tubular in shape, 4-5 lobed, and dark purple to maroon (reddish brown). The corolla lobes are triangular in shape and spreading to slightly recurved.
Surrounding the base of the flowerhead, there is a single series of 8 phyllaries (inner floral bracts). These phyllaries are 6-8 mm. long, ovate in shape with recurved tips, and brownish yellow during the blooming period. Below the phyllaries, there are about 8 outer floral bracts. These bracts are linear in shape and ascending; they are joined together at a shallow cup-like base. Both the bracts and cup-like base are green and glabrous (or nearly so). The blooming period occurs from mid-summer to early autumn, lasting about 1 month for a colony of plants. There is no noticeable floral scent. Afterwards, the disk florets are replaced by achenes. These achenes are 4-5 mm. long, brown, broadly oblong or oblanceolate-oblong in shape, flattened, and narrowly winged along their lateral sides. The apices of mature achenes are truncate, lacking tufts of hairs or persistent scales (immature achenes have paired scales that are early-deciduous). The root system is fibrous and long-rhizomatous, often forming loose colonies of clonal plants. Older plants may develop small woody caudices.
Cultivation: The preference is full to partial sun and moist to mesic conditions. This plant isn't particular about soil type, and can be found growing in soil containing substantial amounts of loam, clay-loam, gravel, or sand. Tall Coreopsis tolerates competition from other plants and it is easy to grow. In moist disturbed locations, it can become aggressive. Mature plants tolerate some drought, and foliar disease is rarely a significant problem.
Range & Habitat: The native Tall Coreopsis is occasional to fairly common in most counties of Illinois, but it is uncommon or absent in the NW and SE sections of the state (see Distribution Map). Habitats include black soil prairies, cemetery prairies, sand prairies, typical savannas and sandy savannas, thickets, edges of seeps, thinly wooded bluffs, meadows in wooded areas, limestone glades, abandoned fields, areas along railroads, and roadsides. Tall Coreopsis occurs in moderately disturbed to high quality habitats. It responds well to fire in areas that have been invaded by shrubby vegetation and trees.
Faunal Associations: The nectar and pollen of the flowerheads attract a variety of insects, including bumblebees, cuckoo bees (Triepeolus spp.), digger bees (Melissodes spp.), leaf-cutting bees (Megachile spp.), Halictid bees (Halictus spp., Lasioglossum spp.), dagger bees (Calliopsis spp., Heterosarus spp.), thread-waisted wasps (Ammophila spp.) and other wasps, Syrphid flies, bee flies (Bombyliidae), Tachinid flies, butterflies, skippers, and the Goldenrod Soldier Beetle (Chauliognathus pennsylvanicus); see Robertson (1929). Other insects feed destructively on the plant juices, flowerheads, and other parts of Tall Coreopsis and other Coreopsis spp. These species include the Ragweed Leaf Beetle (Calligrapha bidenticola) and Coreopsis Leaf Beetle (Calligrapha californica coreopsivora), the Red-spotted Aster Mirid (Polymerus basalis), an aphid (Uroleucon reynoldense), and the larvae of such moths as the Dimorphic Gray (Tornos scolopacinarius, Wavy-lined Emerald (Synchlora aerata), and Common Tan Wave (Pleuroprucha insulsaria). Larvae of the latter two moths feed on the flowerheads; see Clark et al. (2004), Knight (1941), Blackman & Eastop (2013), Covell (1984/2005), and Wagner (2005) for more information. Mammalian herbivores occasionally browse on the foliage of Tall Coreopsis, especially the tender growth of young plants earlier in the year.
Photographic Location: The photographs were taken at the Red Bison Railroad Prairie in Savoy, Illinois, and the Loda Cemetery Prairie in the southwest corner of Iroquois County, Illinois.
Comments: Tall Coreopsis (Coreopsis tripteris) is more impressive when it occurs in loose colonies, rather than as a stand-alone specimen. Each plant has a tendency to sway with the passage of every breeze during a sunny afternoon, exerting a hypnotic effect. Tall Coreopsis can be distinguished from other Coreopsis spp. in Illinois by its greater height, later period of bloom, and flowerheads with dark purple or maroon centers. In contrast, most Coreopsis spp. have flowerheads with yellow centers. Because of its greater height, Tall Coreopsis could be confused with one of the sunflowers (Helianthus spp.), but it is readily distinguished from them by its odd-pinnate leaves. In contrast, sunflowers have simple leaves.
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文章
Miss Chen
2017年12月21日
Description: This is an annual wildflower about 1½–3' tall that branches occasionally. The stems are medium green and glabrous. The leaves are up to 6" long and 4" across (excluding the petioles); they are simple- or double-pinnate, medium green, and glabrous. The leaflets (or lobes) are up to 2" long and less than ¼" across; they are linear, linear-lanceolate, or linear-oblanceolate. The upper stems terminate in flowerheads that individually span about 1-2" across. Each flowerhead has 6-12 ray florets that surround numerous disk florets. The ray florets are reddish brown toward the center of the flowerhead, but become golden yellow toward their tips; less often, they may be reddish brown throughout. Each ray floret becomes wider toward its tip, which is divided into 3 large teeth. The tiny disk florets have corollas that are reddish brown and tubular in shape; each corolla has 4 tiny teeth along its upper rim. The base of each flowerhead is surrounded by glabrous brown bracts (phyllaries); the outer bracts at the very bottom of the flowerhead are small and triangular in shape, while the inner bracts are much larger in size and ovate in shape. The blooming period occurs from mid-summer to early fall and lasts about 1-2 months. The fertile disk florets are replaced by small achenes that lack tufts of hair. The root system is fibrous. This wildflower reproduces by reseeding itself.
Cultivation: Preferred growing conditions consist of full sun and moist to mesic sandy soil. However, other kinds of soil are readily tolerated, including those that contain loam, clay-loam, or some gravel. Depending on the cultivar or local ecotype, there is considerable variability in the size of flowerheads and the height of plants.
Range & Habitat: Plains Coreopsis has naturalized in scattered locations throughout Illinois, where it is generally uncommon (see Distribution Map). This introduced species is native to the region of the Great Plains in North America; most local populations in Illinois are descendants of plants that have escaped from cultivation. Habitats include sand prairies, rocky glades, areas along railroads, roadsides, and waste areas, particularly where the soil is rather barren. This species is cultivated in gardens because of the attractive flowerheads.
Faunal Associations: The flowerheads of Coreopsis spp. provide nectar and pollen to a wide variety of insects, including long-tongued bees, short-tongued bees, wasps, flies, butterflies, skippers, and beetles. The caterpillars of the moths Synchlora aerata (Wavy-Lined Emerald) and Tornos scolopacinarius (Dimorphic Gray) feed on the foliage of Coreopsis spp. and similar plants. Another insect that feeds on the foliage of these species is the leaf beetle, Calligrapha californica, which has been found specifically on Plains Coreopsis.
Photographic Location: A flower garden at the Arboretum of the University of Illinois in Urbana, Illinois.
Comments: During the blooming period, Plains Coreopsis produces showy flowerheads in abundance. This species can be distinguished from other wildflowers by the ray florets of its flowerheads, which are yellow-maroon or maroon (reddish brown). Sometimes the ray florets of Rudbeckia hirta (Black-Eyed Susan) and Rudbeckia fulgida (Orange Coneflower) are partially maroon, but their ray florets have narrow tips that lack large teeth. Furthermore, the leaves of these latter species are not pinnately divided, unlike those of Plains Coreopsis. Other Coreopsis spp. in Illinois are perennial plants; they have ray florets that are yellow throughout. Another common name of Coreopsis tinctoria is Golden Coreopsis.
Cultivation: Preferred growing conditions consist of full sun and moist to mesic sandy soil. However, other kinds of soil are readily tolerated, including those that contain loam, clay-loam, or some gravel. Depending on the cultivar or local ecotype, there is considerable variability in the size of flowerheads and the height of plants.
Range & Habitat: Plains Coreopsis has naturalized in scattered locations throughout Illinois, where it is generally uncommon (see Distribution Map). This introduced species is native to the region of the Great Plains in North America; most local populations in Illinois are descendants of plants that have escaped from cultivation. Habitats include sand prairies, rocky glades, areas along railroads, roadsides, and waste areas, particularly where the soil is rather barren. This species is cultivated in gardens because of the attractive flowerheads.
Faunal Associations: The flowerheads of Coreopsis spp. provide nectar and pollen to a wide variety of insects, including long-tongued bees, short-tongued bees, wasps, flies, butterflies, skippers, and beetles. The caterpillars of the moths Synchlora aerata (Wavy-Lined Emerald) and Tornos scolopacinarius (Dimorphic Gray) feed on the foliage of Coreopsis spp. and similar plants. Another insect that feeds on the foliage of these species is the leaf beetle, Calligrapha californica, which has been found specifically on Plains Coreopsis.
Photographic Location: A flower garden at the Arboretum of the University of Illinois in Urbana, Illinois.
Comments: During the blooming period, Plains Coreopsis produces showy flowerheads in abundance. This species can be distinguished from other wildflowers by the ray florets of its flowerheads, which are yellow-maroon or maroon (reddish brown). Sometimes the ray florets of Rudbeckia hirta (Black-Eyed Susan) and Rudbeckia fulgida (Orange Coneflower) are partially maroon, but their ray florets have narrow tips that lack large teeth. Furthermore, the leaves of these latter species are not pinnately divided, unlike those of Plains Coreopsis. Other Coreopsis spp. in Illinois are perennial plants; they have ray florets that are yellow throughout. Another common name of Coreopsis tinctoria is Golden Coreopsis.
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