文章
Miss Chen
2018年06月24日
Description: This herbaceous perennial plant has branching leafy stems that are 4–16" long. These stems have a tendency to sprawl and cling to adjacent vegetation; they are light green to light greenish purple, and 4-angled. The stems have short stiff hairs along their angles, otherwise they are hairless. Whorls of 4 spreading leaves (never 5–6 leaves) occur at intervals along these stems; these leaves are sessile, or nearly so. Individual leaves are 6-19 mm. (¼–¾") long, narrowly elliptic or narrowly elliptic-oblanceolate in shape, and toothless along their margins. The leaf tips are rounded. The leaf surfaces are yellowish green to medium green; short stiff hairs occur along the margins of the leaves and along the underside of their central veins. The short stiff hairs of both the stems and leaves can cling to neighboring vegetation or objects. Each leaf has a prominent central vein. The stems often terminate in small clusters of 2-3 flowers; either solitary or small clusters of 2-3 flowers are also produced from the axils of leaves.
Each flower is about 1.5–2 mm. across, consisting of a white corolla with 3 lobes, 3 stamens, 2 styles that are joined together at the base, and 2 spheroid light green ovaries that are connected together. The lobes of the corolla are oval-ovate in shape. The pedicels of the flowers are usually longer than the corresponding leaves. These pedicels are light green to light purplish green and usually more or less curved; they have short stiff hairs that can cling to adjacent vegetation or objects. The pedicels become even longer as the ovaries mature. The blooming period occurs from mid-summer to late summer for about 1½ months. Only a few flowers are in bloom at the same time. Afterwards, the maturing paired ovaries expand in size, changing color from light green (or light purple) to brown (or black) at maturity. These ovaries are hairless and single-seeded; they eventually split apart. The small seeds are spheroid in shape and partially hollow inside; they are capable of floating on water and being distributed by it. The root system is shallow and fibrous.
Cultivation: The preference is full or partial sun, shallow water or wet conditions, a substrate containing some sand or organic material, and a relatively cool climate.
Range & Habitat: Small Bedstraw (Galium trifidum) is uncommon in Illinois, occurring in the NE section of the state, and a central section of the state along or near the Illinois River (see Distribution Map). Illinois lies along the southern range-limit of this species. It is more widely distributed in North America further to the north and it also occurs in Eurasia. Habitats include edges of sphagnum bogs, cattail marshes, low sandy areas along rivers, and northern swamps. In Illinois, Small Bedstraw is found in high quality wetlands in natural areas.
Faunal Associations: Various insects feed on foliage or sap of bedstraws (Galium spp.). These insect feeders include the larvae of a leaf-mining fly (Galiomyza galiivora), larvae of the Bedstraw Midge (Dasineura americana), larvae of an introduced sawfly (Halidamia affinis), and larvae of the Galium Sphinx (Hyles gallii); see Spencer & Steyskal, 1986; Felt, 1917; Smith, 2006; Wagner, 2005). Other insects that have been observed to feed on bedstraws include aphids, the larvae of Geometer moths, plant bugs (Miridae), stinkbugs (Pentatomidae), and ebony bugs (Thyreocoridae). The nectar and pollen of the flowers of these plants attract primarily small bees and flies (Robertson, 1929). Bedstraws that inhabit wetlands are a minor source of food to Muskrats (Hamerstrom & Blake, 1939).
Photographic Location: A cattail marsh near Volo Bog in Lake County, Illinois.
Comments: This bedstraw is quite small in size and rather inconspicuous. It can be distinguished from other bedstraw species (Galium spp.) primarily by the 3-lobed corollas of its flowers, the whorls of 4 leaves along its stems, the long curved pedicels of its flowers or fruits, and its strong preference for wetland habitats. The only other bedstraw species that produces 3-lobed flowers in Illinois, Stiff Bedstraw (Galium tinctorium), is a little larger in size overall. Unlike Small Bedstraw (Galium trifidum), Stiff Bedstraw sometimes has whorls of 5-6 leaves along its stems and sometimes it also produces 4-lobed flowers (even on the same plant). The pedicels of Stiff Bedstraw with maturing fruits are shorter in length and more straight than those of Small Bedstraw, and they are hairless. Another similar bedstraw, Wild Madder (Galium obtusum), is also slightly larger in size than Small Bedstraw. Wild Madder always produces flowers with 4-lobed corollas; it has whorls of 4-6 leaves along its stems, and its stems lack the short stiff hairs that are found on the stems of Small Bedstraw and Stiff Bedstraw. Unlike many other bedstraws, all three of these species have hairless ovaries/fruits. Another common name of Galium trifidum is Three-petaled Bedstraw.
Each flower is about 1.5–2 mm. across, consisting of a white corolla with 3 lobes, 3 stamens, 2 styles that are joined together at the base, and 2 spheroid light green ovaries that are connected together. The lobes of the corolla are oval-ovate in shape. The pedicels of the flowers are usually longer than the corresponding leaves. These pedicels are light green to light purplish green and usually more or less curved; they have short stiff hairs that can cling to adjacent vegetation or objects. The pedicels become even longer as the ovaries mature. The blooming period occurs from mid-summer to late summer for about 1½ months. Only a few flowers are in bloom at the same time. Afterwards, the maturing paired ovaries expand in size, changing color from light green (or light purple) to brown (or black) at maturity. These ovaries are hairless and single-seeded; they eventually split apart. The small seeds are spheroid in shape and partially hollow inside; they are capable of floating on water and being distributed by it. The root system is shallow and fibrous.
Cultivation: The preference is full or partial sun, shallow water or wet conditions, a substrate containing some sand or organic material, and a relatively cool climate.
Range & Habitat: Small Bedstraw (Galium trifidum) is uncommon in Illinois, occurring in the NE section of the state, and a central section of the state along or near the Illinois River (see Distribution Map). Illinois lies along the southern range-limit of this species. It is more widely distributed in North America further to the north and it also occurs in Eurasia. Habitats include edges of sphagnum bogs, cattail marshes, low sandy areas along rivers, and northern swamps. In Illinois, Small Bedstraw is found in high quality wetlands in natural areas.
Faunal Associations: Various insects feed on foliage or sap of bedstraws (Galium spp.). These insect feeders include the larvae of a leaf-mining fly (Galiomyza galiivora), larvae of the Bedstraw Midge (Dasineura americana), larvae of an introduced sawfly (Halidamia affinis), and larvae of the Galium Sphinx (Hyles gallii); see Spencer & Steyskal, 1986; Felt, 1917; Smith, 2006; Wagner, 2005). Other insects that have been observed to feed on bedstraws include aphids, the larvae of Geometer moths, plant bugs (Miridae), stinkbugs (Pentatomidae), and ebony bugs (Thyreocoridae). The nectar and pollen of the flowers of these plants attract primarily small bees and flies (Robertson, 1929). Bedstraws that inhabit wetlands are a minor source of food to Muskrats (Hamerstrom & Blake, 1939).
Photographic Location: A cattail marsh near Volo Bog in Lake County, Illinois.
Comments: This bedstraw is quite small in size and rather inconspicuous. It can be distinguished from other bedstraw species (Galium spp.) primarily by the 3-lobed corollas of its flowers, the whorls of 4 leaves along its stems, the long curved pedicels of its flowers or fruits, and its strong preference for wetland habitats. The only other bedstraw species that produces 3-lobed flowers in Illinois, Stiff Bedstraw (Galium tinctorium), is a little larger in size overall. Unlike Small Bedstraw (Galium trifidum), Stiff Bedstraw sometimes has whorls of 5-6 leaves along its stems and sometimes it also produces 4-lobed flowers (even on the same plant). The pedicels of Stiff Bedstraw with maturing fruits are shorter in length and more straight than those of Small Bedstraw, and they are hairless. Another similar bedstraw, Wild Madder (Galium obtusum), is also slightly larger in size than Small Bedstraw. Wild Madder always produces flowers with 4-lobed corollas; it has whorls of 4-6 leaves along its stems, and its stems lack the short stiff hairs that are found on the stems of Small Bedstraw and Stiff Bedstraw. Unlike many other bedstraws, all three of these species have hairless ovaries/fruits. Another common name of Galium trifidum is Three-petaled Bedstraw.
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文章
Miss Chen
2018年06月24日
Description: This perennial wildflower is ¾-2½' tall, abundantly branched, and sprawling across adjacent vegetation. The stems are light to medium green, sharply 4-angled and sparsely rough-edged from short stiff hairs. Along these stems are whorls of 4-6 sessile leaves; whorls of 5-6 leaves sometimes occur where the stem branches, otherwise there are 4 leaves per whorl. Individual leaves are up to 1" (25 mm.) long and ¼" (6 mm.) across; they are medium to dark green and narrowly elliptic or narrowly elliptic-oblanceolate in shape. The leaf margins are without teeth and rough-edged from short stiff hairs. There is a single prominent vein per leaf.
Both terminal and axillary cymes of 1-3 flowers are produced. Individual flowers are 1/8" (3 mm.) across or a little less; each flower has a white corolla with 3 (less often 4) spreading lobes, a bifurcated two-celled ovary with a pair of styles, and 3 (less often 4) stamens. The surface of the ovary is green and smooth. The pedicels of the flowers or fruits are up to 1" long, straight, and angular; their edges are smooth. The blooming period occurs during the summer for about 2-3 months. Usually, only a few flowers are in bloom at the same time. Each flower is replaced by a two-celled seedpod that is about 1/8" (3 mm.) across. The seedpod changes color as it matures from green, to purple, and black. Each cell of the pod is globoid-ovoid in shape, smooth, and single-seeded. The root system is fibrous and rhizomatous.
Cultivation: The preference is full or partial sun, wet to moist conditions, and soil containing loam, clay-loam, sand, or gravel. Standing water is readily tolerated if it is temporary.
Range & Habitat: The native Stiff Bedstraw is occasional in northern Illinois, and uncommon or absent in the rest of the state (see Distribution Map). Habitats include marshes, fens, low areas along rivers and ponds, swamps, wet sand prairies, prairie swales, and ditches. Stiff Bedstraw is usually found in higher quality wetlands in Illinois.
Faunal Associations: The flowers are cross-pollinated by flies and small bees. The caterpillars of some moths feed on the foliage or flower tissues of Galium spp. These species include: Epirrhoe alternata (White-Bordered Toothed Carpet), Hyles gallii (Galium Sphinx), Lobocleta ossularia (Drab Brown Wave), and Scopula inductata (Soft-Lined Wave). The species Myzus cerasi (Black Cherry Aphid) uses Galium spp. as summer hosts. Three plant bugs in Illinois are known to feed on these plants: Criocoris saliens, Polymerus proximus, and the introduced Polymerus unifasciatus. White-Tailed Deer browse on the foliage sparingly or not at all. Because the bristly hairs of the stems and leaves can cling to passing objects, animals may play a minor role in spreading the seeds to new locations.
Photographic Location: A wet sand prairie at the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore in NW Indiana.
Comments: Stiff Bedstraw is unusual because its corollas can have 3-4 lobes on the same plant. In Illinois, the only other bedstraw with 3 lobes on its corollas is Small Bedstraw (Galium trifidum). This latter species is similar to Stiff Bedstraw, but smaller in size and slightly more bristly. In particular, the pedicels of Small Bedstraw are bristly and curved, while those of Stiff Bedstraw are smooth and straight. While Stiff Bedstraw is scattered throughout Illinois, Small Bedstraw is restricted to northern Illinois and a sandy area of central Illinois. This latter species has a more northern distribution and prefers a cool climate.
Both terminal and axillary cymes of 1-3 flowers are produced. Individual flowers are 1/8" (3 mm.) across or a little less; each flower has a white corolla with 3 (less often 4) spreading lobes, a bifurcated two-celled ovary with a pair of styles, and 3 (less often 4) stamens. The surface of the ovary is green and smooth. The pedicels of the flowers or fruits are up to 1" long, straight, and angular; their edges are smooth. The blooming period occurs during the summer for about 2-3 months. Usually, only a few flowers are in bloom at the same time. Each flower is replaced by a two-celled seedpod that is about 1/8" (3 mm.) across. The seedpod changes color as it matures from green, to purple, and black. Each cell of the pod is globoid-ovoid in shape, smooth, and single-seeded. The root system is fibrous and rhizomatous.
Cultivation: The preference is full or partial sun, wet to moist conditions, and soil containing loam, clay-loam, sand, or gravel. Standing water is readily tolerated if it is temporary.
Range & Habitat: The native Stiff Bedstraw is occasional in northern Illinois, and uncommon or absent in the rest of the state (see Distribution Map). Habitats include marshes, fens, low areas along rivers and ponds, swamps, wet sand prairies, prairie swales, and ditches. Stiff Bedstraw is usually found in higher quality wetlands in Illinois.
Faunal Associations: The flowers are cross-pollinated by flies and small bees. The caterpillars of some moths feed on the foliage or flower tissues of Galium spp. These species include: Epirrhoe alternata (White-Bordered Toothed Carpet), Hyles gallii (Galium Sphinx), Lobocleta ossularia (Drab Brown Wave), and Scopula inductata (Soft-Lined Wave). The species Myzus cerasi (Black Cherry Aphid) uses Galium spp. as summer hosts. Three plant bugs in Illinois are known to feed on these plants: Criocoris saliens, Polymerus proximus, and the introduced Polymerus unifasciatus. White-Tailed Deer browse on the foliage sparingly or not at all. Because the bristly hairs of the stems and leaves can cling to passing objects, animals may play a minor role in spreading the seeds to new locations.
Photographic Location: A wet sand prairie at the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore in NW Indiana.
Comments: Stiff Bedstraw is unusual because its corollas can have 3-4 lobes on the same plant. In Illinois, the only other bedstraw with 3 lobes on its corollas is Small Bedstraw (Galium trifidum). This latter species is similar to Stiff Bedstraw, but smaller in size and slightly more bristly. In particular, the pedicels of Small Bedstraw are bristly and curved, while those of Stiff Bedstraw are smooth and straight. While Stiff Bedstraw is scattered throughout Illinois, Small Bedstraw is restricted to northern Illinois and a sandy area of central Illinois. This latter species has a more northern distribution and prefers a cool climate.
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文章
Miss Chen
2018年06月23日
Succulents are booming in popularity for two simple reasons: they are beautiful and nearly indestructible.
Technically, a succulent is any plant with thick, fleshy (succulent) water storage organs. Succulents store water in their leaves, their stems or their roots. These plants have adapted to survive arid conditions throughout the world, from Africa to the deserts of North America. Fortunately for us, this adaptive mechanism has resulted in an incredible variety of interesting leaf forms and plant shapes, including paddle leaves, tight rosettes, and bushy or trailing columns of teardrop leaves.
As a group, succulents include some of the most well-known plants, such as the aloe and agave, and many almost unknown plants. Cacti are a unique subset of the succulent group. Succulents make excellent display plants in dish gardens.
The Rules for Growing Succulent Houseplants
No matter what kind of succulent you're growing, the rules are pretty similar between the different species. Here are the general rules for growing top-quality succulents:
Southern Light
Succulents prefer bright light, such as found on a south-facing window. Watch the leaves for indications that the light level is correct. Some species will scorch if suddenly exposed to direct sunlight. The leaves will turn brown or white as the plant bleaches out and the soft tissues are destroyed. Alternatively, an underlit succulent will begin to stretch, with an elongated stem and widely spaced leaves. This condition is known as etoliation.
The solution is to provide better light and prune the plant back to its original shape. Many kinds of succulents will thrive outdoors in the summer.
Temperature
Succulents are much more cold-tolerant than many people assume. As in the desert, where there is often a marked contrast between night and day, succulents thrive in colder nights, down to even 40ºF.
Ideally, succulents prefer daytime temperatures between 70 F and about 85 F and nighttime temperatures between 50 F and 55 F.
Watering
Succulents should be watered generously in the summer. The potting mix should be allowed to dry between waterings, but do not underwater. During the winter, when the plants go dormant, cut watering back to once every other month. Overwatering and ensuing plant rot is the single most common cause of plant failure. Be aware, though, that an overwatered succulent might at first plump up and look very healthy. However, the cause of death may have already set in underground, with rot spreading upward from the root system. A succulent should never be allowed to sit in water. The following are signs of under- or overwatering:
Overwatering. Overwatered plants are soft and discolored. The leaves may be yellow or white and lose their color. A plant in this condition may be beyond repair, but you can still remove it from its pot and inspect the roots. If they are brown and rotted, cut away dead roots and repot into drier potting media, or take a cutting and propagate the parent plant.
Under-watering: Succulents prefer generous water during the growing season (spring and summer). An under-watered plant will first stop growing, then begin to shed leaves. Alternatively, the plant may develop brown spots on the leaves.
Potting Soil
Succulents should be potted in a fast-draining mixture that's designed for cacti and succulents. If you don't have access to a specialized mix, consider modifying a normal potting mix with an inorganic agent like perlite to increase aeration and drainage. These plants have shallow roots that form a dense mat just under the soil surface.
Fertilizer
During the summer growing season, fertilizer as you would with other houseplants. Stop fertilizing entirely during the winter.
Technically, a succulent is any plant with thick, fleshy (succulent) water storage organs. Succulents store water in their leaves, their stems or their roots. These plants have adapted to survive arid conditions throughout the world, from Africa to the deserts of North America. Fortunately for us, this adaptive mechanism has resulted in an incredible variety of interesting leaf forms and plant shapes, including paddle leaves, tight rosettes, and bushy or trailing columns of teardrop leaves.
As a group, succulents include some of the most well-known plants, such as the aloe and agave, and many almost unknown plants. Cacti are a unique subset of the succulent group. Succulents make excellent display plants in dish gardens.
The Rules for Growing Succulent Houseplants
No matter what kind of succulent you're growing, the rules are pretty similar between the different species. Here are the general rules for growing top-quality succulents:
Southern Light
Succulents prefer bright light, such as found on a south-facing window. Watch the leaves for indications that the light level is correct. Some species will scorch if suddenly exposed to direct sunlight. The leaves will turn brown or white as the plant bleaches out and the soft tissues are destroyed. Alternatively, an underlit succulent will begin to stretch, with an elongated stem and widely spaced leaves. This condition is known as etoliation.
The solution is to provide better light and prune the plant back to its original shape. Many kinds of succulents will thrive outdoors in the summer.
Temperature
Succulents are much more cold-tolerant than many people assume. As in the desert, where there is often a marked contrast between night and day, succulents thrive in colder nights, down to even 40ºF.
Ideally, succulents prefer daytime temperatures between 70 F and about 85 F and nighttime temperatures between 50 F and 55 F.
Watering
Succulents should be watered generously in the summer. The potting mix should be allowed to dry between waterings, but do not underwater. During the winter, when the plants go dormant, cut watering back to once every other month. Overwatering and ensuing plant rot is the single most common cause of plant failure. Be aware, though, that an overwatered succulent might at first plump up and look very healthy. However, the cause of death may have already set in underground, with rot spreading upward from the root system. A succulent should never be allowed to sit in water. The following are signs of under- or overwatering:
Overwatering. Overwatered plants are soft and discolored. The leaves may be yellow or white and lose their color. A plant in this condition may be beyond repair, but you can still remove it from its pot and inspect the roots. If they are brown and rotted, cut away dead roots and repot into drier potting media, or take a cutting and propagate the parent plant.
Under-watering: Succulents prefer generous water during the growing season (spring and summer). An under-watered plant will first stop growing, then begin to shed leaves. Alternatively, the plant may develop brown spots on the leaves.
Potting Soil
Succulents should be potted in a fast-draining mixture that's designed for cacti and succulents. If you don't have access to a specialized mix, consider modifying a normal potting mix with an inorganic agent like perlite to increase aeration and drainage. These plants have shallow roots that form a dense mat just under the soil surface.
Fertilizer
During the summer growing season, fertilizer as you would with other houseplants. Stop fertilizing entirely during the winter.
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文章
Miss Chen
2018年06月21日
Description: This perennial plant is ¾–2½' long. It either floats on water or sprawls across the ground. The stems are light green to red (often the latter), glabrous to sparsely pubescent, and terete. Alternate leaves along these stems are 1¼–3" long and ½–1" across; they are elliptic, oblong-elliptic, oblanceolate, or oblong-oblanceolate in shape and smooth along their margins. The leaves are usually glossy green in appearance, although sometimes they develop patches of red or yellow. The upper leaf surface is glabrous, while the lower leaf surface is glabrous to sparsely pubescent. The leaf bases taper gradually into slender petioles about ½–2" long. Individual flowers develop from the axils of the middle to upper leaves on erect to semi-erect pedicels about 1–3" long. Each flower is about 1" across, consisting of 5 yellow petals, 5 light green sepals, 10 yellow stamens, and a narrowly cylindrical pistil with a single style. The petals are obovate in shape with pale pinnate nerves, while the smaller sepals are lanceolate. Compared to the size of the flower, both the stamens and style are relatively short. Between the apex of the pedicel and the bottom of the pistil, there is a pair of tiny bractlets (about 1.0–1.5 mm. in length). The blooming period occurs from late spring to early fall, lasting several months. The flowers are diurnal.
Afterwards, the flowers are replaced by cylindrical seed capsules about 1–1½" long. Each seed capsule has 5 narrow cells, and each cell contains a row of seeds. The seeds are enclosed in chunky outer coatings (endocarps); they are about 1.0-1.5 mm. in length. The root system is fibrous and fleshy. When the nodes of the stems lie on wet ground, they are capable of developing new fibrous roots, from which new plants are produced vegetatively. Sometimes the root system produces small bladders that keep individual plants more buoyant in the water. This plant often forms large colonies.
Cultivation: The preference is full sun, wet conditions, and muddy soil, although this plant can adapt to shallow water as a floating aquatic. Creeping Water Primrose (Ludwigia peploides glabrescens) can spread aggressively in shallow wetlands and muddy areas. It is potentially invasive.
Range & Habitat: Creeping Water Primrose is locally common and native to southern Illinois, while in the rest of the state it is uncommon and probably adventive in most areas (see Distribution Map). This species is slowly spreading northward. Habitats include borders of ponds, shallow areas of lakes, sluggish streams, swamps, marshes, and ditches. In some of these habitats, Creeping Water Primrose can become the dominant shoreline plant, forming large colonies.
Faunal Associations: The flowers are cross-pollinated primarily by bees, including honeybees, digger bees (Eucerine), and Halictid bees. Other visitors, such as flies and skippers, are less effective at cross-pollination. These insects obtain nectar and/or pollen from the flowers. Some insects feed destructively on Creeping Water Primrose. This includes the flea beetles, Altica litigata and Lysathia ludoviciana, and a leafhopper, Draeculacephala inscripta. The Mallard and possibly other ducks feed on the seed capsules. Because of the large dense colonies that this plant often forms, it provides good cover along shorelines for various insects, frogs, and other wetland wildlife.
Photographic Location: Muddy shore of a pond in southern Illinois.
Comments: Creeping Water Primrose has showy flowers and attractive foliage. Unfortunately, it is sometimes too aggressive for its own good. It can be distinguished from other Ludwigia spp. by its larger 5-petaled flowers and sprawling semi-aquatic habit. Across its range in the United States and tropical America, different varieties of this species have been described, although only var. glabrescens has been found in Illinois. This variety can be distinguished by its more glabrous foliage. Another scientific name of this wetland plant is Jussiaea repens glabrescens, while an alternative common name is Creeping Primrose Willow.
Afterwards, the flowers are replaced by cylindrical seed capsules about 1–1½" long. Each seed capsule has 5 narrow cells, and each cell contains a row of seeds. The seeds are enclosed in chunky outer coatings (endocarps); they are about 1.0-1.5 mm. in length. The root system is fibrous and fleshy. When the nodes of the stems lie on wet ground, they are capable of developing new fibrous roots, from which new plants are produced vegetatively. Sometimes the root system produces small bladders that keep individual plants more buoyant in the water. This plant often forms large colonies.
Cultivation: The preference is full sun, wet conditions, and muddy soil, although this plant can adapt to shallow water as a floating aquatic. Creeping Water Primrose (Ludwigia peploides glabrescens) can spread aggressively in shallow wetlands and muddy areas. It is potentially invasive.
Range & Habitat: Creeping Water Primrose is locally common and native to southern Illinois, while in the rest of the state it is uncommon and probably adventive in most areas (see Distribution Map). This species is slowly spreading northward. Habitats include borders of ponds, shallow areas of lakes, sluggish streams, swamps, marshes, and ditches. In some of these habitats, Creeping Water Primrose can become the dominant shoreline plant, forming large colonies.
Faunal Associations: The flowers are cross-pollinated primarily by bees, including honeybees, digger bees (Eucerine), and Halictid bees. Other visitors, such as flies and skippers, are less effective at cross-pollination. These insects obtain nectar and/or pollen from the flowers. Some insects feed destructively on Creeping Water Primrose. This includes the flea beetles, Altica litigata and Lysathia ludoviciana, and a leafhopper, Draeculacephala inscripta. The Mallard and possibly other ducks feed on the seed capsules. Because of the large dense colonies that this plant often forms, it provides good cover along shorelines for various insects, frogs, and other wetland wildlife.
Photographic Location: Muddy shore of a pond in southern Illinois.
Comments: Creeping Water Primrose has showy flowers and attractive foliage. Unfortunately, it is sometimes too aggressive for its own good. It can be distinguished from other Ludwigia spp. by its larger 5-petaled flowers and sprawling semi-aquatic habit. Across its range in the United States and tropical America, different varieties of this species have been described, although only var. glabrescens has been found in Illinois. This variety can be distinguished by its more glabrous foliage. Another scientific name of this wetland plant is Jussiaea repens glabrescens, while an alternative common name is Creeping Primrose Willow.
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Miss Chen
2018年06月21日
Description: This is a perennial wildflower about 1½-3½' tall that branches occasionally. The stems are light green, red, brown, or nearly white; they are terete and glabrous (except for an uncommon variety with pubescent stems). The alternate leaves are 1¼-4" long and ¼-¾" across; they are narrowly lanceolate or elliptic, smooth along their margins; sometimes their margins are slightly ciliate or they are tinted red. The leaves are light to medium green and glabrous (except for an uncommon variety with pubescent leaves). The leaves are sessile or they have short petioles (less than ½" in length). Leaf venation is pinnate.
Along the upper half of each plant, solitary flowers develop from the axils of the leaves on short pedicels (about 1/8" in length). Each flower is ½-¾" across, consisting of 4 yellow petals, 4 light green sepals, 4 short stamens, and a pistil with a short style. The tip of the style is light green and globular. The petals are oval to obovate in shape, while the sepals are ovate-cordate in shape; both petals and sepals are about the same length. The sepals are glabrous and smooth along their margins; sometimes their margins are slightly ciliate or tinted red. The blooming period occurs during the summer for about 2 months. Each flower remains intact for only a single day; the petals are early-deciduous andDistribution Map become detached when they are exposed to even minor disturbance. Later in the year, the flowers are replaced by seed capsules (about ¼" in length) with a cubic shape that turn brown at maturity. The tiny seeds are released from each capsule by a small pore at its apex. These capsules can float on water or be blown about by the wind, distributing the seeds to new areas. Individual seeds are 0.5-1.0 mm. in length and narrowly ellipsoid in shape. The root system is fleshy and fibrous.
Cultivation: The preference is full to partial sun, wet to moist conditions, and an acidic sandy soil, although other soil types are tolerated.
Range & Habitat: The native Seedbox is occasional in most areas of Illinois, except in parts of central and northern Illinois, where it is either uncommon, rare, or absent. Habitats include openings in floodplain woodlands, sandy swamps, acidic gravelly seeps, low areas along streams and ponds, wet prairies, wet sand prairies, and roadside ditches. The pubescent variety of Seedbox, Ludwigia alternifolia pubescens, occurs in southern Illinois, where it is uncommon.
Faunal Associations: According to Robertson (1929), the flowers of Seedbox are visited primarily by bees, including Halictid bees (Augochlorella spp., Halictus spp., & Lasioglossum spp.) and leaf-cutting bees (Megachile spp.); the bees suck nectar or collect pollen from the flowers. Less common floral visitors include Sphecid wasps, small butterflies, beetles, and other insects. Some insects also feed on the foliage and other parts of Seedbox. These species include the leaf beetle Colaspis suggona, the flea beetle Altica litigata, and caterpillars of the moth Eudryas unio (Pearly Wood Nymph). White-Tailed Deer occasionally browse on the foliage during the summer.
Photographic Location: Edge of a sandy swamp at the Heron Boardwalk in Vermilion County, Illinois.
Comments: Seedbox has showier flowers than most Ludwigia spp., and its cubic seed capsules have a distinct appearance. As a result, it is fairly easily to identify when either the flowers or seed capsules are present. Species in this genus are usually found in wetlands. Species in a related genus of the Evening Primrose family, Epilobium spp. (Willow-Herbs), have similar foliage and prefer similar habitats. They can be distinguished from Ludwigia spp. by their narrowly cylindrical seedpods and the presence of tufts of hair on their seeds.
Along the upper half of each plant, solitary flowers develop from the axils of the leaves on short pedicels (about 1/8" in length). Each flower is ½-¾" across, consisting of 4 yellow petals, 4 light green sepals, 4 short stamens, and a pistil with a short style. The tip of the style is light green and globular. The petals are oval to obovate in shape, while the sepals are ovate-cordate in shape; both petals and sepals are about the same length. The sepals are glabrous and smooth along their margins; sometimes their margins are slightly ciliate or tinted red. The blooming period occurs during the summer for about 2 months. Each flower remains intact for only a single day; the petals are early-deciduous andDistribution Map become detached when they are exposed to even minor disturbance. Later in the year, the flowers are replaced by seed capsules (about ¼" in length) with a cubic shape that turn brown at maturity. The tiny seeds are released from each capsule by a small pore at its apex. These capsules can float on water or be blown about by the wind, distributing the seeds to new areas. Individual seeds are 0.5-1.0 mm. in length and narrowly ellipsoid in shape. The root system is fleshy and fibrous.
Cultivation: The preference is full to partial sun, wet to moist conditions, and an acidic sandy soil, although other soil types are tolerated.
Range & Habitat: The native Seedbox is occasional in most areas of Illinois, except in parts of central and northern Illinois, where it is either uncommon, rare, or absent. Habitats include openings in floodplain woodlands, sandy swamps, acidic gravelly seeps, low areas along streams and ponds, wet prairies, wet sand prairies, and roadside ditches. The pubescent variety of Seedbox, Ludwigia alternifolia pubescens, occurs in southern Illinois, where it is uncommon.
Faunal Associations: According to Robertson (1929), the flowers of Seedbox are visited primarily by bees, including Halictid bees (Augochlorella spp., Halictus spp., & Lasioglossum spp.) and leaf-cutting bees (Megachile spp.); the bees suck nectar or collect pollen from the flowers. Less common floral visitors include Sphecid wasps, small butterflies, beetles, and other insects. Some insects also feed on the foliage and other parts of Seedbox. These species include the leaf beetle Colaspis suggona, the flea beetle Altica litigata, and caterpillars of the moth Eudryas unio (Pearly Wood Nymph). White-Tailed Deer occasionally browse on the foliage during the summer.
Photographic Location: Edge of a sandy swamp at the Heron Boardwalk in Vermilion County, Illinois.
Comments: Seedbox has showier flowers than most Ludwigia spp., and its cubic seed capsules have a distinct appearance. As a result, it is fairly easily to identify when either the flowers or seed capsules are present. Species in this genus are usually found in wetlands. Species in a related genus of the Evening Primrose family, Epilobium spp. (Willow-Herbs), have similar foliage and prefer similar habitats. They can be distinguished from Ludwigia spp. by their narrowly cylindrical seedpods and the presence of tufts of hair on their seeds.
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Miss Chen
2018年06月18日
Description: This perennial wildflower is 3-9' tall and largely unbranched, except for some lateral ascending stems along the upper one-third of its length. The central stem is dark purple to pale purplish white, stout, terete, glabrous, and glaucous; the interior of the central stem is mostly hollow. The lateral stems are similar, except they are more narrow. Whorls of 4-7 leaves (usually 5-6) occur at intervals along the central stem; whorls of smaller leaves also occur along some of the lateral stems. Individual leaves are up to 9" long and 3" across; they are elliptic in shape and crenate-serrate along their margins. The upper leaf surface is medium green and glabrous; it is creased along the veins. The lower leaf surface is pale green and mostly glabrous, except for hairs along the lower sides of the veins. The petioles are up to ½" long, pale purple to dark purple, and stout.
The central stem terminates in a panicle of flowerheads up to 1½' long and 1' across; the upper lateral stems often terminate in panicles of flowerheads as well, except they are smaller in size. Individual panicles are rather open and dome-shaped at the top; they vary in color from pale pink-lavender to deep rosy pink. Individual flowerheads are about 9 mm. (1/3") long and 3 mm. (1/8") across, consisting of 5-7 disk florets and no ray florets. Each disk floret consists of a narrowly cylindrical corolla with 5 upright lobes, 5 inserted stamens, and a pistil with an exserted bifurcated style. The corolla is pink-lavender to rosy pink. At the base of each flowerhead, there are overlapping bracts (phyllaries) that are appressed together in several series. These bracts are usually linear-oblong, white with pink tints to light pink, and glabrous. The branches of each panicle are widely spreading to ascending; they are usually dark purple and finely pubescent. The blooming period occurs from mid-summer to early fall and lasts about 1 month. The flowerheads are often mildly fragrant. Afterwards, the disk florets are replaced by small bullet-shaped achenes (about 3 mm. long) with tufts of bristly hair. They are distributed by the wind. The root system is mostly fibrous, although sometimes rhizomes are produced.Distribution Map
Cultivation: The preference is full or partial sun and wet to moist conditions; the soil can contain loam, sand, or gravel. There is considerable variation in the size of individual plants. Exposure to high winds can cause some plants to topple over. Standing water is tolerated if it is temporary.
Range & Habitat: The native Hollow-Stemmed Joe-Pye Weed is an uncommon plant that is found in the southern tip of Illinois, SE Illinois, and widely scattered areas elsewhere. Habitats include wet sand prairies, seeps and springs in partially wooded areas, soggy thickets, fens, rocky sandstone ravines along streams, and low areas along railroads and roadsides. Sometimes this wildflower is cultivated in gardens, although many cultivars display some evidence of hybridization.
Faunal Associations: The flowerheads are visited by honeybees, bumblebees, and other long-tongued bees; other floral visitors include bee flies (Bombyliidae), butterflies, skippers, and moths. Most of these visitors obtain nectar from the flowerheads, although some bees also collect pollen. A modest number of insects feed on the foliage, flowers, stems, or roots of Hollow Joe-Pye Weed and other members of this genus. They include caterpillars of the following moths: Carmenta bassiformis (Eupatorium Borer Moth), Condica vecors (Dusky Groundling), Schinia trifascia (Three-Lined Flower Moth), Papaipema eupatorii (Joe-Pye Weed Borer), Perigea xanthioides (Red Groundling), and Phragmatobia fuliginosa (Ruby Tiger Moth). Other insect feeders include the aphid Aphis vernoniae, the treehopper Entylia bactriana, the leaf beetles Exema dispar and Ophraella notata, and the gall gnat Dasyneura purpurea. Joe-Pye Weed species (Eutrochium spp.) are used by vertebrate animals only to a limited extent. The Swamp Sparrow and probably other birds consume the seeds, while hoofed mammalian herbivores (e.g., deer & cattle) eat the bitter-tasting leaves only when little else is available.
Photographic Location: A wet sand prairie along a railroad at the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore in NW Indiana. Most of the flowerheads of the photographed plant are still in the bud stage.
Comments: This wildflower is an impressive sight as it towers above the surrounding vegetation in open areas. Two other species in this genus occur in Illinois: Eutrochium purpureum (Sweet Joe-Pye Weed) and Eutrochium maculatum (Spotted Joe-Pye Weed). Like Hollow Joe-Pye Weed, these are tall plants with similar flowerheads and whorled leaves. Hollow Joe-Pye Weed can be distinguished from these species by the greater number of leaves per whorl (sometimes exceeding 5), the strong white bloom of its central stem, and the largely hollow interior of its central stem. The other two species of Joe-Pye Weed have at most 5 leaves per whorl, their central stems are either glabrous or hairy, but not strongly glaucous, and the interior of their central stems is only slightly hollow or filled with pith. Other scientific names of Hollow Joe-Pye Weed include Eupatorium fistulosum and Eupatoriadelphus fistulosus.
The central stem terminates in a panicle of flowerheads up to 1½' long and 1' across; the upper lateral stems often terminate in panicles of flowerheads as well, except they are smaller in size. Individual panicles are rather open and dome-shaped at the top; they vary in color from pale pink-lavender to deep rosy pink. Individual flowerheads are about 9 mm. (1/3") long and 3 mm. (1/8") across, consisting of 5-7 disk florets and no ray florets. Each disk floret consists of a narrowly cylindrical corolla with 5 upright lobes, 5 inserted stamens, and a pistil with an exserted bifurcated style. The corolla is pink-lavender to rosy pink. At the base of each flowerhead, there are overlapping bracts (phyllaries) that are appressed together in several series. These bracts are usually linear-oblong, white with pink tints to light pink, and glabrous. The branches of each panicle are widely spreading to ascending; they are usually dark purple and finely pubescent. The blooming period occurs from mid-summer to early fall and lasts about 1 month. The flowerheads are often mildly fragrant. Afterwards, the disk florets are replaced by small bullet-shaped achenes (about 3 mm. long) with tufts of bristly hair. They are distributed by the wind. The root system is mostly fibrous, although sometimes rhizomes are produced.Distribution Map
Cultivation: The preference is full or partial sun and wet to moist conditions; the soil can contain loam, sand, or gravel. There is considerable variation in the size of individual plants. Exposure to high winds can cause some plants to topple over. Standing water is tolerated if it is temporary.
Range & Habitat: The native Hollow-Stemmed Joe-Pye Weed is an uncommon plant that is found in the southern tip of Illinois, SE Illinois, and widely scattered areas elsewhere. Habitats include wet sand prairies, seeps and springs in partially wooded areas, soggy thickets, fens, rocky sandstone ravines along streams, and low areas along railroads and roadsides. Sometimes this wildflower is cultivated in gardens, although many cultivars display some evidence of hybridization.
Faunal Associations: The flowerheads are visited by honeybees, bumblebees, and other long-tongued bees; other floral visitors include bee flies (Bombyliidae), butterflies, skippers, and moths. Most of these visitors obtain nectar from the flowerheads, although some bees also collect pollen. A modest number of insects feed on the foliage, flowers, stems, or roots of Hollow Joe-Pye Weed and other members of this genus. They include caterpillars of the following moths: Carmenta bassiformis (Eupatorium Borer Moth), Condica vecors (Dusky Groundling), Schinia trifascia (Three-Lined Flower Moth), Papaipema eupatorii (Joe-Pye Weed Borer), Perigea xanthioides (Red Groundling), and Phragmatobia fuliginosa (Ruby Tiger Moth). Other insect feeders include the aphid Aphis vernoniae, the treehopper Entylia bactriana, the leaf beetles Exema dispar and Ophraella notata, and the gall gnat Dasyneura purpurea. Joe-Pye Weed species (Eutrochium spp.) are used by vertebrate animals only to a limited extent. The Swamp Sparrow and probably other birds consume the seeds, while hoofed mammalian herbivores (e.g., deer & cattle) eat the bitter-tasting leaves only when little else is available.
Photographic Location: A wet sand prairie along a railroad at the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore in NW Indiana. Most of the flowerheads of the photographed plant are still in the bud stage.
Comments: This wildflower is an impressive sight as it towers above the surrounding vegetation in open areas. Two other species in this genus occur in Illinois: Eutrochium purpureum (Sweet Joe-Pye Weed) and Eutrochium maculatum (Spotted Joe-Pye Weed). Like Hollow Joe-Pye Weed, these are tall plants with similar flowerheads and whorled leaves. Hollow Joe-Pye Weed can be distinguished from these species by the greater number of leaves per whorl (sometimes exceeding 5), the strong white bloom of its central stem, and the largely hollow interior of its central stem. The other two species of Joe-Pye Weed have at most 5 leaves per whorl, their central stems are either glabrous or hairy, but not strongly glaucous, and the interior of their central stems is only slightly hollow or filled with pith. Other scientific names of Hollow Joe-Pye Weed include Eupatorium fistulosum and Eupatoriadelphus fistulosus.
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Miss Chen
2018年06月18日
Description: This herbaceous perennial plant is 1-4' tall, branching occasionally. The stems are square or round, and usually pubescent where new growth occurs, becoming glabrous with age. The hairless leaves are opposite or alternate along the stems, sessile or with short petioles, and up to 4" long and ½" across. They are narrowly lanceolate in shape, and sometimes have purple veins or spots. There are 4-8 teeth per centimeter along the margin of each leaf.
From the upper axils of some of the upper leaves, there appears a single flower with a long calyx tube on a short stalk (peduncle). This calyx tube is pubescent and more or less erect, terminating in 4 lanceolate sepals that often tinted purple or pink. These sepals are a little shorter than the petals. The 4 notched petals are white or light pink, and span about 1/3" across. At the throat of the flower, there is a prominent pistil that is often knobby at the end, which is surrounded by several stamens. These flowers bloom for about a month during late summer or early fall. The calyx tube matures into an elongated seed capsule, which splits open to release a multitude of tiny seeds with small tufts of reddish brown hair. These seeds are distributed by the wind. The root system is fibrous and produces rhizomes, which enables this plant to spread vegetatively.
Cultivation: The preference is full sun to light shade, and wet to moist conditions. The soil should contain lots of organic material to retain moisture. The foliage is rather fragile and can become damaged easily. This plant tolerates occasional flooding, and prefers rather cool conditions.
Range & Habitat: The native Cinnamon Willow-Herb occurs occasionally in northern and central Illinois, but it is uncommon or absent in the southern section of the state. Its range extends further to the south than other Epilobium spp., which are usually restricted to northern Illinois. Habitats include poorly drained areas of black soil prairies, moist woodlands, woodland borders, and various kinds of wetlands, including marshes, bogs, fens, seeps, and edges of ponds, rivers, or drainage ditches. The Willow Herbs are pioneer species that thrive on some kind of disturbance, such as fire.
Faunal Associations: The flowers probably attract bees and flower flies, which seek nectar and pollen. The caterpillars of various moths eat the foliage of Willow-Herbs, including Hyles lineata (White-Lined Sphinx), Eudryas unio (Pearly Wood Nymph), Anticlea multiferata (Many-Lined Carpet), and Scythris magnabella (Scythridid Moth sp.). The seeds are too small to be of much interest to birds. The foliage is non-toxic and occasionally eaten by mammalian herbivores, but it has low food value.
Photographic Location: A poorly drained area of prairie in Meadowbrook Park, Urbana, Illinois.
Comments: The flowers are rather small-sized, but they are often produced in abundance on large plants. The most distinctive characteristic of Cinnamon Willow-Herb is the reddish brown coloration of the tufts of hair on the seeds, which is responsible for the common name of this plant. Other Epilobium spp. have tufts of hair that are white or faded brown or grey. Cinnamon Willow-Herb also has serrated leaves with 4-8 teeth per centimeter, while other Willow-Herbs have leaves with either smooth edges or fewer teeth per centimeter. An unusual characteristic of the Willow-Herbs is the long calyx-tube of the flowers, which occurs behind the petals, and eventually becomes an elongated seed capsule. It looks like a flowering stalk (peduncle), but it is actually part of the flower where the ovaries are contained. In some members of the Mustard family and miscellaneous other plants, an elongated seed capsule develops in front of the petals. This is one way to determine whether the plant in front of you is a Willow-Herb, or a quite different species of plant.
From the upper axils of some of the upper leaves, there appears a single flower with a long calyx tube on a short stalk (peduncle). This calyx tube is pubescent and more or less erect, terminating in 4 lanceolate sepals that often tinted purple or pink. These sepals are a little shorter than the petals. The 4 notched petals are white or light pink, and span about 1/3" across. At the throat of the flower, there is a prominent pistil that is often knobby at the end, which is surrounded by several stamens. These flowers bloom for about a month during late summer or early fall. The calyx tube matures into an elongated seed capsule, which splits open to release a multitude of tiny seeds with small tufts of reddish brown hair. These seeds are distributed by the wind. The root system is fibrous and produces rhizomes, which enables this plant to spread vegetatively.
Cultivation: The preference is full sun to light shade, and wet to moist conditions. The soil should contain lots of organic material to retain moisture. The foliage is rather fragile and can become damaged easily. This plant tolerates occasional flooding, and prefers rather cool conditions.
Range & Habitat: The native Cinnamon Willow-Herb occurs occasionally in northern and central Illinois, but it is uncommon or absent in the southern section of the state. Its range extends further to the south than other Epilobium spp., which are usually restricted to northern Illinois. Habitats include poorly drained areas of black soil prairies, moist woodlands, woodland borders, and various kinds of wetlands, including marshes, bogs, fens, seeps, and edges of ponds, rivers, or drainage ditches. The Willow Herbs are pioneer species that thrive on some kind of disturbance, such as fire.
Faunal Associations: The flowers probably attract bees and flower flies, which seek nectar and pollen. The caterpillars of various moths eat the foliage of Willow-Herbs, including Hyles lineata (White-Lined Sphinx), Eudryas unio (Pearly Wood Nymph), Anticlea multiferata (Many-Lined Carpet), and Scythris magnabella (Scythridid Moth sp.). The seeds are too small to be of much interest to birds. The foliage is non-toxic and occasionally eaten by mammalian herbivores, but it has low food value.
Photographic Location: A poorly drained area of prairie in Meadowbrook Park, Urbana, Illinois.
Comments: The flowers are rather small-sized, but they are often produced in abundance on large plants. The most distinctive characteristic of Cinnamon Willow-Herb is the reddish brown coloration of the tufts of hair on the seeds, which is responsible for the common name of this plant. Other Epilobium spp. have tufts of hair that are white or faded brown or grey. Cinnamon Willow-Herb also has serrated leaves with 4-8 teeth per centimeter, while other Willow-Herbs have leaves with either smooth edges or fewer teeth per centimeter. An unusual characteristic of the Willow-Herbs is the long calyx-tube of the flowers, which occurs behind the petals, and eventually becomes an elongated seed capsule. It looks like a flowering stalk (peduncle), but it is actually part of the flower where the ovaries are contained. In some members of the Mustard family and miscellaneous other plants, an elongated seed capsule develops in front of the petals. This is one way to determine whether the plant in front of you is a Willow-Herb, or a quite different species of plant.
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Miss Chen
2018年06月17日
Description: This perennial wildflower forms arching stems about 3-8' long that are unbranched or sparingly so. The base of each stem is spongy and swollen if it is submerged in water, otherwise it is more constricted and angular. Each stem is pale green to red and either glabrous or pubescent; it tends to be slightly woody at the base, but dies down to the ground each winter (at least in the Midwest). Both opposite leaves and whorls of 3 leaves can occur along the stems; they are up to 6" long and 1½" across. The leaves are elliptic in shape and smooth along their margins. The upper leaf surface is medium to dark green and glabrous, while the lower surface is pale to medium green and either glabrous or pubescent. The leaves taper gradually into short petioles (¼" or less) and long narrow tips.
Clusters of non-terminal flowers occur in the axils of the leaves. Individual flowers are up to 1" long and 1" across, consisting of 5 wrinkled purple petals, a short tubular calyx with 5 primary teeth alternating with 5 secondary teeth, 10 stamens of varying lengths, and a pistil with a style. Sometimes there are more calyx teeth and fewer stamens. The bell-shaped calyx is light green to cream-colored with rose tints; its primary teeth are ovate, while its secondary teeth are elevated above the primary teeth and they are linear. The slender secondary teeth are often contorted or crooked and they are ciliate along their margins. The pedicels of the flowers are light green, glabrous or pubescent, and short (about ¼" in length). There are 2 or more leafy bracts underneath each cluster of flowers; they are up to ¾" in lengthDistribution Map and lanceolate to ovate in shape. The blooming period occurs from mid-summer to early fall, lasting about 1-2 months. Each flower typically lasts only 1-2 days. During the autumn, the flowers are replaced by globoid seed capsules about ¼" across. Each capsule contains many chunky seeds; the seeds probably float on water. This wildflower reproduces clonally whenever its stem tips touch moist ground, where new plants will take root. As a result, colonies of clonal plants often form.
Cultivation: The preference is full or partial sun, wet to moist conditions, and soil that is mucky, peaty, or sandy (or some combination of the preceding). Swamp Loosestrife is usually an emergent aquatic plant in stagnant or slow-moving water. However, it also colonizes damp ground near shorelines.
Range & Habitat: Swamp Loosestrife is an uncommon wildflower that is found in scattered areas of Illinois. It is apparently absent in the NW and east-central areas of the state. Habitats include marshes and sandy marshes, swamps and sandy swamps, shorelines along ponds and small lakes, calcareous fens, and peaty bogs. Sometimes Swamp Loosestrife occurs on floating mats of vegetation in fens and bogs. It is usually found in high quality wetlands.
Faunal Associations: The flowers are cross-pollinated by honeybees, bumblebees, Swallowtail butterflies, and probably other insects. These visitors obtain primarily nectar from the flowers. The caterpillars of Darapsa versicolor (Hydrangea Sphinx) and Eudryas unio (Pearly Wood Nymph) feed on the foliage, while the caterpillars of Papaipema cataphracta (Burdock Borer Moth) and Papaipema sulphurata (Decodon Borer Moth) bore through the stems. The range of the rare Decodon Borer Moth is restricted to northeastern United States. The seed capsules of Swamp Loosestrife are eaten by several ducks: the Mallard, Black Duck, Blue-Winged Teal, Green-Winged Teal, and Wood Duck. Muskrats like to feed on the swollen and spongy underwater stems.
Photographic Location: Shoreline of a small lake at the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore in NW Indiana.
Comments: Swamp Loosestrife is both large in size and attractive, especially when it is in bloom. Its two closest relatives in Illinois, the native Lythrum alatum (Winged Loosestrife) and introduced Lythrum salicaria (Purple Loosestrife), prefer somewhat drier areas of wetlands. Compared to Swamp Loosestrife, both of these species have very similar purple flowers, but they are both erect in their habit of growth, rather than arching.
Clusters of non-terminal flowers occur in the axils of the leaves. Individual flowers are up to 1" long and 1" across, consisting of 5 wrinkled purple petals, a short tubular calyx with 5 primary teeth alternating with 5 secondary teeth, 10 stamens of varying lengths, and a pistil with a style. Sometimes there are more calyx teeth and fewer stamens. The bell-shaped calyx is light green to cream-colored with rose tints; its primary teeth are ovate, while its secondary teeth are elevated above the primary teeth and they are linear. The slender secondary teeth are often contorted or crooked and they are ciliate along their margins. The pedicels of the flowers are light green, glabrous or pubescent, and short (about ¼" in length). There are 2 or more leafy bracts underneath each cluster of flowers; they are up to ¾" in lengthDistribution Map and lanceolate to ovate in shape. The blooming period occurs from mid-summer to early fall, lasting about 1-2 months. Each flower typically lasts only 1-2 days. During the autumn, the flowers are replaced by globoid seed capsules about ¼" across. Each capsule contains many chunky seeds; the seeds probably float on water. This wildflower reproduces clonally whenever its stem tips touch moist ground, where new plants will take root. As a result, colonies of clonal plants often form.
Cultivation: The preference is full or partial sun, wet to moist conditions, and soil that is mucky, peaty, or sandy (or some combination of the preceding). Swamp Loosestrife is usually an emergent aquatic plant in stagnant or slow-moving water. However, it also colonizes damp ground near shorelines.
Range & Habitat: Swamp Loosestrife is an uncommon wildflower that is found in scattered areas of Illinois. It is apparently absent in the NW and east-central areas of the state. Habitats include marshes and sandy marshes, swamps and sandy swamps, shorelines along ponds and small lakes, calcareous fens, and peaty bogs. Sometimes Swamp Loosestrife occurs on floating mats of vegetation in fens and bogs. It is usually found in high quality wetlands.
Faunal Associations: The flowers are cross-pollinated by honeybees, bumblebees, Swallowtail butterflies, and probably other insects. These visitors obtain primarily nectar from the flowers. The caterpillars of Darapsa versicolor (Hydrangea Sphinx) and Eudryas unio (Pearly Wood Nymph) feed on the foliage, while the caterpillars of Papaipema cataphracta (Burdock Borer Moth) and Papaipema sulphurata (Decodon Borer Moth) bore through the stems. The range of the rare Decodon Borer Moth is restricted to northeastern United States. The seed capsules of Swamp Loosestrife are eaten by several ducks: the Mallard, Black Duck, Blue-Winged Teal, Green-Winged Teal, and Wood Duck. Muskrats like to feed on the swollen and spongy underwater stems.
Photographic Location: Shoreline of a small lake at the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore in NW Indiana.
Comments: Swamp Loosestrife is both large in size and attractive, especially when it is in bloom. Its two closest relatives in Illinois, the native Lythrum alatum (Winged Loosestrife) and introduced Lythrum salicaria (Purple Loosestrife), prefer somewhat drier areas of wetlands. Compared to Swamp Loosestrife, both of these species have very similar purple flowers, but they are both erect in their habit of growth, rather than arching.
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Miss Chen
2018年06月17日
Buttonbush Dodder on a Host PlantDescription: This herbaceous parasitic vine is a summer annual that is several feet along. It clings to adjacent vegetation using suckers (haustoria) on its stems. Lacking chlorophyll and a significant root system, this vine is dependent on its host plants for water and nutrients. The stems are usually pale yellow, sometimes becoming pale orange with age; they are glabrous and terete. Alternate leaves along the stems are reduced to tiny scales, or they are absent altogether. Small clusters of nearly sessile flowers occur at intervals along the stems. The peduncles and pedicels of these flowers are pale yellow to pale orange and glabrous. Each flower spans about 3 mm. (1/8" across), consisting of a white corolla with 4 lobes, a light green calyx with 4 lobes, 4 stamens, and an ovary with a pair of divergent styles. Less often, a flower may have a corolla with 5 lobes, a calyx with 5 lobes, and 5 stamens. The lobes of the corolla are deltate-ovate in shape and ascending to widely spreading. The calyx is glabrous with rounded lobes; it is shorter than the corolla. Both the corolla and calyx are short-tubular and bell-shaped (campanulate). At the base of the stamens within the corolla, are fringed scales that require at least a 10x hand lens to see. There are no floral bracts underneath the flowers. The blooming period occurs from mid-summer to early fall, lasting about 1½ months. There may be a mild floral fragrance. In the absence of insect pollinators, the flowers are self-fertile; they are replaced by globoid seed capsules spanning 3-5 mm. across. The glabrous seed capsules are surrounded by the withered remains of their corollas; they are initially light green, but turn brown at maturity. Each capsule is 2-celled, and each cell contains 2 seeds. The capsules eventually split open to release their seeds. The seeds are about 1.5 mm. long (or slightly more), ovoid in shape, and slightly compressed. There is a rudimentary root system at the seedling stage, but this is abandoned shortly after a suitable host plant has been found. If no host plant is found, the seedling dies within a few days.
Cultivation: This vine is typically found in wet to moist areas that are exposed to sun or partial sun. It cannot survive without a suitable host plant, although apparently many species of moisture-loving plants and shrubs can serve this purpose. Examples of suitable host plants include buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis), water willow (Justicia americana), false nettle (Boehmeria cylindrica), asters (Aster spp.), goldenrods (Solidago spp.), bugleweed (Lycopus spp.), and even horsetails (Equisetum spp.). Soil type depends on the preferences of host plants, but can consist of sand, silt, loam, or muck. This vine can significantly weaken any host plant that it comes in contact with.
Range & Habitat: The native Buttonbush Dodder is scattered throughout Illinois, where it is uncommon to occasional (see Distribution Map). Habitats include floodplain woodlands, swamps, soggy thickets along rivers, marshes, and wet prairies. This vine occurs in both sandy and non-sandy wetlands.
Faunal Associations: Robertson (1929) observed a small Halictid bee, Lasioglossum coriaceus, sucking nectar from the flowers of Buttonbush Dodder. Other small bees also visit the flowers for nectar, and possibly some moths (Müller, 1873/1883). According to Georgia (1913), the seeds of dodders can pass through the digestive tracts of grazing animals (e.g., cattle & horses) and remain viable. Thus, these animals may help to distribute these vines into new areas.
Photographic Location: A sandy marsh at the Heron Boardwalk in Vermilion County, Illinois.
Comments: Buttonbush Dodder has a fairly typical appearance for the parasitic vines of this genus, although it is somewhat unusual in having 4-parted flowers (4-lobed corollas, 4-lobed calyces, and 4 stamens), rather than 5-parted flowers (5-lobed corollas, 5-lobed calyces, 5 stamens). Unlike other dodder species (Cuscuta spp.) with 4-parted flowers, the corolla lobes of Buttonbush Dodder usually spread outward rather than remain erect. Thus, it is a fairly easy species to identify during the blooming period. Some taxonomists have placed dodder species in the Morning Glory family (Convolvulaceae).
Cultivation: This vine is typically found in wet to moist areas that are exposed to sun or partial sun. It cannot survive without a suitable host plant, although apparently many species of moisture-loving plants and shrubs can serve this purpose. Examples of suitable host plants include buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis), water willow (Justicia americana), false nettle (Boehmeria cylindrica), asters (Aster spp.), goldenrods (Solidago spp.), bugleweed (Lycopus spp.), and even horsetails (Equisetum spp.). Soil type depends on the preferences of host plants, but can consist of sand, silt, loam, or muck. This vine can significantly weaken any host plant that it comes in contact with.
Range & Habitat: The native Buttonbush Dodder is scattered throughout Illinois, where it is uncommon to occasional (see Distribution Map). Habitats include floodplain woodlands, swamps, soggy thickets along rivers, marshes, and wet prairies. This vine occurs in both sandy and non-sandy wetlands.
Faunal Associations: Robertson (1929) observed a small Halictid bee, Lasioglossum coriaceus, sucking nectar from the flowers of Buttonbush Dodder. Other small bees also visit the flowers for nectar, and possibly some moths (Müller, 1873/1883). According to Georgia (1913), the seeds of dodders can pass through the digestive tracts of grazing animals (e.g., cattle & horses) and remain viable. Thus, these animals may help to distribute these vines into new areas.
Photographic Location: A sandy marsh at the Heron Boardwalk in Vermilion County, Illinois.
Comments: Buttonbush Dodder has a fairly typical appearance for the parasitic vines of this genus, although it is somewhat unusual in having 4-parted flowers (4-lobed corollas, 4-lobed calyces, and 4 stamens), rather than 5-parted flowers (5-lobed corollas, 5-lobed calyces, 5 stamens). Unlike other dodder species (Cuscuta spp.) with 4-parted flowers, the corolla lobes of Buttonbush Dodder usually spread outward rather than remain erect. Thus, it is a fairly easy species to identify during the blooming period. Some taxonomists have placed dodder species in the Morning Glory family (Convolvulaceae).
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Miss Chen
2018年06月17日
Description: This perennial plant is 1-2½' tall, branching occasionally to abundantly. The stems are light green, terete, and appressed-pubescent. The opposite leaves are up to 3" long and 2" across; they have short slender petioles. The leaf blades are oval-cordate, oval, or ovate in shape, while their margins are dentate or dentate-crenate. The upper blade surface is light green and glabrous with a conspicuous network of veins. The upper stems terminate in flat-topped clusters of flowerheads. Each cluster of flowerheads spans about 1-3" across. Each flowerhead has about 40-50 disk florets that are pink, lavender, or blue. Each floret has a tiny tubular corolla with 5 spreading lobes and a strongly exerted style that is divided into two filiform parts. Around the base of each flowerhead, there are several floral bracts (phyllaries) that are arranged in 1-2 series; they are light green and linear in shape. The branches underneath each flowerhead cluster are light green and terete.
The blooming period occurs from mid-summer to early autumn, lasting about 1-2 months. There is no noticeable floral scent. Afterwards, the florets are replaced by achenes with small tufts of hair; they are distributed by the wind. The root system is highly rhizomatous; this plant readily forms colonies.
Cultivation: The preference is full sun to light shade, moist conditions, and soil containing loam or silt. There should be sufficient organic material in the soil to retain moisture. This plant can spread aggressively in moist open ground, otherwise it presents few problems. Drought tolerance is poor. Propagation is by seed or division of the rhizomes.
Range & Distribution: The native Mistflower occurs in the southern half of Illinois and the Chicago area (see Distribution Map). It is fairly common in southern Illinois, but uncommon or absent elsewhere. This plant was introduced into the Chicago area. Some local populations in the wild are probably the result of seeds or plants that have escaped cultivation. Habitats include river-bottom prairies, moist open woodlands, gravelly seeps, borders of lakes and rivers, moist meadows in wooded areas, bases of bluffs, and ditches. This plant usually occurs in poorly drained areas and near sources of water.
Faunal Associations: The flowers attract long-tongued bees, butterflies, and skippers. Other occasional visitors include short-tongued bees, various flies, moths, and beetles. These insects seek nectar primarily, although the bees often collect pollen. Insects that feed on Eupatorium spp. (Bonesets) may also feed on Mistflower. Insect feeders of this group of plants include the caterpillars of such moths as Haploa clymene (Clymene Moth; eats foliage), Phragmatobia lineata (Lined Ruby Tiger Moth; eats foliage), Carmenta bassiformis (Eupatorium Borer Moth; bores into roots), and Schinia trifascia (Three-Lined Flower Moth; eats florets & developing seeds). Mammalian herbivores rarely consume Mistflower because of its bitter foliage.
Photographic Location: The photograph was taken along a drainage canal at Kaufman Lake Park in Champaign, Illinois.
Comments: Mistflower has attractive delicate flowers that are colored in pastel shades of pink, lavender, or blue. For this reason, it is often grown in flower gardens. This plant is closely related to the white-flowered Bonesets (Eupatorium spp.), and sometimes it is still referred to as Eupatorium coelestinum. Mistflower can be distinguished from the Bonesets primarily by its colorful flowers, relatively short stature, and broad opposite leaves that are heavily veined. While species of Joe-Pye Weed (Eupatoriadelphus spp.) have similar colorful flowers, they are taller plants with whorled leaves. All of these species are similar in that their flowerheads consist entirely of disk florets.
The blooming period occurs from mid-summer to early autumn, lasting about 1-2 months. There is no noticeable floral scent. Afterwards, the florets are replaced by achenes with small tufts of hair; they are distributed by the wind. The root system is highly rhizomatous; this plant readily forms colonies.
Cultivation: The preference is full sun to light shade, moist conditions, and soil containing loam or silt. There should be sufficient organic material in the soil to retain moisture. This plant can spread aggressively in moist open ground, otherwise it presents few problems. Drought tolerance is poor. Propagation is by seed or division of the rhizomes.
Range & Distribution: The native Mistflower occurs in the southern half of Illinois and the Chicago area (see Distribution Map). It is fairly common in southern Illinois, but uncommon or absent elsewhere. This plant was introduced into the Chicago area. Some local populations in the wild are probably the result of seeds or plants that have escaped cultivation. Habitats include river-bottom prairies, moist open woodlands, gravelly seeps, borders of lakes and rivers, moist meadows in wooded areas, bases of bluffs, and ditches. This plant usually occurs in poorly drained areas and near sources of water.
Faunal Associations: The flowers attract long-tongued bees, butterflies, and skippers. Other occasional visitors include short-tongued bees, various flies, moths, and beetles. These insects seek nectar primarily, although the bees often collect pollen. Insects that feed on Eupatorium spp. (Bonesets) may also feed on Mistflower. Insect feeders of this group of plants include the caterpillars of such moths as Haploa clymene (Clymene Moth; eats foliage), Phragmatobia lineata (Lined Ruby Tiger Moth; eats foliage), Carmenta bassiformis (Eupatorium Borer Moth; bores into roots), and Schinia trifascia (Three-Lined Flower Moth; eats florets & developing seeds). Mammalian herbivores rarely consume Mistflower because of its bitter foliage.
Photographic Location: The photograph was taken along a drainage canal at Kaufman Lake Park in Champaign, Illinois.
Comments: Mistflower has attractive delicate flowers that are colored in pastel shades of pink, lavender, or blue. For this reason, it is often grown in flower gardens. This plant is closely related to the white-flowered Bonesets (Eupatorium spp.), and sometimes it is still referred to as Eupatorium coelestinum. Mistflower can be distinguished from the Bonesets primarily by its colorful flowers, relatively short stature, and broad opposite leaves that are heavily veined. While species of Joe-Pye Weed (Eupatoriadelphus spp.) have similar colorful flowers, they are taller plants with whorled leaves. All of these species are similar in that their flowerheads consist entirely of disk florets.
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Miss Chen
2018年06月16日
Description: This perennial wildflower is 1½–6' tall, branching occasionally along the upper half of its length. The rather stout stems are light green to reddish purple (often the latter), terete to slightly grooved, and evenly covered with stiff spreading hairs. The alternate leaves are up to 6" long and 1¾" across, becoming gradually smaller along the upper half of each plant; they are narrowly lanceolate to lanceolate with poorly defined remote teeth along their margins. The leaves are yellowish green, medium green, or purple (sometimes the latter color during the fall); they are usually glabrous, except for some hairs along the central veins of their lower sides. Most leaves clasp the stems, although some of the smaller upper leaves are sessile.
The central stem terminates in a panicle of flowerheads; some lateral stems may produce smaller panicles of flowerheads. The branches of each panicle are ascending and usually hairy. Along these branches, there are linear-lanceolate leafy bracts up to 1" long. The outer branches terminate in flowerheads about ¾–1¼" across, consisting of 30-50 ray florets and a similar number of central disk florets. The petal-like rays are usually lavender, pale blue-violet, or purple (less often white); they are widely spreading and very slender. The tubular disk florets are 5-lobed; they are initially yellow, but later become dull red. At the base of each flowerhead, there are several overlapping bracts that are linear in shape, green, and hairless; they are rather loosely assembled around the base of the flowerhead and slightly spreading. The blooming period occurs from late summer into the fall and lasts about 2 months. Both disk and ray florets are fertile. The florets are replaced by bullet-shaped achenes about 1.5 mm. long that have small tufts of white hair; they are distributed by the wind. The root system is fibrous and short-rhizomatous, sometimes forming a small caudex on older plants.
Cultivation: The preference is full or partial sun and wet to moist conditions. The soil should contain some organic material to retain moisture and it should be reasonably fertile. Sometimes, the leaves become diseased and rather battered in appearance by the end of the year; the lower leaves may turn brown and fall off in response to droughty conditions. The size of individual plants can be highly variable.
Range & Habitat: The native Swamp Aster is occasional in the northern half of Illinois, while in the southern half of the state it is uncommon or absent. Habitats include soggy thickets along streams, open swamps, fens and calcareous seeps, sedge meadows, and other wetlands. Swamp Aster is often found in higher quality wetlands where the native flora is still intact. It is primarily a boreal species that is found around the Great Lakes and other cool areas.
Faunal Associations: The nectar and pollen of the flowerheads attract a wide variety of insects, including honeybees, bumblebees, other miscellaneous bees, various wasps, bee flies and other miscellaneous flies, and various butterflies, skippers, and moths. The oligolectic bees, Andrena asteris and Andrena hirticincta, suck nectar and collect pollen from the flowerheads of Swamp Aster. Other insects feed on the foliage, suck plant juices, bore through the stalks and roots, or gnaw on the flowers and developing seeds of Symphyotrichum spp. (asters). These species include Microrhopala xerene and other leaf beetles, several aphids (mostly Uroleucon spp.), the stinkbug Trichopepla semivittata, the leafhopper Macrosteles quadrilineatus, the plant bug Plagiognathus cuneatus, Poecilocapsus lineatus (Four-Lined Plant Bug), Lygus lineolaris (Tarnished Plant Bug), and the larvae of Calycomyza humeralis (Aster Leafminer Fly). In addition to these insects, a large number of moth caterpillars feed on asters (see the Moth Table for a listing of these species), as do the caterpillars of the butterflies Chlosyne nycteis (Silvery Checkerspot) and Phyciodes tharos (Pearl Crescent). Among vertebrate animals, the Wild Turkey eats the seeds and leaves occasionally, while the White-Tailed Deer and Cottontail Rabbit browse on the foliage.
Photographic Location: A low area along a pond at Weaver Park in Urbana, Illinois.
Comments: Except for Symphyotrichum novae-angliae (New England Aster), Swamp Aster has larger flowerheads than other Symphyotrichum spp. (asters) in Illinois and its flowerheads usually have more rays (about 30-50). It is a pretty hefty plant that is about as tall as New England Aster. This latter species has glandular hairs along its stems and its leaves are less shiny than those of Swamp Aster. Swamp Aster is divided into two varieties or subspecies: the typical variety/subspecies has evenly hairy purple stems, while variety/subspecies firmus (or lucidulous) has light green stems that are either hairless or the hairs are arranged in lines; sometimes the color of the stems is not reliable in making this distinction. The rhizomes of the typical variety/subspecies are supposed to be short, while the rhizomes of variety/subspecies firmus (or lucidulous) are supposed to be long. Some authors (e.g., Mohlenbrock, 2014), divide Swamp Aster into two separate species: Symphyotrichum puniceum and Symphyotrichum firmum. They have a similar distribution and are about equally common in Illinois. The preceding descriptive information and photos apply to Symphyotrichum puniceum puniceum. A scientific synonym of Swamp Aster is Aster puniceus.
The central stem terminates in a panicle of flowerheads; some lateral stems may produce smaller panicles of flowerheads. The branches of each panicle are ascending and usually hairy. Along these branches, there are linear-lanceolate leafy bracts up to 1" long. The outer branches terminate in flowerheads about ¾–1¼" across, consisting of 30-50 ray florets and a similar number of central disk florets. The petal-like rays are usually lavender, pale blue-violet, or purple (less often white); they are widely spreading and very slender. The tubular disk florets are 5-lobed; they are initially yellow, but later become dull red. At the base of each flowerhead, there are several overlapping bracts that are linear in shape, green, and hairless; they are rather loosely assembled around the base of the flowerhead and slightly spreading. The blooming period occurs from late summer into the fall and lasts about 2 months. Both disk and ray florets are fertile. The florets are replaced by bullet-shaped achenes about 1.5 mm. long that have small tufts of white hair; they are distributed by the wind. The root system is fibrous and short-rhizomatous, sometimes forming a small caudex on older plants.
Cultivation: The preference is full or partial sun and wet to moist conditions. The soil should contain some organic material to retain moisture and it should be reasonably fertile. Sometimes, the leaves become diseased and rather battered in appearance by the end of the year; the lower leaves may turn brown and fall off in response to droughty conditions. The size of individual plants can be highly variable.
Range & Habitat: The native Swamp Aster is occasional in the northern half of Illinois, while in the southern half of the state it is uncommon or absent. Habitats include soggy thickets along streams, open swamps, fens and calcareous seeps, sedge meadows, and other wetlands. Swamp Aster is often found in higher quality wetlands where the native flora is still intact. It is primarily a boreal species that is found around the Great Lakes and other cool areas.
Faunal Associations: The nectar and pollen of the flowerheads attract a wide variety of insects, including honeybees, bumblebees, other miscellaneous bees, various wasps, bee flies and other miscellaneous flies, and various butterflies, skippers, and moths. The oligolectic bees, Andrena asteris and Andrena hirticincta, suck nectar and collect pollen from the flowerheads of Swamp Aster. Other insects feed on the foliage, suck plant juices, bore through the stalks and roots, or gnaw on the flowers and developing seeds of Symphyotrichum spp. (asters). These species include Microrhopala xerene and other leaf beetles, several aphids (mostly Uroleucon spp.), the stinkbug Trichopepla semivittata, the leafhopper Macrosteles quadrilineatus, the plant bug Plagiognathus cuneatus, Poecilocapsus lineatus (Four-Lined Plant Bug), Lygus lineolaris (Tarnished Plant Bug), and the larvae of Calycomyza humeralis (Aster Leafminer Fly). In addition to these insects, a large number of moth caterpillars feed on asters (see the Moth Table for a listing of these species), as do the caterpillars of the butterflies Chlosyne nycteis (Silvery Checkerspot) and Phyciodes tharos (Pearl Crescent). Among vertebrate animals, the Wild Turkey eats the seeds and leaves occasionally, while the White-Tailed Deer and Cottontail Rabbit browse on the foliage.
Photographic Location: A low area along a pond at Weaver Park in Urbana, Illinois.
Comments: Except for Symphyotrichum novae-angliae (New England Aster), Swamp Aster has larger flowerheads than other Symphyotrichum spp. (asters) in Illinois and its flowerheads usually have more rays (about 30-50). It is a pretty hefty plant that is about as tall as New England Aster. This latter species has glandular hairs along its stems and its leaves are less shiny than those of Swamp Aster. Swamp Aster is divided into two varieties or subspecies: the typical variety/subspecies has evenly hairy purple stems, while variety/subspecies firmus (or lucidulous) has light green stems that are either hairless or the hairs are arranged in lines; sometimes the color of the stems is not reliable in making this distinction. The rhizomes of the typical variety/subspecies are supposed to be short, while the rhizomes of variety/subspecies firmus (or lucidulous) are supposed to be long. Some authors (e.g., Mohlenbrock, 2014), divide Swamp Aster into two separate species: Symphyotrichum puniceum and Symphyotrichum firmum. They have a similar distribution and are about equally common in Illinois. The preceding descriptive information and photos apply to Symphyotrichum puniceum puniceum. A scientific synonym of Swamp Aster is Aster puniceus.
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Miss Chen
2018年06月16日
Description: This herbaceous plant is an annual vine about 3-6' long that branches occasionally. It often climbs over adjacent vegetation (or itself), creating a tangle of stems and leaves. The stems are light green, yellowish green, or red; they are strongly angular and prickly. The well-developed prickles are curved with their tips pointing downward. Alternate leaves are widely spaced along the stems. The leaf blades are up to 4" long and 1" across; they are narrowly sagittate to sagittate in shape and their margins are smooth and slightly ciliate with stiff hairs. The upper blade surfaces are medium green and hairless, while their lower surfaces are pale green and slightly prickly along their central veins.
The leaves are sessile or they have petioles up to 1" long. Near the base of each petiole, there is an oblique membranous sheath (ochrea) that wraps around the stem; this sheath is largely devoid of hairs and prickles. Both terminal and axillary flowers are produced on short spike-like racemes. The racemes are globoid or ovoid-globoid in shape and up to ½" long; they are produced individually or in pairs on long naked peduncles up to 6" long. The flowers are densely arranged along each raceme. Individual flowers are about 1/8" (3 mm.) long, consisting of 5 white to pink tepals, 8 short stamens, and an ovary with a tripartite style. At the base of each raceme, there is a pair of small green bracts. Similarly, at the base of each flower,Distribution Map there is a pair of tiny bracts that are greenish yellow and ovate. The blooming period occurs from mid-summer into the fall and lasts about 2-3 months. Each flower is replaced by a single dark seed that is about 3 mm. long, ovoid, and bluntly 3-angled. This herbaceous vine can form rootlets where the stems are decumbent on moist open ground.
Cultivation: The preference is partial sun, wet to moist conditions, and soil containing silty loam, sand, gravel, or peat moss. Most growth and development occurs during the summer. Temporary flooding is tolerated.
Range & Habitat: Arrow-Leaved Tearthumb is occasional throughout Illinois, where it is native. In addition to its distribution in eastern North America, this herbaceous vine also occurs in China. It is found in a variety of wetland habitats, including marshes, swamps, recently burned bogs, gravelly seeps, low areas along springs, and soggy thickets. The marshes, swamps, and soggy thickets where this vine occurs are sometimes sandy and sometimes non-sandy.
Faunal Associations: The floral-faunal relationships of Arrow-Leaved Tearthumb are similar to Persicaria spp. (Smartweeds). The nectar and pollen of the flowers attract primarily small bees, wasps, and flies. The leaves are eaten by the caterpillars of the butterflies Lycaena helloides (Purplish Copper) and Lycaena hyllus (Bronze Copper), while the flowers and developing seeds are eaten by the caterpillars of the butterfly Strymon melinus (Gray Hairstreak). Other insects that feed on this plant include flea beetles, aphids, stinkbugs, and the caterpillars of several moths. Various species of birds that occur in wetlands eat the seeds; these include Mallards and other dappling ducks, some rails, and granivorous songbirds (e.g., Bobolink, Swamp Sparrow, Redwing Blackbird). Because it often forms dense tangles of prickly stems and leaves, Tearthumb provides protective cover for various kinds of wildlife.
Photographic Location: A soggy sandy thicket at the Iroquois County Conservation Area in Illinois.
Comments: Arrow-Leaved Tearthumb is very similar to the more common Persicaria spp. (Smartweeds), except it is a sprawling vine rather than an erect plant. Because of its prickly stems, arrowhead-shaped leaves, and short dense heads of flowers, it is very easy to identify. Another native species that is a sprawling vine, Tracaulon arifolium (Hastate-Leaved Tearthumb), is very similar in appearance, except its leaves are hastate with spreading basal lobes. This uncommon vine also differs from Arrow-Leaved Tearthumb by its more flattened seeds and bifurcated styles (divided into two parts, rather than three). A scientific synonym of Arrow-Leaved Tearthumb is Polygonum sagittatum.
The leaves are sessile or they have petioles up to 1" long. Near the base of each petiole, there is an oblique membranous sheath (ochrea) that wraps around the stem; this sheath is largely devoid of hairs and prickles. Both terminal and axillary flowers are produced on short spike-like racemes. The racemes are globoid or ovoid-globoid in shape and up to ½" long; they are produced individually or in pairs on long naked peduncles up to 6" long. The flowers are densely arranged along each raceme. Individual flowers are about 1/8" (3 mm.) long, consisting of 5 white to pink tepals, 8 short stamens, and an ovary with a tripartite style. At the base of each raceme, there is a pair of small green bracts. Similarly, at the base of each flower,Distribution Map there is a pair of tiny bracts that are greenish yellow and ovate. The blooming period occurs from mid-summer into the fall and lasts about 2-3 months. Each flower is replaced by a single dark seed that is about 3 mm. long, ovoid, and bluntly 3-angled. This herbaceous vine can form rootlets where the stems are decumbent on moist open ground.
Cultivation: The preference is partial sun, wet to moist conditions, and soil containing silty loam, sand, gravel, or peat moss. Most growth and development occurs during the summer. Temporary flooding is tolerated.
Range & Habitat: Arrow-Leaved Tearthumb is occasional throughout Illinois, where it is native. In addition to its distribution in eastern North America, this herbaceous vine also occurs in China. It is found in a variety of wetland habitats, including marshes, swamps, recently burned bogs, gravelly seeps, low areas along springs, and soggy thickets. The marshes, swamps, and soggy thickets where this vine occurs are sometimes sandy and sometimes non-sandy.
Faunal Associations: The floral-faunal relationships of Arrow-Leaved Tearthumb are similar to Persicaria spp. (Smartweeds). The nectar and pollen of the flowers attract primarily small bees, wasps, and flies. The leaves are eaten by the caterpillars of the butterflies Lycaena helloides (Purplish Copper) and Lycaena hyllus (Bronze Copper), while the flowers and developing seeds are eaten by the caterpillars of the butterfly Strymon melinus (Gray Hairstreak). Other insects that feed on this plant include flea beetles, aphids, stinkbugs, and the caterpillars of several moths. Various species of birds that occur in wetlands eat the seeds; these include Mallards and other dappling ducks, some rails, and granivorous songbirds (e.g., Bobolink, Swamp Sparrow, Redwing Blackbird). Because it often forms dense tangles of prickly stems and leaves, Tearthumb provides protective cover for various kinds of wildlife.
Photographic Location: A soggy sandy thicket at the Iroquois County Conservation Area in Illinois.
Comments: Arrow-Leaved Tearthumb is very similar to the more common Persicaria spp. (Smartweeds), except it is a sprawling vine rather than an erect plant. Because of its prickly stems, arrowhead-shaped leaves, and short dense heads of flowers, it is very easy to identify. Another native species that is a sprawling vine, Tracaulon arifolium (Hastate-Leaved Tearthumb), is very similar in appearance, except its leaves are hastate with spreading basal lobes. This uncommon vine also differs from Arrow-Leaved Tearthumb by its more flattened seeds and bifurcated styles (divided into two parts, rather than three). A scientific synonym of Arrow-Leaved Tearthumb is Polygonum sagittatum.
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Miss Chen
2018年06月15日
Description: This perennial plant is 3-6' tall, branching sparingly. The stems are terete and glabrous. The alternate leaves are up to 6" long and 4" across (excluding the petioles); they are usually divided into 3-5 pointed lobes and their margins are serrate-crenate. Leaves with 3 lobes resemble a medieval halberd because the middle lobe is much longer than the 2 lateral lobes. Leaves with 5 lobes have the shape of a maple leaf. Some of the leaves may be unlobed; they are lanceolate to ovate in shape. The leaves are glabrous and their venation is partially palmate. The petioles are long and slender. The upper stems terminate in either a solitary or small cluster of flowers.
Each flower is up to 5" across when fully open, consisting of 5 rounded petals, a columnar reproductive structure, and a green calyx with 5 oval lobes. The petals are pink to nearly white. The reproductive column consists of whorled stamens and a divided style at its tip. The throat of the flower is reddish purple. Around the base of the calyx, there are several linear bracts. The blooming period occurs from mid- to late summer, lasting about 1 month. Each flower lasts only a single day. The rather large seeds are finely hairy and irregularly shaped – they tend to be flat-sided and reniform, but this is not always the case. Their fine hairs are white or brown. The seeds are light for their size, and probably distributed by movement of water. The root system consists of a taproot. This plant spreads by reseeding itself.
Cultivation: The preference is full or partial sun, fertile soil, and wet conditions. Flowers require exposure to sunlight to open up properly. This wetland species doesn't like to dry out.
Range & Habitat: The native Halberd-Leaved Rose Mallow has been observed in most areas of Illinois, except for extreme northern Illinois and some south central areas of the state (see Distribution Map). Habitats include marshes, swamps, low areas along rivers and ponds, and soggy islands in the middle of rivers or ponds. It is not often found in highly disturbed areas, and doesn't compete well against the invasive Salix interior (Sandbar Willow).
Faunal Associations: The nectar and pollen of the flowers attract bumblebees and an oligolectic bee, Ptilothrix bombiformis. Another common floral visitor, Melitoma taurea, is oligolectic on Ipomoea spp. (Morning Glory), but it is attracted to the large funnelform flowers of other plants. Some insects feed destructively on Hibiscus spp. (Rose Mallow). Caterpillars of the butterfly, Strymon melinus (Gray Hairstreak), feed on the flower buds and developing seeds, while caterpillars of the butterfly, Vanessa cardui (Painted Lady), feed on the foliage, as do caterpillars of Pyrgus communis (Checkered Skipper). Larvae of such moths as Eudryas unio (Pearly Wood Nymph), Anomis erosa (Yellow Scallop Moth), Automeris io (Io Moth), and Acontia delecta (Delightful Bird-Dropping Moth) also feed on these plants; the latter moth is found south of Illinois, however.
Other insect feeders include the flea beetle Chaetocnema quadricollis, larvae of the sawfly Atomacera decepta, the jewel beetle Paragrilus tenuis, adults of Popillia japonica (Japanese Beetle), and some aphid species. Deer and livestock will eat the non-toxic foliage of native Hibiscus spp. readily. However, the introduced shrub, Hibiscus syriacus (Rose-of-Sharon), which is often planted in yards, is apparently more resistant to browsing by deer than the native Hibiscus spp.
Photographic Location: Along a large drainage ditch at the Windsor Road Prairie in Champaign, Illinois, where this species was introduced.
Comments: Halberd-Leaved Rose Mallow has large beautiful flowers that can be seen from a distance. Other native Hibiscus spp. in Illinois include Hibiscus moscheutos (Swamp Rose Mallow) and Hibiscus lasiocarpus (Hairy Rose Mallow). Halberd-Leaved Rose Mallow can be distinguished by its lobed leaves, as the latter two species have unlobed leaves that are oval-ovate in shape. While Halberd-Leaved Rose Mallow has hairless leaves and hairy seeds, Swamp Rose Mallow and Hairy Rose Mallow have hairy leaf undersides and hairless seeds! All of these species have similar flowers and they prefer similar wetland habitats, although Hairy Rose Mallow has a more southern distribution within the state. A scientific synonym of the Halberd-Leaved Rose Mallow is Hibiscus militaris.
Each flower is up to 5" across when fully open, consisting of 5 rounded petals, a columnar reproductive structure, and a green calyx with 5 oval lobes. The petals are pink to nearly white. The reproductive column consists of whorled stamens and a divided style at its tip. The throat of the flower is reddish purple. Around the base of the calyx, there are several linear bracts. The blooming period occurs from mid- to late summer, lasting about 1 month. Each flower lasts only a single day. The rather large seeds are finely hairy and irregularly shaped – they tend to be flat-sided and reniform, but this is not always the case. Their fine hairs are white or brown. The seeds are light for their size, and probably distributed by movement of water. The root system consists of a taproot. This plant spreads by reseeding itself.
Cultivation: The preference is full or partial sun, fertile soil, and wet conditions. Flowers require exposure to sunlight to open up properly. This wetland species doesn't like to dry out.
Range & Habitat: The native Halberd-Leaved Rose Mallow has been observed in most areas of Illinois, except for extreme northern Illinois and some south central areas of the state (see Distribution Map). Habitats include marshes, swamps, low areas along rivers and ponds, and soggy islands in the middle of rivers or ponds. It is not often found in highly disturbed areas, and doesn't compete well against the invasive Salix interior (Sandbar Willow).
Faunal Associations: The nectar and pollen of the flowers attract bumblebees and an oligolectic bee, Ptilothrix bombiformis. Another common floral visitor, Melitoma taurea, is oligolectic on Ipomoea spp. (Morning Glory), but it is attracted to the large funnelform flowers of other plants. Some insects feed destructively on Hibiscus spp. (Rose Mallow). Caterpillars of the butterfly, Strymon melinus (Gray Hairstreak), feed on the flower buds and developing seeds, while caterpillars of the butterfly, Vanessa cardui (Painted Lady), feed on the foliage, as do caterpillars of Pyrgus communis (Checkered Skipper). Larvae of such moths as Eudryas unio (Pearly Wood Nymph), Anomis erosa (Yellow Scallop Moth), Automeris io (Io Moth), and Acontia delecta (Delightful Bird-Dropping Moth) also feed on these plants; the latter moth is found south of Illinois, however.
Other insect feeders include the flea beetle Chaetocnema quadricollis, larvae of the sawfly Atomacera decepta, the jewel beetle Paragrilus tenuis, adults of Popillia japonica (Japanese Beetle), and some aphid species. Deer and livestock will eat the non-toxic foliage of native Hibiscus spp. readily. However, the introduced shrub, Hibiscus syriacus (Rose-of-Sharon), which is often planted in yards, is apparently more resistant to browsing by deer than the native Hibiscus spp.
Photographic Location: Along a large drainage ditch at the Windsor Road Prairie in Champaign, Illinois, where this species was introduced.
Comments: Halberd-Leaved Rose Mallow has large beautiful flowers that can be seen from a distance. Other native Hibiscus spp. in Illinois include Hibiscus moscheutos (Swamp Rose Mallow) and Hibiscus lasiocarpus (Hairy Rose Mallow). Halberd-Leaved Rose Mallow can be distinguished by its lobed leaves, as the latter two species have unlobed leaves that are oval-ovate in shape. While Halberd-Leaved Rose Mallow has hairless leaves and hairy seeds, Swamp Rose Mallow and Hairy Rose Mallow have hairy leaf undersides and hairless seeds! All of these species have similar flowers and they prefer similar wetland habitats, although Hairy Rose Mallow has a more southern distribution within the state. A scientific synonym of the Halberd-Leaved Rose Mallow is Hibiscus militaris.
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文章
Miss Chen
2018年06月15日
Description: This perennial wildflower is 3-9' tall, forming a central stem that is unbranched, except along the upper one-third of its length, where there may be a few ascending lateral stems. These stems are predominately reddish purple and terete; they are covered with spreading white hairs. Abundant spreading leaves occur along these stems; they are usually opposite below and alternate above. Individual leaves are 3-7" long and ½-1½" across; they are lanceolate-elliptic in shape and usually crenate-serrate along their margins. The upper leaf surface is medium green and rough-textured from minute stiff hairs, while the lower surface is pale green with spreading white hairs along the major veins and minute stiff hairs inbetween. The minute stiff hairs of the leaves are sparsely to moderately abundant in their distribution. Individual leaves taper gradually into short petioles up to ½" long, and they taper gradually into acute tips.
The upper stems terminate in one or more flowerheads about 2-3" across. Each flowerhead has 10-20 yellow ray florets that surround a dense circular cluster of yellow disk florets in the center. The petaloid extensions of the ray florets are oblong and slightly notched at their tips. The tiny disk florets are tubular in shape with 5 spreading to ascending lobes. The disk florets are perfect, while the ray florets are sterile. At the base of each flowerhead, there are floral bracts (phyllaries) that are loosely arranged in several series; they are ascending to widely spreading when the flowerhead is in bloom. Individual floral bracts are medium green, narrowly linear-lanceolate, and covered with stiff minute hairs; their margins are often ciliate. The peduncles (up to 6" long) of the flowerheads are similar to the stems, except they are usually light green. The blooming period occurs from mid-summer into the fall, lasting about 2 months. The disk florets are replaced by small achenes that are oblongoid and slightly flattened in shape; each achene has a truncate apex with a pair of membranous awns that soon become detached. The root system has fleshy fibrous roots and shallow rhizomes. Small colonies of plants often develop from the rhizomes.
Distribution MapCultivation: The preference is full sun, wet to moist conditions, and sandy soil. The size of individual plants is highly variable, depending on the level of moisture, nutrients, and competition from other plants.
Range & Habitat: The native Giant Sunflower is largely restricted to NE Illinois, where it is rare and state-listed as 'endangered.' It is more common in areas further to the north and east of Illinois. Habitats consist of wet sand prairies, sandy swales, calcareous fens, sedge meadows, and Tamarack bogs. This wildflower is found in higher quality wetlands.
Faunal Associations: The nectar and pollen of the flowerheads attract bumblebees and other long-tongued bees, Andrenid bees and other short-tongued bees, Syrphid flies and other flies, butterflies, and other insects. A variety of insects feed on the foliage, stalks, roots, and other parts of Giant Sunflower and other sunflowers (Helianthus spp.). These species include such beetles as Haplorhynchites aeneus (Sunflower Head-Clipping Weevil), Cylindrocopturus adspersus (Sunflower Stem Weevil), Rhodobaenus quinquepunctatus (Five-Spotted Billbug), Rhodobaenus tredecimpunctatus (Thirteen-Spotted Billbug), Systena blanda (Pale-Striped Flea Beetle) and other leaf beetles. The larvae of Contarinia schulzi (Sunflower Midge) cause club-shaped distortions in the buds and flowerheads, while the larvae of Strauzia longipennis (Sunflower Maggot) bore through the stems. The larvae of another fly, Neotephritis finalis (Sunflower Seed Maggot), feed from inside the achenes. Other insect feeders include the flower thrips Heterothrips auranticornis and the following plant bugs: Ilnacoris stalii, Plagiognathus nigronitens, and Polymerus basalis. In addition to these insects, a large number of aphids, leafhoppers, and treehoppers feed on sunflowers (see Aphid, Leafhopper, & Treehopper Table). Caterpillars of the butterflies Chlosyne nycteis (Silvery Checkerspot), Chlosyne gorgone (Gorgone Checkerspot), and Vanessa cardui (Painted Lady) sometimes feed on sunflowers, as do the caterpillars of many moths (see Moth Table). The seeds of sunflowers are eaten by many birds during the fall and winter, including the Mourning Dove, White-Winged Crossbill, Eastern Goldfinch, Black-Capped Chickadee, White-Breasted Nuthatch, Tufted Titmouse, and various sparrows. The foliage of sunflowers is palatable to White Tailed Deer and other hoofed grazing mammals, while the seeds are eaten by the Meadow Vole and other small rodents. Because Giant Sunflower occurs in wetlands, its large stalks are sometimes used by beavers in the construction of their dams and lodges. This tall colonial plant also provides protective cover for many kinds of wildlife.
Photographic Location: A prairie at Meadowbrook Park in Urbana, Illinois.
Comments: This attractive sunflower can be distinguished from other sunflowers in Illinois by its relatively narrow leaves, alternation of its leaves along the stems, spreading hairs of its stems, yellow disk florets, and long slender phyllaries (floral bracts). Other narrow-leaved species of sunflowers within the state include Helianthus grosseserratus (Sawtooth Sunflower) and Helianthus pauciflorus (Prairie Sunflower). Sawtooth Sunflower can be distinguished by its hairless glaucous stems, while the Prairie Sunflower can be distinguished by its stouter phyllaries and reddish purple disk florets. Another species, Helianthus tuberosus (Jerusalem Artichoke), has hairy stems like Giant Sunflower, but the leaves of Jerusalem Artichoke are wider and its petioles are longer. Yet another species, Helianthus hirsutus (Hairy Sunflower), also has hairy stems like Giant Sunflower, but the leaves of Hairy Sunflower are arranged oppositely along its stems, rather than alternately.
The upper stems terminate in one or more flowerheads about 2-3" across. Each flowerhead has 10-20 yellow ray florets that surround a dense circular cluster of yellow disk florets in the center. The petaloid extensions of the ray florets are oblong and slightly notched at their tips. The tiny disk florets are tubular in shape with 5 spreading to ascending lobes. The disk florets are perfect, while the ray florets are sterile. At the base of each flowerhead, there are floral bracts (phyllaries) that are loosely arranged in several series; they are ascending to widely spreading when the flowerhead is in bloom. Individual floral bracts are medium green, narrowly linear-lanceolate, and covered with stiff minute hairs; their margins are often ciliate. The peduncles (up to 6" long) of the flowerheads are similar to the stems, except they are usually light green. The blooming period occurs from mid-summer into the fall, lasting about 2 months. The disk florets are replaced by small achenes that are oblongoid and slightly flattened in shape; each achene has a truncate apex with a pair of membranous awns that soon become detached. The root system has fleshy fibrous roots and shallow rhizomes. Small colonies of plants often develop from the rhizomes.
Distribution MapCultivation: The preference is full sun, wet to moist conditions, and sandy soil. The size of individual plants is highly variable, depending on the level of moisture, nutrients, and competition from other plants.
Range & Habitat: The native Giant Sunflower is largely restricted to NE Illinois, where it is rare and state-listed as 'endangered.' It is more common in areas further to the north and east of Illinois. Habitats consist of wet sand prairies, sandy swales, calcareous fens, sedge meadows, and Tamarack bogs. This wildflower is found in higher quality wetlands.
Faunal Associations: The nectar and pollen of the flowerheads attract bumblebees and other long-tongued bees, Andrenid bees and other short-tongued bees, Syrphid flies and other flies, butterflies, and other insects. A variety of insects feed on the foliage, stalks, roots, and other parts of Giant Sunflower and other sunflowers (Helianthus spp.). These species include such beetles as Haplorhynchites aeneus (Sunflower Head-Clipping Weevil), Cylindrocopturus adspersus (Sunflower Stem Weevil), Rhodobaenus quinquepunctatus (Five-Spotted Billbug), Rhodobaenus tredecimpunctatus (Thirteen-Spotted Billbug), Systena blanda (Pale-Striped Flea Beetle) and other leaf beetles. The larvae of Contarinia schulzi (Sunflower Midge) cause club-shaped distortions in the buds and flowerheads, while the larvae of Strauzia longipennis (Sunflower Maggot) bore through the stems. The larvae of another fly, Neotephritis finalis (Sunflower Seed Maggot), feed from inside the achenes. Other insect feeders include the flower thrips Heterothrips auranticornis and the following plant bugs: Ilnacoris stalii, Plagiognathus nigronitens, and Polymerus basalis. In addition to these insects, a large number of aphids, leafhoppers, and treehoppers feed on sunflowers (see Aphid, Leafhopper, & Treehopper Table). Caterpillars of the butterflies Chlosyne nycteis (Silvery Checkerspot), Chlosyne gorgone (Gorgone Checkerspot), and Vanessa cardui (Painted Lady) sometimes feed on sunflowers, as do the caterpillars of many moths (see Moth Table). The seeds of sunflowers are eaten by many birds during the fall and winter, including the Mourning Dove, White-Winged Crossbill, Eastern Goldfinch, Black-Capped Chickadee, White-Breasted Nuthatch, Tufted Titmouse, and various sparrows. The foliage of sunflowers is palatable to White Tailed Deer and other hoofed grazing mammals, while the seeds are eaten by the Meadow Vole and other small rodents. Because Giant Sunflower occurs in wetlands, its large stalks are sometimes used by beavers in the construction of their dams and lodges. This tall colonial plant also provides protective cover for many kinds of wildlife.
Photographic Location: A prairie at Meadowbrook Park in Urbana, Illinois.
Comments: This attractive sunflower can be distinguished from other sunflowers in Illinois by its relatively narrow leaves, alternation of its leaves along the stems, spreading hairs of its stems, yellow disk florets, and long slender phyllaries (floral bracts). Other narrow-leaved species of sunflowers within the state include Helianthus grosseserratus (Sawtooth Sunflower) and Helianthus pauciflorus (Prairie Sunflower). Sawtooth Sunflower can be distinguished by its hairless glaucous stems, while the Prairie Sunflower can be distinguished by its stouter phyllaries and reddish purple disk florets. Another species, Helianthus tuberosus (Jerusalem Artichoke), has hairy stems like Giant Sunflower, but the leaves of Jerusalem Artichoke are wider and its petioles are longer. Yet another species, Helianthus hirsutus (Hairy Sunflower), also has hairy stems like Giant Sunflower, but the leaves of Hairy Sunflower are arranged oppositely along its stems, rather than alternately.
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