5.04.12 Wetland Wanderings

This afternoon's meander took in two marshes and a brook.   Marsh Marigolds (Caltha palustris), a member of the Buttercup family, grow in shallow water.  The shiny yellow "petals" (actually sepals) resemble the bright yellow petals of true buttercups.   The red eft, the terrestrial stage of the Eastern Newt, are often out after a rain when the forest floor is moist.   Foamflower aka False Miterwort (Tiarella cordifolia) is at the height of bloom now with each flower in the cluster extending long stamens.  It grows in a variety of conditions, but it is most plentiful where the soil is somewhat wet.   The Miterwort (Mitella diphylla) was growing on a gravelly 'island' in a small stream.  The flowers are spaced along the stem; their special feature, the snowflake-like fringe on the lip of the tiny (3/16 inch) flower, is easy to miss.