7.18.11

Thunder was rumbling and light was fast fading by the time I made it to the site of these little Spotted Wintergreen this morning. If you saw the pictures of Pipsissewa which were posted recently, you will notice the similarity of these members of the Wintergreen family.

Common polypody, the underside of whose fertile frond is pictured at upper left, were growing in abundance in a thin layer of moss over a granite boulder. To contrast, is a fertile frond of an Ebony Spleenwort which was growing in rocky woods. The shape and placement of the sori (capsules that hold spores) on the underside of the blade are important to identification of ferns.

7-18

Between rain showers this morning I got out into the world long enough to find (and take a few rather fuzzy pictures of) Water -plantain. Water -plantain has a basal rosette of 6 - 14" long stalked oval leaves. Its tiny 3 petaled flowers are "on a 3' tall, diffuse terminal panicle" to quote the field guide. To me they looked about as insubstantial and airy as mature asparagus plants. Water-plantains grow in standing water or mud.

John

7.17.11 More than a half-dozen Great Spangled Fritillaries looped around and around my garden this afternoon, sampling everything in bloom; they seemed to favor the echinaceas without singling out any one variety.

7-17

Today the diminutive plant called Centaury touched the roadsides with its tiny pink flowers, White Vervain waved sparse wands chest high in the thickets, and gracing one edge of a dusty dirt road Wild Sensitive plant had small yellow flowers under lacy leaves.

John

7-15

today on a gravel bar in the middle of the West River, Spotted Knapweed grew rooted between the cobbles.

And the sun-bleached remains of this crayfish were found where it stranded, folded double over a willow twig high above the water by one of the recent freshets.

John

7-13

Today Sand Spurrey flecked lawns with tiny pink flowers, Rough Hedgeweed graced the ditches and Common Tansy held up its galaxies of yellow disks.

John

7.13.11 The Pale St. Johnswort (Hypericum ellipticum) is in bloom in a wet ditch; its plume of stamens above the butter- yellow petals helps to attract pollinators.









I discovered this newly-open Spotted touch-me-not (Jewelweed) yesterday. The scientific name, Impatiens capensis, was published by Meerburgh in 1775 who thought it had been introduced into Europe from the Cape of Good Hope. Although he was in error, this name stands because it was the first to be published. (from "The Secrets of Wildflowers" by Jack Sanders).

7-12

This morning Hedge Bindweed blossoms glistened palely among the tall grasses and weeds. Agrimony glowed in the woodlands. And Dogbane Beetles bathed in liquid greens and reds hung jewel-like from their host plants.

John

7-11

A few flowers have started to color the narrow spikes of Blue Vervain, decorating a nearby ditch.

John

7-9

Today, Musk Mallow brightened the roadside and White Turtlehead raised itself over the rank growth in a nearby wet area.

John

7.07.11 The Purple (or Field) Milkwort changes its appearance as the blossom matures. The petals curled up in the center continue to open until the blossom resembles the shape of a pine cone. It's beautiful at every stage.

7-8

This morning I crossed paths with another woods rambler - a snappy dresser bent on his own destination, moving at his own pace.

John

7.07.11 Round-leaved Sundews were in bloom today. The flower stalk uncoils and diminutive white blossoms open, one per day. Insects become trapped in the sticky juice produced by the glandular hairs on the leaves.

7.07.11 Retraction! In yesterday's post, I mis-identified this flower. It is Fringed Loosestrife - noticeable with a hand lens, on the lower leaf stems there is a definite "fringe".

7-7

Today Ragged Robin - somewhat rain bedraggled - was in flower.

John

7.05.11 A sunny spot gives a home to three varieties of Loosestrife. Although this one is named Hybrid Loosestrife, it is not really a hybrid.

Butter-and-Eggs, Toadflax, of the Snapdragon family, is starting to blossom in gravelly roadsides.


This Canada lily looks so exuberant, it is appropriate for fireworks and July 4.

7-6

Today Ragged Fringed Orchid opened flowers in the field behind my house, and Monkey Flower opened in a nearby wet meadow.

John

6.30.11 Spin the color wheel and it lands on Yellows: Yellow Loostrife aka Swamp Candles (Lysimachia terrestris) and Canada Lily (Lilium canadense). Then one from yesterday: Motherwort- the only alien in the bunch - in close-up, the profile is a definite clue as to the origin of the scientific name, Leonurus cardica. I can hardly wait for tomorrow's finds!

6.30.11 In the pink! Pipsissewa crowd a mossy bank; Partridgeberry, pink form, in damp moss: both were photographic challenges for me in the intermittent strong breeze.

6-23

Venus's Looking Glass - so named because its tiny black seeds resemble hand mirrors - opened a single flower to the rain today.

John

6.22.11 Some flowers look great in a warm summer rain. Such is the attractive Foxglove Beardtongue found along an otherwise dry bank.

6.20.11 A morning roaming Maple Valley turned up a few unexpected finds. Ladies' Tresses, Round-leaved Sundew, and Blue Toadflax pictured here were some of the visual treats. Coming upon two foraging grouse families and a fawn bedded down among the tall ferns added to the wonders.

A black bear prowling around the house at 7:45 p.m.. Sniffing the ground underneath the bird feeder that is up on a second-story deck. It finally took out its frustration on a bird house and ate baby chickadees for dinner.

6-10

Parasitic one-flowered Cancerroot AKA Ghost Pipe was flowering today in a samp, shady fieldside thicket in my neighborhood.

John

9:00 p.m. trip to the compost pile where i beaned a skunk on the nose with a watermelon rind. I didn't stick around for a closer "sighting."

5-29

Today was a good day for ditchweeds! Virginia Waterleaf was at its peak.

And this 2 ' high green-flowered orchid - tentatively identified as a Northern Green Orchid - stood tall on a hillside seep. I say tentatively identified because often it's easier to find wildflowers

than it is to name them, and I'm not certain about this one!

John

5-26

This morning I found this Wood Turtle trying to cross Rte. 30 just south of the covered bridge. It was healthy but frustrated by traffic. Its carapace measured 7 inches and the growth ridges on its scutes proved it to be at least 15 years old.

John

5-23

Mayapples are flowering. This one is in Bess and Charlie Richardson's yard.

John