2011 spring wildflower thread

[arghman]

I got tired of work and tired of the rain so what better place to go than the middle of the desert. Here are some wildflowers from Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada.

::envy:: !!!

Please post more... I have my copy of Jaeger's "Desert Wildflowers" so maybe I can help.

 

[NeoAkela]

These guys are still in the same little patch this year.

 

[Elizabeth]

From Lyme and Dorchester, NH over the past couple of days (May 29 - 31):


Wild Sarsaparilla (Aralia nudicaulis) by Elizabeth W.K., on Flickr


Bunchberry or Dwarf Cornel (Cornus canadensis) by Elizabeth W.K., on Flickr


False Solomon's Seal (Smilacina racemosa) by Elizabeth W.K., on Flickr


Blue-eyed Grass (Sisyrinchium sp.) by Elizabeth W.K., on Flickr


Starflower (Trientalis borealis) with dog paw by Elizabeth W.K., on Flickr

 

[nartreb]

These are from just before Memorial Day, I assume that counts as "spring" for purposes of this thread.

Found a few not-so-red trilliums interspersed with the normal ones:

It was also a good day for not-so-pink lady's slippers, which are common:

 

[grouseking]

Enfield

Took a hike to Halfmile Pond and Smith pond yesterday, and saw bunchberry flowers (in profusion!!), starflowers, the beginnings of those clintonia flowers, and MANY lady slippers. I didn't realize they grew in colonies.

the next pic isn't so great, but it gives you an idea of the amt of lady slippers existed. I cropped this pic a bit...I think there are like 30 flowers in the shot. It was more like 50+ in the area.

 

[JohnL]

From a local walk this morning:

Birdsfoot Trefoil Lotus corniculata

Wild Geranium Geranium maculatum

Ragged Robin Lychnis flos-cuculi

Red Campion Silene dioica

Spiderwort Tradescantia virginiana

JohnL

 

[Elizabeth]

From Lyme, New Hampshire, June 3 and 5:


Tall Buttercup (Ranunculus acris) by Elizabeth W.K., on Flickr


Golden Alexanders (Zizia aurea) by Elizabeth W.K., on Flickr


Blackberry (Rubus allegheniensis) by Elizabeth W.K., on Flickr


Common Cinquefoil (Potentilla simplex) by Elizabeth W.K., on Flickr


Indian Cucumber Root (Medeola virginiana) by Elizabeth W.K., on Flickr


Lowbush Blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium) by Elizabeth W.K., on Flickr


Highbush Blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum) by Elizabeth W.K., on Flickr


Unidentified shrub, 2 - 3 feet high, by pond by Elizabeth W.K., on Flickr

Would love some help identifying this last one, found by a pond in rocky soil, in close proximity to the blueberries. Maybe chokeberry? (Pyrus melanocarpa)

 

[TDawg]

Please correct me if I'm wrong...Yellow Aven? But then again, it doesn't look like any pictured on the internet. So I'm not sure what this one is. But I'm leaning toward Yellow Aven. It's not Old Field Cinquefoil, is it? The leaves don't look right for either.


Found on Dry River Trail. Close by was a bunch of Rose Twisted-stalk but they wouldn't hold still in the breeze for a decent shot.

 

[arghman]

Would love some help identifying this last one, found by a pond in rocky soil, in close proximity to the blueberries. Maybe chokeberry? (Pyrus melanocarpa)

Yes on the chokecherry, but they're a bit tricky to distinguish. Current name of genus (at least per USDA PLANTS) is Photinia spp. -- taxonomy is annoying when "they" don't stop changing their minds. (used to be Aronia spp. and Pyrus spp.)

I'd have to look up the differences between Photinia floribunda, Photinia melanocarpa, and Photinia pyrifolia to be sure.

----

edit:
P pyrifolia = Aronia arbutifolia: bright red fruit, 5mm diam
P floribunda = Aronia prunifolia: black/purple fruit 8-10mm diam
P. melanocarpa = Aronia melanocarpa: black fruit 6-8mm diam, lower leaf surfaces smooth (the other two are supposed to be fuzzy/hairy underneath)

 

[arghman]

Looks like Yellow Avens to me.

OK, time to pull out my copy of Gleason vol 2...

the yellow Geum spp in our area (aside from G. peckii which is alpine + not the one pictured) are:

• G. macrophyllum
• G. aleppicum
• G. urbanum (non-native, doubtful in such a remote area)
• G. vernum -- no bractlets (things clasping the stem in TDawg's picture)

Not sure about G. macrophyllum vs. aleppicum; Geums are tricky to distinguish + often you need to go by the bristly fruit, not the flowers.

 

[Elizabeth]

Thanks again for I.D. assistance.

Would love some help on the speedwells, if that is indeed what either or both of these are:


Common Speedwell, maybe by Elizabeth W.K., on Flickr
Is this Common Speedwell?


Speedwell, I think by Elizabeth W.K., on Flickr
And is this Bird's Eye Speedwell?


And here are a few others from June 5 and 6:


Mountain Maple (Acer spicatum) by Elizabeth W.K., on Flickr


Red clover (Trifolium pratense) by Elizabeth W.K., on Flickr


Orange Hawkweed (Hieracium aurantiacum) by Elizabeth W.K., on Flickr


Lesser Stitchwort (Stellaria graminea) by Elizabeth W.K., on Flickr


Sheep Sorrel (Rumex acetosella) by Elizabeth W.K., on Flickr

 

[arghman]

Would love some help on the speedwells, if that is indeed what either or both of these are:

Definitely Veronica spp., I think you've got the ID right. (Veronica officinalis and Veronica chamaedrys respectively)

V. officinalis is an annoying weed in my yard. Grr.

 

[Elizabeth]

Jason, thanks again for help with the speedwells.


From Owl's Head hike on June 8:


White variation of Pink Lady's Slipper (Cypripedium acaule) by Elizabeth W.K., on Flickr


Tiny white violets along Lincoln Brook Trail by Elizabeth W.K., on Flickr
I think these may be Northern White Violets (Viola pallens)


Rhodora (Rhododendron canadense) on Owl's Head Slide by Elizabeth W.K., on Flickr


Labrador Tea (Ledum groenlandicum) blooming at Black Pond by Elizabeth W.K., on Flickr
This was also blooming at about 3,500' on Owl's Head Slide.

 

[cooperhill]

A few from the Alpine Garden. A lot is past peak.

Bearberry Willow with catkin



Rhodora?



Alpine Bluet



???

 

[w7xman]

Nice shots of the olde garden! The ???? is a sedge species...possibly (likely) Bigelow's Sedge...

 

[cooperhill]

I think you have it.

Bigelow's Sedge. http://www.outdoors.org/conservation/mountainwatch/bigelows-sedge.cfm

 

[Elizabeth]

At home and in the Presidentials

A few from last week in Lyme, NH:


Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) by Elizabeth W.K., on Flickr


Cow Vetch (Vicia cracca) by Elizabeth W.K., on Flickr


Black Locust (Robinia pseudo-acacia) in bloom by Elizabeth W.K., on Flickr


From a hike up Mt. Adams on 6/11:


1. Yellow clintonia (Clintonia borealis) along Airline Trail by Elizabeth W.K., on Flickr


8. Alpine Bilberry (Vaccinium uliginosum) on Durand Ridge by Elizabeth W.K., on Flickr


12. Diapensia (Diapensia lapponica) on Mt. Adams summit cone by Elizabeth W.K., on Flickr


17. Mountain Avens (Geum peckii) on Gulfside Trail just above Madison Spring Hut by Elizabeth W.K., on Flickr

 

[JohnL]

It was a good morning for water droplets on flowers once the rain passed through.

Blue Toadflax Nuttallanthus canadensis

Wild Raisin Viburnum cassinoides

Sheep Laurel Kalmia augustifolia

Common Mullein Verbascum thapsus

Mountain Laurel Kalmia latifolia

JohnL

 

[cooperhill]

A few from Nottingham, NH this morning:

Bumblebee in lavender plants:



Orange Poppy:

 

[JohnL]

An early morning walk in a wooded clearing yielded some nice finds.

Lance-leaved Coreopsis Coreopsis lanceolata

Oxeye Daisy Leucanthemum vulgare

Southern Bush Honeysuckle Diervilla sessilifolia

Trumpet Honeysuckle Lonicera sempervirens

JohnL