Tunnel Brook wildflower id help, please

[forestgnome]

The weather scared me from my plans for hiking Mt. Moosilauke, so I opted for Tunnel Brook Trail, where I saw lots of different wildflowers, including the following...

a type of thistle?...

this grows on vines, close to the ground...

these were about 9" high, in an open field...

Thanks for any help.

Happy Trails

 

[audrey]

Bull thistle (Cirsium vulgare) (guess)
Crownvetch (Coronilla varia) (pretty sure)
Purple milkvetch (Polygala sanguinea) (fer sure)

 

[Fisher Cat]

Top picture is definitely bull thistle. Very similiar to Canada thistle (cirsium arvense) but Canada thistle stems have no spikes. Your picture of the bull thistle clearly shows the spikes evident. The flowers do have a nice hue to them. For a weed anyway. I always liked Indian paintbrush (as we called Devil's hawkweed)even though its an introduced weed as well.

 

[forestgnome]

Bull thistle (Cirsium vulgare) (guess)
Crownvetch (Coronilla varia) (pretty sure)
Purple milkvetch (Polygala sanguinea) (fer sure)

Wow! Thanks very much, Audrey

 

[arghman]

Wow! Thanks very much, Audrey

I'm not great w/ thistles but concur w/ the other two. I'm envious about the polygala! I haven't seen that particular species yet.

 

[forestgnome]

I've never noticed these either. I think they were my reward for cleaning up after the filthy slobs who left a smoldering fire and about 30 beer cans. The little field now has only this purple milkvetch and plenty of goldenrod and asters, etc.

Happy Trails

 

[Fisher Cat]

Yikes, how long had it been smoldering do you think? Nice job cleaning up by the way.