Cirsium discolor

Pasture thistle (Cirsium discolor) at Spinn Prairie, White County.  The yellow flowers in the background are prairie-dock rosinweed (Silphium terebinthinaceum). Picture taken Aug. 21, 2013.

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Link to Cirsium discolor: 

Link to Cirsium discolor:

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Lythrum alatum

Lythrum alatum at Spinn Prairie, White County.  Picture taken August 21, 2013.

Link to Lythrum alatum:

Link to Lythrum alatum:

Link to Lythrum alatum:

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Link to Spinn Prairie:

Sonchus arvensis

Sonchus arvensis along roadside, Lafayette Road near 82nd St., Indianapolis, Marion County.

Pictures taken August 13, 2013.

Link to Sonchus arvensis:

Link to Sonchus arvensis:

Link to Sonchus arvensis:

Stone face at Williamsport Falls

At Willamsport Falls.  Picture taken August 7, 2013.

Link to Williamsport Falls.

Link to Williamsport Falls.

Desmanthus illinoensis

Desmanthus illinoensis along the roadside, Lafayette Road where I-65 passes over, Boone County near Indianapolis.  This is normally a prairie plant and this roadside is a odd place to find it.  It is obviously growing wild but since it is close to I-65 it could have spread from a roadside wildflower planting along the interstate.  Pictures taken August 24, 2013.

Link to previous post on Desmanthus illinoensis:

The setting here reminded me of this scene:

The persistence of prairie as Ruellia humilis

I spotted this plant along the roadside of US 52 a couple three miles SE of Lafayette.  It was a bit different color than the familiar chicory common on roadsides.  This is Ruellia humilis, a prairie plant.  Once this was prairie land and this Ruellia is the last remnant of the prairie.  I didn't see any other prairie plants anywhere nearby.   All ther rest of the roadside for miles are the common plants of disturbed areas (some call them weeds).  These two photos above taken Aug. 13, 2013 in Tippecanoe County.

Link to previous post on Ruellia humilis in a prairie remnant along US 52 in Benton County:

The photo directly above is Ruellia humilis at Prairie Creek Barrens in Daviess County, July 27, 2013.

Link to Ruellia humilis:

Bladder Campion

The Farm Heritage Trail runs in Boone County from Lebanon to Thorntown and as far as Sugar Creek.  It has some interesting things botanically and this plant grows extensively along this trail for miles.  It’s a Silene, probably Silene vulgaris, also known as bladder campion.

Link to Silene vulgaris:

Link to Silene vulgaris:

Link to Silene vulgaris:

Although it could be Silene cserei.  

Link to Silene cserei:

Silene cserei has been reported “along railroads” in Indiana, although not yet for Boone County. 

Link to Silene cserei in Indiana:

The Farm Heritage Trail is the abandoned Indianapolis to Lafayette railroad.

Link to Farm Heritage Trail:

Picture taken August 25, 2013.

Blephilia hirsuta

Blephilia hirsuta at Wright-Rock Creek Nature Reserve in Warren County.

Link to Wright-Rock Creek Nature Reserve:

Pictures taken August 7, 2013.

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Link to Blephilia hirsuta:

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Link to Blephilia hirsuta:

Dalea purpureum and Dalea candida

Purple prairie clover (Dalea purpurea) at Prairie Creek Barrens, Daviess County.

View of more Dalea purpurea at Prairie Creek Barrens.

Link to Dalea purpurea:

Link to Dalea purpurea:

White prairie clover (Dalea candida) also at Prairie Creek Barrens.  All pictures taken July 27, 2013.

Link to Dalea candida:

Link to Dalea candida:

Meadowsweet

Meadowsweet (Spiraea alba) at Prairie Creek Barrens, Daviess County. 

July 27, 2013.

Link to Spiraea alba:

Link to Spiraea alba:

Link to Spiraea alba:

Sand Hickory

These shrubby-sized plants in this view of Prairie Creek Barrens are sand hickory (Carya pallida).  This Daviess County location is one of the few places it is found in Indiana growing native.   

Leaves and fruit of a tree-sized Carya pallida, quite close to the view in the first picture.

Pictures taken July 27, 2013.

Link to Carya pallida:

Link to Carya pallida:

Rosinweed

Rosinweed (Silphium integrifolium) at Prairie Creek Barrens, Daviess County, July 27, 2013.

Link to Silphium integrifolium:

Commelina erecta

Commelina erecta, a dayflower species that is native to Indiana.  Here at Prairie Creek Barrens in Daviess County. 

Here a more extensive stand of Commelina erecta, also at Prairie Creek Barrens.  July 27, 2013.

Link to Commelina erecta: 

Link to Commelina erecta

Lead Plant

Past flowering stage, the fruits of lead plant (Amorpha canescens), at Prairie Creek Barrens in Daviess County.  July 27, 2013.

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Link to previous post on Amorpha canescens:

Hypericum adpressum

Hypericum adpressum at Prairie Creek Barrens in Daviess County.  July 27, 2013.  Hypericum adpressum is not too common and also grows at Jasper-Pulaski Game Preserve.

Link to Hypericum adpressum:

Link to Hypericum adpressum (pdf file):

Link to more at Prairie Creek Barrens:

Bur Cucumber climbs up a tree

A bur cucumber vine (Sicyos angulatus) climbs up a tree at Celery Bog Park.  The bur cucumber uses tendrils to hold fast to the vegetation it climbs over.  They first appear straight but when the new tendril touches something it quickly winds around it in a tight spiral.  If you are patient you can touch a new tendril with your finger and watch it start to bend around it.  This picture was taken July 23, 2013.

Link to Sicyos angulatus:

Link to Sicyos angulatus:

Indian pipe

Indian pipe (Monotropa uniflora) in the woods at Celery Bog Park, July 23, 2013.

Link to previous post on Indian pipe:

Indian pipe (Monotropa uniflora) at Moyer-Gould Woods in Carroll County, July 28, 2013.

Link to Moyer-Gould Woods:

UPDATE Aug. 9, 2013:  The above photo of Indian pipe at Wright-Rock Creek Nature Reserve in Warren County.  Picture taken August 7, 2013.

Link to Wright-Rock Creek Nature Reserve:

Wood nettle

A healthy patch of wood nettle (Laportea canadensis) in the woods at Celery Bog Park, July 23, 2013.

Link to previous post on Laportea canadensis:

Glade mallow

The stand of glade mallow (Napaea dioica) along the Wabash Heritage Trail.  Picture taken July 14, 2013.

Link to previous post on the glade mallow at this location:

Bracken fern

Bracken fern (Pteridium aquilinum) at Martell Forest.  Near the John Wright Center.  July 14, 2013.

Link to Pteridium aquilinum:

Link to Pteridium aquilinum:

Royal catchfly

Royal catchfly (Silene regia) in prairie habitat at Prophetstown State Park.  Near the park office, north of State Road 225.  July 13, 2013.

Link to Silene regia:

Link to Silene regia: