Watercress

Watercress (Nasturtium officinale) at Prophetstown State Park.  Watercress stays green throughout the winter.  Here at a creek just past the outflow of the fishing pond.  The watercress is in clear spring water flowing into the creek.  All photos taken Dec. 26, 2014.

A view of the spring, coming out of the base of a big sugar maple tree to the right side of the picture.

 

A closer view of the watercress growing in the spring water.

A view of the watercress pulled out of the water.

Link to previous post on watercress:

Link to Wikipedia page on watercress:

Another link to Nasturtium officinale:

Link to watercress as an edible plant:

Beaver activity at Celery Bog Park

 

Evidence of recent beaver activity at the edge of the wetland at Celery Bog Park. This is a hackberry tree that blew over in a windstorm a few years ago, exposing the roots. The beaver have been chewing on the roots here.

A tree chewed on and felled by beaver. This is near the site of the hackberry tree in the first picture.

This is the first beaver activity in Celery Bog Park that I've noticed in several years.

Both pictures taken Dec. 16, 2014.

Link to previous post on beaver activity:

Ash trees cut down in West Lafayette

The ash trees in the parking lot of the West Lafayette Payless Grocery store took a big hit last week.  They were all cut down!  This was not necessary.  These trees were not dead.  The emerald ash borers had been eating on them but only some of the branches had been killed.  The roots were still healthy and the trees had been sending out alternate shoots to survive the insect attack.  But they couldn’t survive the bad advice given by supposed tree experts who are out to make a fast buck chainsawing trees down.  To be extra sneaky about it they waited until winter when the leaves had fallen and the trees look completely dead. 

This ash tree in the parking lot near Payless was cut down Dec. 3, 2014 (photo above).  Photo taken Dec. 5, 2014.

This ash tree is growing along the public hiking/bicycle trail just west of the West Lafayette Payless.  It also has been affected by the emerald ash borer.  A lot of the branches have died back due to the insect feeding on the inner bark of the trunk.  It is still alive and should not be cut down.  But that could very well be in the plans.

The photo on the bottom is a closer view of the same tree along side the trail.  The green spot of paint may be a mark dooming the tree for removal.  The small branches sprouting out of the tree trunk near the ground is a survival response of the tree to the damage from the insect attack.  Photos taken Dec. 5, 2014.

Beech drops

Beech drops (Epifagus virginiana), a parasitic plant on the roots of beech trees.  Common here at Morgan-Monroe State Forest, near a mature grove of Eastern White Pine (Pinus serotina) planted near the entrance to the State Forest, Morgan County.  Photo taken November 19, 2014.

Link to Epifagus virginiana:

Link to Epifagus virginiana:

Fruits on a hackberry tree

This hackberry tree (Celtis occidentalis) is full of fruit. Hackberry is a very common tree but I have found that trees that produce this much fruit are uncommon. The fruit has only a thin layer of pulp that tastes remarkably like a date. I found this and several other fruited hackberry trees along North Tibbs Ave. just north of Washington St. in Indianapolis. Photo taken November 16, 2014.

Link to Celtis occidentalis:

Link to YouTube video on edible hackberry fruits:

Link to article on edible hackberry fruit:

Verbesina encelioides

Verbesina encelioides.  This was found growing wild under a railroad trestle at 4th St. just north of Gratiot St. in downtown St. Louis, Missouri.  This is the first time I've ever seen this species, it looks much different than our native Verbesina that is common in Indiana, Verbesina alterniflora, also called wingstem.

Photo taken Oct. 26, 2014.  Location 38.6191 deg. N, 90.1917 deg. W.

Link to Verbesina encelioides:

Link to a collection of Verbesina encelioides in St. Louis:

Link to Verbesina encelioides:

Link to Verbesina encelioides:

Buffalo-Bur

Buffalo-Bur (Solanum rostratum), growing in a planter box on Broadway Street near Lucas Ave., downtown St. Louis, Missouri.   Photos taken Oct. 26, 2014.

Link to Solanum rostratum:

Link to Solanum rostratum:

Link to Solanum rostratum:

Nodding Ladies' Tresses orchid

This is a Spiranthes cernua, also known as Nodding Ladies' Tresses. We found it at Weiler-Leopold Nature Reserve, in the oak savanna area to the south of the prairie area. This is the first time I'd noticed this orchid at Weiler-Leopold. The photo was taken Oct. 4, 2014. A few years ago I observed Spiranthes cernua in the woods at Celery Bog Park. There is a photo of this orchid on display in the nature center there. I went back to Celery Bog Park on Oct. 7, thinking I could find Spiranthes cernua again, but failed to find it there.

The presence of orchids is also a display of fungus that we don't necessarily see. Orchids require fungus to reproduce. The seed of the orchid does not contain a food source for the new sprout, it gets its nutrition from a fungus in the soil that surrounds the new plant. Orchid seeds are tiny, like dust, because of this.

Link to Spiranthes cernua:

Link to Weiler-Leopold Nature Reserve:

Link to orchids and fungus:

Another link to orchids and fungus:

Another link to orchids and fungus:

Carrion flower

In the woods at Celery Bog Park, this plant is one of the non-prickly stemmed species of Smilax called carrion flower. A couple of clusters of black berries are visible in the photo. Photo taken Sept. 16, 2014.

Link to carrion flower:

Water smartweed

I think this might be water smartweed (Persicaria amphibia), just from looking at the photo.  I didn't wade into the water to get a really good look at it.  This is near the north observation deck on the west side of Coot Slough at Celery Bog Park.  The  water level is high and these plants are standing in about 3-6 inches of water.  Note the leaves are wider and flowering heads are wider and more erect than other smartweeds in this area.  A synonym is Polygonum amphibium.  Photos taken Sept. 16, 2014.

A photo of the smartweed showing the standing-water habitat. Smartweed in the middle of the photo. Open water is past the upper right of the photo.

Link to FNA treatment of Persicaria amphibia:

Link to Persicaria amphibia:

Link to Persicaria amphibia:

Bidens aristosa

I am tentatively calling this Bidens aristosa from trying to ID it from these pictures.  This is at the edge of the constructed pond at the far end of the road going through Prophetstown State Park.  I was not prepared for the considerable cold wet rain coming down that day and me and my field guide got soaked.  According to Kay Y's Field Guide to Indiana Wildflowers, Bidens aristosa is synoymous with Bidens polylepis, but some references separate them according to the longer involucral bracts of Bidens polylepis. 

Pictures taken Sept. 10, 2014.

Link to Bidens aristosa:

Link to Bidens aristosa:

Link to Bidens polylepis:

Wabash River at Lafayette, Sept. 7, 2014

Wabash River looking upstream from the pedestrian bridge at Lafayette, Sept. 7, 2014.

Link to Wabash River levels:

Boneset and Blue Lobelia

The white flowers are boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum) and the blue flowers are blue lobelia (Lobelia siphilitica).  I found this in the ditch just east of the new highway US 231 that was built  just west of West Lafayette, just a short distance north of the State Road 26 intersection.

Link to previous post on Eupatorium perfoliatum:

Link to previous post on Lobelia siphilitica:

A goldenrod soldier beetle (Chauliognathus pensylvanicus) on the boneset flowers.

Link to goldenrod soldier beetle

Link to goldenrod soldier beetle:

Link to goldenrod soldier beetle:

Pictures taken Sept. 1, 2014.

Newly emerged cicada

A newly emerged cicada beside its old skin.  West Lafayette.  Photo taken August 29, 2014.

Link to previous post on cicada molting:

Wild grape juice

Wild grape (Vitis sp.) along Tapawingo Drive, West Lafayette.  From the vine pictured below.  Pictures taken Aug. 27, 2014.

Previous post on wild grape:

Fruits from this vine made a good juice.  In a pan filled with clusters of ripe fruit, fill with water and bring to a boil.  Strain through a colander to get the pulp and the juice.  

Obedient Plant

Bumblebees swarming over a patch of obedient plant (Physostegia virginiana).  This patch of obedient plant was growing wild in McAllister Park, near the paved trail section leading to the Wabash Heritage Trail.

A view from a distance, of the Physostegia virginiana patch.

Photos taken August 12, 2014.

Link to previous post on obedient plant:

Link to Physostegia virginiana:

Link to bumblebee:

Catocala moth

This Catocala moth was found outside an apartment building in West Lafayette, August 7, 2014.

Link to Catocala moths:

Link to Catocala in Indiana:

Tall bellflower

Tall bellflower (Campanulastrum americanum) and Joe-Pye-weed (Eupatorium sp.), in a woods-edge habitat newly created by the construction of Cumberland Ave. through an existing wooded area, just west of Lodge Apartments.

Link to Campanulastrum americanum:

Link to Campanulastrum americanum:

Pictures taken July 24, 2014.

Hibiscus trionum

Flower-of-an-hour (Hibiscus trionum).  At Celery Bog Park, between entrance drive and University Place property.  Photo taken July 22, 2014.

Link to Hibiscus trionum:

Link to Hibiscus trionum:

Link to Hibiscus trionum:

Purple loosestrife

Purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) at the Lodge Apartments just off Cumberland Avenue, West Lafayette.  Picture taken July 14, 2014.  The Celery Park wetland is nearby but no purple loosestrife is visible there.  

Link to previous post on purple loosestrife:

Dalea purpurea

Dalea purpurea at Prophetstown State Park.  July 4, 2014.

Link to Dalea purpurea:

Orbexilum onobrychis

Orbexilum onobrychis along the tail leading to the fen at Prophetstown State Park.  A fair sized colony here.  This plant is sometimes called French grass although as a legume family plant it is nothing like a true grass.  Orbexilum could have been introduced to this area as a result of planting prairie species when the park was established, or it might have been here all along.  Photo taken July 4, 2014.

Link to Orbexilum onobrychis:

Another species of Orbexilum, Orbexilum stipulatum, was last found over a hundred years ago in Kentucky at the Falls of the Ohio region.  It has not been seen anywhere since then.  It seems to me that it could have been present in Indiana too.  Maybe there is some still in Indiana somewhere and no one has ever found it. 

:Link to Orbexilum stipulatum:

Little Wood-Satyr Butterfly

Little wood-satyr butterfly (Megisto cymela) at Weiler-Leopold Nature Preserve, Warren County.  Photo taken June 22, 2014.

Link to Megisto cymela:

Grape honeysuckle

I am calling this grape honeysuckle (Lonicera reticulata) on the basis of these round-shaped leaves.  In Carroll County on the trail sloping down from the Monon High Bridge trail to the NICHES Mary Gerard Nature Preserve on Deer Creek.  Photo taken June 18, 2014.

Link to Lonicera reticulata:

Link to Gerard Nature Preserve:

Rabbit-foot clover

Rabbit-foot clover (Trifolium arvense), surrounding a bike rack near a parking lot at Prophetstown Farm.  This is the first time I've ever seen this particular plant.  Photo taken June 14, 2014.

Link to Trifolium arvense:

Link to Trifolium arvense:

Green heron

Green heron (Butorides virescens) near the edge of Coot Slough at Celery Bog Park.  Photo taken June 19, 2014.

Link to green heron:

Sparganium

Sparganium, also called bur-reed, at Eagle Marsh, Allen County.  I am calling it Sparganium eurycarpum due to the apparent doubled styles on the pistillate flowers.  Photo taken May 31, 2014.

Link to Sparganium eurycarpum:

Sparganium, also probably Sparganium eurycarpum, on the west side of Coot Slough at Celery Bog Park, June 10, 2014.  Finding this small patch near one of the observation decks is the first time I've noticed bur-reed in Celery Bog Park.

Ranunculus sceleratus

Celery-leaved buttercup (Ranunculus sceleratus) at Eagle Marsh, SW of Fort Wayne in Allen County.  Picture taken May 31, 2014.

Link to Ranunculus sceleratus:

Link to Ranunculus sceleratus:

Scaly Ink Cap mushrooms

Scaly inky cap mushrooms (Coprinopsis variegata), on a fallen log at Eagle Marsh, SW of Fort Wayne, Allen County.  These kind of mushrooms were seen in several other places in these woods.  May 31. 2014.

Link to Coprinopsis variegata:

Houndstongue

Houndstongue (Cynoglossum officinale). A member of the Borage plant family (Boraginaceae). Here on display at the weed garden at the Purdue Agronomy Center (ACRE). The weed garden is open to the public. Very useful in learning all the common weeds you might encounter in Indiana.

Photo taken May 25, 2014.

Link to Cynoglossum officinale:

Link to Purdue Agronomy Center (ACRE):

Dewberry

This brambly vine is spreading onto a graveled road, near the Purdue baseball stadium.  Due to this low spreading habit, I am going to call it a dewberry vine (Rubus flagellaris).

Photo taken May 17, 2014.

Link to dewberry:

Polyporus arcularius

A little brown mushroom, Polyporus arcularius, on a fallen log in Celery Bog Park.  Picture taken May 17, 2014.

The green plant is Floerkea proserpinacoides.

Link to Polyporus arcularius:

Link to Polyporus  arcularius:

Link to Polyporus arcularius:

Link to Floerkea proserpinacoides:

Columbine and rusted buckeye

A wild columbine flower (Aquilegia canadensis) hangs over a patch of buckeye seedlings (Aesculus glabra) along Trail 2 at Prophetstown State Park. 

The yellow spots on the buckeye leaves are the aecial stage of the rust Puccinia andropogonis.  This rust uses grass as an alternate host, probably the extensive stand of big bluestem grass (Andropogon gerardii) on the nearby restored prairie land.

Picture taken May 11, 2014.

Link to previous post on Aquilegia canadensis:

Link to previous post on Aesculus glabra:

Link to previous post on Aesculus glabra:

Link to Puccinia andropogonis:

Ranunculus hispidus

Ranunculus hispidus, along Trail 2 at Prophetstown State Park.  This species is one of our native Indiana buttercups.  Photo taken May 11, 2014.

Link to Ranunculus hispidus:

Link to Ranunculus hispidus:

Link to Ranunculus hispidus: