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:

Camassia scilloides at Prophetstown State Park 2014

Camassia scilloides flowering along Trail 2 at Prophetstown State Park.  The flowers in the background are Phlox divaricata.

A view of the trail.  Camassia scilloides in the foreground, in the background more Camassia and Phlox divaricata.  The dark blue flowers are Delphinium tricorne.  Photos taken May 11, 2014.

Link to previous post on Camassia scilloides on this trail in 2012:

Previous post on Camassia scilloides at Prophetstown earlier in 2014:

Link to previous post on Phlox divaricata:

Link to Delphinium tricorne:

Tulip tree surrounds elm tree

This trunk of this big tulip tree has grown outwardly to surround an elm tree, at Ross Hills County Park.  Photo May 8, 2014.

It doesn't appear that the two trees are growing together, which is a phenomenon called inosculation.  I will guess that the tulip tree wood completely surrounding the elm prevents it from getting bigger.

Link to inosculation of trees:

Prairie trillium

Prairie trillium (Trillium recurvatum) at Michaud-Sinninger Woods in Cumberland Park.  Picture taken May 6, 2014.

Link to Trillium recurvatum:

Link to Trillium in Indiana:


Link to previous post on Trillium recurvatum:

Link to previous post on Trillium recurvatum:

Jacob's ladder

Jacob's ladder (Polemonium reptans) in the woods at Cumberland Park.  Photo taken May 6, 2014.

Link to Polemonium reptans:

Link to previous post on Polemonium reptans:

Rue anemone

This is rue anemone (Thalictrum thalictroides).  False rue anemone (Enemion biternatum) looks something like this and is probably more common around the Lafayette area.  This photo was taken at Clegg Gardens, May 2, 2014.

Link to Thalictrum thalictroides:

Link to Thalictrum thalictroides:

Mnium moss

Mnium moss, at Clegg Gardens.  Photo taken May 2, 2014.

Link to Mnium moss:

Red-eared slider

A red-eared slider turtle (Trachemys scripta elegans) waits in the sun along a bicycle trail at Celery Bog Park.  Picture taken April 1, 2014.

This baby red-eared slider turtle was found on the sidewalk in front of the University Place home which is just west of Celery Bog Park.  The pictures of the baby turtle were taken April 29, 2014.

Link to Trachemys scripta elegans:

Link to Trachemys scripta elegans:

Twelve-spotted lady beetles and Phellinus gilvus

A couple twelve-spotted lady beetles (Coleomegilla maculata).  The shelf fungus resembles Phellinus gilvus.  In a woods in NE Tippecanoe County, April 25, 2014.  Twelve-spotted lady beetles were common in a nearby garden on that day.

Link to Coleomegilla maculata:

Link to Coleomegilla maculata:

Link to Phellinus gilvus:

Link to Phellinus gilvus:

Leaves of black haw in spring

Black haw (Viburnum prunifolium).  The new leaves in early spring have a distinctive coppery sheen.  In a woods in NE Tippecanoe County.  Picture taken April 25, 2014.

Link to Viburnum prunifolium: 

Link to Viburnum prunifolium:

Pokeweed 2014

Pokeweed is coming up, I noticed yesterday (May 10, 2014) that the sprouts had gotten tall enough to pick. 

Morel mushroom

First morel (Morchella) I've seen this season.  May 4, 2014.  Under a dead elm tree in a woods south of Lafayette.