Hop-tree

Hop-tree (Ptelea trifoliata) flowering, along the trail near the entrance to Shawnee Bottoms, Fountain County.  Hop-tree is rather common here. 

The trifoliate leaflets and alternate leaf pattern of hop-tree looks a lot like poison ivy.  Hop-tree is a small tree and doesn’t irritate the skin, unlike poison ivy.

Link to Ptelea trifoliata:

Link to Shawnee Bottoms:

Photo taken May 27, 2015.

Erysimum repandum

Erysimum repandum along the Lindberg Road trail at the east end of the bridge over Coot Slough.  Plants of the Erysimum genus are commonly called wallflowers, and sometimes Erysimum repandum is called spreading wallflower.

Link to Erysimum repandum:

Link to Erysimum repandum:

Link to Erysimum repandum:

Erysimum repandum is a weedy introduction from Eurasia. Another wallflower which is flowering at this time is Erysimum capitatum, is native to Indiana, here is a link to a location in Tippecanoe county:

In the background to the right is the railing that produces the singing aspect of this bridge, here is a link to the singing bridge.

Photo taken May 27, 2015.

Wolf's milk slime mold

Wolf's milk slime mold (Lycogala epidendrum) at Weiler-Leopold Reserve, Warren Co.

Link to Lycogala epidendrum:

Link to Lycogala epidendrum:

Link to video of Lycogala epidendrum:

Photo May 17, 2015.

The Kile Oak

The Kile Oak, an old bur oak (Quercus macrocarpa) in the Irvington section of Indianapolis, Marion County.  Worth a visit if you are in this part of Indy. 

Link to the Kile Oak:

Link to another old bur oak in Indy:

Photo taken May 14, 2015.

Wild hyacinth along Cumberland Avenue

Found a population of wild hyacinth (Camassia scilloides) along the newly constructed section of Cumberland Avenue just west of the Lodge Apartments near Wal-Mart.  This photo is on the south side of Cumberland.  There is an even greater population of Camassia scilloides visible in the woods on the north side of Cumberland here.  The construction of this road probably took out a lot of these native wildflowers. 

Link to previous post on Camassia scilloides:

The place where I found the wild hyacinth also has some other native wildflowers, further indicating that this was a quality natural area before being damaged by the new road construction.  The above photo shows Jacob’s-ladder (Polemonium reptans), and below photo shows Phlox divaricata and Hydrophyllum, possibly Hydrophyllum virginianum.

Link to Polemonium reptans:

Link to previous post on Polemonium reptans:

Link to Hydrophyllum virginianum:

Link to previous post on Phlox divaricata:

Photos taken May 11, 2015.

Juneberry tree flowering

This juneberry tree (Amelanchier sp.) is flowering, May 2, 2015.  In June it will produce loads of juneberries better to eat than anything you can buy in a store.  Three juneberry trees on this street corner.  Two or three more a half block east. 

SW corner of Roosevelt & Canal, Chicago, Cook Co. Illinois.  Willis Tower is in the background.  On the SE corner mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris) is growing on the other side of the fence of the Metra rail yards.   I didn’t get a photo of that though.

No sign of the namesake plant Allium tricoccum around here.

Link to previous post on juneberries:

Link to another previous post on juneberries:

Link to another previous post on juneberries:

Link to Artemisia vulgaris:

Orange lichen and cracked-cap polypore on black locust tree

Saw this striking orange lichen on the trunk of this black locust tree at the entrance to Meigs Purdue Farm.  The tree also had a good growth of cracked-cap polypore (Phellinus robiniae) showing. 

I'm thinking that the orange lichen ought to be Xanthoria parietina.  

A view of another growth of the cracked-cap polypore in the upper branches of the same black locust tree.

Photos taken April 29, 2015.

Link to Xanthoria parietina:

Link to previous post on Phellinus robiniae:

Buckeye trees leafing out before the rest of the forest

At this place in the woods at Ross Hills County Park are a lot of young buckeye trees (Aesculus glabra).  Here they are leafing out while the other species of trees in the forest do not have their leaves yet.  Mayapple, the plant on the forest floor, has also started to show leaves.  Photo taken April 22, 2015.

Link to previous post on buckeye trees:

Frasera caroliniensis

Two basal rosettes of Frasera caroliniensis, sometimes called American columbo.  On a slope in the woods at Ross Hills County Park.  Surrounding the Frasera are several shooting-star (Dodecatheon meadia).  The shooting-star plants shown in the picture are mostly not yet flowering, but the new flowering stalks and buds are up.  Shooting-star was found flowering elsewhere in the park on this day.   Photo taken April 22, 2015.

Link to Frasera caroliniensis:

Link to Frasera caroliniensis:

Link to Frasera caroliniensis:

Link to pdf file on Frasera caroliniensis:

Link to previous post on Dodecatheon meadia: