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.

Link to Cirsium discolor:

Link to Cirsium discolor: 

Link to Cirsium discolor:

Link to Silphium terebinthinaceum:

Link to Spinn Prairie:

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:

Link to Lythrum alatum:

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.